Abdus Salam Centennial

Back

Celebrating Salam's Centennial

Join ICTP in marking 100 years of Abdus Salam

Next

Abdus Salam Centennial

Salam 100 logoIn 2026, ICTP celebrates the centennial of its founder, Abdus Salam, who would have turned 100 on 29 January 2026. 

Events will take place throughout the year to commemorate Salam's centennial and the indelible impact he made in theoretical physics, science in the developing world, and science diplomacy. These include:

27 - 29 JanuarySalam Distinguished Lectures 2026 "From Quantum Information to Transformative Technologies—A Journey of Remarkable Discoveries"; featuring Peter Zoller and Ignacio Cirac
29 January Panel discussion, "Opportunities and Challenges of Quantum Science and Technology"
11 FebruarySo You Want to Be a Scientist? 11 February online panel on career paths for women from the Global South (an ICTP Global Science Portal event)
23 February - 2 March

Lecture Tour in India by ICTP Director Atish Dabholkar: 

  • Monday 23 February, ICTS, Bengaluru, Abdus Salam Memorial Public Lecture at ICTS (public talk): "Joining Forces to Unify Nature and to Unite the World" (livestream starts at 16:00 GMT+5.5)
  • Wednesday 25 February,  Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi: "Joining Forces to Unify Nature and to Unite the World"  (online registration required)
  • Saturday 28 February, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, "Scientific Temper in the Age of Unreason" (on the occasion of Indian National Science Day)
  • Monday 2 March: Mumbai: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, "Joining Forces to Unify Nature and to Unite the World" (livestream starts at 16:00 GMT+5.5)
10 March "A Nobel Exile: Abdus Salam’s Physics, Faith, and Global Vision": a talk by Pakistani physicist Pervez Hoodbuoy (an ICTP Global Science Portal event)
23 - 31 MarchSpring School on Superstring Theory/Dirac Medal 40th Anniversary
30 MarchSalam Centennial Lecture: Ruminations on Science and Being a Scientist, by Joe Niemela (hosted online by ICTP Global Science Portal and PWF Pakistan)
1 AprilSalam Centennial Lecture: Light, Lasers and the Nobel Prize, by John Dudley (hosted online by ICTP Global Science Portal and PWF Pakistan)
21 AprilICTP-IBM School on Quantum Computing and Simulation and the awarding of the inaugural ICTP-IBM Richard Feynman Prize in Quantum Computing
7-10 May Scienza e Virgola / Trieste Maker Faire
11 MayPeace Paths Between India and Pakistan: Solutions Forum (ICTP Director Atish Dabholkar is a panellist for this hybrid event sponsored by the University of Deleware) 
27 - 28 May Colloquium with Chemistry Nobel Laureate Omar Yaghi (photos)
4 June Staging of Play "The Trial of Abdus Salam", Teatro Miela, Trieste (photos)
30 June Salam Centennial lecture: "Superspace for Symmetry: Yet Another Idea of Salam", by Dr. Babar A. Qureshi, Dept. of Mathematical Sciences, SMCS, IBA, Karachi. (Watch on Zoom) (an ICTP Global Science Portal event)
22 SeptemberSalam Centennial Lecture: "Race to Near Space", by Professor Mohamed-Slim Alouini, Al-Khawarizmi Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, KAUST. (Watch on Zoom) (an ICTP Global Science Portal event)

Multimedia Resources 

Over the years, documentaries about Abdus Salam have appeared; below are links for viewing.

A Brief Biography of Abdus Salam