On September 23, the telepresence classes of the university extension course in Blockchain Technologies of the University of Malaga were inaugurated, supported once again by Malaga TechPark. For this edition, the university has received a total of 40 applications for a maximum of 16 places. The professor at the School of Computer Science and Engineering and one of the course directors, Isaac Agudo, has been surprised by its acceptance: “The truth is that we knew it was going to be an attractive course for two reasons: the modality telepresence and the subsidy of the companies, but we were not sure how many applications we were going to receive ”.
“We bet to bring the course closer to companies and startups, and thanks to the collaboration of CryptoBirds we have managed to complete a good team of companies that have subsidized more than 80% of the cost of the course. We believe that the involvement of companies in the course has been a determining factor. In the end, reality has exceeded initial expectations since it is not only the 40 applications, but also the rest of the people who have continued to show interest after the registration period. This encourages us to start thinking about the next edition now, ”says Agudo.
During the presentation of this course, representatives of several companies participating in the grant were present, some of which are located in Malaga TechPark. Specifically, Antonio Palomo, from CGI; Jerónimo Vázquez, from AERTEC; and Isaac Agudo of Decentralized Security. Antonio Gómez, from Oracle, will also participate as a teacher in this edition. The rest of the companies involved in this edition are Telefónica Tech, NuCypher, Crypto Birds, ATH21, Novapago, JGN, SuperFluid, Cryptonite Investments and BIOPS.
“Málaga TechPark has been supporting us since the first edition of the course. They have helped us a lot to spread the course and look for companies interested in this technology. In fact, in the first edition many of the students came from PTA companies. We hope to continue counting on the support of Málaga TechPark for future editions and to be able to expand the number of companies involved in the course, with a mix of startups and Málaga TechPark companies ”, Agudo highlights.
The ETSII professor, who is also the director of the Decentralized Security Technology-Based Company, in which the UMA also participates, ensures that all the people who have requested the course agree on the potential of the blockchain and that many identify this time we are living with the beginnings of the Internet. “It is a new paradigm, a new way of thinking and designing trust relationships in connected computer systems. Blockchain is more than Bitcoin or Ethereum, although to be an expert in this area you have to start by knowing and mastering the technologies that are being imposed right now ”, he admits.
Agudo points out that it is the shortage of blockchain engineers, together with the high demand for this type of professionals, which makes job opportunities in this sector very interesting.
With regard to the next edition, the professor of the School of Computer Science and Engineering points out that it is planned to be next year. “Perhaps, if the appropriate circumstances arise, we will consider advancing it and having two editions in the same course. It is something that will also depend on the results of this edition and the support that companies can continue to give ”, he clarifies.