Quantum, Education & Innovation Summit (QEIS) 2026
A three-day global convening to define the next era of learning, innovation, and human capability.
Hosted by University of the Universe (UOTU) · Chicago · February 28 – March 2, 2026
Apply to Attend
What is QEIS?
QEIS 2026 is the inaugural global summit uniting leaders in quantum computing, artificial intelligence, future education, and frontier entrepreneurship. Designed by University of the Universe (UOTU), this convening accelerates the transition into the quantum era while fundamentally redefining how civilization learns, collaborates, and builds.
This summit emerges at a critical inflection point in human history. As quantum technologies mature from laboratory curiosities into practical tools reshaping computing, cryptography, and scientific discovery, society faces unprecedented opportunities and challenges. QEIS brings together the architects of tomorrow's systems—scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, investors, and cultural innovators—to construct shared frameworks for navigating this transformation.
The summit explores four interconnected domains that will define the coming decades of human progress and institutional evolution:
The Quantum Pivot™
Transitioning from classical to quantum-era thinking across all domains of human endeavor
Next-Era Education Models
Reimagining learning infrastructure for adaptability, capability, and lifelong development
Applied Quantum & AI Innovation
Translating breakthrough science into practical systems that serve humanity
Frontier Entrepreneurship
Building the organizations, ventures, and institutions required for quantum readiness
The Quantum Pivot™
The transition from classical frameworks to quantum-era thinking—across science, education, technology, economics, culture, and human capability.
The Quantum Pivot™ represents far more than technological advancement. It signifies a fundamental shift in how we understand reality, process information, solve problems, and organize human systems. Just as the agricultural revolution transformed nomadic societies into settled civilizations, and the industrial revolution reshaped economies and social structures, the quantum transition will redefine the basic operating principles of human endeavor.
This pivot demands new mental models, new organizational architectures, and new approaches to learning and collaboration. Classical thinking—linear, deterministic, and siloed—must evolve to embrace quantum principles: superposition, entanglement, probabilistic reasoning, and systems-level integration. Organizations that successfully navigate this transition will thrive; those that resist will become obsolete.
Current State
Classical computing paradigms, linear education models, discipline-specific expertise, incremental innovation cycles
Transition Phase
Hybrid systems, capability building, quantum literacy development, cross-disciplinary collaboration
Quantum Era
Quantum-native systems, adaptive learning, integrated expertise, exponential innovation potential
QEIS 2026 explores how society adapts to this monumental shift, how organizations systematically build quantum readiness, and how individuals develop the advanced skills and mental models required for the next century of innovation. The summit provides frameworks, tools, and connections to accelerate this essential transition.
Summit Architecture: Three Days of Transformation
QEIS 2026 unfolds across three carefully designed days, each with distinct objectives and experiences. This architecture balances hands-on learning, intellectual exploration, and cultural celebration—creating space for both deep work and meaningful connection.
1
Day 0 — Activation Labs
February 28, 2026
Hands-on working laboratories designed for quantum developers, education innovators, and entrepreneurial builders. Participants engage in collaborative prototyping sessions, rapid capability-building workshops, and practical design challenges.
These intensive labs emphasize learning by doing. Quantum computing practitioners work with real quantum software, hardware and simulation platforms. Education architects prototype next-generation learning experiences. Entrepreneurs pressure-test business models and technology roadmaps. The day creates immediate value while establishing relationships that extend far beyond the summit.
The day is complemented by community activations throughout Chicago.
  • Quantum development workshops hosted by leaders
  • Education system design sprints
  • Venture building and go-to-market strategy sessions
  • Cross-functional collaboration labs
2
Day 1 — The Quantum Pivot™
March 1, 2026
The core intellectual experience of QEIS, featuring world-class keynotes, deep-dive workshops, and integration sessions across three primary tracks: Quantum Technology, Education Innovation, and Entrepreneurship & Capability Building.
