Africa Quantum Consortium: Bi-weekly Leadership Meeting Recap & Updates
Advancing Africa’s Quantum Future
Had an incredible meeting with Yasser Omar, Co-Founder of World Quantum Day, and part of the AQC coordination team. We talked about Africa’s quantum future, the critical role AQC must play, and the bold steps needed to ensure that the momentum in 2025 never fades. The future of quantum in Africa has never looked brighter—and we’re just getting started. 🌍✨
Quick Action, Big Impact — 3 Steps in 5 Minutes
Record your video
Quantum Policy & Diplomacy – Nairobi (TBA)
Quantum Education – Ghana
We’re collecting content, ideas and insights to consolidate contributions of the Africa Quantum Community. Make your commitment. Let’s build the future—fast and focused.
Last Call To Celebrate WQD2025 - Share Your Voice – AQC Promo Video
As we celebrate World Quantum Day 2025, reflect on the African Quantum Consortium’s vision and share your thoughts. If you haven’t yet, take 30-60 seconds to record a quick video on:
Why AQC matters to you
What quantum means for Africa
Why you’re excited to be part of this movement
Upload your video by April 30th, 2025: http://tiny.cc/Voice_of_AQC
Your voice will power our upcoming campaigns as we re-live the Month of Quantum—because in 2025, every day is World Quantum Day. Let’s shape Africa’s quantum future together—loud, proud, and unstoppable.
Quantum for Youth: Shaping Africa’s Future Workforce:
Input for Policy, Education, and Workforce Development in Quantum Science & Technology
Help Shape Africa’s Quantum Workforce Agenda – We Need Your Voice
Africa’s youth stand to gain the most from the rise of quantum technologies—but only if we act with clarity and urgency.
As part of our contribution to the upcoming continental event on Quantum Science and Technology as a Catalyst for Youth Job Creation, we are collecting key insights from educators, policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and youth leaders like you.
Your voice is essential.
Your input will directly shape our message to national, continental, and global stakeholders.
🔗 Shape Africa’s Quantum Workforce Agenda
Submit by: May 15, 2025
📢 Share the form widely with others in your network. The future workforce of Africa depends on what we build now.
Contribute to Africa’s Quantum Policy Voice – Your Input Needed
Following our biweekly AQC leadership meeting, and in response to your request for a structured way to contribute—this is it.
As we prepare for a major diplomacy and policy event uniting global quantum stakeholders, we must present a clear, unified African voice. This is the Year of Quantum in Africa, and we have a rare opportunity to shape how the world engages with us.
We are gathering insights from our community to define our priorities, needs, and vision—so that our message is strategic, focused, and impossible to ignore.
🔗 Contribute to Africa’s Quantum Policy
Deadline for submissions: May 15
What we’re asking:
What are the top needs and opportunities for quantum in your region?
What kinds of partnerships or investments would move the needle?
What policy actions or diplomatic support should we request?
This is your chance to shape our collective stance. Be candid. Be bold. Be specific.
👉 After you submit, share this link with others in your network who can add value.
Let’s show the world that Africa is not just in the conversation—we're driving it.
Quick Updates
Congratulations to Prof. Mourad Telmini, AQC Coordinator and Advisor, who delivered a plenary session on Introduction to Quantum Computing at the EMCM-DS conference in Fez, Morocco, from April 21–23. His participation highlights the growing role of quantum in Africa and strengthens ties across the continent’s science, materials, and innovation communities.
By the sidelines, the event sparked new energy in Tunisian-Moroccan collaboration on quantum information. At AQC, we love quantum + progress + partnerships. Africa is leading.
📸 Photos by Abdallah Slaoui via Facebook.
Congrats to Professor Slaoui for recently publishing this work - Optimizing Multi-Hop Quantum Communication using Bidirectional Quantum Teleportation Protocol
Quantum is alive and growing in Africa!
Quantum Education & Talent WG – Update
Key next steps:
Join the conversation: Discord channel is live under AQC server →
#quantum-talent-and-education-initiative.Curriculum: Draft quantum curriculum for schools; pilot by end of 2025.
White Paper: Africa quantum ecosystem report due July 2025 (thanks Omondi & Ronald).
Get involved:
Reply to Discord prompts to join sub-teams.
Questions? DM Benjamin.
All further details on Discord. Join and engage there.
Quantum Youth Branch Tunisia hosted a Qiskit Workshop, bringing hands-on quantum experience to Tunis with Dr. Iyed Ben Slimen. The event marks a key step in making Tunis a Quantum City—well done to the team for driving local engagement and practical learning in quantum computing.
It’s frustrating that quantum events in Africa or led by Africans outside the continent often lack visibility. This limits engagement, growth, and Africa's position in the global quantum ecosystem.
CTA: Share African-based events on WQD and IYQ sites. Let’s promote awareness, showcase quantum’s growth in Africa, and make events easier to find for collaboration.
Quantum Public Lecture – Zimbabwe
Join Arupe Jesuit University, Zimbabwe, for a Quantum Public Lecture organized by John Tseriwa and team. Excited to see Harare being a Quantum City!
CTA: Partners, speakers, mentors, and participants—reach out to collaborate and contribute. John, please list the event to ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Let’s work together to make this event memorable and impactful. Remember, World Quantum Day is every day in 2025.
