It is no secret that the world’s most powerful economies are betting on the quantum ecosystem to solve many societal and governmental challenges from tackling climate change to eliminating hunger and diseases and combating cyber threats. The contributions from academia are going to play a huge role going forward. Keio University is setting a great example by investing its efforts in advancing the quantum ecosystem. The university has recently joined hands with IBM to support

quantum education activities in Japan, Korea, and the United States. Keio University is one of the five universities that joined the initiative.

Lend your ears to Professor Kohei Itoh, President, Keio University, who explains the importance of the initiative. He says, "Now is the right time to rethink how we train the scientists and engineers for careers in this growing field, and we are excited to work with IBM and with other top universities in the creation and use of the next generation of educational materials. Blending our online courses with hands-on exercises using IBM's materials will improve recruitment the rate of learning, and retention among our 'quantum native'students."

Keio came into existence in 1858 as a school for Dutch studies and was established as a university in 1920. It has been a pioneer in quantum research and education for more than 20 years now. The university is home to a prestigious alumni ecosystem. We dedicate this yearly special issue to them.