Boursiers internationaux de l'Institut Périmètre, étudiants de premier cycle et trajectoires de carrière

Le programme PSI

The PSI program, which celebrated its 15th year in 2023/24, is a globally unique master’s program, focused on theoretical physics. The standard one-year program gives students broad exposure to topics in theoretical physics and trains them to be the researchers, thinkers, and leaders of the future. PSI students can apply to continue into the new PSI two-year program, where they undertake research or industry internships in partnership with Mitacs. The PSI program is offered jointly with the University of Waterloo, the degree-granting institution.

This year, students from 18 countries graduated from the program: 23 graduates from the one-year program and two graduates from the two-year program. Both two-year students, Wirawat Kokaew and Ali Saraer Toosi, completed internships with Vancouver-based quantum computing company 1QBit, one of Perimeter’s industry partners, in its Waterloo office at the Perimeter Institute Quantum Intelligence Lab.

See the full list of PSI academic staff and students in the Appendix

The PSI program was supported in 2023/24 in part by the Marsland Family and members of the Emmy Noether Circle.

Seeding the world with talent

What do you do with a degree in theoretical physics? If this year’s 15th anniversary celebration of the PSI program proves anything, it’s that you can go anywhere. During the three-day celebration, graduates and current students convened at Perimeter to celebrate, swap business cards and career advice, and catch up. PSI graduates are doing incredible things in and out of academia: they’re directing data science for major equity firms, working in AI, writing poetry, and authoring books, as well as pursuing academic careers as postdocs and professors, leading important research initiatives around the world. And that’s just the first 15 years of graduates. We can’t wait to see where the next generation goes.

Nouveaux liens et des « surprises gravitationnelles » à l’école d’hiver du programme PSI

If you’re going to study in Canada, you will eventually have to embrace winter. For the PSI students, that means winter school: a week-long series of events designed to mix the snowy outdoors with chances to explore disciplines outside their own. During this year’s winter school, students experienced some very Canadian activities, like curling, skating, and – of course – crokinole. They also engaged in “fascinating philosophical discussions” about the interpretations and limitations of theories in quantum foundations. And a few of them even encountered some “gravitational surprises” while out on the ice rink! But above all, they had the chance to tackle difficult problems at the cutting-edge of physics, making the transition from students to scientists.

Alors, qu’est-ce que PSI Start?

Every summer, approximately 10 talented undergraduate students come to Perimeter to work alongside leading scientists on real problems in theoretical physics. The program, part of PSI Start, is a 12- to 15-week internship that helps students develop the skills they need for grad school with hands-on training. It’s a chance to work directly with a supervisor and immerse themselves in a topic, just like in grad school. As one PSI Start student said this year: “You get to do amazing research with some of the world’s best, and just being here, amongst those types of people, and interacting with them, is life changing.”

In addition to the 11 undergraduate PSI Start interns at Perimeter in 2023/24, 27 PSI Start students participated in a 10-week online school covering a variety of topics in theoretical physics.

Programme passerelle PSI: Preparing students for graduate degrees in physics

Perimeter recognizes that many promising undergraduate students face challenges that could, without support, hinder their progression to graduate studies in theoretical physics. Some may not have had the opportunity to study advanced undergraduate physics; others may have encountered barriers or interruptions in their studies or may want to switch to theoretical physics from a different background (like engineering or mathematics). Perimeter’s PSI Bridge program is designed to help students overcome these barriers and acquire skills that will prepare them for future studies in graduate physics programs.

Perimeter selects a cohort of talented young students each calendar year to participate in the part-time online program, designed to supplement the final year of their undergraduate studies. From May to December, participants attend online tutorials and discussions on advanced topics in undergraduate physics, including quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, and relativity. In 2023, nine students from nine countries completed the program; in May 2024, Perimeter welcomed a new set of eight online students from six countries.

Trajectoires de carrière

Training in physics provides students and postdocs with skills that have enormous value to potential employers, academic and non-academic alike. Perimeter’s Career Trajectories initiatives are designed to expose students and postdocs to a wide variety of potential employment pathways and experiences to support them in finding their next career step in Canada or abroad. Perimeter alumni have gone on to successful careers in a wide range of sectors (academia, quantum technology, finance, data science) and to work for companies of all sizes – from large multinationals like Google to Canadian start-ups – as well as founding their own companies. Career Trajectories offers workshops and networking opportunities, a suite of tailored resources for academic and non-academic career development, and individual support for resume development and interview skills.

In 2023/24, Perimeter hosted 15 Career Trajectories events – with a total of over 290 participants – including networking events, panel discussions, seminars, mini-courses, and workshops on postdoc and faculty job applications.

Activités trajectoires de carrière en 2022-2023

Academic Career Trajectories

Feedback on Faculty Applications and Job Talks

Faculty Application Basics Workshop

Postdoc Applications Workshop

Teaching Workshop with Perimeter Teachers-In-Residence

Time Management Workshop

Industry-Focused Career Trajectories

From Academia to Industry: Fireside Chat with Aggie Branczyk, IBM Quantum

Navigating Opportunities in Quantum Industry with David Gosset and Michael Vasmer

Mitacs Internship Information Session

Fireside Chat with OpenText

Deeptech Commercialization through Entrepreneurial Capabilities Colloquium with Elicia Maine, Simon Fraser University

Quantum and Artificial Intelligence Mini-Course and Networking SessionPSI Alumni Reunion Industry Networking Breakfast

Boursiers internationaux de l’Institut Périmètre, étudiants de premier cycle et trajectoires de carrière