Singapore-based blockchain firm Zilliqa launches blockchain workshops in collaboration with Oxford University to encourage diversity in the industry.

Together with Zilliqa, the Oxford Women in Computer Science Society (OxWoCS), an Oxford society that aims to support women in computer science, will carry out a series of interactive workshops called Blockchain A-Z, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Oct. 31.

Winners to apply for grants to Zilliqa's $5 million Ecosystem Grant Programme

According to the announcement, Blockchain A-Z will be conducted on-site at the University of Oxford and will be open to all students currently enrolled at the University of Oxford. Limited to 20 students, the workshops will take place between Oct. 31, 2019 and Nov. 21, 2019. The workshops will cover a wide variety of topics associated with blockchain fundamentals, including philosophical foundations, technical topics, industry insights as well as business advising, the firms said.

As part of Demo Day on Nov. 21, the best students will be invited to submit their projects to acquire a grant from Zilliqa's $5 million Ecosystem Grant Programme for further mentorship.

Decentralization doesn’t work without diversity

In the announcement, OxWoCS President Paula Fiddi outlined OxWoCS’ mission to ensure that female experts are provided with equal opportunities to engage with various fields of the technology industry.

Saiba Kataruka, developer marketing lead at Zilliqa, emphasized that diversity issues continue to be an “endemic problem in the wider tech industry,” adding that blockchain is no different. He stressed that decentralization is a core principle of blockchain technology that cannot be reached without diversity.

“Whether it be the diversity in race, profession, academic background, or gender, having a variety of individuals, each with a unique perspective and broad breadth of experiences to offer, is essential to success. Decentralisation is a core principle of blockchain, and you can't really have decentralisation without diversity.”

Low level of gender equality in blockchain

According to a 2018 Quartz survey, only 8.5% of 378 global crypto and blockchain firms had a female as a founder or co-founder between 2012 to 2018.

Earlier this year, another research revealed that fewer than 5% of the codes of the top 100 crypto projects on Github were contributed by women.