The National University of Singapore (NUS), the country’s largest university by curriculum offered and student enrollment, is collaborating with IBM to develop educational modules on blockchain technology.
Come January 2018, students at the National University of Singapore’s School of Computing can expect to be trained on financial technologies with a focus on blockchain and distributed ledger technologies (DLT).
Details from the announcement today reveal that NUS faculty members will co-develop the module’s curriculum with IBM researchers from ICBI, or the IBM Center for Blockchain Innovation. Students will be taught the fundamentals of blockchain technology and its diverse uses cases in areas ranging from digital currencies to supply chain management and commercial applications like banking.
Pertinently, the module will also be co-taught to students by NUS faculty and ICBI staff. The Hyperledger Fabric, a financial technology software developed by the notable Linux Foundation-led open-source cross-industry collaborative Hyperledger Project, will be used to deliver the course content.
The software will also be available for researchers at the university for research and learning.
“The new module forms part of the newly enhanced Information Systems degree program in which a new specialization in Financial Technology has been introduced,” revealed associate professor Hanh Jungpil, head of the department of Information Systems at NUS School of Computing.
For the modules, IBM will provide technology support with access to the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain framework via its Cloud platform.
Robert Morris, vice president of Global Labs at IBM Research added:
Blockchain is one of the most disruptive technologies in computing today, and it is impacting many industries including financial services, trade, healthcare and supply chain. This collaboration with the National University of Singapore School of Computing will help prepare a future workforce that is born on blockchain, ready to implement, improve and innovate: core skills required for Singapore to achieve its vision as a Smart Financial Centre and Smart Nation.
IBM announced the launch of its blockchain innovation center in Singapore in mid-2016, with the blessing of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) – Singapore’s central bank – and the country’s Economic Development Board. Notably, IBM has also teamed with the Port Authority of Singapore (PSA), the world’s largest container trans-shipment port, to trial blockchain solutions with the hub port operator.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s geographical proximity as the gateway to South-East Asia and its traditional technology-forward agenda has seen the island nation firmly establish itself as a FinTech hug.
The country’s central bank is spearheading the FinTech initiative and has notably completed a successful inter-bank blockchain payments proof-of-concept trial with a digitized version of the Singaporean dollar. As CCN reported in March, the bank’s next move is to develop blockchain-based cross-border payments using a central bank digital currency.
Featured image from Facebook/NUS.
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