Introducing the Next Generation of Quantum Scientists:
This July, Stellenbosch University proudly hosted the NITheCS Winter Internship Programme 2025, welcoming talented Honours students from across South Africa to participate in a unique and intensive project titled “Introduction to Quantum Computing.”
Under the guidance of Prof Francesco Petruccione and mentorship by Abbas (Omid) Hassasfar (main mentor), alongside co-mentors Dean Brand and Donovan Slabbert, the internship offered a deep dive into the theory and practice of quantum computing through a very hands-on coding experience.
What is the NITheCS Internship?
NITheCS internships allow registered students at South African universities—particularly those at Honours and first-year Masters level—to join NITheCS staff or Associates during their recess periods to complete a research project. This initiative empowers students to gain practical research skills, collaborate across institutions, and contribute to meaningful scientific work.
Bridging Platforms: From Qiskit to Pennylane
The main goal of this internship was to convert the internationally recognized QBronze course by QWorld from Qiskit to Pennylane. This not only helped interns solidify their understanding of quantum concepts but also provided the global quantum education community with an alternate version of the material compatible with the Pennylane library.
The original QBronze course covers fundamental quantum computing concepts and algorithms, and during this internship, the following modules were translated and implemented in Pennylane:
Pennylane Basics: Installation and testing
Basics of Quantum Systems: One Qubit and Quantum State, Hadamard Operator, Superposition and Measurement.
Entanglement and Protocols, Two Qubits and Phase Kickback, Superdense Coding, Quantum Teleportation, Multiple Control Gate Constructions
Implementation of Grover’s Search Algorithm.
All converted materials were organized and published as open-source notebooks on GitHub for future learners and contributors: https://github.com/Omid-Hassasfar/NITheCS_Quantum_Internship_2025
A Hybrid Learning Journey
The 21-day internship ran from 27 June to 17 July 2025, and was split into two parts:
Weeks 1 & 2 (Late June – Early July): Online sessions via Zoom, including live coding, lectures, discussions, and collaborative debugging.
Week 3 (Mid-July): In-person gathering at Stellenbosch University for final development, presentations, and direct mentoring.
Meet the Interns, 10 outstanding students from a variety of academic backgrounds came together to form the 2025 cohort:
1. Nikita Azevedo 2. Lucas Mpofu 3. Kutloano Nkojoana 4. Raphael De Sousa 5. Noah Judin 6. Pramit Kanji
7. Lulutho Notyesi 8. Thokozani Sibiya 9. Lungisani Zondi 10. Thabo Lekaba
Their contributions, curiosity, and collaborative spirit brought the project to life and enriched the learning environment for everyone involved.
Final Thoughts
This internship was more than just a coding exercise—it was a stepping stone for South Africa’s next generation of quantum scientists. By contributing to open-source quantum education and gaining experience across two major quantum software platforms, these interns are now better equipped to lead, build, and innovate in the growing field of quantum technology.
We’re incredibly proud of what this cohort has achieved and excited to see where their quantum journeys take them next.
Written by Abbas (Omid) Hassasfar
PhD Researcher, Quantum Research Group – Stellenbosch University
Main Mentor – NITheCS Winter Internship Programme (June–July 2025)