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Academia is Fully Embracing Bitcoin with Course Offerings and Scholarships
Julio Gil-Pulgar · @gil_pulgar | Dec 06, 2017 | 21:00
Bitcoin-related jobs are booming. However, there are not enough individuals with the required skills to fill these jobs. As a result, most universities are now imparting Bitcoin education. Many even accept tuition payments in Bitcoin. Universities are also creating innovative ways to attract the brightest students. In this regard, Varna University of Management (VUM) is offering Bitcoin scholarships.
Varna University of Management Offers Scholarships in Bitcoin
VUM is an international business school based in Varna, Bulgaria. The university offers bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees. Most of the academic degrees focus on the fields of business, software engineering, and hospitality management.
The “Software Engineering” bachelor’s degree concentrates on programming languages, operating systems, and advanced data structures. To attract the best students, VUM is offering 10 Bitcoin scholarships to students in the Software Engineering bachelor’s program for the 2018 school year.
According to VUM’s press release, the university plans to accept “Bitcoin as payment for tuition and accommodation fees.” Moreover, VUM’s School of Computer Science is planning to add “modules of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology” to its Software Engineering bachelor’s program.
If you are interested in becoming a Bitcoin and blockchain specialist, and obtaining a scholarship in Bitcoin, see the details here.
Colleges are Adding Bitcoin Courses…
Academic institutions all over the world are embracing Bitcoin. New York University, Stanford University, Princeton University, and many other prestigious institutions of higher learning are teaching Bitcoin technology to massive numbers of students.
Courses online are popular. Princeton University developed one of the most popular courses, Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies, which is taught online through Coursera.
…and Accepting Tuition Payments in Bitcoin Too
Increasingly, schools are accepting tuition payments in Bitcoin. Notably, the University of Nicosia was the first accredited institution in the world that accepted payments in Bitcoin. Now, the university gives students who pay the tuition using the cryptocurrency a five percent discount.
ESMT Berlin was the first university in Germany to accept Bitcoin as a general means of payment.
By accepting Bitcoin, these institutions are also propagating knowledge of the cryptocurrency. For example, when the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Switzerland announced that its customers could pay their bills with the digital currency, it stated:
By accepting the bitcoin cryptocurrency, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is indicating its ability to disseminate knowledge on cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain, as well as its desire to gain experience in the practical aspects of this novel area.
Bitcoin and its blockchain technology are opening the door to a world of new and fantastic business solutions. However, to seize these opportunities, individuals with a specialized skillset are required. Thus, educational institutions play a critical role in disseminating knowledge about Bitcoin, promoting its adoption, and forming the digital workers of the future.
What are your thoughts about colleges offering courses and accepting tuition payments in Bitcoin? Let us know in the comments below.
Images courtesy of Cemios/ Lucerne University, VUM
