diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9cf6e80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+name: CI
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+
+jobs:
+  test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.12"
+
+      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+
+      - name: Create virtualenv
+        run: python -m venv .venv
+
+      - name: Build extension
+        uses: PyO3/maturin-action@v1
+        with:
+          command: develop
+        env:
+          VIRTUAL_ENV: ${{ github.workspace }}/.venv
+
+      - name: Install test extras
+        run: .venv/bin/pip install pytest pytest-asyncio httpx
+
+      - name: Test
+        run: .venv/bin/pytest -q
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26e681d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# Generated by Cargo
+# will have compiled files and executables
+debug
+target
+
+# These are backup files generated by rustfmt
+**/*.rs.bk
+
+# MSVC Windows builds of rustc generate these, which store debugging information
+*.pdb
+
+# Generated by cargo mutants
+# Contains mutation testing data
+**/mutants.out*/
+
+# RustRover
+#  JetBrains specific template is maintained in a separate JetBrains.gitignore that can
+#  be found at https://github.com/github/gitignore/blob/main/Global/JetBrains.gitignore
+#  and can be added to the global gitignore or merged into this file.  For a more nuclear
+#  option (not recommended) you can uncomment the following to ignore the entire idea folder.
+#.idea/
+
+.venv/
+__pycache__/
+.pytest_cache/
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f71a64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+# This file is automatically @generated by Cargo.
+# It is not intended for manual editing.
+version = 4
+
+[[package]]
+name = "heck"
+version = "0.5.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "2304e00983f87ffb38b55b444b5e3b60a884b5d30c0fca7d82fe33449bbe55ea"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "libc"
+version = "0.2.189"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "3eaf3ede3fee6db1a4c2ee091bf8a8b4dccdc6d17f656fb07896ee72867612f2"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "once_cell"
+version = "1.21.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "9f7c3e4beb33f85d45ae3e3a1792185706c8e16d043238c593331cc7cd313b50"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "portable-atomic"
+version = "1.15.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "05c8b63e8d9609db387f0324918f81d68fe27748f084ef092fb35954d0539a85"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "proc-macro2"
+version = "1.0.107"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "985e7ec9bb745e6ce6535b544d84d6cd6f7ad8bd711c398938ae983b91a766d9"
+dependencies = [
+ "unicode-ident",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "pyo3"
+version = "0.29.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "4688ddedf473e32662b9b067670129a8afb8c18e351482c70d62ba4a88171e8b"
+dependencies = [
+ "libc",
+ "once_cell",
+ "portable-atomic",
+ "pyo3-build-config",
+ "pyo3-ffi",
+ "pyo3-macros",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "pyo3-build-config"
+version = "0.29.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f41027e41b4bd03f6e60f9f417fe24a6341a6bb744edd62b6f709f2a52ea30e9"
+dependencies = [
+ "target-lexicon",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "pyo3-ffi"
+version = "0.29.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e591a95526fead067432c3b3a33fc74770b87b1e04e73671090d9c2055a2b327"
+dependencies = [
+ "libc",
+ "pyo3-build-config",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "pyo3-macros"
+version = "0.29.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "73225868fc1cd84eef2c3c230ddb91273bf1de46aeb8a4248da76d32a0924a1c"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "pyo3-macros-backend",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "pyo3-macros-backend"
+version = "0.29.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "571575aa3749fa6216757dd47d2a3e7ef360f329a40f0666a9fbd14889024952"
+dependencies = [
+ "heck",
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "quote"
+version = "1.0.47"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "1fbf4db142a473a8d80c26bbf18454ed458bf8d26c8219c331daecfdbd079001"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "rust-python-lab"
+version = "0.1.0"
+dependencies = [
+ "pyo3",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "syn"
+version = "2.0.119"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "872831b642d1a07999a962a351ed35b955ea2cfc8f3862091e2a240a84f17297"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "unicode-ident",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "target-lexicon"
+version = "0.13.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "adb6935a6f5c20170eeceb1a3835a49e12e19d792f6dd344ccc76a985ca5a6ca"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "unicode-ident"
+version = "1.0.24"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e6e4313cd5fcd3dad5cafa179702e2b244f760991f45397d14d4ebf38247da75"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b76eac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[package]
+name = "rust-python-lab"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2024"
+
+# See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
+[lib]
+name = "rust_python_lab"
+crate-type = ["cdylib"]
+
+[dependencies]
+pyo3 = "0.29.0"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09b3241
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# rust-python-lab
+
+A Rust async execution controller for Python, exposed through PyO3. Python remains the authoring surface; Rust owns scheduling, limits, and lifecycle. Python's asyncio event loop still executes coroutine bodies.
+
+## Setup
+
+Requires Rust (stable) and Python 3.12 (local development uses 3.12.3). CI installs CPython 3.12.
+
+```bash
+python -m venv .venv
+source .venv/bin/activate
+pip install maturin
+maturin develop --extras dev
+```
+
+## Test
+
+```bash
+pytest
+```
+
+CI runs `maturin develop` and `pytest` on pull requests. No API keys are required.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..31802eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = ["maturin>=1.15,<2.0"]
+build-backend = "maturin"
+
+[project]
+name = "rust-python-lab"
+requires-python = ">=3.12"
+classifiers = [
+    "Programming Language :: Rust",
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPython",
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPy",
+]
+dynamic = ["version"]
+
+[project.optional-dependencies]
+dev = [
+    "pytest>=8.0",
+    "pytest-asyncio>=0.24",
+    "httpx>=0.27",
+]
+
+[tool.maturin]
+features = ["pyo3/extension-module"]
+
+[tool.pytest.ini_options]
+testpaths = ["tests"]
+asyncio_mode = "auto"
+asyncio_default_fixture_loop_scope = "function"
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..95f54fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+use pyo3::prelude::*;
+
+/// A Python module implemented in Rust.
+#[pymodule]
+mod rust_python_lab {
+    use pyo3::prelude::*;
+
+    /// Formats the sum of two numbers as string.
+    #[pyfunction]
+    fn sum_as_string(a: usize, b: usize) -> PyResult<String> {
+        Ok((a + b).to_string())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/test_scaffold.py b/tests/test_scaffold.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..da6e387
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_scaffold.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+from rust_python_lab import sum_as_string
+
+
+def test_sum_as_string():
+    assert sum_as_string(1, 2) == "3"