University of Tokyo to offer courses in the metaverse
To address the shortage of skilled Japanese personnel active in the tech industry, the University of Tokyo is looking to offer a range of study programs in the metaverse before the end of the year.
According to a report published by a local news outlet on Saturday, the courses will be available to interested students ranging from high school students to adult learners in the workforce.
The publication revealed that the metaverse study program would not operate under its own dedicated faculty. Instead, it would operate under the university's faculty of engineering and its related graduate schools.
Officials of the university said that the study in the metaverse will present opportunities where “anyone, regardless of age, gender, social standing and area of residence, can learn about engineering and information science.” Students who successfully complete the courses will be issued certificates.
So far, there has been no mention of the terms “cryptocurrency” or “NFTs.” However, judging by how the digital currency sector is often closely associated with the metaverse, it is very likely that some blockchain platforms will be introduced to the project.
Junior-high and high-school students who partake in the program will receive an introductory view of the space. They will also learn the potential roadmaps to becoming gainfully employed in engineering, science, and other related fields. All these will be done in a mixture of virtual and physical classes.
Experienced university students along with those already in the workforce will be offered a chance to upgrade their skill set via related online courses centered on artificial intelligence (AI), next-gen communication technology, and entrepreneurial education.
Extra effort will also be channeled into attracting more women to join the program since the lack of female presence in engineering is becoming a national concern.
Japan has seen some notable metaverse applications in recent months as local citizens are beginning to see interesting use cases for the technology. For instance, the JACFA, a support group from Fukuoka, launched a virtual support room in the SecondLife metaverse platform.
Meanwhile, the University of Tokyo is not the first tertiary institution to try to host classes in the metaverse. Earlier this month, BTCPEERS reported that the University of Surrey was launching a metaverse academy.
