photo by Alan Stocki
From the basics of quantum theory to quantum cryptography - the Quantum Summer School has begun at the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics at the University of Gdańsk. For the next two weeks, Gdańsk will be the capital of quantum technology, a reminder of the University of Gdańsk's significant contribution to this area of science. The event was inaugurated on August 26, 2024.
‘This is the fifth school in the series,’ says Dean Elect of the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics dr hab. Marcin Marciniak, prof. UG. ‘The first four organised in previous years were funded by the National Academic Exchange Agency's SPINAKER programme. This year, funding for the organisation of the next school was provided by our partner: the Kainos company.’
Prof. Marcin Marciniak emphasises that this year's edition of the school has more momentum than previous ones due to the accompanying events:
‘On Friday, 29 August, a 24-hour quantum hackathon will take place. It will take place in the Gdańsk Science and Technology Park - it is the second of our partners that has taken on the entire cost of this event.’
The event will culminate in a technology and business conference entitled Q-con: Shaping the Future of Quantum. ‘The idea was to invite experts from the world of science, but also decision-makers, politicians, officials who, for example, establish strategies for economic development or shape education, and businessmen, mainly representatives of IT companies who are thinking of entering the quantum technology market. We will discuss the prospects for the development of quantum technologies, how these technologies will change the world, what the reality with these technologies will look like, but also, for example, how to teach kids to prepare them to function in the new reality,’ adds prof. Marciniak.
Great representatives of the world of science agreed to participate in the conference. Among them were prof. Harald Weinfurter from the University of Munich, who this year assumed the Wacław Szybalski Named Chair of Honour at the University of Gdańsk, as well as prof. Charles H. Bennett - an honorary doctor of our university, currently working at IBM, who is one of the greatest experts in quantum technologies.
‘We want to spread knowledge, but on the other hand, we also want to show the world that it was at the University of Gdańsk that the foundations of the theory of quantum information, which gave birth to quantum technologies, were born,’ emphasises prof. Marcin Marciniak. ‘It was here that the works of Prof. Marek Żukowski were created in the 1990s in collaboration with Anton Zeilinger, later a Nobel Prize winner. It was here that works by members of the Horodecki family were created, which are now the most cited works on the subject. It was also here that the National Centre for Quantum Informatics was established in the 1990s - a consortium of several Polish universities that decided that Gdańsk was the most appropriate place to organise the centre. We would like to emphasise that the University of Gdańsk has outstanding experts, and we also have the International Centre for Theory Of Quantum Technologies (which is also an expression of our achievements). In this way, we want to promote our university - and our faculty, where all this was born.’
The organisers hope that ventures such as the Quantum Summer School will help promote the University of Gdańsk as a place where students could come to learn about quantum technologies. ‘For several years, there has been an English-language Quantum Information Technology course, which recruits people from all over the world. We would like to see even more of these students.’
The summer school formula serves this purpose. The participants of the Quantum Summer School are undergraduate students who, after completing their studies, could supplement their education with master's studies at the University of Gdańsk. The organisers of the event also have high hopes for the cooperation with Kainos. Representatives of this company - which hails from Northern Ireland - have ensured significant promotion at two universities in Belfast, and it was from there that the largest number of participants in this year's Quantum Summer School were recruited.
The event at the headquarters of the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics was officially opened by the Vice-Rector for International Cooperation at the University of Gdańsk, dr hab. Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler, prof. UG. In her speech, she emphasised the importance of the three pillars of development, including career choice and development: education (which is the main ‘engine’), values and passion. ‘So combine these three elements at our beautiful European university. And remember that Gdańsk is the best place to live in Poland,’ said the Vice-Rector.
The representative of the University authorities was followed by the Director of the Research and Innovation Department of the Ministry of Digitalisation, Pamela Krzypkowska. She referred to the changes in information technology that have taken place over the last decade, as well as to the idea of being and acting together: ‘There are many specialists in different areas of IT, but when it comes to the issue of quantum technologies, you are the ones who will be the experts invited to various events in the future. So take the opportunity and act together. If you do research, whether at the University of Gdańsk or at your universities, if you remain colleagues, you will be able to combine your work, do different things together - and I promise you that this will be useful for you in the future.’
Kainos representative Jakub Stepnik addressed the idea of the company and the collaboration with UG: 'At Kainos, we strive to integrate people's lives and experiences, so investing in research and innovation is a logical step for us. However, technology is only one part of the equation; the other, more important part is the enthusiasm and talent of the people who create them. This is why Kainos invests in young talent. We are proud of our partnership with the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics at UG,’ he said. He also encouraged participants to enjoy the Q-Camp - and Gdańsk, which for a few weeks ‘became the capital of quantum technologies’.
The opening ceremony of the Quantum Summer School was followed by the first classes, including a lecture by prof. dr hab. Tomasz Paterek introducing quantum computing issues and a presentation by Pamela Krzypkowska, Director of the Department of Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Digitalisation, on the presence of artificial intelligence in the modern world and the consequences of this.
Quantum Summer School at the University of Gdańsk will last until September 6.
