Are the next generation of business leaders familiar with the world of Blockchain technology and the many real-world applications it offers? From dAPPs to DeFi to NFTs, unique applications of blockchain technology are growing at an exponential rate.
The issue for Higher Education will be the pace at which the DeFi industry moves. Universities and colleges that are able to build flexible curriculums, easily adapted to accommodate new advances in decentralized technology, will win in the minds of the students who need to embrace these skills for the future. Investing in the future of Higher Education by issuing Blockchain certifications is one way to ensure that students are involved and informed when it comes to the future of the industry.
There are some obvious topics for study around governance, supply chain and business models that adopt blockchain technology solutions into current processes. Furthermore, there is room to examine and learn from use cases for blockchain, like provenance, traceability and payments. Also, researching the future of blockchain integrations with other technologies is a sure topic for a dissertation.
Ryan Williams, Executive Director of the Blockchain Academy explains why adoption of blockchain specific training within higher education is essential: “We are seeing a growing demand for the courses and truly believe that blockchain ed will play an important role in developing the skills of the future workforce.”
“As with everything in life, the more one knows about a subject matter, the less threatening and more exciting it is. Education is a key tool in driving the future of Blockchain technology,” says Ryan.
Universities that recognize the potential of blockchain technology and adopt the best approaches to embedding vetted course material will be best positioned to prepare students for the future of work. The Kautz-Uible Economics Institute at the University of Cincinnati teaches students how to successfully navigate this new world of monetary innovation by explaining how incentives, regulation, and market competition influence cryptocurrencies’ future trajectory.
“Student interest in blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies has grown leaps and bounds in just the last few years. I am excited to teach cryptocurrencies because they lie at the intersection of economics, computer science, and mathematics. Through a partnership with The Blockchain Academy, students at the University of Cincinnati will learn fundamental and technical analysis of cryptocurrency portfolios,” says Michael Jones, Ph.D. Academic Director, MS in Applied Economics, University of Cincinnati.
The Blockchain Academy has already partnered with over 16 prestigious Universities and institutions across the world, including the University of Cincinnati, Oklahoma State University, University of Alberta, University of California Santa Barbara and Rutgers University. The training offered covers a wide array of students across multiple disciplines, including: economics, business and technology. Future leaders and business executives will need to be familiar with blockchain and how it applies to different sectors of our economy. From blockchain foundations to enterprise blockchain solutions to crypto trading, the range of courses will provide a thorough understanding of the blockchain landscape.
The supply needs to be met to match the current demand. Students are interested, blockchain organisations need a skilled workforce and colleges need a broad range of qualified instructors to guide students in the world of blockchain ecosystems.
This is much more than getting a degree in Software Engineering or Business Studies, it is a combination of all of the training necessary to enter into the Blockchain Industry at many different levels. Although decentralization has been a driving force behind blockchain adoption, mainstream users, celebrities and countries are getting involved in the future of how this technology is used.
NFTs alone are a thriving source of further study and research projects. Sales volumes recorded on the largest NFT trading platform, OpenSea, hit $1.9 billion so far this month. DappRadar recorded 32 known NFT sales above $1 million in the past 30 days. These transactions are not only enormous but also show that the world of NFTs is expanding and the volume of crypto being exchanged will provide stimulus for further investment.
It is well reported that historically Universities have played a vital role in getting new industries off the ground. However, the world of decentralized finance is somewhat skeptical of traditional institutions and vice versa. This means that the eagerly awaiting learner resorts to community led learning or self-education through the many online platforms. With this approach however, the student is often left overwhelmed, without credentials and without the motivation often needed to complete a course.
Blockchain startups have already begun to emerge from Universities that are leading the way in terms of education in this arena. Algorand from MIT and Ava Labs from Cornell are just two notable mentions.
CoinDesk ranked the top 20 Universities for Blockchain in 2020, it found that 14 of the top 20 schools are private. Not surprisingly, MIT had the most blockchain publications between 2018 – 2020. Harvard has the highest number of student placings in the blockchain industry overall. Cornell offered the most blockchain courses of all the top 20. Interestingly, of all the top 46 schools surveyed, 33 had dedicated blockchain courses and 40 (87%) had a blockchain club. This demonstrates a clear interest in the subject matter as an area of study.
Read more about this study here (https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2020/10/06/the-top-universities-for-blockchain/)
If we are to better understand the applications of blockchain technology and how it may be aligned with the future of work we must familiarize ourselves with the many types of chains in existence and how they are currently being used.
About The Blockchain Academy https://theblockchainacademy.com/
The Blockchain Academy partners with universities to prepare participants for high-growth careers in the blockchain industry. To bring structure and growth to the blockchain workforce The Blockchain Academy develops a robust curriculum and provides instructional support services towards achieving micro-credentials and certifications that employers and project managers can trust. Knowledge transfer on EOS, Corda, Hyperledger Fabric, Ethereum, Hashgraph, Algorand, Polkadot, Solana, architecture, security, business Strategy, and industry specific impacts, such as Finance (De-Fi), Accounting and Supply Chain.