26 students and alumni from The University of Jordan (UJ), mostly from the Department of Physics, recently participated in an online series of lectures on Quantum Computing, held by the Khwarzimi Science Society (KSS) in Pakistan via Zoom over the period 19 December 2020 to 10 January 2021.

The KSS lecture series “Quantum Computing for Beginners” is a series of eight lectures, each being one hour long, delivered by Prof. Muhammad Sabieh Anwar (PhD in Quantum Computing, University of Oxford).

The event saw the participation of about 60 participants of diverse scientific backgrounds. The lecturer oriented the students to understand the basics and some of the exciting, far-reaching consequences of quantum computing. The contents of the lectures were carefully curated to ensure that even students without a formal background in quantum physics could comprehensively understand the core concepts of quantum computing.

The lectures introduced the students to the fundamentals of quantum computing, such as superposition and entanglement, but also stimulated within them the motivation to further learn about this rapidly advancing field of modern physics.

In his remarks at the closing lecture, Prof. Anwar thanked all participants and commended UJ’s excellent representation. He thanked Dr. Hanan Sa’adeh, Associate Prof of Atomic and Molecular Physics at UJ, for helping spread the word about this series among UJ students and graduates. Dr. Sa’adeh, in her intervention, praised the professional organization by KSS and the commendable efforts of Dr. Anwar.

According to Ms. Mohsina Asif, a Science Communicator at KSS and the administrative organizer of the series, UJ students had a remarkable attendance throughout the course. Out of the total 26 UJ students, 14 had an attendance of 100%, and 9 students attended all except one lecture. “We would like to thank the University of Jordan wholeheartedly for being such a significant part of the series and making valuable contributions in each lecture”, she stated.

UJ participants comprised 26 students and alumni: 20 physicists, 1 chemist, and 5 engineers. In their feedback after the completion of the course, they indicated that the lectures proved to be a great experience.

Prof. Muhammad Sabieh Anwar is a Professor of Physics at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore, Pakistan, and the General Secretary of KSS.

Prof. Anwar visited the Department of Physics at UJ in November 2017, where he delivered a motivational talk about the use of smart video analysis and motion sensors for capturing physical phenomena. Previously, in 2016, Dr. Hanan Sa’adeh delivered a talk “Experimental Physics: An Artistic Life from Teaching to Research” in LUMS as part of the Regional Lab Immersion Program at Physlab, where Dr. Anwar was the key organizer.

The Khwarzimi Science Society (KSS) is a non-profit association in Pakistan aims at furthering a science culture in educational institutions and in the general public.