Recent advancements in quantum computing have sparked tremendous interest among students, professors, and enthusiasts, driving a surge in exploration and inquiry. To harness this momentum effectively, collaboration between research institutions, universities, and enthusiast communities is imperative. Furthermore, there's a pressing need to enhance quantum literacy among students and experts from allied fields such as engineering and computer science, which necessitates the development of educational programs specifically tailored to their needs. This paper delves into the collaborative initiatives orchestrated between the Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), universities, and enthusiast communities to bolster quantum education and awareness in the Philippines. Through presentations delivered to five universities, a hackathon co-hosted with OneQuantum Philippines, and a lecture series in alliance with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) engineering faculty, these initiatives aim to ignite interest, offer hands-on experience, and foster a sustainable ecosystem for quantum education and research. By emphasizing the pivotal role of multi-stakeholder engagement, this paper underscores the transformative potential of collective efforts in propelling quantum science and engineering education not only within the Philippine context but also on a broader global scale.
Recent advancements in quantum computing have sparked tremendous interest among students, professors, and enthusiasts, driving a surge in exploration and inquiry. To harness this momentum effectively, collaboration between research institutions, universities, and enthusiast communities is imperative. Furthermore, there's a pressing need to enhance quantum literacy among students and experts from allied fields such as engineering and computer science, which necessitates the development of educational programs specifically tailored to their needs. This paper delves into the collaborative initiatives orchestrated between the Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), universities, and enthusiast communities to bolster quantum education and awareness in the Philippines. Through presentations delivered to five universities, a hackathon co-hosted with OneQuantum Philippines, and a lecture series in alliance with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) engineering faculty, these initiatives aim to ignite interest, offer hands-on experience, and foster a sustainable ecosystem for quantum education and research. By emphasizing the pivotal role of multi-stakeholder engagement, this paper underscores the transformative potential of collective efforts in propelling quantum science and engineering education not only within the Philippine context but also on a broader global scale.
This poster explores strategies for supporting quantum computing education in academic libraries and invites collaborative discussion on building sustainable support models. As quantum computing emerges as a transformative technology with potential to solve complex research questions across disciplines, institutions of higher education must develop effective and scalable support frameworks. Successful integration of quantum computing education and support may position institutions at the forefront of breakthrough computational research and confer benefits such as strengthening the institutional ability to attract top faculty and students, boost workforce development, and deliver a competitive advantage for funding opportunities. We present our initial framework for quantum computing support developed at the University Libraries, University of Alabama. Our instructional model employs backward design principles, emphasizing hands-on engagement with open-source quantum development tools and focusing on transferable computational thinking skills that extend beyond specific tools. Our approach centers on workshops that prioritize achievable learning outcomes tailored to diverse student backgrounds, incorporate active learning strategies, and emphasize real-world applications to build quantum literacy across disciplines. Both our successes and ongoing challenges are shared to inform broader discussions. More broadly, we invite engagement with our framework and discussion across four critical dimensions of emerging technology support including pedagogical approach, assessment strategies, technology platforms and infrastructure, and collaborative support models. Pedagogically, we seek to explore which instructional methods most effectively build quantum computing literacy for students with diverse academic backgrounds as well as strategies to strike the balance between theoretical foundations and hands-on practice. With assessment, we seek meaningful assessment approaches that can address varied student backgrounds and account for steep learning curves accompanying emerging technologies. For technology, we endeavor to discover which platforms will work best within higher education and ensure access and reliability for students and educators on a broad scale. And finally, we seek to examine how academic libraries and other units collaborate to build sustainable, coordinated support infrastructure. As quantum computing and other emerging technologies reshape higher education, academic libraries may be uniquely positioned to lead support for quantum computing by democratizing access to computational resources and bridging gaps between research, instruction, and student success. To that end, we invite discussion on how academic libraries can help to build sustainable, adaptable, and collaborative models to support quantum computing. We seek experiences, challenges, and strategies to inform best practices while aligning with library and other campus computing efforts and meeting the evolving needs of students.
The advent of the post-quantum era introduces significant challenges and opportunities, particularly a pressing workforce gap in quantum computing education and skills.In response, public and private stakeholders are actively enhancing their efforts to advance quantum education.For instance, IBM's recent pledge to upskill 30 million individuals by 2030 specifically emphasizes quantum computing and cryptography.Similarly, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the U.S. National Science Foundation, have engaged in quantum education discussions at a summit that brought together leading educators and professionals in Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) to strategize on future workforce development.Additionally, NIST is gearing up to unveil its post-quantum cryptography standard in the near future.Despite these efforts, collaboration across sectors in aligning quantum education approaches needs more focus.As experienced educators and researchers, our observation is that while cybersecurity education has witnessed extensive collaboration across government, industry, and academia, quantum education in some sectors is not receiving the attention as highlighted by government initiatives.We propose a systematic approach, leveraging established frameworks like NICE, to integrate quantum computing education into mainstream curricula to ensure that industry will not have the large gap of filling jobs as the cybersecurity sector is currently experiencing.We present an analysis of two courses introduced in our CS department: "Introduction to Quantum Computing," and "Quantum Computing II."We outline the course modules specifically crafted to heighten students' quantum awareness and curiosity as they will be confronted with opportunities and issues related to quantum computing in their software engineering careers.Our student survey results, utilizing a Likert scale ranking, indicate a significant increase in students' interest and curiosity in quantum concepts, as well as their eagerness to further explore quantum computing.These results that we are meeting our educational objectives.
