Students will be able to choose PhDs and will be prepared not only in Distributed Ledger Technology, but also in finance and legal frameworks related to that technology
Malta maintains its objective of becoming the “blockchain island”, in order to be one of the most friendly countries with this technology. In addition, it offers flexible regulation with Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and it allows exchanges with cryptocurrencies, the country seeks to prepare its future staff.
In this regard, the government of Malta awarded 19 student scholarships for blockchain training worth 160,000 euros, equivalent to US $ 179,000, according to a recent report by the local news agency Malta Independent.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation,Silvio Schembri, was in charge of delivering the scholarships that come from a special fund of US $ 351,000 created by the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA) and the University of Malta in August 2018.
The announcement of the scholarships took place during the Malta AI & Blockchain Summit. At that time, Schembri commented that these scholarships are the first prizes of this type. In addition, the official said that this is another step in the country’s goal of becoming the “blockchain island”.
“These 19 winners are a symbol of courage to accept the change and we definitely need more people like them. I thank the University of Malta and the vision of MDIA for its commitment to preparing future generations to meet the needs of future industries. The building blocks of Malta, the Blockchain Island, require the participation of all, from the beginning”, he said.
A Comprehensive Study
As reported by local media, the Memorandum of Understanding to create the scholarship comprises a period of three years. All the winners will request a degree in blockchain technology and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). Students would specialize in blockchain and its relationship with laws, finance, business,Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), among others.
In addition, Joshua Ellul, the Director of the Centre for Distributed Ledger Technologies, emphasized that blockchain technology involves several disciplines. For this reason, they have worked together with the University of Malta.
“Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies offer new academic challenges, spanning multiple disciplines, including law, business and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). It is for this reason that we have been proactive at the University of Malta in the development of a multidisciplinary master program in Blockchain and DLT”.
Tony Sultana, Executive Chairman at Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA), announced that the next year more students would be able to conduct their studies at the master’s and doctoral levels.
“With the current work environment, information technologies are used in different sectors. I remind our future students that this scholarship is not only open to the flow of technical studies, but also to those who have a background in law or business”.
Sultana invited students to start their careers next year and invited anyone who has experience in law or business to take these studies, to achieve greater integration of the community to the initiative.
Schembri stated that the Malta Financial Services Authority will issue the first licenses for blockchain companies this year. He commented that by the end of 2018 the number of blockchain companies operating in Malta amounted to 800. The expansion of the blockchain world in Malta promises to continue.
By María Rodríguez
