University of Tokyo launches Blockchain Innovation Donation Course

The University of Tokyo has launched a blockchain-focused course after it received a donation of 90,000,000 yen (nearly $800,000) from a number of companies, CoinTelegraph reported.

The donation has been contributed by Sumitomo Mitsui (SMBC), the Ethereum Foundation, Good Luck 3, JSS, Zipper, Hotto link, and Money Forward, according to a press release dated November 20.

The three-year course, “Blockchain Innovation Donation Course,” has started on November 1, 2018 and will run until October 31, 2021 in the graduate school of engineering at the University of Tokyo.

The course has been designed to assist those students that intend to become blockchain-related entrepreneurs. The release said that the course will “improve student's technical skills and entrepreneurial potential.”

Key focus areas include the development of decentralized solutions, their social implementation, and human resources. It will combine lectures and practice, such as developing an information and communications technologies (ICT) service or a blockchain-based business model.

Earlier in August, Coinbase found growing popularity of cryptocurrencies and blockchain among students. A study, conducted in partnership with Qriously, revealed that 42 percent of the top 50 universities offer at least one class on blockchain or cryptocurrency, and 22 percent offer more than one.

In June, blockchain startup Ripple announced the University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) to support and accelerate academic research, technical development and innovation in blockchain, cryptocurrency and digital payments.