Introduction to IGWN and IGWN Program

Albert Kong^1*

¹Institute of Astronomy, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

* Presenter:Albert Kong, email:akong@gapp.nthu.edu.tw

The first direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015 by the LIGO and Virgo collaborations marked a historic milestone in physics and astronomy. Since then, the network has expanded to include KAGRA, and in 2026 these efforts will be formally unified under the International Gravitational-Wave Observatory Network (IGWN). This global collaboration will coordinate detector operations, data analysis, and scientific discovery. In this talk, I will discuss the future programs of IGWN and how Taiwanese scientists can contribute to this rapidly growing research field under a new structure.

Keywords: Gravitational wave, International collaboration, Policy