Event description
The fifth event in the ‘Policy Meets Tech’ series will be dedicated to quantum computing.
Today’s computing systems, although having significantly improved decade after decade, can only solve problems up to a certain size and complexity. More complex issues require advanced computational power, and quantum computing promises to deliver such power. But how much do we know about quantum computers (QC)? How exactly do they function? What types of problems could they solve, and when? We also hear that QC will break cryptography as we know it today. What does this mean and what is being done to address the issue? Last, but not least, the promises of QC make it a subject of competition between companies and countries alike. In the ongoing race for quantum supremacy some are better positioned than others. How do we ensure that the research and development around QC evolves in such a way that the benefits are widely distributed?
Guiding a discussion on these and other tech and policy issues surrounding quantum computers will be two experts in the field:
- Amb. André Xuereb | Malta’s Ambassador for Digital Affairs and Professor and Head of the Department of Physics at the University of Malta
- Prof. Barry Sanders | Scientific Director of Quantum City at the University of Calgary, Canada and Member of the Open Quantum Institute Advisory Committee
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The ‘Policy Meets Tech’ series is organised by Diplo, with the support of the US Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, and is dedicated to missions of small and developing countries in Geneva. This programme features a series of informative sessions for diplomats in Geneva, with the primary goals of demystifying the intricate realm of digital technologies, comprehending their capabilities and limitations, and delving into their policy implications in a manner that is both practical and pertinent for diplomats. From the intricacies of internet protocols to the intricacies of quantum computing, from cryptography to algorithms, these discussions will provide in-depth insights into the technical underpinnings of these technologies, their real-world applications, and the policy opportunities and challenges they present.
This is an invitation-only event. For details, please contact Ms Sorina Teleanu, Director of Knowledge, at geneva@diplomacy.edu.