China to launch its first blockchain undergraduate degree

China's Ministry of Education has approved the country's first Blockchain Engineering undergraduate degree.

Students will get to grips with the fundamentals of blockchain, in addition to the practical applications of the technology and more.

Applications open this year

According to a March 4 report by ChinaNews, the second-largest state-owned news agency in China, Chengdu Information Engineering University will offer majors in Blockchain Engineering alongside other tech-based degrees in 2020.

The new course appears to have been created to cater to growing demand in the blockchain sector, as an increasing number of young talents look to gain experience in what LinkedIn describes as the most in-demand hard skill of 2020. As part of the course, students will gain an understanding of the basic theory behind blockchain technology, learn how they are designed and developed, and learn how they can be implemented.

Although the full course structure and syllabus haven't yet been released, it appears the course is designed to ready students to design and implement blockchain solutions and manage their own projects. Students will be able to apply for the course later this year, though it is unclear when the course will begin.

Part of the President's push?

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced plans to ramp up blockchain development and education in China in order to position the country as a world leader in the field.

Although several Chinese universities already offer postgraduate courses surrounding blockchain technology, the introduction of an undergraduate course would help younger students get up to speed with the technology. As such, China could soon find itself with a pool of young, blockchain-literate blockchain developers ready to help China take center stage in the blockchain arena.