Inside the 61st Erice School: quantum approaches to structure

The 61st Course of the International School of Crystallography on Quantum Crystallography (QCr) was successfully held in Erice, Italy, from May 30th to June 7th, 2025. The school brought together a diverse and enthusiastic group of students and leading researchers in quantum crystallography, including experts in theoretical chemistry, materials science, and crystallography.

Overall, there were 65 participants (speakers, tutors and students). The course was attended by 39 (60%) men and 26 (40%) women, from 19 different countries. In particular, among the speakers there were 70% male (16) and 30% female (7) lecturers, while among the students there were 55% male (23) and 45% female attendees (19).

The school aimed to address an in-depth education in quantum-mechanical and crystallography methods, with special focus on methods specific to quantum crystallography. Participants gained a strong foundation for interpreting material structure, properties and response from a microscopic quantum-informed perspective. The shared sessions with the Electron Crystallography School fostered rich interdisciplinary dialogue. These joint social events added a unique collaborative dimension to the week.

Most students came from a crystallography background, and the curriculum successfully introduced them to quantum mechanics and computational chemistry in a digestible and interactive format. The Marsala Room and meals served at the poster area proved central to informal discussions — students highly valued the easy interaction with professors, who remained accessible throughout. A temporary dip in workshop attendance midweek was swiftly resolved by implementing an attendance list, after which full participation resumed.

The school also included a “Women in Science” discussion, reflecting our commitment to inclusivity. The session featured discussions of problems for women inclusivity in science initiatives, aligning with the effort to maintain a balanced speaker lineup.

This school helped build bridges between traditionally separate communities of students — experimental crystallographers and computational theorists — by providing shared training and encouraging interdisciplinary conversation. As a result, participants left not only with stronger technical skills but also with new collaborations and scientific perspectives.

During the final ceremony, the awards for the best posters were assigned: the first place was assigned to Elena Levina (Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, IT). The prize included a Springer eBook Voucher. The second poster prize went to Nilofar Kurawle (Consortium for Scientific Research Mumbai Centre, Mumbai, IN): this award also included a voucher for the IUCr journals online. Finally, the third place was assigned to Lukas Seifert (Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Aachen University, Aachen, DE).

To assess the outcome of the Course, participants were questioned through a survey to evaluate and comment on the scientific quality of the Course and the general organization. Their responses indicate that a similar meeting should be held at least in 3-4 years time. Overall, 77% of the voting participants scored the course higher than 90/100.