Successful grant application for ‘Generation Blockchain’

Blockchain technology is making inroads both rapidly and globally, and is having a huge influence on areas such as trade and industry, the financial world, technology and even the arts. The way we do business is set to change radically, also within Europe, and this will lead to a shift in career opportunities. In order to keep up with these changes, it is vitally important that we adapt proactively to these new technologies.

What does the project seek to achieve and who does it want to reach?

The Generation Blockchain project is aimed at increasing knowledge of blockchain technology among students and lecturers and intends to integrate blockchain concepts and applications into academic disciplines, education, research, trade and industry and management. This topic corresponds nicely to the 3 Ds of the AUAS Strategic Plan. Dean Rogier Busser of AMSIB is responsible for Generation Blockchain. Professor of Entrepreneurship Ingrid Wakkee will play an advisory role.

The Entrepreneurship research group is looking with particular interest at the opportunities arising for student entrepreneurship and how blockchain can contribute to the development of new (innovative, sustainable and inclusive) business models.

AUAS’ contribution is geared initially to research, supported by all other partners, into where and how blockchain concepts can be integrated into education.

This topic demands a multidisciplinary approach. It has a strongly business-oriented aspect, but the IT side should also not be underestimated. For this reason, AMSIB lecturers are collaborating with lecturers from FDMCI-IT (Minor Blockchain).

Concrete aims:

• Generation Blockchain Audit and Framework: this focuses on the way blockchain is currently taught in higher education institutes throughout Europe.
• Generation Blockchain Online Course: a course that is flexible, including making learning possible through an interactive, digitalised platform.

• Inverted Learning Open Educational Resources: the participating business schools in the partner countries will evaluate and improve the new teaching methods.

International consortium

The project consortium is building on foundations laid by previous projects such as the successful Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership project ‘Generation Data’. In addition, two of the partners in the consortium are currently involved in the Digital Innovation project (which is also a knowledge alliance project by Erasmus+). This is a separate project, in which Dr Ingrid Wakkee and researchers from the Entrepreneurship research group are also involved. This successful cooperation was one of the reasons the consortium chose to again involve AUAS in a subsequent project.

Consortium partners

• Secretary: University of Szczecin, Poland
• University of Porto, Portugal

• Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences – FBE/AMSIB & FDMCI /ICT.
• Frankfurt Blockchain Centre, Frankfurt University, Germany – an expert in the field of Blockchain and leading the field in the development of Open Educational Resources.
• European E-learning Institute, Denmark – specialist in immersive educational environments and digital teaching technologies.
• Momentum, Ireland – one of Ireland’s leading organisations in the field of business training. Works with more than 100 SMEs (Small & Medium Sized Enterprises) and HPSU (High Potential StartUps).

Project team

Professor Ingrid Wakkee

FBE – lecturer/researcher Mike Russell (AMSIB) and other team members to be announced

FDMCI – lecturer and team coordinator software engineering HBO-ICT Pieter Leek

FBE International Centre – project management

More information

Interested to know more about this project? Please contact Mike Russell or Bernard Smeenk.