January 30, 2024 -- Xanadu, a world leader in photonic quantum computing, will support Hamad Bin Khalifa University's (HBKU) Qatar Center for Quantum Computing (QC2) on a PhD fellowship in quantum machine learning. This collaboration is an extension of the partnership established in November 2023 which aims to train and educate a quantum-ready workforce in Qatar.

The mission at Xanadu is to build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere. Founded in 2016, Xanadu has become a world-leading quantum hardware and software company. Boasting a team of more than 190 specialists and developers in quantum technology, Xanadu is at the forefront of advancing fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Established in 2022 following a $10M USD research grant from the government of Qatar, QC2 aims to advance quantum computing research locally, regionally, and internationally. The center focuses on three dedicated research areas: quantum communication, quantum computation and quantum sensing.

To help meet the growing demand for educated quantum experts, every year HBKU's QC2 offers several PhD fellowships to promising students focused on theoretical and experimental research related to quantum information science. Fellowship recipients receive a top-tier quantum education with a fully funded scholarship. This year, students have a unique opportunity to work alongside world-class experts at Xanadu and to travel to Xanadu HQ in Toronto, Canada, for a 1-2 month internship.

"We look forward to welcoming HBKU students to Xanadu and continuing to work alongside the university to offer training and educational materials and grow the quantum workforce in Qatar," said Christian Weedbrook, Xanadu Founder and CEO.

Both HBKU and Xanadu are dedicated to building a quantum talent pipeline ready to enter the workforce upon graduation. Practical hands-on training is crucial to the students successfully making that transition. Xanadu has an extensive suite of hands-on educational materials. PennyLane, Xanadu's open-source software library and leading tool for programming quantum computers will be the basis for the training. As PennyLane is developed in-house, the fellowship recipient will have the advantage of working directly with Xanadu's quantum software developers.

"Our fellowship program has been very successful thus far and continues to develop the growing quantum ecosystem in Qatar. We are excited to work with our first international partner, Xanadu, to co-supervise and extend the program offerings this year. Xanadu's involvement will further enhance the program's best-in-class training and ensure students gain practical industry-relevant experience," said Dr. Saif Al-Kuwari, Director of Qatar Center for Quantum Computing (QC2).