The vision of World Quantum Day (WQD) and AQC is for every African country to host a public awareness or education event by the end of 2025. We need your help, ideas, and energy to make this happen.
CTA: Reach out to collaborate, share ideas, and make an impact. Together, we can ensure quantum takes center stage across the continent!
Prof. Moungi Bawendi, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023, delivered a plenary lecture on Quantum Dots: An Exploration of the NanoWorld at INSAT, Tunisia, on April 18, 2025. Invited by Prof. Adnane Abdelghani and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology (JBNB), this event marked a powerful moment in strengthening connections between Africa and its diaspora. Prof. Bawendi’s visit to Tunisia, where he exchanged with local experts like Mourad Telmini, Sonia Haddad and students, underscores the opportunity to grow collaboration with experts in the field of quantum and nanotechnology. We ❤️ it!
Quantum Wins
Congrats to Dr. Taha Rouabah and the Quminex team for securing pre-seed funding from Quantonation, Quantacet, and QV Studio. This milestone is a step forward towards de-risking the local startup scene in deep-tech. We aim to learn from collaborations like these to build the infrastructure needed to support ambitious projects and quantum innovation right here on the continent. Reach out with suggestions, ideas and to partner.
Congratulations to the following quantum leaders recognized at the 2025 NSTF South32 Awards in South Africa (We hear they call them Science Oscars of South Africa):
Prof. Somnath Bhattacharyya – Lifetime category, for contributions to nano-quantum technology (Wits).
Prof. Mark Blumenthal – TW-Kambule Researcher, for advancing forensic imaging (UCT).
Prof. Andrew Forbes – Engineering Research Capacity, for driving quantum capacity building (Wits).
Dr. Yaseera Ismail – TW-Kambule-NSTF Researcher, for pioneering satellite-based quantum communication (Stellenbosch).
Prof. Tjaart Krüger – TW-Kambule-NSTF Researcher, for advancing bio-inspired solar technologies (University of Pretoria).
Dr. Isaac Mphele Nape – TW-Kambule Emerging Researcher, for shaping light for future quantum tech (Wits).
Prof. Samuel Oluwatobi Oluwafemi – TW-Kambule-NSTF Researcher & Engineering, for cancer phototherapy nanomaterials (UJ).
Prof. Francesco Petruccione – Lifetime category, for pioneering work in quantum computing and sustainable development (SU).
A powerful recognition of quantum expertise and the strong foundation of quantum science and technology in Africa.
As an aside, discover how Wits researchers are shielding quantum information from noise, paving the way for more stable quantum computers. From Professor Andrew Forbes, a pioneer in photonics, to Dr. Isaac Nape, an emerging leader in quantum research, explore the power of structured light, career-defining decisions, and the impact of mentorship.
Congratulations to Prof. Balla Diop Ngom (Nanomaterials, UCAD, Senegal) and Prof. Sekazi MTINGWA (Triangle Science, Education & Economic Development, LLC) on their election as Fellows of the African Academy of Sciences. Their contributions to science and innovation are invaluable. Read more here.
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Events
Joint ICTP-Lincei Conference on Quantum Physics: from Foundations to Emerging Technologies
Join the IYQ Global and ICTP Conference, co-funded by UNESCO, celebrating the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025. Featuring world-leading quantum pioneers like Alain Aspect, Serge Haroche, David Gross, and many more.
Explore quantum's history, impact, and future breakthroughs. Limited grants available for participants, especially from developing countries. No registration fee.
Be part of shaping the future of quantum science. Details
Exploring Quantum Frontiers: Empowering Senegalese Talent
Join us at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar, Senegal, for a landmark event:
"Exploring Quantum Frontiers: Empowering Senegalese Students and Researchers in Quantum Computing", running from April 30 to May 3, 2025.
Organized in collaboration with the Physics Without Frontiers (PWF) program of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), this specialized school will equip students and researchers with cutting-edge skills in quantum computing—laying the groundwork for Senegal’s leadership in this transformative field.
Quantum is the future—Senegal is stepping forward.
More details: Physics Without Frontiers (PWF) programme of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical
Shape Africa’s Quantum and Physics Future at ACP2025
The Fourth African Conference on Fundamental and Applied Physics (ACP2025) will take place September 14–20, 2025, as a hybrid event hosted by the University of Lomé, Togo, in partnership with the African School of Physics (ASP).
This is a key opportunity to contribute your work, amplify your impact, and connect with the wider African and global physics community. Explore the Scientific Program and submit under the relevant track:
Physics Research
Physics Education and Outreach
Community Engagements (policy, early careers, tech transfer, women in physics, etc.)
📍 Details and program: ACP2025 on Indico
🔗 Ready to engage? Join, contribute, and help drive Africa’s physics and quantum future.
8th African School on Electronic Structure Methods and Applications - ASESMA 2025
This in-person ICTP-supported school aims to equip African researchers with a strong foundation in the quantum-mechanical theory of electronic structure and atomistic simulation methods.
Held biennially, ASESMA 2025 will cover both fundamental and advanced topics, including applications to structural, mechanical, and optical properties of materials. The program features hands-on tutorials using open-source tools such as Quantum ESPRESSO.
In celebration of the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, this edition will include a special session on quantum computing for materials science and materials for quantum technologies.
The Africa Quantum Consortium is the driving force uniting Africa’s top minds to collaborate, innovate, and propel quantum technology forward across the continent.