TOPICS: • Physics of Black Holes • Gauge / Gravity Correspondence • Scattering Amplitudes in SYM and Supergravity • Physics Beyond the Standard Model • String Cosmology • Holographic Condensed Matter The Aim of the activity is to provide pedagogical treatment of these subjects in the form of a series of lectures by individual speakers. The activity is intended for theoretical physicists or mathematicians with knowledge of quantum field theory, general relativity and string theory. LECTURERS include: N.J. BERKOVITS (UNESP Sao Paulo) C. CSAKI (Cornell University) J. de BOER (University of Amsterdam) J. McGREEVY (MIT) R.C. MYERS (Perimeter Institute) G. SHIU (University of Wisconsin at Madison) Y. TACHIKAWA (IAS Princeton) E.P. VERLINDE (University of Amsterdam)