Morning sessions establish foundational frameworks and breakthrough insights from leading researchers and practitioners. Afternoon workshops enable participants to apply these concepts to their specific contexts. Evening integration sessions bring the tracks together, creating shared language and revealing unexpected connections between quantum science, learning design, and venture building.
  • Keynotes from quantum computing pioneers and education visionaries
  • Track-specific deep dives and technical sessions
  • Cross-track integration and synthesis discussions
  • Networking sessions with curated introductions
3
Day 2 — Future Education Gala
March 2, 2026
A formal, future-facing evening event that transcends traditional conference programming. This celebration blends art, technology, culture, and storytelling—honoring innovation while exploring the ethical dimensions of our quantum transition.
The evening gala marks the official launch of UOTU's quantum learning era, showcasing projects, unveiling institutional initiatives, and recognizing breakthrough contributions to quantum education and innovation. Expect immersive experiences, live demonstrations, artistic performances, and thought-provoking conversations about humanity's role in shaping the technologies that will define our future.
  • Formal dinner with curated seating for strategic connections
  • Live quantum concept demonstrations and artistic integrations
  • Recognition of innovation leaders and emerging talent
  • UOTU Foundation launch and institutional announcements
Who Attends QEIS?
QEIS brings together an intentionally diverse and highly curated group of leaders, practitioners, and emerging talent. This is not a mass-market conference—attendance is selective, ensuring substantive conversations and meaningful collaboration among aligned participants.
The summit attracts individuals operating at the frontier of their respective fields, united by shared commitment to building a quantum-ready future. Participants bring complementary expertise, creating the cross-pollination necessary for breakthrough insights and unexpected partnerships.
Every attendee contributes unique perspective and capability. Together, this community represents the full spectrum of expertise required to navigate the quantum transition—from fundamental science to practical implementation, from institutional transformation to cultural evolution.
Quantum Computing Professionals
Researchers, engineers, and developers advancing quantum hardware, algorithms, and applications across academia and industry
AI Researchers & Technologists
Scientists and practitioners exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing
Educators & Learning Architects
University faculty, K-12 innovators, EdTech founders, and instructional designers reimagining education for the quantum era
Venture Capital & Investors
Early-stage investors, corporate venture arms, and innovation funds backing quantum, AI, and deep-tech ventures
Deep-Tech Entrepreneurs
Founders and operators building companies at the intersection of quantum, AI, biotechnology, and advanced materials
Innovation Agencies & Partners
Government officials, civic leaders, foundation directors, and academic administrators shaping innovation ecosystems
Artists & Cultural Futurists
Creative practitioners exploring the aesthetic, philosophical, and cultural dimensions of technological transformation
Emerging Talent & Apprentices
Graduate students, early-career researchers, and aspiring innovators representing the next generation of quantum leadership

Application Required: QEIS maintains rigorous curation to ensure participant alignment and community quality. All attendees, sponsors, and speakers undergo an application process designed to build a coherent, high-trust community committed to collaborative progress.
Why This Summit Matters
We are entering a multi-decade transformation.
Quantum technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and space systems are converging to reshape every aspect of human civilization. Our learning infrastructure must evolve in parallel—or risk becoming the limiting factor in humanity's progress.
The institutions and frameworks that served the 20th century; designed for stability, standardization, and incremental progress; cannot meet the demands of the quantum era. We need new models for education that cultivate adaptability, ethical reasoning, and continuous capability development. We need organizational architectures that enable rapid innovation while maintaining safety and alignment. We need collaborative networks that transcend traditional disciplinary and geographic boundaries.
QEIS exists to build these essential foundations. This summit convenes the individuals and organizations capable of designing, implementing, and scaling the systems required for a quantum-ready society. The conversations, partnerships, and initiatives that emerge from these three days will shape the next generation of human potential and institutional capability.
The stakes extend beyond technological advancement or economic competitiveness. The quantum transition raises profound questions about human agency, societal equity, and the distribution of transformative capabilities. Who will have access to quantum education and tools? How do we ensure these powerful technologies serve humanity's highest aspirations rather than amplifying existing inequalities? What ethical frameworks guide development and deployment?
