Stony Brook to Host 2028 World Congress of the Game Theory Society

Stony Brook University has been selected to host the Eighth World Congress of the Game Theory Society, an international gathering expected to bring hundreds of scholars to campus. The five-day congress will take place July 17-21, 2028.

The World Congress is the premier global conference in game theory, a field of mathematics and economics that studies strategic decision-making between rational actors (players) whose outcomes depend on each other's choices. It analyzes situations where the best course of action for one participant depends on what others decide to do - whether in competition, cooperation, or conflict.The field has wide-ranging applications across mathematics, economics, computer science, political science, psychology, biology and business.

The successful proposal was submitted by the world-renowned Stony Brook Center for Game Theory, a globally recognized hub for research and collaboration in the field. Known until recently as the Center for Game Theory in Economics, the center grew out of the former Institute for Decision Sciences (IDS), established by Michel Balinski at Stony Brook University in 1987. It has organized more than 110 scientific activities including 36 annual international conferences and over 75 workshops exploring both theoretical and applied aspects of game theory.

"Being selected to host the World Congress is recognition of the scale and global standing of the Stony Brook Center for Game Theory," said Yair Tauman, leading professor in the Department of Economicsand director of the center. "This congress is a much larger event than our annual international conferences and reflects decades of sustained research activity, including 36 consecutive years of National Science Foundation support and the participation of leading scholars from around the world. It brings long-overdue visibility to work that has made Stony Brook one of the most respected centers for game theory globally."

Over nearly four decades, the center has hosted more than 2,700 scientists from around the world. Among them are twelve Nobel laureates, including Kenneth Arrow, Robert Aumann, Gérard Debreu, John Nash, Reinhard Selten, Thomas Schelling, Vernon Smith, Eric Maskin, Roger Myerson, Alvin Roth, Lloyd Shapley and Paul Milgrom. Five of these laureates are current or posthumously affiliated members of the center.

The Center for Game Theory, in partnership with Stony Brook University, will serve as the primary host institution and will assume financial and administrative responsibility for the congress. The Game Theory Society, working with the center, will oversee the scientific program, while logistical planning will be coordinated by the center with support from the Stony Brook University Department of Economics, the Office of Conferences and Special Events and the Division of Information Technology.

The 2028 World Congress is expected to attract approximately 600 to 700 participants and will feature about 660 contributed talks over the five-day schedule. The program will include plenary, semi-plenary, contributed and special sessions, along with a commemorative session marking the 30th anniversary of the Game Theory Society.