Kautz-Uible Economics Institute enters partnership with The Blockchain Academy to be a champion of blockchain technology

By Grant Freking

A partnership between the University of Cincinnati’s Kautz-Uible Economics Institute and The Blockchain Academy will provide the Economics Institute with the building blocks to be a pillar of blockchain, an emerging technology and coveted technical skill.

The Blockchain Academy, which partners with universities, associations and employers to provide turnkey blockchain curriculum and instruction, will supplement the labs, curriculum, and instructional support required to establish the Economics Institute as a leading source of blockchain education, certification, and talent for hire in Ohio and surrounding states. The Kautz-Uible Economics Institute, originally founded in 1982 as the Hewett-Kautz Fund, operates in close partnership with the Carl H. Lindner’s College of Business’s economics department.

“Blockchain technology is grounded in the principles of economics. Digital asset valuation and cryptocurrency transactions are based on incentives,” Economics Institute academic director Michael Jones, PhD, says. “Economics is a key element of crypto-literacy, and students who develop this skillset will see significant career growth.”

"The University of Cincinnati, along with the state of Ohio, is encouraging businesses to equip their workforce with technology skills and certifications to be competitive in this new business environment,” says Ryan Williams, executive director of The Blockchain Academy.

Components of the partnership between the Economics Institute and The Blockchain Academy include:

• Access for UC students and in-state professionals to a comprehensive blockchain program catalog of courses for industry-specific professionals, business strategists, project managers and blockchain developers.

• Training and certifications that are demanded by companies recruiting in highly compensated roles related to blockchain.

• Industry-specific courses in accounting, finance, healthcare, insurance, supply chain, and other industries that benefit from programs designed to address their specific industries’ challenges and existing use cases for blockchain technology.

• A crypto-trading simulation platform in which participants can propose and evaluate digital asset portfolios.