Quantum connections: Constructor University hosts international conference on many-body quantum systems

Constructor University welcomed over 50 researchers to its Bremen campus for an international conference exploring the front lines of the mathematics of Quantum Mechanics from June 29 to July 3. The five-day event capped off a major joint French-German research project and featured 21 speakers and 15 poster presentations from academics across Europe and North America. Constructor University played a leadership role in both the conference and research project, reflecting a sustained commitment to fostering international research, cooperation and dialogue to advance scientific knowledge and breakthroughs.

"Our goal as a university is to operate at the very frontiers of advanced scientific fields like quantum technologies," said University President and Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Konstantin Novoselov, who attended and gave a short keynote at the event. "Conferences like these give us the opportunity to leverage the full Constructor Ecosystem—our university, technology ventures and research labs—to support comprehensive expertise and progress in these areas."

The conference, "Effective Approximation and Dynamics of Many-Body Quantum Systems" served as the concluding event for a joint French-German research project of the same name, and showcased a broad range of current research in mathematical physics. Delving deep into theoretical territories like the dynamics of Bose and Fermi gases and derivations of effective equations in mean-field limits, the conference explored the fundamental mathematical work underpinning advances in spaces ranging from quantum computing and materials science to superconductivity and the behavior of matter at extreme conditions.

"We were thrilled to welcome such a distinguished group of researchers to our campus," said Prof. Dr. Sören Petrat, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Constructor University, who played a key role in organizing the conference and coordinated the German component of the research project. "What made this event particularly special was that everything took place on campus—participants were engaged in scientific discussions from breakfast until evening. This kind of sustained interaction is where real breakthroughs happen, and it's exactly the collaborative, interdisciplinary environment we try to foster at Constructor University.”  

Prof. Petrat acknowledged the generous support of the German Research Foundation (DFG) for funding the scientific portion of the conference, alongside additional funding from the International Association of Mathematical Physics (IAMP) and industry sponsor Jane Street.

David Rosenblum, Vice President of Research, cited the conference as an example of Constructor University's growing focus on quantum mechanics research. "Hosting conferences like this demonstrates our commitment to being a hub for frontier research," said Rosenblum. "These gatherings don't just advance science—they put Constructor University on the map as a destination for research excellence."

The conference also provided a natural opportunity to showcase Bremen as a world-class host city to the participants who traveled from 10 countries spanning Europe and North America to take part. Attendees were treated to a boat tour on the Weser River from Vegesack to Bremen's city center—a welcome diversion during the exceptionally warm, sunny weather— where they took in vibrant scenes of the Breminale cultural festival taking place on the riverbanks. The week also included a special public lecture from Technical University of Braunschweig Professor Volker Bach on famed German mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauß (1777-1855), often called the "Prince of Mathematicians."  

"The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive," said Prof. Petrat. "Constructor University is still relatively unknown in certain international academic circles, but events like this are rapidly changing that and helping establish our reputation as a place for excellent research and meaningful collaboration."

The conference was organized by researchers from Constructor University, Technical University Braunschweig, University of Lorraine and Marie and Louis Pasteur University in Besançon, representing the four institutions involved in the joint research project of the same name.