Schedule
16 April 2026
Sascha Lichtenstein: QMC is all you need
21 May 2026
Misha Titov: Orbital Magnetism Mysteries
18 June 2026
Yuriy Mokrousov: Orbitronics
About the seminar
At Radboud University we are passionate about uncovering the mysteries of modern physics and the fundamental laws of nature. Therefore, we organise a monthly seminar on Debating Theoretical Physics, where leading scientists present lectures to stimulate debates on modern topics in theoretical physics across different departments and expertises, thereby cultivating the strength in theoretical physics.
The seminar is named after Prof. Misha Katsnelson, professor of theoretical condensed matter physics at Radboud University since 2004. His work covers the whole field of condensed matter theory, with main achievements in magnetism, strongly correlated systems and graphene. Andre Geim wrote in his 2010 Nobel lecture, “Our rapid progress would be impossible without Misha Katsnelson who provided us with all the theoretical help an experimentalist can only dream of."
We intend to make this a seminar in the style of the famous Ehrenfest colloquia, in which debates on theoretical physics were central and stimulated physics at the highest level. To this end we invite excellent speakers capable of taking a controversial position on a hotly debated contemporary topic in theoretical physics. The format is a 30-minute presentation and 15 minutes of discussion. It is intended to end with a conclusion and outlook that stimulate further discussions.
