ABOUT THE INITIATIVE

The Department of Digital Innovation and the Institute for the Future (IFF) of the University of Nicosia (UNIC) are happy to announce the UNIC Open Metaverse Initiative, a new comprehensive initiative focused on the academic, research and policy issues relating to the metaverse, with a particular emphasis on open public systems and standards.

This initiative builds on UNIC’s eight-year track record as the leading university in the field of cryptocurrency and blockchain. UNIC launched the world’s first degree program in cryptocurrency in 2014.

Today, UNIC has educated over 100,000 students in academic and non-academic courses, has the world’s largest team of faculty and staff focused on cryptoassets and blockchains, and is the academic lead for the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum (the advisory body to the European Committee).

FOCUS AREAS

Academic / Professional Training Programmes

  • An online 12-week course “NFTs and the Metaverse” starting in October 2022. The course will be taught by UNIC faculty with guest interventions/lectures by leading NFT creators and collectors and Web 3.0 entrepreneurs and investors.

  • Development of a new Master programme in Metaverse Systems, an interdisciplinary programme focused on preparing creators, developers, architects, social scientists, financial professionals, policy makers, and others for careers in metaverse design and management.

  • The Center for an Open Metaverse (COM) – A new interdisciplinary research center within the Institute For the Future, focused on research on open metaverse systems.
  • The Open Metaverse Alliance (OMA) – a consortium of universities, corporations, non-profits, and governmental organizations committed to developing an open metaverse.

  • Public launch of the first cohort of UNIC incubated NFT/metaverse startups.
  • Annual cohorts of NFT/metaverse startups.
  • Support for emerging NFT/metaverse creators.

  • The first permanent university gallery for NFTs (The Block Gallery.

  • An NFT-based system for various campus activities within UNIC’s main Nicosia campus.

  • The acceptance of NFTs by the University of Nicosia Foundation as donations for student scholarship and research support.

  • Decentralized, UNIC’s global crypto conference, will feature a metaverse-focused track.

NFTs aND THE METAVERSE

An open introductory course to NFTs and the Metaverse, delivered on-chain and in the metaverse.

The University of Nicosia (UNIC) has been a leader in cryptocurrency education and research since 2014, when it taught the world’s first for-credit cryptocurrency course.

This course is taught by UNIC faculty and @punk6529 – a deeply influential thinker on NFTs and the metaverse and one of the largest NFT collectors in the world – along with an incredible array of guest panelists and lecturers.

The course is free to attend, and you can register by minting the course NFT (free + gas); students who would like a certificate of completion from UNIC pay a small fee.

UNIC also offered a 1-week starter pre-course on the mechanics of being able to transact on-chain.

Course Start Date:
October 3, 2022

ETHEREUM USER STARTER PRE-COURSE

One of the prerequisites for registering for META-511: NFTs and the Metaverse, is the ability to mint an NFT on the Ethereum blockchain.

For those who had not done this before, UNIC offered a 1-week free starter pre-course from Sept 26th to Oct 3rd, covering the mechanics of being able to transact on-chain in Ethereum.

Pre-Course Dates:
September 26, 2022 – October 3, 2022

Master’s Degrees

Students who want to pursue an academic degree in a Crypto-related area, can apply to one of the University of Nicosia’s two existing Master’s degrees (MSc in Blockchain and Digital Currency and MSc in Computer Science – Blockchain Concentration.

UNIC hopes to be offering a MSc in Metaverse Systems in Spring 2023, subject to successful accreditation.

You can apply to a Master’s degree by clicking the programme links.

Contribute

Be part of the UNIC Open Metaverse Initiative.