These questions demand urgent attention from diverse perspectives; scientists and humanists, technologists and policymakers, educators and entrepreneurs working in concert. QEIS creates space for these critical dialogues while maintaining focus on practical progress and implementation.
Build Quantum Capability Across Industries
Accelerate workforce development, technology transfer, and practical application of quantum computing in finance, pharmaceuticals, logistics, materials science, and cybersecurity
Redefine Education for Adaptability & Ethics
Design learning systems that cultivate resilience, continuous skill acquisition, ethical reasoning, and the mental flexibility required for lifelong contribution in rapidly evolving fields
Align Science, Entrepreneurship & Culture
Bridge the gap between fundamental research and market application while ensuring cultural narratives and artistic expression shape technology development alongside technical considerations
Accelerate Frontier Innovation Responsibly
Establish frameworks for rapid advancement that incorporate safety, security, equity, and democratic governance—moving fast without breaking society's most essential systems
Applications: Join Us in Chicago
QEIS 2026 is a curated summit designed for substantive collaboration and breakthrough thinking. We seek participants who bring expertise, curiosity, and commitment to building a quantum-ready future.
Apply to Attend
Attendance at QEIS is selective and intentional. We prioritize individuals who can contribute meaningfully to summit conversations and carry insights back to their organizations and communities. Applications are evaluated based on professional background, alignment with summit themes, and potential for collaborative impact.
The application process includes a brief professional summary, statement of interest, and description of how you plan to apply summit learnings. Early applications receive priority consideration as we build a balanced participant community.
Application Deadline: December 15, 2025
Notifications: Rolling, with final decisions by February 10, 2026
Apply to Sponsor or Partner
Strategic partners and sponsors make QEIS possible while gaining visibility among the world's most innovative quantum, AI, and education leaders. We welcome aligned organizations in quantum computing, artificial intelligence, EdTech, venture capital, and innovation consulting.
Sponsorship provides exclusive access to summit programming, prominent brand placement, speaking opportunities, and direct engagement with curated attendees. Packages are customized to align sponsor objectives with summit goals: this is partnership, not transactional advertising.
Sponsorship Tiers: Foundation ($1M+), Quantum ($250K+), Universe ($100K+)
Inquiry Deadline: November 30, 2025
Apply to Speak
QEIS features world-class speakers sharing breakthrough research, practical insights, and bold visions for the quantum era. We invite experts and practitioners to propose keynotes, panel discussions, technical workshops, or demonstration sessions across our three core tracks.
Speaker applications should include session format, topic description, key takeaways for participants, and speaker qualifications. We particularly welcome proposals that bridge multiple domains or offer unconventional perspectives on quantum, education, and innovation challenges.
Proposal Deadline: December 15, 2025
Notifications: January 1, 2025
Questions about applications, sponsorship, or speaking opportunities? Contact our summit team at summit@uotu.xyz. We're here to help you find the right way to engage with QEIS 2026.
About University of the Universe (UOTU)
Building the next millennium of education.
University of the Universe (UOTU) is reinventing how civilization learns and builds. We train capable, ethical, resilient adults in frontier disciplines including quantum computing, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, space systems, and human development—merging advanced science with deeply human development.
Our mission emerges from a simple observation: traditional higher education was designed for a world that no longer exists. The pace of technological change, the complexity of global challenges, and the demands of modern careers require fundamentally different approaches to learning, capability building, and lifelong development.
UOTU operates as both university and innovation laboratory—an institution that educates while simultaneously advancing the state of the art in learning itself. Our students don't just study quantum computing; they contribute to quantum research. They don't just learn about entrepreneurship; they build real ventures. They don't just discuss ethics; they grapple with actual decisions about technology deployment and societal impact.
