Clarice D. Aiello, D D Awschalom, Hannes Bernien, Tina Brower, Kenneth R. Brown, Todd A Brun, Justin Ryan Caram, Eric Chitambar, Rosa Di Felice, Karina Montilla Edmonds, Michael F. J. Fox, Stephan Haas, Alexander W Holleitner, Eric R Hudson, Jeffrey H Hunt, Robert Joynt, Scott Koziol, M Larsen, H J Lewandowski, Doug T McClure, Jens Palsberg, Gina Passante, Kristen L. Pudenz, Christopher J K Richardson, Jessica L Rosenberg, R S Ross, Mark Saffman, M Singh, David W Steuerman, Chad Stark, Joseph Marie Thijssen, A. Nick Vamivakas, James Daniel Whitfield, Benjamin M Zwickl
Abstract Interest in building dedicated quantum information science and engineering (QISE) education programs has greatly expanded in recent years. These programs are inherently convergent, complex, often resource intensive and likely require collaboration with a broad variety of stakeholders. In order to address this combination of challenges, we have captured ideas from many members in the community. This manuscript not only addresses policy makers and funding agencies (both public and private and from the regional to the international level) but also contains needs identified by industry leaders and discusses the difficulties inherent in creating an inclusive QISE curriculum. We report on the status of eighteen post-secondary education programs in QISE and provide guidance for building new programs. Lastly, we encourage the development of a comprehensive strategic plan for quantum education and workforce development as a means to make the most of the ongoing substantial investments being made in QISE.
Abstract Interest in building dedicated quantum information science and engineering (QISE) education programs has greatly expanded in recent years. These programs are inherently convergent, complex, often resource intensive and likely require collaboration with a broad variety of stakeholders. In order to address this combination of challenges, we have captured ideas from many members in the community. This manuscript not only addresses policy makers and funding agencies (both public and private and from the regional to the international level) but also contains needs identified by industry leaders and discusses the difficulties inherent in creating an inclusive QISE curriculum. We report on the status of eighteen post-secondary education programs in QISE and provide guidance for building new programs. Lastly, we encourage the development of a comprehensive strategic plan for quantum education and workforce development as a means to make the most of the ongoing substantial investments being made in QISE.
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in developing specialized education programmes in the field of quantum science and engineering. These initiatives are complicated, multi-actor, and resource-intensive by nature, and tend to require cooperation from a range of participants. Often, a range of recommendations from numerous community members need to be taken into consideration to solve these challenges. This paper explores the challenges of developing an inclusive curriculum for second-generation quantum education (i.e., QEdu 2.0) and considers suggestions highlighted by experts from within the sector, in addition to policymakers and funding organizations (public, private, and both regional and international). This work offers recommendations for developing additional programmes, as well as providing an update on the state of education programmes in order to be compatible with QEdu 2.0. Ultimately, in order to maximize the continuous significant investments being made in quantum information science, the proposed work and its activities call for the creation of a thorough strategic plan for workforce development and quantum education.
In response to numerous programs seeking to advance quantum education and workforce development in the United States, experts from academia, industry, government, and professional societies convened for a National Science Foundation-sponsored workshop in February 2024 to explore the benefits and challenges of establishing a national center for quantum education. Broadly, such a center would foster collaboration and build the infrastructure required to develop a diverse and quantum-ready workforce. The workshop discussions focused on how a center could uniquely address gaps in public, K-12, and undergraduate quantum information science and engineering (QISE) education. Specifically, the community identified activities that, through a center, could lead to an increase in student awareness of quantum careers, boost the number of educators trained in quantum-related subjects, strengthen pathways into quantum careers, enhance the understanding of the US quantum workforce, and elevate public engagement with QISE. Core proposed activities for the center include professional development for educators, coordinated curriculum development and curation, expanded access to educational laboratory equipment, robust evaluation and assessment practices, network building, and enhanced public engagement with quantum science.
Quantum Education (QE) has gained worldwide importance due to the fast development of Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE). As per the strategy, quantum technology may spur innovation across industries and boost economic growth. Quantum computing research output and investment differ between developing and industrialized countries, highlighting the need for targeted efforts to close the gap. Consequently, while developed nations have advanced much in quantum research and development, underdeveloped countries still confront resource restrictions, limited infrastructure, and knowledge gaps hindering QE. This paper systematically reviews the environment, difficulties, and solutions for QE in developing countries. QE projects in numerous countries are examined, emphasizing tertiary education and institutes that provide quantum-related courses. A roadmap includes identifying learning goals, building thorough courses, encouraging collaboration, using online platforms, and evaluating and giving feedback. Transdisciplinary learning, hands-on experience, and ongoing learning are emphasized in training quantum workers. International cooperation and partnerships encourage knowledge exchange and resource allocation. The research suggests that underdeveloped nations must work together to overcome obstacles and realize quantum education’s revolutionary potential. Policymakers, educators, and stakeholders can enable these countries to engage in the quantum revolution by executing the equitable quantum technology access roadmap. The general objective of this systematic review is to analyze the current state of quantum education in developing countries, identifying challenges, gaps, and strategies to promote its implementation. The specific objectives are to: (1) identify and classify academic initiatives and research centers in quantum education across emerging economies; (2) examine the infrastructural, financial, and policy barriers hindering quantum workforce development, including digital connectivity and teacher preparedness; (3) compare quantum readiness across countries and regions using educational, scientific, and technological indicators; and (4) propose strategic guidelines for equitable global quantum advancement through curriculum reform, international collaboration, and workforce policy.
