Dr Ryan Sweke is the first South African born and trained scientist to be awarded the Alexander von Humboldt German Research Chair of Mathematics and its Applications at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS).
At AIMS, Sweke will lead the “Quantum at AIMS" research group, focusing on a wide variety of topics under the broad umbrella of quantum computing and quantum information. As part of the chair, he has also been appointed as senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU). The chair is a strategic initiative between SU and AIMS, with support from the Von Humboldt Foundation.
Born in Johannesburg and completing his schooling in Pretoria, Sweke obtained his PhD in Physics at the 肆客足球 of KwaZulu-Natal in 2017 under the guidance of Prof. Francesco Petruccione, currently director of the National Institute of Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS).
But while Sweke is firmly grounded on African soil, that did not prevent him from spreading his wings and exploring global opportunities. In 2018, he joined the group of Prof. Jens Eisert in the Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems at the Freie Universit?t Berlin, first as an Alexander von Humboldt post-doctoral fellow and then as a senior post-doc on the PlanQK project, the flagship quantum machine learning initiative of the German government. After his time in Berlin, Sweke spent just over two years as a research scientist at IBM Quantum in San Jose, California, from 2022-2024.
Sweke says he has always had a desire to return to AIMS after attending a workshop on quantum computing in 2011. Indeed, it was this workshop that kick-started his research career in this field.
“Quantum computing sits at the intersection of theoretical computer science, physics, mathematics, and engineering. To some extent, one can think of quantum computing as a testament to the power of interdisciplinary work," he explains.
That is why he is so excited about returning to his roots at AIMS: “I really do believe that research done together by diverse groups of individuals, with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, is almost certain to be more successful, more relevant to the problems we face as a society, and more enjoyable to partake in.
“I believe this is the reason that I have always been particularly drawn to AIMS, which provides an incredibly diverse pan-African environment for research. This environment is deeply inspiring and energising for me, and I am very happy to finally be a part of the AIMS community."
Prof. Burtram Fielding, Dean of the Faculty of Science, welcomed Dr Sweke's to SU: “His appointment enhances the Faculty of Science's academic network, opens opportunities for joint research initiatives, and reinforces our position as a hub for cutting-edge mathematical and computational sciences in Africa."
Prof. Sibusiso Moyo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at SU, also welcomed Dr Sweke to AIMS and SU: “As holder of the chair, Dr Sweke will contribute greatly to knowledge production and skills training, thus increasing both our national and global impact, especially in quantum computing." She also serves as a director on the AIMS Board.
Click here to read more about Dr Sweke's views on the future of quantum computing and where the interesting research questions are to be found.
Click here to read more about the Alexander von Humboldt's German Research Chairs in the rest of Africa.
