Robbert Dijkgraaf (1960) is since 2005 University Professor at the University of Amsterdam, where from 1992 he held the chair of Mathematical Physics. He studied theoretical physics and mathematics in Utrecht, where (after an interlude studying painting at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie) he obtained his Ph.D. cum laude under supervision of Gerard 't Hooft in 1989. Subsequently he held positions at Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study. His research group works in string theory, quantum gravity, and the interface of mathematics and particle physics. He manages the FOM programs Mathematical Physics and String Theory and Quantum Gravity. He is also interested in creating more public awareness of mathematics and science, and bridging the gap with the arts and humanities. He is a columnist for NRC Handelsblad and Folia.

Dijkgraaf is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen. He was the recipient of the 2001 Physica Prize of the Dutch Physical Society and the 2003 NWO Spinoza Prize, the highest scientific award in the Netherlands.