Quantum information science and engineering (QISE) is advancing rapidly, creating an urgent demand for a quantum-literate, technically proficient workforce. Despite this need, quantum education initiatives remain fragmented across regions, educational levels, and instructional approaches, which constrains their scalability and overall impact. This paper offers a structured analysis of the current quantum education ecosystem by synthesizing global initiatives, pedagogical strategies, and emerging trends. Quantum education is examined through a dual framework that considers both learner progression and instructional methodology, emphasizing the evolution of educational approaches from conceptual exposure to formal reasoning and practical application. Analysis of data from international programs and academic literature reveals key challenges, including inequitable access, absence of standardized curricula, limited empirical evaluation, and discontinuities between educational stages. Quantum education is more accurately conceptualized as a non-linear ecosystem rather than a traditional pipeline, characterized by multiple entry points, feedback mechanisms, and critical transition gaps. Based on this perspective, directions are proposed for developing more coherent, inclusive, and scalable educational frameworks that align with workforce requirements and technological progress. This work presents a unified perspective on the quantum education landscape and outlines actionable strategies to enhance global quantum literacy and workforce preparedness.
Quantum information science and engineering (QISE) is rapidly gaining interest from those within many disciplines, and higher education needs to adapt to the changing landscape. Although QISE education still has a strong presence and roots in physics, the field is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. There is a need to understand the presence of QISE instruction and quantum-related instruction across all disciplines in order to figure out where QISE education is already happening and where it could be expanded. Although there is recent work that characterizes introductory QISE courses, there is no holistic picture of the landscape of QISE and quantum-related education in the United States. To understand how QISE education is evolving, we analyzed course catalogs from 1456 U.S. institutions. We found 61 institutions offering QISE degree programs, mostly at Ph.D.-granting schools, with interdisciplinary programs being the most common. Physics, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science are the primary contributors to these programs. Across all institutions, we identified over 8000 courses mentioning “quantum,” mainly in physics and chemistry departments, but about one-third of institutions in our study had none. We also found over 500 dedicated QISE courses, concentrated in Ph.D.-granting institutions, primarily in physics, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science. Physics leads in offering both general quantum-related courses ( ∼ 4700 ) and QISE-specific courses ( ∼ 200 ). While quantum knowledge is often a prerequisite for QISE, there are efforts to make QISE education more accessible to students with less background in quantum mechanics. Across multiple disciplines, we also see that QISE topics are being introduced in courses not fully dedicated to QISE, which may be a productive strategy for increasing students’ access to QISE education. Our dataset and analysis provide the most comprehensive overview to date of quantum education across U.S. higher education. Additionally, this work is the first to address, in detail, the landscape of quantum content in two-year and community colleges and examines the largest set of MSIs in this context. We hope these findings will support and guide future efforts in curriculum design, workforce development, and education policy across the quantum ecosystem.
Since 2019, eighteen NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) awards in quantum information science and engineering (QISE) and adjacent fields have been funded, constituting the largest NSF-coordinated investment in graduate QISE training in the United States. Synthesizing lessons from our programs, we work through the central tensions that every QISE graduate program must negotiate: between depth in a home discipline and breadth across the field, between structured instruction and open-ended experiential and hands-on learning, and between training individual specialists and cultivating teams that collectively cover all areas of QISE. We describe the structural and pedagogical innovations the NRT programs have developed in response, assess what is working and what remains unresolved, and sketch 12 open problems the community will need to address as QISE graduate education scales beyond the well-resourced research universities where it has up till now been mainly concentrated. Eight concrete recommendations follow: (1) adopt the startup model of team-based training as an organizing philosophy; (2) invest immediately in sensing and communication curriculum development; (3) build student agency into program governance, not just activities; (4) establish structural mechanisms for industrial engagement rather than depending on goodwill; (5) design for sustainability from year one; (6) develop graduate-level textbooks spanning all three QISE pillars: computing, sensing, and communications; (7) establish shared outcome assessment instruments across programs; and (8) develop structured mechanisms for faculty professional development in QISE.