Entangled Across Borders: Celebrating 100 Years of Quantum Physics Through a Global Classroom

In Spring 2025, I implemented the first iteration of the Global Online Learning Exchange (GOLE) in my Scientific Inquiry class at St. John’s University, a core class focused on how scientists make discoveries in nature, with a special emphasis on conceptual quantum physics and its application in nuclear energy. The course incorporates the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 7, “Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable, and Modern Energy for All.” 

Partnering with Professor Marie-Françoise Fronieux and her electrical engineering students from IUT Université de Lorraine in Longwy, France, we created a shared learning environment, with the French students participating in English as their second language. This collaboration coincided with the centennial of quantum mechanics—a milestone recognized by the United Nations as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Our exchange was a fitting way to celebrate this global milestone by connecting classrooms across different continents.

Our St. John’s hybrid class began with a joint Teams meeting where Professor Fronieux and I introduced the program, and students joined breakout rooms for an icebreaker. Over six weeks, teams met synchronously at times they arranged via WhatsApp. St. John’s students presented quantum topics like superposition and entanglement, while IUT students shared Arduino automation projects, linking theory to practice. Both groups used WhatsApp to exchange videos, presentations, and conversations, which often continued informally as they discussed interests and schoolwork beyond the projects.

Intercultural understanding is central to the GOLE program. Just as scientists break down complex problems by following the scientific method, students discovered that cross-cultural teamwork depends on a similar feedback loop: observe, make assumptions, test them through interaction, and adjust based on outcomes. Such a process helps everyone understand each other better, solve problems, and work together more effectively, whether in scientific contexts or when connecting with people from different backgrounds.

The concept of quantum entanglement resonated deeply. One student described it as “particles sharing information across (vast) distances (without delay).” This became a metaphor for their experience: despite being separated by geography and culture, students formed real, meaningful connections. 

As another student reflected, “Just like the entangled particles, we were physically hindered in different time zones and cultures altogether, yet we had to work together and communicate effectively to complete the task. And, despite all of these difficulties, something quite surprising occurred. We did, nonetheless, communicate. We talked, even imperfectly, and made do. We shared ideas, learned from each other, and collaborated across distances and differences. As in entanglement on a quantum scale, we were connected even when we weren’t engaging or speaking in real time. That connection, sometimes still and invisible, was nonetheless real and deeply meaningful. It grew stronger with effort and intention.”

This sense of connection across distance and difference echoes a broader theme in science and human experience. Astronomer and planetary scientist Carl Sagan described astronomy as a humbling experience because it reveals the true scale of the universe and our tiny place within it. The same can be said of learning about a different culture, as it reminds us that our own perspectives and ways of life are just a small part of the vast diversity of human experience.