The Center for Gravitation and Cosmology (CGC) is a research center founded in 2017 at Yangzhou University. Yangzhou is a city with rich history in the Jiangsu Province of China, primarily known for its former major role in the salt trade. It is the Southern capital of China under Emperor Yang of Sui (r. 604-617). It was recorded that Marco Polo had served as a governer in Yangzhou around 1282-1287.

CGC is an initiative of the BRICS-Association of Gravity and Cosmology (BRICS-AGAC), with support from the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). The center is currently hosted on the 3rd floor of the College of Physical Sciences and Technology building, on the scenic Slender West Lake campus, which was a favorite retreat of Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735-1796).

CGC aspires to become a leading international center for gravitational physics, with focus on black holes and cosmology. On the theoretical front, CGC will tackle important unsolved problems such as: Does black hole destroy information? What is inside a black hole? Does Einstein’s general relativity need to be modified? What is the nature of dark energy and dark matter? Is there any interaction within the dark sector? How did the Universe begin and how will it end? Was there a cosmic inflation and if so what was the underlying physics? Physics of course ultimately depends on experiments and observational data. CGC has joined the Baryon acoustic oscillations In Neutral Gas Observations (BINGO) collaboration, which will measure the expansion rate of the Universe and provide constraints on dark energy models. Our current three major directions are: black holes and gravitational wave physics, cosmology and precision measurement experiments.

By collaborating with colleagues within China and abroad, our team with diverse background and experience hope to make real progress toward the understanding of these fascinating issues in theoretical physics, and in so doing contribute our part to the human race’s collective attempts to make sense of the cosmos and our place within it. 

We always welcome new talents to join us! If you are interested in any position (faculties, postdocs, or PhD students), please do not hesitate to contact any faculty member for further information.