Blockchain Summer School - University of Malta. 17-27 July 2023

Malta Blockchain Summer school (MBS) 2.0: An Introduction to Blockchain, DLT, Cryptocurrencies, Web3, NFTs and beyond.

During the summer of 2022 the Centre for Distributed Ledger Technologies organised its first ever Blockchain Summer School! Encouraged by the success of this first summer school, a second edition will be taking place this summer, between July 17 and July 27!

Blockchain emerged at the peak of the 2009 financial crisis, amidst the complete collapse of trust on established financial institutions. It has since revolutionised aspects of the financial sector, and has the potential to challenge many other sectors. It has questioned the power and supremacy of controlling entities, middlemen and intermediaries. It has elevated peer-to-peer trust to unprecedented heights and has questioned traditional notions of business deployment and development. The basic premise of blockchain systems, namely the creation of ‘trustless’ trust, is ongoing continual exploration and has only recently won mainstream attention. In that sense, the Blockchain space is in constant flux and represents an amazing unexplored universe that we want to visit, explain, analyse and demystify.

Talks will be given  by an interdisciplinary team of computer science, economics, legal and other academics, as well as industry experts, blockchain professionals and creatives. We will, therefore, offer an immersive interdisciplinary experience, where the technology, philosophy, economics and the law of blockchain and related immersive technologies will unfold.

Beyond traditional lectures, we have prepared an active learning experience that includes workshops, hands on experimentation, invited talks, panel discussions and wider actions.

Some of the main topics we will cover include:

 - Introduction to Blockchain

- Tokens and Tokenomics

- Smart Contract Programming

- Consensus Mechanisms

- Blockchain use cases and business models

- Markets in Cryptoassets Regulation (MiCA)

- The Law of Non-Fungible Tokens

Having that in mind, at the end of the Malta Blockchain Summer School 2.0 you will be able to:

 - Demonstrate your knowledge on the fundamentals of blockchain technology and how it goes beyond cryptocurrencies;

- Differentiate the way blockchain applications work as opposed to existing centralised systems;

- Compare and evaluate blockchain applications and their implications on standard work processes;

- Classify crypto-assets according to the taxonomy of the upcoming Markets in Crypto-assets Regulation (MiCA);

- Discuss the regulatory choices made by the EU in legislating on crypto-assets;

- Start investigating to program smart contracts;

- Demonstrate appropriate solutions to how DLTs can be used in various domains;

- List real-world solutions, initiatives, and challenges in the practical deployment of DLTs;

- Assess the legal and regulatory characteristics of Blockchain based applications.

Language of instruction: English

Timetable: If you would like to learn more about our academic activities, please have a look at our Timetable , and also follow our updates on social media!

Admission Requirements:

In order to join the Malta Blockchain Summer School you must already be able to demonstrate a sufficient background in one (or more) of the following or related areas: business, finance, management, economics, law, computer science, software, IT  or another related area. Whilst a first degree in such an area is required, sufficient professional experience may make up for the lack of a first degree. Interviews may be required to ensure that all participants can get the most out of the summer school.

Tech affinity, while welcome, is not a requirement. We have designed our Summer School without making any assumptions of prior technical knowledge.

Application Deadline: Please submit your application by June 30, 2023 via the dedicated registration page.

Tuition Fee:

Admitted candidates will have to pay a fixed tuition fee of EUR 700. The tuition fee covers the cost of all the academic activities (classes, workshops, invited talks, panel discussions etc), as well as the final assessment, and the certificate. In order to secure your place payment should reach us by 07 July 2023.

Assessment/Certification:

Students wishing to be awarded a certificate worth 5 ECTS credits, will have to submit and pass a final assignment.

Contact: For every inquiry as regards the Malta Blockchain Summer School (MBS) 2.0, please do not hesitate to contact the organisers via dltum [dot] edu [dot] mt (email).