At the recent “World Quantum Day” dialogue event, Academician Guo Guangcan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor at the University of Science and Technology of China expressed deep concern: “I just can’t understand why many young talents in science and engineering stop pursuing physics research after getting into prestigious universities?”
Our country is currently facing a severe shortage of talents in quantum information science, and talents specialized in quantum computing are even scarcer. According to statistics, the number of professionals in quantum computing around the world is only a few thousand, and the group of such talent in China is also only about a thousand people. This situation has been confirmed by Professor Guo Guangcan.
In response to the shortage of talents in quantum computing, Professor Guo Guangcan presented his views and concerns. He pointed out that many young talents who have performed excellently in high-level competitions such as the Physics Olympiad, possess an excellent foundation in physics and are very suitable for pursuing research in physics, but often switch to study finance or business after entering top universities, with very few actually choosing to stay in the field of physics research.
This is a phenomenon that everyone truly finds regrettable.
The rapid development of quantum information science and the rise of related industries have exacerbated the demand for quantum computing talent. In 2020, the Ministry of Education for the first time added quantum information science as a major, with the University of Science and Technology of China and the National University of Defense Technology being the first institutions to offer this major. In the following two years, six more universities opened this major. As of March this year, the Ministry of Education approved five more universities to offer the program, bringing the total number of institutions with quantum information science majors to thirteen.
Professor Guo Guangcan emphasizes: The task of cultivating local talent is urgent. He believes that national departments and all sectors of society need to continue to take measures to attract and encourage more talent to join the quantum information technology workforce. In the past, due to limited domestic scientific research conditions, it was necessary to rely on the introduction of overseas talents or to send domestic talents abroad for training. However, now, with the improvement of the country’s scientific research capabilities and increased investment, we have the conditions to cultivate world-class young scientists domestically.
Professor Guo himself has been practicing what he preaches, having engaged in research in the field of quantum for nearly 20 years. When he received the first project funding in the field of quantum information from the national “973” plan, he was nearing retirement age. Since then, he has used the project to attract young domestic teams to join the research of quantum information technology and provides excellent experimental and living conditions in his research group to stimulate the research potential of young students.
In the current international environment, it is particularly important to independently cultivate quantum technology talents. Given the many restrictions on funding, equipment, and international talent exchange, the development of Chinese quantum technology must rely on its own strength. Therefore, creating an atmosphere conducive to the growth of local quantum technology talent is imperative. Professor Guo Guangcan states: “We fully have the potential to cultivate specialists domestically that can compete with top international researchers, and this has already been clearly demonstrated.” He proposed two suggestions to ensure future development: first, focus on the frontiers of the discipline and let students research the most cutting-edge fields; second, cultivate a good academic atmosphere. He believes that more world-class scientific researchers will emerge from China and take their place on the global stage.
In the United States, apart from universities, major tech companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon play a leading role in quantum science exploration, forming a powerful research collective. In China, by the end of 2023, Alibaba‘s DAMO Academy donated its quantum laboratory and transferable quantum experimental equipment to Zhejiang University. Following this, at the beginning of 2024, Baidu also transferred its quantum laboratory and related equipment to the Beijing Quantum Institute. These two events are considered symbols of Chinese tech companies withdrawing from the field of quantum technology research.
Even though domestic tech giants like Baidu and Alibaba have ceased the development of quantum computers, Guo Guangcan believes that this will only have a short-term impact and will not change the overall trend of the development of quantum technology. “The development of quantum technology in the country is still ongoing, and the collective steps forward have not stopped,” he adds, saying that currently, many emerging domestic companies are working hard to engineer the scientific achievements from the laboratories into practical products. He points out that, unlike the dependence on large companies abroad, the development of quantum computers in China should rely more on the guidance of the state, as well as the cooperation between state-owned enterprises and quantum technology innovation enterprises.
He also observes that abroad, the construction of quantum computing and supercomputing systems is being developed in parallel, achieving the integration of quantum and supercomputing; some of China’s supercomputing centers are also trying this model and have achieved preliminary results. He reveals that many regions in the country are highly attentive to the development of quantum technology, with many units planning to carry out basic and technological research. Even industries such as finance, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals are exploring the application of quantum technology to industry development. “Although we may be slightly behind in some application levels, the overall development momentum is unstoppable.” Guo Guangcan optimistically states that as long as there is progress in talent development, the future is full of possibilities.