Radical Integrity
Unwavering commitment to truth, transparency, and alignment between values and actions in all dimensions of institutional operation
Zen Drive
Balancing intense ambition with sustainable practice, combining relentless progress with wisdom about pacing and human flourishing
Uncompromising Excellence
Refusing to accept mediocrity in any form, continuously raising standards while supporting every individual's journey toward mastery
Aligned Collaboration
Building partnerships and communities based on shared purpose, mutual respect, and genuine commitment to collective progress
Financial Clarity
Maintaining complete transparency about resources, creating sustainable economic models, and ensuring education serves mission over profit
Our Long-Term Vision
UOTU is building for centuries, not quarters. Our institutional roadmap extends across generations, with clear milestones that mark progress toward becoming one of humanity's essential learning institutions.
Top 10
Global Institution Ranking
Gain recognition as a top-10 global institution for innovation, teaching quality, and societal impact within 15 years
10K+
Apprentices Trained
Cultivate over 10,000 exceptional graduates who drive breakthrough innovation across industries and disciplines
3+
Micro-Campuses
Establishing specialized micro-campuses in quantum & bleeding edge tech, combining focused expertise with global network effects
$1B+
Endowment Built
Creating financial sustainability through a billion-dollar endowment enabling needs-blind admission and ambitious research
The Quantum Era Requires Quantum Education
Traditional degrees prepare students for jobs that existed yesterday. UOTU prepares apprentices for challenges that haven't yet emerged.
"The future cannot be predicted, but it can be created. Education must shift from transmitting known information to cultivating the capabilities required to navigate unknown territory."
— UOTU Founding Principles
The Limitation of Legacy Models
Most universities operate on principles established centuries ago: fixed curricula, siloed departments, four-year degree programs, lecture-based instruction. These structures made sense in an era of stable knowledge and predictable career paths.
But quantum technologies don't respect disciplinary boundaries. Climate challenges demand integration across physics, policy, and economics. AI ethics requires philosophers working alongside engineers. Modern problems are systems-level—yet most education remains fragmented.
Students accumulate credentials while lacking practical capabilities. They memorize information available instantly online. They specialize narrowly while the world demands broad integration. The mismatch between educational design and reality creates frustration, wasted potential, and unprepared graduates.
UOTU's Quantum Learning Model
We've rebuilt education from first principles, asking: What capabilities will humans need to thrive and contribute in an era of exponential technological change? How do we cultivate both technical mastery and ethical wisdom? What learning environments produce adaptive, resilient, continuously-growing adults?
Our model emphasizes real-world projects over theoretical exercises, integration across disciplines over narrow specialization, and cohort-based collaboration over individual competition. Students engage with actual research problems, build functioning prototypes, and grapple with authentic ethical dilemmas—not simplified textbook versions.
Learning never stops at graduation. UOTU apprentices join a lifelong network providing continuous education, career support, and collaborative opportunities. The quantum era demands constant evolution; we're building the infrastructure to enable it.
1
Traditional Education Model
Fixed curriculum → Siloed departments → Individual assessment → Four-year degree → Career entry → Occasional professional development
2
UOTU Quantum Learning Model
Adaptive learning paths → Integrated projects → Collaborative mastery → Capability certification → Career launch → Lifelong network engagement → Continuous capability building → Career transitions → Ongoing contribution
This transformation doesn't happen in isolation. QEIS 2026 brings together the global community working to reinvent education for the quantum era; sharing innovations, confronting challenges, and building the coalitions necessary to scale new models across institutions, industries, and nations.
Register for QEIS 2026
February 28 – March 2, 2026
Chicago, Illinois
Join us for three transformative days exploring quantum computing, education innovation, and frontier entrepreneurship.
QEIS 2026 is where the future of learning meets the quantum revolution. This inaugural summit creates the frameworks, partnerships, and initiatives that will define the next generation of human capability and institutional excellence.
Space is intentionally limited to ensure meaningful engagement and substantive collaboration. Early applications receive priority consideration.
Connect
Follow @uotuxyz for updates
University of the Universe
Building the next millennium of education
© 2026 UOTU