Udacity introduces a blockchain developer nanodegree programme for the region

Dubai, UAE: Udacity, the education technology company brought to the region from Silicon Valley, has announced its new Blockchain Nanodegree Programme which is accessible online across the GCC, Jordan and Lebanon.

Registration is open today, with the course starting from 10th July 2018. With prices starting from AED 3,750 per term, the course is available for anyone with internet connection and is an excellent way to learn the basics in blockchain for developers. The skill is highly demanded by employers, with blockchain-related jobs being cited by TechCrunch as the second-fasted growing skill in today’s labour market, with salaries to match.

This new worldwide Nanodegree programme, launched today at Future of Fintech in the US, is focused on job readiness, and the acquisition of in-demand blockchain skills. As a MENA student in the programme, you’ll build portfolio-ready projects designed in collaboration with working blockchain developers and hiring managers, and you will have access to leading experts in the field. In addition, you’ll build your own blockchain to store and manage data, create your own smart contracts using Solidity, the primary language on Ethereum, and build a blockchain-powered web app for supply chain management.

Roshni Jain, Director of Learning Products, Udacity said: “We are excited to launch this new nanodegree programme in the region. As a company, Udacity is committed to connecting learning to jobs, with a focus on subjects which lead to employment opportunity, and Blockchain is high on the list of headhunters across the globe.”

She continued by saying: “A critical point for aspiring blockchain developers to recognise is that this is still an emerging field. So not only is there wide-open opportunity, but competition for jobs is happening on a comparatively level playing field, because no one is yet in a position to have extensive experience in the field—the space is still too new. This means that recruiters are adopting new strategies to hire the best blockchain developers and having the strongest skill set is key.”

In an emerging field like blockchain, hands-on experience is a key competitive differentiator for job-seekers, and that’s exactly what students will get in the Udacity programme. The company has designed the curriculum in collaboration with working blockchain developers, drawing xclusive insights from some of the leading voices in the blockchain space, including:

• Balaji Srinivasan, CTO of Coinbase
• David Johnston, Chairman of the Board of Factom
• Aaron Brown, VP of Engineering at Madnetworks
• Elena Nadolinski, Solidity Engineer, Co-Creator of Ethmoji.io.
• PK Rasam, Founder and Chief Blockchain Officer at LINCD

Balaji Srinivasan, CTO of Coinbase in the US commented: "We're very excited about current and future applications of blockchain, but the industry is still in need of an influx of qualified new talent into the field. This is why we're working with Udacity in support of the new Blockchain Developer Nanodegree program, to ensure that new developers can learn the right skills to start making an impact right away."

For experienced developers interested in moving into the blockchain space, the Udacity Nanodegree offers hands-on experience building decentralised applications, and the opportunity to master the blockchain development skills that are in high demand across industries, and at companies ranging from startups to large, established organisations.

With developments moving so rapidly in the world of blockchain, Udacity believes it’s vitally important to offer a dynamic experience that affords students the opportunity to be 100% up-to-date with all the latest innovations. This is why they have assembled an outstanding roster of talent to be their ‘Experts-In-Residence’ for the programme. Regional students will have the opportunity to engage in weekly office hours sessions with a number of highly-skilled individuals, including:

• Adam Gall, Co-founder, CTO, DECENT
• Brian Ho, Software Developer & Course Instructor, Blockchain at Berkeley
• Connor Yanz, Software Engineer, MadHive
• Matt Whittington, Software Developer, Factom
• Parker McCurley, Founder, DECENT
• Tyler Mace, Senior Software Engineer, MadHive

The Udacity Blockchain Developer Nanodegree Programme is available for students to enroll now. To be eligible, students should be comfortable with object-oriented programming, and developing web apps in Javascript.  To find out more visit: www.udacity.com.

-Ends-

Udacity’s mission is to democratise education through the offering of world-class higher education opportunities that are accessible, flexible, and economical to millions in the Arab world. Virtually anyone with an internet connection can come to Udacity to learn a suite of job-ready tech or tech adjacent skills and pursue rewarding employment. The company specialises in bringing online education through Nanodegrees in cutting edge subjects that have been co-created with leading tech companies in their respective fields. Since the company launched in December 2017, Udacity MENA has forged strong partnerships in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to train thousands of individuals. Udacity’s strategic partners include the Dubai Future Foundation and the Ministry of Education in the UAE; MISK Foundation in Saudi Arabia; the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Communications & Information Technology in Egypt.

The Udacity Blockchain Developer Nanodegree Programme is comprised of two terms of three months each:

• Term 1 is “Blockchain Developer: Fundamentals”
• Term 2 is “Blockchain Developer: Architecture and Applications.”

Each term is available at a cost of $999 (AED 3,750 / SAR 3,750).

Media Contacts:

Aimee Connor

M: +971 52 514 0033

E: aimee@halocommunications.biz 

© Press Release 2018