Ripple Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) Grants University of Kansas $2 Million in Next 5 Years

A growing number of universities are trying their best to cash in on the cryptocurrency craze.

The overall job growth of the sector and the often-lucrative high salaries that accompany it have led many students to express interest in courses pertaining to cryptocurrency and blockchain.

NYU business school professor David Yermacks said his courses covering crypto and blockchain have more than doubled in size since launch.

According to Coinbase, at least 42% of the world’s top fifty universities offer at least one course pertaining to cryptocurrency and blockchain. Many of them often offer many more than just one. As of late last year, Stanford had nine blockchain courses, while Cornell had nine.

Aside from Cornell and Stanford, other world-renown universities offering crypto-related courses include the National University of Singapore, Harvard, Princeton, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich.

A Coinbase survey from August 2018 found how 9% of students were engaged in a crypto-related course, while 26% indicated they were likely to take a course pertaining to virtual currencies.

Coinbase noted how universities are started to transform into research centers for crypto and DLT to both meet industry demand and to promote education.

Additionally, enthusiasm for the cryptocurrency and blockchain spheres does extend far beyond the classroom on college campuses.

In June 2018, Ripple created the University Blockchain Research Initiative in order to foster academic research, development, and innovation across the blockchain, crypto, and digital payment ecosystems.

Recently, news broke that a total of 29 research institutions were going to receive funding from Ripple, including the University of Kansas.

Ripple’s $2 million-dollar donation to the University of Kansas will be focused towards the KU Blockchain Institute and the engineering school’s Information and Telecommunication Technology Center.

According to local media, Ripple will offer support to students and faculty while the university comes up with research topics.

Ripple’s SVP of Global Operations, Eric van Miltenburg, said the diverse list of universities on the funding list will enrich the ensuing projects. He thinks funding blockchain education is important since it is

“an incredibly transformational technology.”

Some speculate the focus on funding universities and research institutions represents a good way to accelerate blockchain and cryptocurrency development while leading to more experienced prospective employees for pertinent fintech companies.