Turkey Establishes First University-Level Blockchain Center
As reported by a local news outlet, Turkey has established the nation’s first university-level blockchain center, intending to close the blockchain expertise gap and ensure wide deployment of the technology.
The Istanbul Blockchain and Innovation Center (BlockchainIST Center) was inaugurated at Bahçeşehir University (BAU). As per center’s director’s Bora Erdamar, blockchainIST is set to be “the most important center of research and development and innovation in Turkey in which scientific studies and publications are made in blockchain technologies.”
Bora Erdamar stated that Turkey might have a chance to become the leading nation in technology that will “transform humanity.” He underlines the importance of partnership with other to conduct proper blockchain research and examine possible use cases.
In the meantime, other universities around the world have already adopted the benefits of the distributed ledger technology, smart contracts, offering blockchain and digital currency-related courses.
Earlier this year, Standford University established the Center for Blockchain Research, some part supported by Ethereum Foundation, and major Brazilian university Fundação Getúlio Vargas started the nations first Master’s degree in crypto-finance. Ripple too donated $50 million to 17 universities globally to support education in blockchain and crypto.
While BlockchainIST’s director emphasized that Turkey is becoming digitalized and putting in great efforts to keep pace with the rest of the world in digital transformation, Turkish officials have demonstrated an ambiguous stance towards the crypto industry.
Last November, the nation’s government took a firm position on Bitcoin (BTC) when lawmakers of the state Directorate of Religious Affairs said that BTC is “not compatible” with Islam. Although, in February, deputy chair of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party not only suggested regulations for the market but further mentioned the chance of a national cryptocurrency, called the TurkCoin.
