Ripple Teams Up With Japanese University to Promote Research in Blockchain

By Prashant Jha

Ripple, one of the topmost players in the crypto market, has teamed up with two universities, namely, the University of Tokyo and the Kyoto University, as a part of its new initiative UBRI. UBRI stands for University Blockchain Research Initiative, and the new additions under this programme has been announced by Ripple through a press release published on the 30th of July.

Emi Yoshikawa, senior director of global operations at Ripple, talked about how the members of the Japanese scholarly circles take a great deal of interest in blockchain technology. He said:

“Japan is quickly becoming a leading force in crypto assets and blockchain. The region has always been forward thinking and exploring ways to improve the current financial system […] We have seen high levels of interest from the academic community on topics around blockchain and crypto. Ripple is committed to engaging and inspiring students to become part of the workforce of the future, across areas such as blockchain, distributed computing, banking and fintech.”

As a part of this initiative, the University of Tokyo will give out scholarships to deserving students who are conducting commendable research in blockchain. The Economics department of the university will also take up the responsibility of hosting public seminars exploring various aspects of blockchain and settlement.

The professors from the university’s Economics department themselves are involved in research about the developing financial structure, that functions with the help of novel technologies. They are also exploring possible frameworks for regulating and monitoring offshoots of blockchain technology, including cryptocurrencies.

As for Kyoto University, it is fostering significant research on blockchain technology in areas like digital identity management for refugees, blockchain in supply chain and remittances for migrant workers.

As a part of its new initiative, Ripple is working to supply both financial and technical resources to universities, alongside know-how, expertise and research support, in order to promote the steady growth of blockchain ecosystem. It is currently collaborating with a total of 33 universities, according to the press release.

Eric van Miltenburg, senior vice-president of global operations at Ripple commented:

“As the industry matures, the academic community plays a pivotal role in paving the road for innovative companies and entrepreneurs leveraging blockchain technologies and digital assets.”

As globalization continues to gain pace, the world will begin to rely more and more innovative forms of technology. To streamline and speed up that process, it is essential to train the next generation of human resources adequately and it is heartening to note that Ripple is making such an effort.