The development of Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) as an emerging technology among developed and developing countries has caught the attention of governments, industries, and educational institutions. However, not all countries have equal starting points in promoting QIST amongst different sectors. Several players in various countries promote QIST as a discipline and education. Although significant developments in quantum technology are focused in Western countries, great innovation can also be seen in Eastern countries, specifically Asia. The Philippines is one of several developing countries in Asia that is in the process of adopting QIST in multiple sectors. In this paper, the Quantum Computing Society of the Philippines (QCSP) is introduced as one of the arms of the country for promoting QIST to the public. Further in this paper, the initial impact of QIST promotion on various communities across the Philippines through multiple activities and educational efforts is explained. Several critical success stories for different audiences were described, wherein initial acceptance of QIST was evident through hackathons and lecture series. Events held show improvement in interest and proficiency in the foundations of QIST.
This work presents establishing a nationwide university network to address the relevance of quantum computing, where challenges and opportunities for industry and academia focus from undergraduate to doctoral levels. The network comprises a series of talks on opportunities in the quantum computing ecosystem and potential collaborations and development opportunities aimed at Latin American countries. A total of 240 Spanish speakers registered, with 30% identifying themselves as introductory level and 4% as experts in quantum computing. The outcome underscores the importance of creating opportunities across various domains of the quantum computing ecosystem for a country showing initial interest in this field. Additionally, the current work presents the educational levels of the participants, including their proficiency levels in quantum computing, their areas of interest within this field, and the topics and trends they consider relevant when engaging in quantum computing. The event was hosted by the Center for Computing Research of the National Polytechnic Institute (CIC-IPN) and organized by a consortium of institutions including CIC-IPN, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Superior School of Computing (ESCOM), the Interdisciplinary Professional Unit in Engineering and Advanced Technologies (UPIITA), the Center of Studies in Advanced Computing of UNAM (CECAv), Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing of the Technological Institute of Monterrey, Benemérita Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP), Tecmilenio University, Superior School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Unit (ESIME) Zacatenco, and Quantum Universal Education. The event was made possible through collaboration with industry partners such as IBM Quantum, Xanadu, Haiqu, Unitary Fund, qBraid, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Kipu Quantum, Pasqal, Quantinuum, Womanium, and BQB, each contributing their unique expertise and resources to the event.
The rapid advancement of quantum information science and technology (QIST) has generated significant attention from people in academia, industry, and the public. Recent advances in QIST have led to both opportunities and challenges for students and researchers who are curious about the potential of the field amid hype, considering whether their skills are aligned with what the field needs, and contemplating how collaborating with industries may impact their research. This qualitative study presents perspectives from leading quantum researchers who are educators on three critical aspects shaping QIST's development: (1) the impact of hype in the field and strategies for managing expectations, (2) approaches to creating conducive environments that attract students and established researchers from non-physics disciplines, and (3) effective models for fostering university-industry partnerships that can be valuable for students and researchers alike. These aspects, along with several interconnected challenges, were explored through in-depth interviews with quantum educators. Our findings reveal nuanced perspectives on managing the hype cycle and its risks in creating unrealistic expectations. Regarding greater interdisciplinary engagement and attracting more non-physicists to QIST, educators emphasized the need to recognize and leverage existing expertise from other fields while developing educational pathways that meet diverse student backgrounds to prepare them for the QIST workforce. On university-industry partnerships, respondents highlighted successful models, while noting persistent challenges around intellectual property, confidentiality, and differing organizational goals. These insights provide valuable guidance for educators, policymakers, and industry leaders working to build a sustainable quantum workforce while maintaining realistic expectations about the field's trajectory.
This paper explores the integration of quantum computing (QC) into STEM curriculum education at higher education institutions, focusing on the dual objectives of workforce training and advancing cutting-edge research into curriculum development and hands-on labs. As the field of quantum computing rapidly evolves, there is a pressing need to equip minority students from diverse backgrounds with the skills necessary to participate in this transformative industry.The paper explores the process of developing a robust QC curriculum that combines theoretical foundations with practical, hands-on learning opportunities in personalized learning environments. It highlights initiatives aimed at equipping students with the skills necessary for conducting groundbreaking research in quantum computing. Through partnerships with academic institutions and industry collaboration, these programs aim to provide students with real-world exposure and mentorship. The findings emphasize the importance of inclusive education in the preparation of a diverse workforce capable of contributing to the future of quantum computing, innovation and application.