In December 2025, UNESCO launched a nine-session online quantum computing course paired with a mentorship program for women PhD students in Africa. According to the UNESCO announcement, forty women scientists from fifteen African countries participated, including from Cameroon. Other participating countries were Ghana, Nigeria, Mauritania, Tunisia, South Africa, Kenya, Togo, Gambia, Namibia, Algeria, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Ethiopia.
The program was led by Dr. Maria Longobardi of the University of Basel and Dr. James Wootton of Moth Quantum. Based on the open-source textbook Learn Quantum Computation using Qiskit, the course progressed from core quantum concepts to selected applications. UNESCO designed the course in response to global survey findings that confirmed strong interest in quantum-related fields among African researchers alongside a shortage of structured entry-level learning opportunities.
UNESCO described the initiative as an entry-level capacity-building effort that directly addresses regional and gender disparities in global quantum development. The organization said insights from the program would inform the ongoing development of its Global Quantum Initiative (2026-2028), which was launched to reduce the global quantum divide following the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.