Interview Briefing

– We’ve caught up with Petrina Tan of Tezos Southeast Asia for more information on their education initiatives with Chulalongkorn University here in Bangkok.

Tezos is a new platform for smart contracts and decentralized applications. They intend to drive social, political and economic innovation utilizing technology on a global scale.

Chulalongkorn University is a world-class national university providing Thailand with 102 years of education and knowledge. It is important to note that Chulalongkorn is the most respected & highest regarded university within the Kingdom of Thailand.

Together they are bringing a premier blockchain education and research programme in Thailand.

[Interview] Petrina Tan of Tezos Southeast Asia

STO Filter: What can you tell us about the program?

Petrina Tan: This programme is a collaboration between Chulalongkorn University and Tezos Southeast Asia to bring a premier blockchain education and research programme into Thailand. Tezos’ blockchain tech will have a central role in this program, It was developed in a way that even entry-level students or those with no technical background in computer science studies will be able to advance their skills, support and grow the local blockchain ecosystem.

Through this curriculum, they will be introduced to the basics of blockchain and Tezos blockchain technology, as well as the programming languages relevant to Tezos (e.g. Michelson and Liquidity). The course aims to develop competencies of the students so that they can eventually develop apps on Tezos, write and deploy advanced smart contracts on Tezos, and also the skills necessary for the implementation and management of the Tezos blockchain platform. The curriculum will not only consist of the theoretical aspect but also various practical exercises where students can apply what they have learned in class in the lab.

STO Filter: What are some of the technical learning outcomes for students graduating from the program?

Petrina Tan: These are just some of the outcomes that we hope students will be able to take home upon completion of our curriculum:

Understand the implementation and setting up the process of Tezos node Describe the concept and elements of liquidity and Michelson system Understand and analyze the advanced concepts of smart contracts Understand and implement system level customizations on tezos nodes Examine and evaluate the security aspects of blockchain



STO Filter: How long is the curriculum and Is it available for registration now?

Petrina Tan: This curriculum was designed for Chula’s newly established School of Integrated Innovation Programme. As for the registration and how it will be administered, we are leaving it up to the university’s discretion.

STO Filter: Tell us about the faculty, is there any revered crypto faculty on board at this time?

Petrina Tan: For the time being, we will be bringing in experts from the Tezos community to run the programme. During which, we hope to exchange and transfer knowledge and expertise with the local faculty members so that they will be able to independently run the programme in the future, and also provide profound insights on how to enhance the curriculum.

STO Filter: What initiatives does the program have to bring international tech leaders to engage with the students at Chula?

Petrina Tan: One of the leverages that Tezos has is that we are a tight-knitted community with foundations all over the globe such as Tezos Southeast Asia, Tezos Korea Foundation, Tezos Japan etc.. We can tap into this network and engage our international community leaders to bring something extra to the curriculum, so that they can keep themselves updated on the ever-changing landscape and gain more exposure from the industries around the world.

STO Filter: What employer networks are available to graduating students in this field from this new Bachelor’s program?

Petrina Tan: TSA has connections with various corporations implementing their businesses on the Tezos platform. For example, Elevated Returns and Seamico, who plan to tokenize Thai real estate market onto Tezos, will need the talent and capabilities to sustain and develop their businesses built on the platform. Hence, these corporations are employment opportunities for graduating students who are proficient in implementing the Tezos blockchain technology.

In addition, we can introduce students to start-ups supported by TzVentures, an incubator programme for start-ups planning to run and develop their businesses on the Tezos platform. Graduating students will be assets which these start-ups can utilize as they will require the technical skills and support after their incubation.

STO Filter: How will the program engage the Bangkok community and further the education required for adoption?

Petrina Tan: The news of Elevated Returns’ expansion into Thailand is an example of the massive opportunities for the development of the ecosystem in Thailand, and we want to be at the forefront of this growth and be able to support it. We believe that education is the gateway to the public’s interest and receptiveness towards this digital transformation.

This curriculum is not only geared towards undergraduate students interested in computer science, but also adult learners without prior knowledge on blockchain or cryptocurrency. We hope to be able to attract the population, get them to understand the mechanisms behind blockchain and get them to think about how it can be applied to the industries which they are experienced in.

Once the students graduate from our programme, they are able to integrate Tezos technology into their industries or help people from other industries. Ultimately, we hope to bring about change to Thailand’s economy through innovation with Tezos’ technology.

STO Filter: Any final thoughts you would like to share with the audience?

Petrina Tan: Thailand has shown that it is quick to adapt to new technologies, and its regulations are very supportive of the blockchain industry. Thus, what we hope to achieve with this educational initiative is to get people from various backgrounds interested in the blockchain technology, understand its architecture and applications, and eventually, come up with ways in which they can integrate Tezos into traditional industries. Therefore, a distinguished academic initiative targeted at blockchain technology is necessary to support and sustain the growth of the ecosystem in Thailand, so that the population is provided the knowledge and opportunity to constantly innovate.

Tezos Southeast Asia often organizes technical and informative events; To learn more & attend our meetups and masterclasses please follow us on social media.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/asiatezos/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TezosSoutheastAsia/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asiatezos/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tezos-southeast-asia/

Learn more about Chulalongkorn University on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChulalongkornU

———————

We are STO Search & Filter, your resource to search, find, and filter global STO listings.

Follow us on Twitter for new STO postings, news, interviews, and other industry updates.

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” el_class=”subscribemarket”][vc_column][vc_row_inner el_id=”early-access”][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″][mailchimp_form icon=”stm-crown” form_title=”Join The STO Tribe!” form_subtitle=”Get our newsletter for STOs, early product invites & other updates”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]