From High-Order to High Altitude: HOAQS 2025 in the High Tatras
From September 15 to 19, 2025, the international workshop HOAQS 2025 (Higher-Order at Quantum Structures) took place in Stará Lesná, in the High Tatras. The event was co-organized by the Institute of Physics SAS (Michal Sedlák), the Mathematical Institute SAS (Anna Jenčová) and QUTE.sk – Slovak National Center for Quantum Technologies (Mário Ziman).
HOAQS 2025 represents one of the first events of its kind dedicated to higher-order quantum structures. This is a highly specialized and relatively niche research area at the intersection of quantum physics, mathematics, and theoretical computer science, with only a small global community actively working on these topics. For this reason, the workshop provided a valuable opportunity for focused scientific exchange and for connecting researchers across disciplines.
The program was primarily built around invited talks, which allowed sufficient time for in-depth presentations of individual topics, including broader context and open research questions. This format supported more meaningful scientific discussion and enabled active engagement from participants.
An important part of the workshop was also the poster session, which complemented the main program and created space for one-on-one discussions and more detailed exchanges on ongoing research.
HOAQS 2025 demonstrated the value of focused, small-scale scientific events in advancing emerging fields. By facilitating close interaction among participants, the workshop supported not only the dissemination of current results but also the identification of new research directions and potential collaborations.
The workshop thus contributed to strengthening international collaboration in this specialized area and provided a platform for building new scientific connections. We believe that HOAQS 2025 marks the beginning of a new series of meetings and will inspire similar initiatives in the future – both in Slovakia or elsewhere around the world. HOAQS will continue on a two-year basis, with the next seminar expected to take place in Italy.
