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NYUAD Partners with Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative to Help Prepare Region’s Next Generation of Finance and Economic Leaders

Ripple Blockchain Collaboratory at NYUAD - its inaugural UAE partner - will help advance faculty and student engagement in blockchain, cryptocurrency, cybersecurity, fintech, and related subjects

Press Release

Leading blockchain technology provider Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) has joined forces with its first-ever partner in the UAE and region, NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). The new partnership will see the establishment of a Ripple Blockchain Collaboratory at NYUAD, which will advance the role of new technologies, helping prepare the region’s next generation of finance and economic leaders, entrepreneurs, corporations, and other professionals to develop and apply technologies including blockchain, cryptocurrency, and cybersecurity, to their business practices.

The Ripple Blockchain Collaboratory will serve two main purposes. Research and project-based courses will advance faculty and student engagement in blockchain, cryptocurrency, cybersecurity, fintech, and related subjects. It will also form part of the Corporate Sprint Accelerator Program developed by startAD, the startup accelerator powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYUAD, steering fintech and blockchain startups from around the world to launch and grow into the UAE market through pilot projects with innovative corporations.

“We are delighted to partner with Ripple’s UBRI on this ground-breaking initiative. Blockchain is the cornerstone of the digital transformation that will drive economic development in the decades to come. The global blockchain distributed ledger market size was valued at USD 2.89 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach USD 137.29 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 62.7 percent from 2020 to 2027. NYUAD and startAD intend to be at the forefront of research and implementation of new technologies into real-world applications, spurred by visionary government initiatives such as the Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021.”

Managing Director of startAD and also Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship at NYUAD Ramesh Jagannathan

“We believe that the synergy between educational institutions, businesses, and governments is the key to fostering innovation and advancing society. Universities play a vital role in this equation, by equipping young people with the necessary knowledge and skills to compete globally in the fourth industrial revolution. The support from UBRI will enable us to equip our faculty, students, and new businesses with the mindset required for creating the jobs of tomorrow by enriching our curriculum, supporting our students interested in blockchain, as well as advancing research initiatives on the topics of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.”

Visiting Professor of Economics at NYUAD Raša Karapandža

“Since launching UBRI, Ripple has seen tremendous growth from our global university partners to produce more than 280 blockchain-related research projects. We’re eager to partner with New York University Abu Dhabi to bring the initiative to the UAE and pilot innovation projects in a region ripe for fintech advancements.”

University Partnerships Director at Ripple Lauren Weymouth

Ripple is a leading provider of enterprise blockchain solutions for global payments . Ripple supports curriculum development, research, technical projects, and other initiatives through its UBRI scheme, to advance understanding and innovation in blockchain, cryptocurrency, and financial technology. Based in San Francisco, Ripple established a regional headquarters in Dubai in November 2020. The partnership with NYUAD conveys its commitment to cutting-edge fintech innovation, and testifies to NYUAD’s strengths in research, and innovation through startAD.

About NYU Abu Dhabi

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 115 countries and speak over 115 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.

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