The Qiskit Global Summer School, commemorating the International Year of Quantum, provided a two-week curriculum focused on foundational quantum theory, historical context, and contemporary algorithms, with contributions from pre-eminent lecturers including John Preskill, David DiVincenzo, Barbara Terhal, and Jerry M. Chow. The programme facilitated practical experience utilising Qiskit 2.0 and the IBM Quantum Platform, enabling students to execute code on actual hardware and complete laboratory exercises centred on techniques such as Sample-Based Quantum Diagonalization, error mitigation strategies, and implementation of the qLDPC Gross code. With over 8,100 registrants and more than 2,700 active lab participants – including over 1,000 members of the IBM Quantum Network – the event comprised 18 lectures and 17 laboratory sessions, fostering collaborative debugging and knowledge exchange via platforms like Discord, and is documented under the hashtags #QGSS25 and #QGSS2025 on LinkedIn; the initial lecture is publicly available at https://lnkd.in/ebCbDGwE, with subsequent sessions scheduled for release.
Quantum Education Gains Momentum
This year’s iteration of the Qiskit Global Summer School has demonstrably expanded in scope and impact, marking a significant contribution to the International Year of Quantum. The two-week programme, themed ‘The Past, Present and Future of Quantum Computing’, provided a rigorous curriculum encompassing foundational quantum theory, a historical overview of the field’s development, and detailed instruction on contemporary algorithms and error correction techniques crucial for achieving fault-tolerant quantum computation. The programme’s success underscores a growing international commitment to developing a skilled workforce capable of advancing this nascent technology.
Four pre-eminent researchers led key components of the school: John Preskill (California Institute of Technology), David DiVincenzo (IBM Quantum), Barbara Terhal (RWTH Aachen University), and Jerry M. Chow (IBM Quantum). Their combined expertise provided students with both theoretical depth and practical insights into the challenges and opportunities within quantum computing. Beyond formal lectures, the curriculum incorporated hands-on experience utilising Qiskit 2.0 – IBM’s open-source quantum computing software development kit – and the IBM Quantum Platform, allowing participants to execute code on actual quantum hardware. Laboratory exercises focused on advanced techniques such as Sample-Based Quantum Diagonalization, a variational quantum eigensolver method used to approximate the ground state energy of a quantum system, alongside error mitigation strategies and implementation of the qLDPC Gross code – a low-density parity-check code designed for quantum error correction.
The event fostered a collaborative learning environment, with over 8,100 registrants, of whom more than 2,700 actively participated in the laboratory sessions. The programme comprised 18 lectures and 17 laboratory sessions, and drew attendance from over 1,000 members of the IBM Quantum Network. Participants leveraged platforms such as Discord and social media – notably under the hashtags #QGSS25 and #QGSS2025 on LinkedIn – to share progress, collaboratively debug code, and provide mutual support. The initial lecture is publicly available at https://lnkd.in/ebCbDGwE, with subsequent sessions scheduled for release in the coming weeks. This sustained educational effort is vital for accelerating progress in quantum computing education and ensuring a future pipeline of qualified researchers and engineers.
Programme Highlights and Practical Application
The Qiskit Global Summer School 2025 distinguished itself through a rigorous curriculum designed to bridge theoretical foundations with practical implementation in quantum computing. The programme’s thematic focus on ‘The Past, Present and Future of Quantum Computing’ was realised through contributions from leading researchers including John Preskill (California Institute of Technology), whose work on quantum error correction is foundational to the field; David DiVincenzo (IBM Quantum), a pioneer in decoherence and quantum computation architectures; Barbara Terhal (RWTH Aachen University), renowned for her expertise in quantum information theory and fault-tolerant quantum computation; and Jerry M. Chow (IBM Quantum), a leading figure in superconducting qubit development and quantum control. These experts delivered a series of 18 lectures, complemented by 17 laboratory sessions, providing a comprehensive overview of the field’s evolution and current challenges.
A key component of the programme’s success lay in its emphasis on hands-on experience. Students were provided with access to Qiskit 2.0, IBM’s open-source software development kit, and the IBM Quantum Platform, enabling them to execute quantum algorithms on real hardware. Laboratory exercises were designed to reinforce theoretical concepts and develop practical skills in areas such as Sample-Based Quantum Diagonalization – a technique utilising variational quantum algorithms to approximate the ground state energy of complex quantum systems – and the implementation of advanced error mitigation techniques. Crucially, students engaged with the qLDPC Gross code, a specific instance of a low-density parity-check (LDPC) code, a class of error-correcting codes known for their efficient decoding properties and suitability for implementation on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices. LDPC codes function by introducing redundancy into the quantum information, allowing for the detection and correction of errors that inevitably arise due to environmental noise and imperfections in the quantum hardware.
The programme’s impact extended beyond the formal curriculum, fostering a vibrant community of over 8,100 registrants, with more than 2,700 actively participating in the laboratory exercises. Participants leveraged platforms such as Discord and LinkedIn – utilising the hashtags #QGSS25 and #QGSS2025 – to collaborate on problem-solving, share insights, and provide peer support. The event also drew significant participation from the IBM Quantum Network, with over 1,000 members contributing to the learning environment. The initial lecture is available for public access at https://lnkd.in/ebCbDGwE, with subsequent sessions scheduled for release, ensuring continued accessibility and dissemination of knowledge. This sustained commitment to quantum computing education is essential for cultivating a skilled workforce and accelerating the development of quantum technologies.
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