Major colleges and universities have recently been offering educational opportunities to promote blockchain technology, and now three schools within the University of California system are looking to do so as well. UCLA, UC-Santa Barbara, and UC-Davis announced on Augsut 22 that they are partnering with MouseBelt Blockchain Accelerator to lead blockchain initiatives that will give students the tools and knowledge to be able to pursue professional careers within the blockchain world.
With an investment of over $40 million from firms such as NueValue Capital, MouseBelt has been able to provide resources for blockchain community groups at 14 universities across the globe. Now, the group will sponsor programs at the three California universities that will work with students in the undergraduate and Ph.D. program level.
The new initiative will be bundled into two programs. The first will fund research across all three California campuses. A total of $500,000 has been set aside to fund the five different projects in this area with each project receiving a $100,000 grant. The second initiative will focus on project development. It is hoped that by donating the money it will not only accelerate the development of blockchain technologies but will also spur donations from other groups.
In a statement, University Outreach Director Ashlie Meredith explained, “We aim to help these universities become a driving force for innovation in the blockchain space, as well as provide students and researchers with the opportunity for both theoretical and industry experience.”
This new initiative comes at an opportune moment. It is clear that students are demanding a larger number of blockchain-based courses, as the technology is seemingly taking over. According to Dr. Mohammad Sadoghi, head of ExpoLab at UC Davis, blockchain-based classes have been maxed out at a total of 65 students per class, and the waitlist is reaching levels far beyond expectations.
What this says is that the demand for these types of courses far outweighs the supply. This is where MouseBelt is looking to become a difference-maker, helping the universities to be able to offer students the opportunity to take classes and follow a program that will have real-world application for them upon graduation.
While the students at the three universities will greatly benefit, this is also an opportunity for MouseBelt to meet its long-term goals. The organization is looking to become the leader in the blockchain industry and is looking to do so by helping to create “a new generation of Internet users who choose privacy, autonomy, decentralization, ownership, and security as a mindset and philosophy.”
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