When students from several countries are specifically training in their field during the semester break, it is time for the Summer Schools at IHP. This year, more than 30 young scientists were welcomed to the research institute. In cooperation with the University of Tor Vergata in Rome, the Summer School "Advanced Photonics and Electronics for Quantum and Space Applications" took place last week. Currently, the BB-KI Summer School is running in cooperation with the University of Potsdam and the Technical University of Munich, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) for hardware. For IHP, the instrument of Summer Schools is an important building block in the promotion of young talents and the securing of skilled workers.
From Rome to Frankfurt (Oder)
The Summer School "Advanced Photonics and Electronics for Quantum and Space Applications" started in the Italian capital. For the second time, IHP organized a week for bachelor, master and PhD students together with the Tor Vergata University of Rome, supported by the Joint Lab "Photonic Devices and Thin Film Technologies" of the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau. After two days in Rome dealing with quantum computing and communication technologies, the group of eighteen participants arrived in Frankfurt (Oder). In addition to lectures and laboratory tours by IHP colleagues, experts from industry and leading research institutions in Germany were invited speakers.
"For the participants, it was a strenuous but also very educational week," concludes organizer Professor Andreas Mai. "The professional exchange is impressive. We present the current state of research, including projects that are close to industry, and the students combine this with their expertise from the universities. In addition, of course, there are cultural highlights, so the group can just grow together, having fun." The repetition of the cooperation in the form of the Summer School is planned every two years. This is only possible through sponsorship, this year by the companies XFAB and Rohde & Schwarz.
Practice-oriented teaching
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research project "Brandenburg/Bayern Aktion für KI-Hardware-Themen im Lehrplan der Universitäten" (BB-KI Chips in short) will advance education in the field of AI hardware development. Part of the project is the joint Summer School, which made a stop at IHP on Wednesday, September 7th. 15 students from Potsdam and Munich got an insight into the infrastructure of IHP. The focus of the presen-tations was on hardware for AI applications in the context of teaching. "The goal of the project in general is to enable better teaching of AI processing in hardware. This is addressed accordingly in our Summer School," says the responsible scientist, Professor Miloš Krstić. "We need well-trained engineers and computer scientists who are able to understand and design the appropriate hardware. This is currently largely neglected in Germany, with development focusing on new algorithms and AI products using hardware from external providers. But with this only mediocre results can be delivered, that can not be our ambition! Our project will help advance teaching in AI hardware. Summer Schools are a place for knowledge transfer, but also for active networking. Igniting curiosity and enthusiasm for science in young people is one of our most important investments in the future."
