Singapore-headquartered Zilliqa, a high-throughput public blockchain network for building decentralized applications (dApps), is preparing to launch the return of Blockchain A-Z, a series of educational workshops on distributed ledger technology (DLT).
According to a press release shared with CrowdFund Insider, Zilliqa is teaming up with the University of Oxford, one of the world’s leading higher-education institutions.
The release noted:
”In order to champion greater diversity and inclusion across the sector, these workshops are being launched in collaboration with the renowned Oxford Women in Computer Science Society (OxWoCS) and will be open to all students currently enrolled at the University of Oxford.”
The workshops will begin on October 31, 2019 and will end with a Demo Day, scheduled to be held on November 21, 2019.
Developed as an interactive workshop, Blockchain A-Z will only take up to 20 students, in order to ensure that the hands-on sessions are as engaging as possible. As noted in the release, the workshops have been designed to help students gain a basic understanding of the main concepts related to blockchain technology from the “business and technological aspects of implementation.”
The program will take place over a four-week period. The Blockchain-AZ workshops aim to offer a detailed overview of DLT-related concepts, such as blockchain’s philosophical foundations; various technical topics; key industry insights; and business advisory.
The release mentioned that as part of the Demo Day, the winners of the events will get the opportunity to apply to Zilliqa’s $5 million Ecosystem Grant Program, in order to have a chance at enrolling in mentorship programs, technical tutorship, and “a guarantee of funding for 0% equity in return.”
Phd student Paula Fiddi, OxWoCS president, remarked:
“At OxWoCS, our goal is to ensure that female scientists are presented with equal opportunities to engage with various areas of the tech industry. From established fields of research to nascent disciplines ripe for exploration, it’s important that women are adequately represented in order to champion diversity both in action and in practise.”
Fiddi, a research assistant and coding tutor at the “Go Girl” Oxford project, added:
“With Zilliqa’s emphasis on nurturing growth from the ground up, this collaboration serves to prepare our students with the much-needed support, guidance, and industry connections, to truly excel in the blockchain space.”
Established in mid-2013, OxWoCS was created with the aim of supporting and empowering female students that are enrolled in the University of Oxford’s computer science program.
In addition to Zilliqa, Google, QuantumBlack, Facebook, G-Research, Semmle and Oliver Wyman have been listed as OxWoCS sponsors. The University of Oxford is a leading research institution. It is consistently ranked among the world’s best universities and is known for having one of the best computer science programs in the world.
According to the release, Blockchain A-Z workshops will take place at the University of Oxford. Zilliqa developer marketing lead, Saiba Kataruka, a former Oxford alumnus, will be conducting the workshops.
Kataruka has been leading Zilliqa’s education projects. He has hosted several workshops at industry events and at academic institutions throughout Europe and Asia, including King’s College London and the National University of Singapore.
Kataruka stated:
“Diversity continues to be an endemic problem in the wider tech industry, and blockchain is no different. Whether it be the diversity in race, profession, academic background, or gender, having a variety of individuals, each with a unique perspective and broad breadth of experiences to offer, is essential to success.”
He added:
“Decentralization is a core principle of blockchain, and you can’t really have decentralization without diversity. We are excited to be embarking on this collaboration with OxWoCS, to champion the involvement of more women in this rapidly-evolving space.”
Only 8.5% of blockchain projects founded between 2012 and 2018 had a female founder, according to a recent survey performed by Quartz. Although 17.7% of all tech founders (worldwide) are women, there’s still a need for more equal gender representation.
First introduced in March 2019, the Blockchain A-Z workshops were developed with input from the award-winning King’s College London’s student-managed society, KCL Blockchain.
As mentioned in the release:
“Blockchain A-Z [aims to] further cement Zilliqa’s ongoing commitment to nurture future developers and entrepreneurs alike. [Zilliqa’s education project also includes] a blockchain incubation program, ZILHive and the $5 Million Ecosystem Grant Program.”
Students enrolled at the University of Oxford may register their attendance at this form.