UNESCO held the opening ceremony of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) on February 4 and 5, 2025, at its headquarters in Paris. Over 1,200 participants attended, including three government ministers, six Nobel Prize laureates, scientists, industry leaders, and UN representatives, according to the UNESCO Global Quantum Initiative page.
Nobel laureates who contributed to the program included Alain Aspect, Serge Haroche, Anne l’Huillier, and William Phillips, as reported by Physics World. Opening remarks were delivered by Cephas Adjei Mensah, a research director in the Ghanaian government, which had submitted the draft UN General Assembly resolution for the IYQ in 2024.
Sessions addressed equitable access to quantum technologies, the growing gap between the Global North and South in quantum research, and the integration of ethics into quantum innovation. An exhibition showcasing quantum science ran alongside the ceremony from February 3 to 7, 2025. The event served as the formal start of a year-long program of scientific, educational, and public engagement activities worldwide.