PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

L. C. Kwek

Also known as Leong Chuan Kwek, Kwek Leong Chuan, 郭龙泉

Leong Chuan Kwek is a quantum physicist in Singapore whose papers apply machine learning to quantum control and photonic hardware. With Lai Choy Heng, Oh Choo Hiap and Kuldip Singh, he started informal seminars at the National University of Singapore in 1998 that began quantum information research in Singapore. The Institute of Physics Singapore gave him its Premier Award in 2006 and made him its president from 2008 to 2012, and he was Deputy Secretary General of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics until 2020. His machine-learning work includes a deep reinforcement learning method for preparing quantum states in 2020, a photonic chip that predicts molecular properties in 2022, and a survey of quantum federated learning in 2023. He is a Principal Investigator at the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore, a professor at the National Institute of Education and at Nanyang Technological University, and co-director of NTU's Quantum Science and Engineering Centre.

Now at
National Institute of Education and National University of Singapore

Timeline

  1. 1998

    Starting quantum research in Singapore

    In 1998, with Lai Choy Heng, Oh Choo Hiap and Kuldip Singh, he initiates a series of informal seminars at the National University of Singapore. The seminars draw local researchers and lead to the Quantum Information Technology Group, the start of quantum information research in Singapore.

  2. 2006

    The IPS Premier Award

    In 2006, the Institute of Physics Singapore awards the associate professor from the National Institute of Education its Premier Award for physics research, with the World Scientific Medal and Prize, for outstanding research in quantum information and computing. The award names him as the prime mover in setting up the first quantum information lab in the NUS Physics Department.

  3. 2008–2012

    Institute of Physics Singapore president

    From 2008 to 2012, he serves as President of the Institute of Physics, Singapore.

  4. 2017–2020

    Deputy Secretary General of IUPAP

    From 2017, he is Deputy Secretary General of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, working beside Secretary General Kok Khoo Phua on its Executive Council. He holds the post until December 2020.

  5. 2020

    Deep reinforcement learning for quantum states

    In 2020, he coauthors "Classifying global state preparation via deep reinforcement learning" with Tobias Haug, Wai-Keong Mok and colleagues, which prepares a continuous set of quantum states with neural-network protocols and applies the method to the electron spin in nitrogen-vacancy centers. He also coauthors a survey of machine learning applied to quantum foundations with Kishor Bharti, Tobias Haug and Vlatko Vedral.

  6. 2021

    A review of NISQ algorithms

    In 2021, he is one of 14 authors, among them Kishor Bharti and Alán Aspuru-Guzik, of the review "Noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) algorithms". The review summarizes algorithms for noisy quantum computers in fields that include machine learning, quantum chemistry and combinatorial optimization.

  7. 2022–2023

    Photonic chips and federated learning

    In 2022, he coauthors a paper with Ai Qun Liu and colleagues that uses a photonic chip with neural networks to predict the quantum mechanical properties of molecules. In 2023, he is one of 12 authors of "Towards Quantum Federated Learning", a review of the field that merges quantum computing and federated learning.

  8. As of October 2026

    Co-director of NTU's quantum centre

    He is a Principal Investigator at the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore, a Professor of Education at the National Institute of Education, a Professor of Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, and co-director of NTU's Quantum Science and Engineering Centre. In September 2026, he coauthors, with Ai-Qun Liu and others, an integrated photonic quantum reservoir computer for classification and forecasting tasks.

Career

  1. NowNational Institute of EducationAssociate Professor
  2. NowNational University of SingaporePrincipal Investigator
  3. NowNanyang Technological UniversityProfessor of Engineering
  4. 2017–2020International Union of Pure and Applied PhysicsDeputy Secretary General
  5. 2008–2012Institute of Physics, SingaporePresident

From the biography.

  1. People shaping AI work at a median of 3 organizations over a career: 3 for university starters and institute and lab starters, versus 2 for company startersIncludes National University of Singapore. Across 6,853 people shaping AI with a dated work role, we estimate a median of 3 parent organizations over a career (mean 3.6), comparing role groups, starting sectors and starting decades from the 1950s to 2020–2026.
  2. The United States employs an estimated 48% of people shaping AIIncludes National University of Singapore. We estimate where the people shaping AI work today, how universities, companies and research institutes split across countries, and how country shares have changed since the 1960s.
  3. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes National University of Singapore. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  4. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes National University of Singapore. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.

Colleagues

People named in this biography, and people with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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  1. Centre for Quantum Technologies - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. 2006 Award Winners - Institute of Physics Singapore phyweb.physics.nus.edu.sg. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. Prof Kwek Leong Chuan | Academic Profile | DR-NTU | Research | NTU Singapore dr.ntu.edu.sg. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. Executive Council: Officers 2017-2020 | IUPAP: The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics archive2.iupap.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. Classifying global state preparation via deep reinforcement learning (arXiv:2005.12759) arxiv.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  6. Machine Learning meets Quantum Foundations: A Brief Survey (arXiv:2003.11224) arxiv.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  7. Noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) algorithms (arXiv:2101.08448) arxiv.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  8. A photonic chip-based machine learning approach for the prediction of molecular properties (arXiv:2203.02285) arxiv.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  9. Towards Quantum Federated Learning (arXiv:2306.09912) arxiv.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  10. Kwek Leong Chuan - HUN-REN AI Symposium 2026 hun-ren.hu. Checked 21 October 2026.
  11. Versatile Quantum Machine Learning with an Ultra-low Power Photonic Quantum Reservoir Computer (arXiv:2609.24381) arxiv.org. Checked 21 October 2026.