More universities offering blockchain programmes to train future professionals

17 Jun 2019

Blockchain. Cryptocurrency. Bitcoin. These are just some of today’s buzzwords that get companies sitting up straight and paying attention to the potential these technologies can bring.

For example, blockchain has gained traction these past few years and is expected to develop further in the near future. Unsurprisingly, companies, financial institutions and even governments are looking into how they can use this technology to improve their operations or businesses.

Even universities are flushed with excitement and jumping on the bandwagon, offering blockchain programmes to educate the next generation of professionals. According to Coinbase’s research, there has been an increase in the number of universities teaching students about blockchain and cryptocurrencies.

They said: “42 percent of the world’s top 50 universities now offer at least one course on crypto or blockchain”, while such courses are attracting students from a range of majors.

Recently, the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada said it will be launching a blockchain tech training path for Master’s and PhD students.

Yahoo! News reported: “According to the UBC, the programme is a first in Canada. The track will focus on four areas: health and wellness, clean energy, regulatory technology and issues for Indigenous residents, and will officially launch next January.

“‘The initiative will allow students to develop the skills around emerging technologies that are in high demand as well as drive economic growth as graduates fill the void in the industry,'” said Victoria Lemieux, UBC iSchool associate professor and founder of Blockchain@UBC, in a statement.

.@UBC adds blockchain program for Master’s and PhD students through @blockchainubc – https://t.co/HwxLWaFpiy via @YahooFinance #cdnpse pic.twitter.com/pz1juUv401

— UBC Media Relations (@ubcnews) June 13, 2019

The blockchain programmes will be taught by UBC faculty from diverse disciplines, such as natural science, FinTech, engineering and computer science, information governance and other non-STEM fields. As blockchain is challenging and complex, it requires diverse expertise, said Lemieux.

UBC aims to train 139 students over six years, while interested students do not need previous blockchain experience.

Meanwhile, Dublin City University in Ireland is said to be offering Ireland’s first Master’s in blockchain (Distributed Ledger Technologies).

“The programme will be primarily taught online, part-time, over a two-year period,” said Engineers Journal.

Students who prefer remote learning can also choose from numerous online blockchain courses – or Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) – by renowned universities, some without admission requirements, Hacker Noon noted.

These include courses from the University of Oxford, the University of California Berkeley and the University at Buffalo, among others.

It’s likely that the introduction of such courses will only increase in the foreseeable future as such technologies become mainstream.