The first group of AI & HPC students brings the new HPC Lab to life through hands-on learning and real-world computing.

In September 2025, the new study track Artificial Intelligence & High Performance Computing (AI & HPC) at FHNW welcomed its first group of students. Just a few months in, it is already clear that this program fills a crucial gap: it brings together two of the most transformative technological domains—AI and high-performance computing—into a single, coherent education. The students are not only learning about algorithms and models, but also how to run them efficiently on modern computing infrastructure, from GPUs to distributed clusters.

What makes this program distinctive is its strong technical foundation combined with a clear focus on scalability and real-world application. Students learn to develop, train, and evaluate AI models while working with large, optimized systems and parallel computing environments. This includes scaling workloads across CPUs, GPUs, and entire clusters—skills that are increasingly essential as AI systems grow in complexity and size. At the same time, the curriculum is grounded in core computer science disciplines such as software engineering and mathematics, ensuring a deep and durable understanding of the underlying technologies.

With the opening of the HPC Lab, this first group now gains something particularly valuable: direct access to a real, evolving HPC environment. They are the first students who will actively use the lab as part of their studies—whether through project work, hands-on courses, or GPU-backed interactive environments. The lab is not an abstract resource, but a place where learning and experimentation happen side by side, where students can test ideas on actual systems and experience the full stack from code to hardware.

This close integration of education and infrastructure reflects a broader vision. The AI & HPC study track is not only about teaching current technologies, but about preparing students to shape what comes next—whether as AI engineers, HPC specialists, or innovators at the intersection of both fields. The first group is now setting this process in motion, and with the HPC Lab as their environment, they are helping define what applied AI and high-performance computing education can look like in practice.