Blockchain Education! Promoting higher-level education for future developers.

Hi again Steemit!

I read a story posted by @sergey44, written by Jon Buck over on https://cointelegraph.com/news/wanna-go-to-college-with-bitcoin and it got me thinking about eduction in blockchain technologies. As an engineering student entering my final year, I feel that exposure to this burgeoning area in computer science has been underwhelming to say the least. Obviously, universities adapt slowly to change and as such, it is not surprising that the vast majority have failed to address the need for higher-level education in this area. Nonetheless, I think it should be a mandate of the blockchain community to address the growing need for innovators in blockchain education.

What programs do we have today?

The University of Nicosia in Cyprus has a introduced the UNIC Blockchain Initiative offering the first Master of Science degree in Digital Currency, available worldwide through a distance learning platform.

The first course in the degree, DFIN-511: Introduction to Digital Currencies, is offered for free as an open enrollment MOOC course to anyone interested in learning about the fundamental principles of Digital Currency.

It seems likely that the swift adoption of blockchain technologies by UNIC was driven in part by the Cypriot Financial Crisis of 2012. Undoubtedly, an environment in which banks are withholding people's money creates a favourable climate to launch a blockchain education program! However, we must continue implementing such programs in more moderate economies!

Although the centralized nature of universities puts them in an unfavourable light in a community that loathes the very idea it, there is an undeniable value in holding a technical degree from an accredited institution. Combine that with the potential of recruiting widely respected industry professionals, there is potential for post-secondary educational institutions to carry the torch in blockchain education. I would love to see more programs pop up around the world in the near future!

What do you think?

Cameron