The project has been launched to address the lack of skilled personnel working on rapidly evolving technologies in Japan.
The University of Tokyo, also known as Todai is set to offer a range
of study programs later this year that will take place in the Metaverse.
According to a July 23 report
from local news outlet The Asahi Shimbun, the courses will be offered
to students ranging from high school to adult learners in the workforce.
The
publication stated that the Metaverse study programs will not be
delivered via its own dedicated faculty that offers degrees, but will
instead operate under Todai’s faculty of Engineering and
engineering-related graduate schools. Students who complete the courses
will receive certificates.
Todai’s project has been launched to
address the lack of skilled personnel working on "digital
transformation" and "advanced technologies."
University officials
also emphasized that studying in the Metaverse will also create a
situation in which “anyone, regardless of age, gender, social standing
and area of residence, can learn about engineering and information
science.”
Crypto and NFTs weren’t mentioned specifically, but considering the sector is often associated with the Metaverse, and boasts a number of popular Metaverse brands, there is likely to be some mention of blockchain-based platforms.
For
junior-high and high-school students, they will receive an introductory
view of the space, along with learning about the potential roadmaps to
find work in engineering, science and other related fields. They will
receive the content in a mixture of online and face-to-face lessons.
University
students and those already in the workforce will be offered
opportunities to reskill/upskill via related online courses focused on
artificial intelligence (AI), next-gen communication tech and entrepreneurial education.
There
will also be a push to attract more women to study the programs, as the
lack of female representation in engineering has been identified as an
issue.
The Japanese Metaverse
There have been some
notable applications of the Metaverse in Japan over recent months, as
local citizens find interesting use cases for the technology.
On July 25, Japan Today reported
that a support group from Fukuoka named the JACFA launched a virtual
support room in the SecondLife Metaverse platform. The group
specifically works on re-integrating Hikkikomori — reclusive people that
essentially refuse to leave their homes — back into society.
Related: Japan’s crypto self-regulation ‘experiment’ not working
The
problem has been highlighted as a big social issue in Japan, and the
idea is to enable Hikkikomori to receive initial help without the
pressure of being face-to-face.
In April it was also reported that
3,800 students from a total of 29 trade schools (beauty, sports,
technology, hospitality etc) under the NSG College League in Niigata,
held their 2022 commencement ceremony in the Metaverse. The event was
hosted virtually to allow everyone to easily attend without facing the
risk of getting COVID-19.
「何やってんの？」
— 柏原周平 (@backyennew) March 14, 2020
「みんなで卒業式をやることにした」
え？すげえ。
小学生が集まって自分たちで卒業式を始めた。 pic.twitter.com/qqk2XnmK6g
source link : https://cointelegraph.com/news/the-university-of-tokyo-to-offer-courses-in-the-metaverse
