University of Hertfordshire launches pioneering summer school to teach teenagers quantum science with pictures
Can a 16-year-old really understand quantum teleportation? The University of Hertfordshire believes the answer is yes.
It’s why, in July, the University will welcome more than 50 sixth-form students from across the South East to Quantum in Pictures, an innovative summer school designed to challenge one of science's biggest assumptions: that the strange and fascinating world of quantum mechanics is simply too complex for school-age learners.
Hosted by the University's School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, the week-long programme is running from 20–24 July 2026, giving Year 12 students the opportunity to explore ideas normally reserved for university lecture theatres and cutting-edge research laboratories – including quantum teleportation, entanglement and quantum computing.
But there is a twist.
Rather than relying on dense equations, students will learn through Quantum Picturalism – a revolutionary approach that uses pictures as a rigorous mathematical language in their own right.
The diagrams are not illustrations of the mathematics.
They are the mathematics.
Using networks of wires, boxes and graphical structures, participants will learn how to reason about quantum systems, construct mathematical arguments and solve problems in exactly the same diagrammatic language now being used by researchers working at the forefront of quantum information science.
The approach has been developed over the last two decades by Professor Bob Coecke and collaborators and has grown into the internationally recognised field of categorical quantum mechanics. Its methods are increasingly being applied in areas ranging from quantum computing and artificial intelligence to computer science and the foundations of physics.
While several universities offer quantum-focused summer schools, in Pictures will introduce sixth-form students to elements of graduate-level quantum computing through this pioneering diagrammatic approach – bringing a research-led mathematical language normally associated with advanced study into the hands of aspiring young scientists.
The programme builds on research that has demonstrated just how powerful the method can be. In a recent educational study, teenagers aged 15 to 17 learned core concepts of quantum theory through Quantum Picturalism and went on to achieve remarkable results in assessments of their understanding.
Throughout the week, students will work alongside academics, postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students from the University's School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, gaining first-hand insight into life as a researcher in one of the world's fastest-growing scientific fields.
The programme will also feature guest lectures from two internationally recognised figures whose work has helped shape modern quantum science and transform how it is communicated beyond academia: Professor Bob Coecke and Dr Muhammad Hamza Waseem.
The summer school is being led by Dr Leron Borsten from the University's Research Centre for Mathematics and Theoretical Physics alongside Shanti Pise, Outreach and Public Engagement Manager in the School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science.
Dr Borsten, an associate professor in theoretical physics at the University of Hertfordshire said:
"Quantum theory changed our fundamental understanding of Nature and ushered in a new technological age. It is undoubtedly one of the greatest intellectual achievements in the history of humankind. So it's always struck me as a great pity that almost nobody knows what it actually is.
"We shouldn't accept 'it's too difficult' as an excuse for not sharing its wonders with the next generation of aspiring scientists. Quantum in Pictures allows us to do just that."
Shanti Pise, Outreach and Public Engagement Manager in the School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, added:
"At the University of Hertfordshire, we are committed to creating inclusive opportunities that enable young people to engage with world-leading research and develop confidence in their academic potential.
"Quantum in Pictures offers Year 12 students a unique opportunity to experience university-level learning, work alongside researchers and explore ideas that are shaping the future of science and technology.
"We hope the programme will inspire participants from all backgrounds to pursue STEM subjects and consider future study and careers in the rapidly growing quantum sector."
The programme reflects the University of Hertfordshire's growing strengths in physics, mathematics, computer science and STEM outreach, while supporting the UK's ambition to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers for the rapidly expanding quantum technology sector.
So, can a 16-year-old really understand quantum teleportation?
“By the end of the week, participants won't simply have heard of it - they will have reasoned their way through it using the same diagrammatic mathematical language employed by researchers exploring the future of quantum information science,” finished Dr Borsten.
“For the University of Hertfordshire, that is precisely the point. The quantum revolution is already under way – and the next generation should not have to wait until university to be part of it.”