Bitcoin Class Coming to Texas A&M
As much as cryptocurrency has achieved financial success around the world, many of its proponents still want the industry to achieve greater adoption and mainstream acceptance. One of the ways that this can be done is through the world of academia.
Well, it seems these people are getting their wishes as it has been announced that a class centred on Bitcoin will be coming to Texas A&M University later this year. This news was confirmed by Korok Ray, an economist and professor at the esteemed University.
Bitcoin Comes to Class
This news was shared by Ray in a January 12, 2023 Twitter thread where he expressed a lot of excitement at the incoming class and what it would mean for the industry.
“I will be teaching the first ever Bitcoin class at Texas A&M this spring! It is called the Bitcoin Protocol, and cross-listed in the College of Engineering and Mays Business School,” he said.
This cross-listing of the course is not surprising as while the process of using and creating bitcoin can be seen as ‘technical’, it still represents a major part of the modern business world. As such, it is relevant to both schools as an academic study.
It is also important that Texas A&M’s thousands of students are able to get more information about Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general. Despite the divided opinions on cryptocurrency, there is no denying that they are a part of the modern world and students need to be equipped with helpful and correct knowledge about them.
However, Ray was quick to note that getting approval for this course was a challenging feat.
“It took months to get this class approved, but we made it! Getting Bitcoin into the curriculum is important for the long game. Thanks to Texas A&M for approving the class, and to Gideon & Felicia Powell and @RiotPlatforms for supporting it. Gig’em!” he said.
And the benefits of having courses like this in a University go beyond just students having accurate knowledge of bitcoin for the sake of it. As the cryptocurrency industry continues to grow, there will be a need for professionals to serve its needs and what better place to train these professionals than at a University?
And several Universities have already stepped up to the challenge such as Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But clearly, the battle is far from won given how hard Ray had to fight to get his course approved.
But when these courses are approved, the industry overall benefits. Beyond the creation of professionals and the education of students, cryptocurrency and blockchain are granted more legitimacy in the eyes of the public. It is no secret that certain concepts are not seen as legitimate unless they are given the green light by ivory tower institutions and studied on an academic level.
As such, this influx of crypto-related courses at universities will go a long way to mitigate the industry’s relationship with the public.