A workshop on blockchain technology will begin today at the University of Rwanda. The workshop, themed ‘Blockchain Fundamentals and Applications’ is organized by Japan’s largest blockchain community, Blockchain EXE under the leadership of Couger CEO Atsushi Ishi, and is supported by the World Bank and the Rwandan government.

The 5-day workshop billed to end on the 17th of August, 2018, is the first blockchain development workshop in Rwanda. Speakers from Blockchain companies such as ConsenSYS, Stellar, Couger, Ocean protocol, Weeve, and Centaurus works will speak at panel workshops and also contribute online.

The aim of the workshop is to replicate Japan’s strong blockchain community in Rwanda and assist the East African country in its goal to become one of the best technologically advanced countries in Africa. There has been much talk about a Fourth Industrial Revolution, and many countries around the world are positioning themselves to take advantage of this revolution.

The “Vision 2020” in Rwanda is a government policy with an objective of attracting investors to Rwanda’s ICT sector and create an enabling environment for innovation and ideas in tech in the country. Rwanda is also building the Kigali innovation city, a tech hub aimed at providing training and funding for technology companies. Andela, one of Africa’s biggest tech incubation companies recently opened its Rwandan center, and it is believed that this Blockchain workshop could also replicate the same results for Rwanda’s rapidly growing technology ecosystem.

The organizer of the workshop, Couger, is a Japanese technology company seeking to integrate AI, robotics, IoT, and Blockchain. Its blockchain community, Blockchain EXE, has over 2500 members, and are looking at ways to apply blockchain technology in industries. Blockchain is the technology that powers cryptocurrency, a popular virtual or digital currency now used as a means of exchange. Currently, there are efforts to apply it in voting, banking, supply chain, real estate management, healthcare, insurance etc. because of its relatively secure uniqueness, i.e. it is a transparent network of data, that also secures the individual information of its users.

Elsewhere on Ventures

Triangle arrow