IHES at the ICM2026

The International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) will take place in Philadelphia, USA, from July 23 to 30, 2026. During the congress, the French mathematical community will be represented through the Math In France initiative. This joint participation has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Qube Research & Technologies, BNP Paribas, and Capital Fund Management, with logistical coordination provided by Friends of IHES.

A Major Event for Mathematics

For more than 120 years, the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) has been the world’s leading conference in mathematics and the discipline’s most important international gathering. Held every four years since 1900 under the auspices of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), the Congress brings together thousands of mathematicians from across the globe.

The ICM is notably the occasion on which the Fields Medals are awarded to four mathematicians under the age of forty. Often regarded as the highest distinction in mathematics alongside the Abel Prize, the Fields Medal recognizes exceptional mathematical achievement. The most recent French recipient is Hugo Duminil-Copin, Permanent Professor at IHES, Ordinary Professor at the University of Geneva, and member of the French Presidential Science Council, who received the medal in 2022 for his groundbreaking work in probability theory.

The French mathematical community has long played a prominent role at the ICM, whether through Fields Medals or through invitations extended to French mathematicians or mathematicians working or trained in France, to deliver plenary and sectional lectures. Such invitations, particularly plenary lectures, are considered among the highest distinctions in the international mathematical community.

The 2026 Fields Medal laureates will be announced during the Opening Ceremony on July 23.

IHES is particularly proud that Hong Wang, Permanent Professor of Mathematics at IHES, and Dennis Gaitsgory, holder of the Israel Gelfand Chair of Mathematics funded by the Squarepoint Foundation and member of the IHES Board of Directors, have both been invited to speak at ICM 2026. Hong Wang will deliver a sectional lecture, while Dennis Gaitsgory will give a plenary lecture.

Math in France, a Unified Presence

IHES will participate in ICM 2026 under the Math In France banner, alongside several of its principal institutional partners: the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the Institut Henri Poincaré (IHP), the Centre International de Rencontres Mathématiques (CIRM), MathDoc, and the International Centre for Pure and Applied Mathematics (CIMPA), in association with France Universités.

Throughout the Congress, Math In France will host a joint exhibition booth (locations #206–207) showcasing the richness and diversity of the French mathematical ecosystem.

The booth will highlight the values that underpin French mathematics: scientific excellence, international cooperation, academic freedom, open science, diversity and inclusion, and France’s commitment to welcoming researchers from around the world.

Math in France Reception

A Math In France Reception will be held on July 27 at the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia. The reception will bring together members of the French mathematical community attending the Congress under the high patronage of His Excellency Laurent Bili, Ambassador of France to the United States.

The evening will open with welcoming remarks by Ambassador Laurent Bili, followed by Christophe Besse, Director of Insmi (CNRS Mathematics). The program will then feature a series of flash talk presentations by internationally renowned researchers, including Patrick Gérard, Professor of Mathematics at Université Paris-Saclay and an invited plenary speaker at ICM 2026.

The reception will conclude with a panel discussion on the future of mathematics, addressing the challenges facing the discipline, the importance of scientific collaboration, and the role of France’s mathematical institutions and research infrastructures, followed by a cocktail reception.