Honored Persons

 

Anton Zeilinger

Anton Zeilinger (born May 20, 1945 in Ried im Innkreis) is an Austrian physicist and since 2013 President of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. He became famous for his media-effective experiments in quantum teleportation ("beaming"). However, Zeilinger's main interest is the fundamentals of quantum physics. He is interested in how they affect our understanding of everyday life. For years, he has been keen to include philosophers in his team of physicists. For Zeilinger, it is precisely in quantum physics that the right questions are asked. The great questions of humankind have been the same for thousands of years; the humanities are aware of this – that’s why he appreciates working with them. Zeilinger's sailboat bears the name "42" - according to the humorous sci-fi writer Douglas Adams "the answer to everything". Anton Zeilinger was - among others - Visiting professor at the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and also in Oxford, before he became a full professor at the University of Innsbruck in 1990 and head of the Institute for Experimental Physics. Since 1999 he is University Professor at the University of Vienna and Director of the Institute for Experimental Physics. From 2006 to 2009 he was Dean of the Faculty of Physics of the University of Vienna. On 15 March 2013 Anton Zeilinger was elected President of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. He took office in July 2013. In January 2017, he was confirmed as President for the period from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2022.