IIT Roorkee Launches Advanced Certificate In Quantum Computing

IIT Roorkee launches Advanced Certificate in Quantum Computing and AI/ML with hands-on projects and industry-ready skills. (File)

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has launched its first Advanced Certificate Programme in Quantum Computing: Algorithms and AI/ML, designed to help professionals upskill for careers in emerging quantum technologies. The six-and-a-half-month online course is being offered through the Continuing Education Centre (CEC), IIT Roorkee, in collaboration with TimesPro.

The programme will train learners in quantum computing, secure communication, and AI/ML applications through a mix of live classes, hands-on projects, and simulations. Participants will use tools such as Qiskit, PennyLane, and IBM Quantum Systems to build and test quantum algorithms, explore quantum machine learning (QML), and apply these skills to real-world problems in finance, healthcare, optimisation, and drug discovery.

The course aims to prepare professionals for roles in quantum research, secure technologies, and AI-driven innovation. Participants will get to work on practical projects using IBM’s and D-Wave’s quantum systems, learning to code, simulate, and benchmark algorithms while developing solutions for data-intensive industries.

Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Prof. Kaushik Ghosh, Coordinator at CEC, IIT Roorkee, said, “We designed this programme to bridge the gap between theory and practical deployment. Learners will gain hands-on experience with real hardware, applying quantum algorithms and AI/ML techniques to sectors like security, optimisation, finance, and healthcare.”

The programme includes five key modules:

• Introduction to Quantum Computing and Applications
• Quantum Algorithms and Software
• Quantum Communications and Networks
• Quantum Machine Learning
• Quantum Machine Learning Applications

Participants will learn about quantum communication protocols such as Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), teleportation, and quantum cryptography, and gain hands-on experience with well-known algorithms like Shor’s, Grover’s, and Simon’s. They will also implement Quantum SVMs, Neural Networks, and GANs.