From November 24 – 26, the symposium “Looking into the future with quantum and artificial intelligence” took place. Around 160 high school students from all over Sweden (and abroad!) participated together with their teachers, and about 200 internal and external researchers were invited to participate. The symposium focused on showcasing research in AI and quantum science, but also on giving high school students the opportunity to discover Chalmers.
The research profile Emma Frans guided and moderated students and researchers through two days filled with exciting and interdisciplinary and popular science lectures. The high school students were also offered guided lab tours and campus tours, dinner with Chalmers students, as well as other student activities.
Participants learned about quantum phenomena and how researchers search for clues to understand how materials and life’s molecules work at the quantum level. They also discovered how advanced machine-learning techniques are designed and used to explore nature’s fundamental processes. In addition, the symposium offered a glimpse into the computers of the future — with innovative ideas and discoveries that promise both sustainable and powerful ways to compute and solve problems.
"Both AI and quantum computing are transformative technologies reshaping science and industry, and their intersection represents one of the most promising frontiers. The symposium showcases local world-leading expertise while highlighting how these technologies will define career opportunities for future generation of students. The symposium's timing proved particularly relevant, as Nobel Prizes in both 2024 and 2025 were awarded for breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and quantum mechanics", says Saroj Prasad Dash, one of the organizers of the symposium.
A symposium that opens doors to future studies
Johan Kriström, a high school student from Kattegattgymnasiet in Halmstad, visited Chalmers for the first time to attend the symposium.
"I came here on my own after being recommended by another student to apply. The best part has been the lectures, but also the guided campus tour for us students. I had already considered choosing Chalmers, but after these days it feels even more certain,” Johan says.
Some of the invited speakers included Nobel laureate Michel Devoret, Heike Riel from IBM Research, and Tracy Northup, Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Innsbruck. Several Chalmers researchers also held lectures, including Per Delsing and Julia Ravanis.
"The lectures have been very interesting and it has been fun to sit and listen even if I didn’t understand everything. The lecture by Naoya Shibata from the University of Tokyo was my favorite because it was enjoyable even though it was advanced,” Johan says.
Connecting students with world-leading researchers
Another student attending the symposium was Jonathan Conrad, a student from Germany. He visited the symposium for the second time and normally studies at Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn.
"The best part of the days was the lecture by Tracy Northup, who spoke about ‘A quantum internet: what is it, and do we need one?’ Even though I didn’t understand everything, I still grasped the overall picture. I also appreciated the guided campus tour, which gave a broad overview of Chalmers. I also visited the FUSE lab, which was very fun to see with all the different creative solutions. I would gladly come back next year,” Jonathan says.
"Bringing high school students together with researchers creates a bridge between generations that shapes Sweden's future technology. Early exposure to frontier science inspires career choices before students select their educational paths. For researchers, engaging young minds cultivates the next generation of students, workforce and ensures knowledge transfer beyond academia, " says Saroj Prasad Dash.
The symposium is arranged in collaboration with the Nano Area of Advance, the organization Molecular Frontiers, and the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Computing (WACQT). The symposium is part of the celebration of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025, marking 100 years since quantum mechanics was first developed.