Australian Research School Launches Blockchain Course 

Blockchain education is beginning to get more ground across educational institutions, and Australia is the latest country to embrace the trend.  RMIT University, a research and educational institution in Australia, announced that it launched two postgraduate courses in blockchain and cybersecurity. As the announcement explained, the courses will be coming in partnership with tech giant IBM, cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, and local independent innovation hub Stone & Chalk. 

Meeting the Increasing Demand for Cybersecurity and Blockchain Professionals

IMB has built a name for itself in the blockchain sector, with several innovations to boast of across the space. As RMIT’s press release explained, the courses will tentatively begin in October 2020, and should run for about nine months. The university explained that it launched the course in response to a growing demand for expertise in both fields as the global business landscape continues to shift online.

The announcement cited an estimate which forecasts that Australia’s cybersecurity industry will achieve an AUD6 billion (about $4 billion) valuation over the next six years – about triple its current value. The industry is also expected to create a demand for up to 18,000 professionals across the country.

As for the blockchain, the industry is expected to grow by about 80 percent yearly. However, the industry faces a significant shortage of professionals, as only one in about 20 managers can find blockchain professionals in Australia.

Helen Souness, the chief executive of RMIT Online, explained that the goal of the program is to bridge the gap between professionals and employers looking to hire them. In part, she said:

“Cybersecurity and blockchain technologies are emerging as business-critical skills and we are delivering the training that provides those skills in our workforce.”

Rupert Colchester, the head of blockchain for IBM Australia and New Zealand, also pointed out that the courses will be instrumental in helping companies to apply blockchain to their operations.

Blockchain Education Continues to Grow

The development is underpinning what can only be seen as a growth in blockchain education. With the technology gaining prominence across the world, many companies and countries have sought to integrate it in some way or the other. To meet this demand, schools and organizations have launched several training courses and programs.

In less developed countries like Brazil, for example, the initiative comes across websites like cursocriptomoedas.com, which emphasizes the importance of learning more about Bitcoin and blockchain in the daily life.

Last week, Suseong University, a learning institution in Daegu, South Korea, closed a deal with the Korea Artificial Intelligence Association to create a blockchain and artificial intelligence campus.

The campus will be located in Daegu. According to an announcement published on Money Today, it will run courses related to blockchain, AI, big data, and cloud-based technology. The institution is reportedly looking to start getting students from next year. 

China has also gotten in on the fun. Last week, reports confirmed that the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, a school affiliated with the country’s ruling Community Party, had published a crypto book. 

Titled, “Talking with Leading Cadres about Digital Currency,” the book is part of an ongoing series concerning disruptive technologies. Other books in the series relate to AI and blockchain.

The book is reportedly part of the Party’s plans to provide a useful information source to both party officials and public members.