This nine-day online workshop aims to provide Sudanese students and early-career researchers with rigorous training in density functional theory (DFT) and its applications in computational materials science. The programme combines morning lecture sessions covering theoretical foundations with afternoon hands-on tutorial sessions using widely adopted open-source tools, including Quantum ESPRESSO, Python, and the Atomic Simulation Environment (ASE).

The workshop is the second edition of the Expanding Horizons in Physics in Sudan series, following the successful 2025 PWF–Sudan initiative. It is conceived as a mini-ASESEMA, a focused extension of the African School on Electronic Structure Methods and Applications, tailored to Sudan's current context, where the ongoing conflict since April 2023 has severely disrupted access to advanced computational physics training.

The primary audience is advanced undergraduate students, MSc students, and early PhD researchers with basic exposure to quantum mechanics and solid-state physics. All sessions will be recorded and made available in low-bandwidth formats to ensure accessibility under challenging connectivity conditions.

Topics:

• Introduction to quantum mechanics
• Basics of solid-state physics
• Introduction to computational materials science
• Fundamentals of DFT
• Forces in DFT
• Basic DFT calculations: band structure
• Beyond standard DFT: DFT+U
• Phonons
• Machine learning in electronic structure

Speakers:
Richard Martin – University of Illinois & Stanford University, USA
Matteo Gatti – École Polytechnique Laboratoire des Solides Irradiés LSI, France 
Fatema Mohamed – École Polytechnique Laboratoire des Solides Irradiés LSI, France
Natasa Stojic – ICTP, Italy
Michele Pavanello – Rutgers University, USA
Andre Schleife – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA
Alberto Carta – Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), Switzerland
Maram Musa – National Ribat University
Iurii TIMROV – Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), Switzerland
Christian Carbogno – Fritz Haber Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Omolulu Akin-Ojo – University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Local organizers:
Elbasher M. E. Ahmed, Founder and Director of Photon SCNS.
Abubakr Y. A. Ibrahim, General coordinator of the workshop, Photon SCNS.
Musa A. M. Hussien, workshop chair, Photon SCNS.
Alaa Mohammed Idris Bakhit, academic coordinator of Photon SCNS.
Sara Abdelazeem Hassan Abass, organizing committee member, University of Khartoum.

Registration: https://tinyurl.com/yc6mu6z4
Registration deadline: 20 June 2026