Olympian Symposium 2026 (18-22 May 2026, Paralia Katerini, Greece)

Dear all,

Please find below the information for the Olympian Symposium 2026, “The Evolution of the Interstellar Medium Across Cosmic Time.” Registration and abstract submission are now open. The abstract submission deadline for oral presentation is January 30.

best, Hsi-An

Dear Colleague,

We are delighted to announce that registration and abstract submission are now open for the upcoming Olympian Symposium 2026, “The evolution of interstellar medium across cosmic times”.

To register and submit your abstract, please visit: http://olympiansymposium.org http://olympiansymposium.org/

This is the 5th in the Olympian Symposium series, and it will take place from 18-22 May, 2026, in Paralia Katerini, Greece, at the Mediterranean Village Hotel, located close to the world-famous Mount Olympus.

The Olympian Symposia, which began in 2014, are focused meetings on star formation and the interstellar medium, designed to promote collaboration and fruitful discussion in a unique setting that combines science with the inspiring environment of the sea and Mount Olympus.

The 2026 Symposium will continue this tradition, bringing together researchers from around the world to exchange new ideas and results.

We are now accepting abstract submissions and registrations. Please note the following important dates: 30 January 2026: Deadline for abstract submission for oral presentations. 30 April 2026: Final deadline for abstract submission for poster presentations. 22 February 2026: Announcement of the accepted oral presentations. 28 February 2026: Deadline for the Early Bird registration fee. The regular registration fee applies thereafter.

Further information, including detailed travel and accommodation options, is available on our official website.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and welcoming you to the Mt. Olympus area in 2026 for what promises to be an exciting and stimulating symposium.

With best regards, Thomas Bisbas & Brandt Gaches on behalf of the Organizing Committee

Scientific Rationale The interstellar medium plays a fundamental role in the life cycle of galaxies, acting as the reservoir from which stars and planetary systems form, and as the matter returned through stellar feedback processes. Tracing the evolution of the ISM from the early universe to the present day is essential to understanding galaxy formation, chemical enrichment, star formation histories, and the emergence of habitable environments.

Recent advances in both observations and numerical models – from JWST and ALMA to high-resolution simulations – now allow us to study the ISM across a wide range of epochs and environments. At the same time, the rapid development of artificial intelligence and machine learning is opening new avenues in numerical modeling, data analysis, and predictive simulations, enabling us to tackle the ISM’s complexity in unprecedented ways.

This Symposium aims to bring together experts in galactic and extragalactic ISM studies, star formation, astrochemistry, and cosmology to synthesize our current understanding and chart future directions.

Discussion topics Discussion will cover a range of topics, including: Low-metallicity ISM Extreme ISM environments Feedback and the ISM lifecycle Gaseous Environments Across Cosmic Epochs Dusty Environments Cosmic Rays, Magnetic Fields, and Turbulence in the ISM The ISM Across Cosmic Time: Observational Frontiers Numerical Models, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning

Invited Speakers (list not yet complete) Alex Cameron (Oxford, UK) Emanuele Daddi (CEA, France) Christoph Federrath (Australian National University, Australia) Reinhard Genzel (MPE, Germany) Brett McGuire (MIT, USA) Kate Pattle (UCL, UK) Jerome Pety (IRAM, France) Julia Roman-Duval (STScI, USA) Jiayi Sun (Kentucky, USA) Linda Tacconi (MPE, Germany) Stefanie Walch-Gassner (Cologne, Germany)

Scientific Organizing Committee Thomas Bisbas (Zhejiang Lab, China; co-chair) Brandt Gaches (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany; co-chair) Munan Gong (University of Texas at El Paso, USA) Kathryn Grasha (Australian National University, Australia) Francois Lique (Universite de Rennes, France) Desika Narayanan (University of Florida, USA) Hsi-An Pan (Tamkang University, Taiwan)