CQT welcomes pre-university students for QCamps
A total of 91 students were at CQT in June to learn about quantum physics
Some of the participants and volunteers of QCamp 2026.
Every June, CQT opens its doors to pre-university students curious about quantum physics. The Centre held QCamp from 8 – 12 June and Flash QCamp on 16 June, attended by a total of 91 students.
The camps were organised by a group of mainly CQT PhD students. Many more students and researchers volunteered to teach, tutor, and run camp activities, supported by the Centre’s admin staff. “It’s great seeing the enthusiasm and passion from both participants and volunteers come together to make the camps fun and fulfilling events,” says Nigel Lee, a member of the organising committee.
Student feedback shows the impact. “I’m much more interested in quantum and feel like I have a better basis to continue from here,” said one student in a post-camp survey. Another said, “I was able to ask about career guidance and research work. I hope to embark on other opportunities to pursue quantum computing research beyond QCamp.”
The students also appreciated the sense of community fostered by the CQT volunteers. One survey respondent said, “the seniors are absolutely goated”, using slang for “greatest of all time”.
CQT started QCamp in 2015 to introduce quantum concepts to students beyond their school syllabi, adding Flash QCamp in 2024 because so many students apply. The QCamp committee members for 2026 were Nigel Lee, Chen Zhili, Lee Kai Xiang, Ma Chiyuan Mark, Dexter Kwan, Ling Chen, Lim Zheng Liang, Héctor Calero Mas, Liu Yang Che, Bao Sicheng, Deng Boyang, William Esteban Salazar and CQT Affiliate Ruvindha Lecamwasam.
“10/10 would do again”
35 students from 17 different schools attended the five-day QCamp.
In the programme, the students first got a historical perspective on quantum technologies before building a technical foundation in linear algebra and complex numbers. They then went into the nitty-gritty of topics like qubits, superposition and Schrödinger’s equation, and worked through problems in tutorials.
Other parts of the programme allowed students to see how quantum concepts are applied, including a hands-on quantum key distribution session and a visit to the Quantum Innovation Centre at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). Lum Chune Yang, CEO of quantum communications company SpeQtral, a CQT spin-off, conducted a lively career session.
QCamp also gave students opportunities to build connections, through discussion circles to share views on quantum in popular culture, careers, ethics and philosophy, a social night and QQuest – a scavenger hunt where students play games in groups.
“Had lots of fun,” said one survey respondent on QQuest. “10/10 would do again.”
In one day
56 students from 16 schools attended Flash QCamp.
The one-day programme had lectures and a hands-on quantum programming session. The students also had a chance to visit the labs of the National Quantum-Safe Network and the neutral atoms project under the National Quantum Processor Initiative.
In the last session for the day, CQT Principal Investigator Lam Ping Koy, CQT Fellow Ng Hui Khoon and CQT graduate Pooja Jayachandran, now Staff Scientist at quantum software company Horizon Quantum, shared their experiences on a career panel.
“It allowed me to foresee the path ahead if I choose the path of quantum physics,” said one participant in the post-camp survey.
See the QCamp website for more information about the programme and announcements about future editions.
