Insider Brief
- Andhra University plans to establish Centres of Excellence in quantum technology, AI systems and semiconductors over the next two to three years.
- Vice-Chancellor G.P. Raja Sekhar said the proposed laboratories would focus on applying quantum technology and AI research to practical solutions.
- Speakers at the QUEST-AI conference also highlighted hybrid quantum-classical computing, sustainable data centres, semiconductor development and workforce skills as areas for regional development.\
- Photo Credit: KR DEEPAK.
Andhra University intends to set up Centres of Excellence covering quantum technology, AI systems, and semiconductors, Vice-Chancellor G.P. Raja Sekhar said Tuesday, The Hindu reported.
Raja Sekhar made the announcement while opening a three-day international conference on Quantum-Enhanced Sustainable Technologies for AI Systems (QUEST-AI), hosted by the cluster departments of Andhra University College of Engineering in Visakhapatnam.
“Following the conclusion of the centenary celebrations of Andhra University, we are focusing on quality developmental activities,” Raja Sekhar said, as quoted by the publication. He said he expects the conference discussions to push the university toward setting up the three planned labs within the next two to three years, and argued that quantum and AI research needs to move past theory and produce solutions with real societal use.
K.N. Satyanarayana, Director of IIT Tirupati, delivered the conference’s inaugural address, telling attendees the central government had committed ₹6,000 crore to its National Quantum Mission, according to the outlet.
Satyanarayana said quantum computing is unlikely to displace classical computing outright, predicting instead a hybrid model where the two work in tandem. He described an opening for Andhra Pradesh to go beyond a standalone quantum hub and instead build a combined quantum-AI ecosystem, bringing together government, universities, industry, startups, and outside partners such as IBM and TCS.
He also tied the conference theme back to Visakhapatnam directly. “Visakhapatnam is a city where data centres are coming up, and to drive AI, we need data centres,” he said, noting that such facilities draw heavily on energy and water, which he said puts sustainability at the center of the discussion.
International Perspectives
Marwan Dhamrin, a professor at Osaka University’s Graduate School of Engineering in Japan, called for India and Japan to deepen research ties, and said the moment had arrived for India to pursue what he described as a “vertically integrated society for semiconductors and AI,” the source reported.
Nabil Mohammed, a lecturer in electrical engineering at Federation University in Australia, said clean energy infrastructure and data centres need to scale together. “The challenge is how we can generate more electricity from sustainable resources to power these future data centres,” he said.
Gregory J. Skulmoski, an associate professor of project management at Bond University in Australia, said India is well positioned to help close the global shortage of skilled quantum technology professionals, according to The Hindu.
Conference Details
K. Venkata Subbaiah, Principal of AUCE, welcomed attendees at the event. Conference chair V. Valli Kumari, who serves as Dean of Research and Development and Head of the Department of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, said roughly 60 papers were selected for presentation across the participating technical departments, with about 300 attendees taking part.
The conference, funded through RUSA 2.0, marked the first event of its scale to involve the university’s cluster departments, and Valli Kumari said it is intended to become an annual event.
