U Illinois-Urbana Champaign and IBM Partner on Quantum and AI Research

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Grainger College of Engineering is embarking on a 10-year partnership with IBM to support research, education and skill development in emerging technologies. At the center of the initiative is the creation of a new IBM-Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute at the college, which will feature "deep collaborations to develop communities of discovery across IBM, Grainger Engineering and the UIUC campus; research funding for UIUC in hybrid cloud, quantum information, materials, and sustainability; hiring of additional faculty and talent at UIUC; and a new facility for research in computing and quantum technologies at UIUC," according to a news announcement. The goal: to "accelerate the discovery of solutions to complex global challenges."

The institute will enable IBM research teams to work side-by-side with University of Illinois faculty and students, "weaving together the strong scientific foundation of an academic institution and the real-world translational expertise of a large industrial research organization," the announcement said. Areas of study will include:

  • The use of artificial intelligence to expand the potential of edge computing and cloud security capabilities across public and private clouds;
  • Quantum information systems, architectures, materials and algorithms;
  • The use of AI to accelerate the discovery of new materials and solutions to global challenges; and
  • Sustainability-focused innovations in technology and practices.

Another area of focus will be high-tech workforce development and increased access to STEM education. For example, IBM will work with the university to develop educational curriculum and graduate programs in quantum computing that combine academic research with industry experience.

"This institute with IBM is a pioneering new model of how we can build academic and researcher collaboration into technology and innovation at unmatched excellence and scale," said Robert J. Jones, chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in a statement. "What excites us the most is imagining the exponentially expanded possibilities in these new emerging fields that will define the 21st century."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • close-up illustration of a hand signing a legislative document

    California Passes AI Safety Legislation, Awaits Governor's Signature

    California lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved a bill that would impose new restrictions on AI technologies, potentially setting a national precedent for regulating the rapidly evolving field. The legislation, known as S.B. 1047, now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. He has until the end of September to decide whether to sign it into law.

  • illustration of a VPN network with interconnected nodes and lines forming a minimalist network structure

    Report: Increasing Number of Vulnerabilities in OpenVPN

    OpenVPN, a popular open source virtual private network (VPN) system integrated into millions of routers, firmware, PCs, mobile devices and other smart devices, is leaving users open to a growing list of threats, according to a new report from Microsoft.

  • interconnected cubes and circles arranged in a grid-like structure

    Hugging Face Gradio 5 Offers AI-Powered App Creation and Enhanced Security

    Hugging Face has released version 5 of its Gradio open source platform for building machine learning (ML) applications. The update introduces a suite of features focused on expanding access to AI, including a novel AI-powered app creation tool, enhanced web development capabilities, and bolstered security measures.