Curriculum Vitae 

Prof. Sander Bais

After a MSc  degree in Applied Physics from Delft University (1973) he obtained a PhD in Theoretical Physics at the University of California in Santa Cruz and SLAC (1977). He subsequently held research positions at the Universities of Pennsylvania, and Leuven, at CERN (Geneva) and the University of Utrecht. After an appointment in Leiden he became  a full professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Amsterdam in 1985.

His research has covered a wide range of topics  in particle physics, field theory , relativity and string theory. Also interfaces with cosmology and condensed matter physics have his active interest. In recent years his work has focused on the properties of topological interactions and phases, and their applications such as quantum computation.

He was a longtime director of the Institute for Theoretical Physics of the University of Amsterdam. At present he is Chairman of the Council for Physics and Astrophysics of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences, Dutch delegate in the CERN Council and Board Member of the K.L. Poll Foundation for Education, Art and Science. From 2007 he is an external faculty member of the Santa Fe Institute in the US.

Sander Bais has always been a critical participant in general discussions on science, society and education. He delivered the 2004 Etty Hillesum Lecture on Science and Culture. He has written two books  in which he  conveys key principles of theoretical physics to a broad audience.  The first is called “The Equations: Icons of Knowledge” and is about  the fundamental equations of physics and their interrelationships (Harvard University Press, 2005), it has been translated in 8 languages. The second book is entitled "Very special relativity: An illustrated guide" and concerns an entirely geometric introduction to Einsteins theory of special relativity (Harvard University Press, 2007). The past years Sander Bais held visiting professorships at the Theoretical Research Institutes in Santa Fe, Canberra, Kyoto, and Santa Barbara.