Extending Learning and Collaboration in Quantum Information with Internet Support: A Future Perspective on Research Education beyond Boundaries, Limitations, and Frontiers

Abstract

Quantum information is an emerging scientific and technological discipline attracting a growing number of professionals from various related fields. Although it can potentially serve as a valuable source of skilled labor, the Internet provides a way to disseminate information about education, opportunities, and collaboration. In this work, we analyzed, through a blended approach, the sustained effort over 12 years to involve science and engineering students in research education and collaboration, emphasizing the role played by the Internet. Three main spaces have been promoted, workshops, research stays, and a minor, all successfully developed through distance education in 2021–2022, involving students from various locations in Mexico and the United States. The success of these efforts was measured by research-oriented indicators, the number of participants, and their surveyed opinions. The decisive inclusion of the Internet to facilitate the blended approach has accelerated the boost in human resources and research production. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internet played a crucial role in the digital transformation of this research education initiative, leading to effective educative and collaborative experiences in the “New Normal”.