Core Science Facility at Memorial University of Newfoundland

Core Science Facility — MUN

Engineering building at Memorial University of Newfoundland

Engineering Building — MUN

Qiskit Fall Fest 2026

A student-run celebration of quantum computing, powered by Qiskit — hosted at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

November 6–8, 2026

Venue: EN4002 - Boardroom

Memorial University of Newfoundland

What is Qiskit Fall Fest?

A global program, brought to life locally by students right here at MUN.

The global program

Qiskit Fall Fest is an international series of independent, student-organized events supported by IBM Quantum, where university chapters around the world host their own workshops, talks, and hackathons centered on quantum computing and the open-source Qiskit SDK. Learn more on the official Qiskit Fall Fest page.

Here at MUN

The Memorial University of Newfoundland chapter brings this global celebration to St. John's — a free, welcoming event where students from any faculty can explore quantum computing through hands-on labs, guest talks, and collaborative challenges. No prior quantum experience needed, just curiosity.

Event Highlights

Three days packed with learning, building, and connecting with the quantum community.

Hands-on Workshops

Beginner-friendly and advanced Qiskit labs covering quantum circuits, algorithms, and real quantum hardware.

Talks & Keynotes

Hear from researchers, industry professionals, and quantum enthusiasts about the future of quantum tech.

Challenge & Hackathon

Put your skills to the test in a team challenge, with prizes for the most creative quantum solutions.

Networking

Meet fellow students, mentors, and local tech professionals who share your curiosity for quantum computing.

Certificates & Swag

Walk away with a certificate of participation, exclusive Qiskit Fall Fest swag, and new open-source skills.

Beginner Friendly

No quantum or coding background required — our team will guide you through every step.

Schedule

Three days of talks, workshops, mentoring, and team presentations from November 6–8, 2026.

Day 1

Friday, November 6, 2026

Time	Activity	Content
09:00–09:30	Open Registration
09:30–09:45	Welcome & Introduction	Event goals, schedule, prizes
09:45–10:05	Speaker 1 — Trung Q. Duong
10:05–10:25	Speaker 2 — Victor Drouin-Touchette
10:25–10:45	Speaker 3 — James LeBlanc
10:45–11:00	Coffee Break & Networking
11:00–11:20	Speaker 4 — Matthieu Fortin-Deschênes
11:20–12:00	Challenge Introduction	Explain problem, requirements, submission format, and judging criteria
12:00–13:30	Lunch, Networking, Games, & Team Formation
13:30–14:00	Hands-on Workshop 1
14:00–15:00	Hands-on Workshop 2: IBM speaker — Joshua Skanes-Norman	Quantum and Qiskit 101 Seminar
15:00–15:15	Coffee Break & Networking
15:15–15:45	Hands-on Workshop 3
15:45–16:05	Speaker 5 — Mohammad Kashfi
16:05–16:35	Hands-on Workshop 4
16:35–17:00	Mentoring Session & Final Team Formation

Day 2

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Time	Activity	Content
10:00–16:00	Offline Mentoring	Coffee, snacks, lunch, and mentoring

Day 3

Sunday, November 8, 2026

Time	Activity	Content
10:00–13:00	Offline Mentoring	Coffee, snacks, and mentoring
13:00	Submit Project
13:00–13:30	Lunch
13:30–16:30	Presentations
16:30–17:00	Judges Decide the Winning Teams
17:00–17:30	Closing & Interview

Organizers

Meet the PhD students bringing Qiskit Fall Fest to Memorial University.

Sasinda C. Prabhashana

Lead Organizer · PhD Student

Tinh T. Bui

Co-Organizer · PhD Student

Hoang Phi Yen Duong

Co-Organizer · PhD Student

Nhien Q. T. Thoong

Co-Organizer · PhD Student

Quan Dao

Co-Organizer · PhD Student

Yuxiang Zheng

Co-Organizer · PhD Student

Speakers

Meet the researchers and practitioners joining us for Qiskit Fall Fest.

Speaker 1 — Trung Q. Duong

Canada Excellence Research Chair & Full Professor
Memorial University of Newfoundland

Trung Q. Duong is a Canada Excellence Research Chair and a Fellow of IEEE, IET and the Canadian Academy of Engineering. His honours include the UK government's Newton Prize and Royal Academy of Engineering research awards. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials and as an IEEE Communications Society Distinguished Lecturer.

Speaker 2 — Victor Drouin-Touchette

Research Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Université de Sherbrooke

Victor Drouin-Touchette is a Research Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Université de Sherbrooke in Québec, Canada. He previously served as a Staff Researcher at Université de Sherbrooke and a Quantum Application Scientist at Pasqal. He earned his PhD at Rutgers University, where he also held a postdoctoral research position.

Speaker 3 — James LeBlanc

Associate Professor, Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography
Memorial University of Newfoundland

James LeBlanc is a computational condensed matter physicist who earned his PhD at the University of Guelph, followed by postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems and the University of Michigan. He is also a co-founder of Compute Everything Technologies Ltd., a Newfoundland-based startup.

Speaker 4 — Matthieu Fortin-Deschênes

Researcher, Quantum Materials
PINQ²

Matthieu Fortin-Deschênes develops advanced materials modelling tools using quantum and hybrid computing at PINQ². His doctoral research at Polytechnique Montréal and postdoctoral work at Yale University explored atomic-level engineering of advanced materials, combining experimental techniques and simulations to study their properties and potential for emerging technologies.

Speaker 5 — Mohammad Kashfi

Quantum Software Developer
PINQ²

Mohammad Kashfi works at the intersection of quantum algorithms and discrete optimization, developing practical quantum approaches to real-world optimization problems. His experience spans quantum finance, quantum machine learning and hybrid quantum-classical computing.

IBM speaker — Joshua Skanes-Norman

Quantum Software Engineer
IBM

Joshua Skanes-Norman is a Quantum Software Engineer at IBM. He will present the Quantum and Qiskit 101 Seminar on Friday, November 6, from 2–3 PM.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can't find what you're looking for? Reach out to our team any time.

Location

Details will be finalized as the event date approaches.

Venue: EN4002 - Boardroom

EN4000 - Coffee, snack and lunch

Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada

November 6–8, 2026

Registration opens at 09:00 on Friday, November 6.

Fully accessible venue on the MUN campus, St. John's, NL.

Qiskit Fall Fest 2026