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OQI at UNAM’s 4th Quantum Computing School

22nd September 2025

The 4th Quantum Computing School took place at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) from 4-8 August. Organised in collaboration with UNAM’s Office of Scientific Research, the Center for Advanced Studies in Computing and the School of Engineering, the event brought together over 1,000 participants in person and online, encompassing a wide range of disciplines – including physics, maths, medicine, computer science and psychology.

 

 The programme combined a mix of keynote lectures with an intensive course on quantum computing, including two keynote talks from OQI, exploring our journey and mission towards advancing quantum computing for the benefit of all.

 

OQI’s journey

 

Martin Gastal, OQI’s Partnerships and Capacity Building Lead, presented an overview of OQI’s activities – showcasing how OQI is reflecting CERN’s mission of open science and international collaboration.

 

Quantum computing for humanity

 

Catherine Lefebvre, OQI Senior Advisor and Applications Lead, explored the origins of OQI, initiated by the Geneva Science Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) and now hosted at CERN for its 2024-2026 pilot phase, which forms a crucial step in scaling up the initiative.

 

Catherine’s keynote took a deep dive into the methodology used for developing quantum computing use cases, leveraging quantum algorithms that can be applied to a real-world problem. Aiming to accelerate the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this effort combines forces of multidisciplinary collaboration between quantum experts, subject matter experts, UN organisations and NGOs.

 

Together, Martin and Catherine showcased OQI’s efforts towards mitigating the quantum divide. In particular, they highlighted our educational activities aiming to drive global capacity – through organising hackathons, setting up internships, playing the Quantum Diplomacy Game and regional events taking place across five continents during the International Year of Quantum (IYQ). They also emphasised OQI’s partnering with industry, providing access to simulators and quantum computers to implement OQI use cases, and highlighted OQI’s role in providing a neutral platform for shaping the multilateral governance of quantum computing for the SDGs.

 

Running annually for four years, UNAM’s summer school aligns with OQI’s mission to bridge the quantum gap and build global capacity. OQI is proud to have been invited to contribute to this year’s school and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with UNAM.

 

Photos by UNAM

2025 | Open Quantum Institute

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Join the Future of Quantum Computing!

Learn about engagement opportunities

OQI Partners are institutions that benefit from peer recognition for their scientific contributions or impact expertise.

Requirements:

  1. Either have served as OQI’s spearheading partners during its incubation phase or have consistently engaged resources to OQI’s work as OQI members for at least a year
  2. Commit to co-shape the OQI’s unique value propositions for the three years of the pilot throughout the 4A’s​
  3. Are vetted by the OQI Advisory Committee
  4. Abide to OQI’s values and openness principles

OQI Members are institutions that benefit from peer recognition for their scientific contributions or their impact expertise.

Requirements:

  1. Have disclosed their governance structure
  2. Commit to actively contribute on at least one of the 4A’s assiduously for at least one year​
  3. Have appointed at least one expert from their institution as focal point of contact for OQI and contributor to its working groups
  4. Abide to OQI’s values
  5. Have submitted a complete membership form with supporting documentation and are vetted by the OQI Management Team
  6. Qualify for partner level after having demonstrated their commitment for at least one year​

OQI Friends are individuals (such as experts from the private or public sector, countries, citizens) who are committed to open science, inclusivity and all values as set out in OQI’s charter and associate themselves with the OQI.

Friends socialise the OQI to their communities.

Downloadable PDF version of Charter

 

Description:

The Open Quantum Institute (OQI) is a multilateral governance initiative that promotes global and inclusive access to quantum computing and the development of applications for the benefit of humanity. As a novel science diplomacy instrument, it brings together research, diplomacy, private sector and philanthropy stakeholders. OQI is hosted by CERN during its pilot phase (2024-2026).

 

Mission:

• Accelerating applications for humanity: Realising the full potential of quantum computing to have the widest possible societal impact by accelerating the development of use cases geared towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and succeeding framework , thanks to the combined forces of researchers, developers and entrepreneurs from academia and private sector as well as the United Nations, and large NGOs
• Access for all: Providing global, inclusive and equitable access to a pool of public and private quantum computers and simulators available via the cloud
• Advancing capacity building: Developing educational tools to enable everyone around the world to contribute to the development of quantum computing and make the most of the technology
• Activating multilateral governance for the SDGs: Providing a neutral forum to help shape multilateral governance of quantum computing for the SDGs

 

Values:

• Inclusivity, global scope
  • Enable people from all countries, regardless of whether they have any quantum computing capability of their own, to benefit from and to participate in the development of (i) quantum computing applications that address global challenges, in particular those that are closely related to their own specific challenges, and (ii) the multilateral governance of quantum computing for the SDGs
• Openness
  • Share experiences, knowledge, and methods for the benefit of all, following Open Science best practice
  • Make openly available the results – outcomes of joint activities related to the OQI mission conducted by the OQI community – to society via open repositories and/or through the use of open licences
• Focus on impact
  • Ensure that applications are developed for their quantum computing potential to tackle real-world problems that will benefit humanity
  • Consider and balance their ethical, legal, and societal implications
• Independence
  • Enable everyone to participate free from individual, national, corporate or any other agendas
  • Develop applications with a technology neutral approach.
• Collaboration
  • Foster a community of diverse expertise, backgrounds and geographies, enabled by international cooperation and diplomacy

 

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