The 4th international EXPLORE Summer School and Research Conference will take place from August 10th to August 15th, 2025 at York University in Toronto, Ontario.

The summer school will feature lectures and research activities from world-renowned physics researchers in astrophysics, astroparticle physics, high energy physics, and cosmology, exploring the themes of dark matter and black holes from observational, computational, and theoretical perspectives, as we tune in to the Echoes from the Dark Universe. 

Confirmed lecturers include:

• Prof. Asimina Arvanitaki: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Aristarchus Chair in Theoretical Physics at Perimeter Institute 
• Prof. Cliff Burgess: McMaster University & Perimeter Institute; Particle Physics and Cosmology
• Prof. Miriam Diamond: University of Toronto; Astroparticle Physics
• Prof. Maya Fishbach: Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics; Black holes and gravitational wave astronomy
• Prof. Matthew Johnson: York University & Perimeter Institute; Cosmology
• Prof. Ting Li: University of Toronto; Near-Field Cosmology 
• Prof. Katie Mack: Hawking Chair in Cosmology and Science Communication, Perimeter Institute
• Prof. Adam Muzzin: York University; Extragalactic astronomy
• Prof. James Taylor: University of Waterloo; Computational astrophysics

Special sessions will be held for student and early-career research presentations. All attendees are welcome to submit an abstract to apply to give an oral presentation.

Attendees are also welcome to participate in the following social events:

• Expedition to Toronto Islands
• Walking tour of Downtown Toronto
• Canadian National Exhibition
• Visit and escape room experience at Black Creek Village (to be confirmed)
• Tour and observing at Allan I. Carswell Observatory (to be confirmed)

All students (Bachelor, Master, PhD), postdocs and early career researchers who are interested to learn about and explore hot topics in theoretical and observational astrophysics are invited to participate in the EXPLORE summer school!

The number of participants is limited to 48. 

Please note that priority will be given to participants of the current EXPLORE course. External (non-EXPLORE) registrants must send a cover letter/letter of interest in their application and will be asked to pay $50 registration fee to cover participation in social activities. 

What is EXPLORE?

EXPLORE stands for "EXPeriential Learning Opportunity through Research and Exchange” (https://dmgw.space/EXPLORE). It is an international innovative teaching and research program at Goethe University Frankfurt in collaboration with York University in Toronto, Canada, the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, Texas A&M in Texas, USA, and Tokyo University in Bunkyō, Japan. The idea behind EXPLORE is to build the bridge between learning physics in a classroom and working as a scientist. EXPLORE brings together students from Goethe University Frankfurt with students from international partner universities. Together they form the world’s first international undergraduate student collaboration in astroparticle physics!

The EXPLORE project is mentored by eight faculty supervisors:

• Rahul Kannan (York University, Canada)
• Saeed Rastgoo (University of Alberta, Canada)
• Nassim Bozorgnia (University of Alberta, Canada)
• Laura Sagunski (Goethe University, Germany)
• Jürgen Schaffner-Bielich (Goethe University, Germany)
• Sean Tulin (York University, Canada)
• Louis Strigari (Texas A&M, USA)
• Elisa Ferreria (Tokyo University, Japan)