IBM Quantum’s grand project
During 2020’s summer season, the U.S. saw numerous protests against systematic racism and police brutality against Black Americans. These protests were nationwide and marked a critical point for American racial and social justice. Such protests also had the effect of reminding tech companies and other industries to do more in providing equity in education and career opportunities.
Through a new collaboration project with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), IBM Quantum is doing its part in helping students in these institutions ease into a quantum computing career. IBM Quantum believes that having a diverse community of researchers, businesses, and developers will help advance the technology as well as discovering commercial applications.
Announced last week at IBM’s Quantum Summit, the new IBM-HBCU Quantum Centre is an investment spanning multiple years. It will bring together students and researchers across 13 HBCUs. The program is intended to provide access to IBM quantum computers through the cloud, supporting students learning how to use the open-source Qiskit software development framework, and to fund undergraduate and graduate research. This is all to create a diverse quantum-ready workforce from these students. They will not only study physics and chemistry, but also computer science and business among other subjects. Students of the participating HBCUs will learn how to employ quantum technology and eventually discover the right quantum computing career options suited for them.
IBM-HBCU Quantum Center Members
- Albany State University
- Clark Atlanta University
- Coppin State University
- Hampton University
- Howard University
- Morehouse College
- Morgan State University
- North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
- Southern University
- Texas Southern University
- University of the Virgin Islands
- Virginia Union University
- Xavier University of Louisiana
About IBM Quantum
IBM Quantum is the most passionate collaborator to advance foundational quantum computing research that impacts the real world. It works with the best experts on experimentation, theory, and computer science to explore new possibilities in the field of quantum computing. IBM Quantum produces high-quality research and tests ideas using cutting-edge software, systems, and quantum development tools.
