In this free online webinar join Prof. Dan Browne (University College London) and the BBC’s Prof. Jim Al-Khalili (University of Surrey) as they discuss the future of quantum computers with some of the world’s leading experts.

The panel will be completed by Prof. Elham Kashefi (Chief Scientist at the National Quantum Computing Centre) and Prof. John Morton (Director of the UCL Quantum Science and Technology Institute), and will explore the current state of the technology and the potential it has to impact your life and work over the next twenty years.

The discussion will focus on key issues such as:

What is a quantum computer?
How is it different to a conventional computer?
What might quantum computers be used for?
What happens when AI meets quantum computing?
What are the current development timelines?
Which sectors will be most affected by this innovation?
Are there any risks and what are they?

This event is aimed at anyone with an interest in quantum computers and science and technology more generally. There is no requirement to have any prior knowledge of quantum computing, science or mathematics.

The live webinar will be hosted using the Zoom video conferencing platform. If you do not have Zoom, please install it in advance of the event. More details can be found on the Zoom Downloads page.

The Future of Quantum Computing is a joint event between University College London, the University of Surrey and the National Quantum Computing Centre.

Speaker Bios

Professor Jim Al-Khalili CBE FRS is a theoretical physicist at the University of Surrey where he holds a Distinguished Chair in physics and leads the Quantum Foundations and Technologies Research Group in the School of Mathematics and Physics. As well as his academic work he is a well-known popular science author and broadcaster on BBC radio and television.

Elham Kashefi is a Professor of Quantum Computing at the School of Informatics – a part of the University of Edinburgh, the Chief Scientist of the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), and also the Directeur de recherche au CNRS at LIP6 Sorbonne Université. She co-founded the fields of quantum cloud computing and quantum computing verification and has pioneered a transdisciplinary interaction of hybrid quantum-classical solutions from theoretical investigation to actual experimental and industrial commercialisation. Elham has been awarded several UK, EU, and US grants and fellowships for her work in developing applications for quantum computing and communication.

Professor John Morton is the Director of UCL Quantum Science and Technology Institute, and Co-Founder and CTO of quantum computing start-up Quantum Motion. He has over 120 research publications and several world “firsts” in spin-based quantum technologies and silicon quantum devices. He is a Professor of Nanoelectronics at UCL.

Dan Browne is a Professor of Physics in UCL’s department of Physics & Astronomy. His research focusses on the theory of quantum computers, specifically the theory which will make quantum computers practical for real-world use. Prior to working at UCL, Dan was a Junior Research Fellow at Merton College, Oxford University. There he worked in the Atomic and Laser Physics Group and the Quantum and Nanotechnology Group. Dan’s work has appeared in The New Scientist and he frequently appears at international events and conferences including at The Institute of Physics and the Royal Society.