The Ateneo-MediXserve Blockchain Education & Research Lab (AMBERLab) was officially launched at the University’s PLDT – CTC Building last 22 October 2018, according to a recent report.
Both the Ateneo de Manila University and the health-tech company are betting on blockchain as the future.
Blockchain is an incorruptible public digital ledger that can be checked or confirmed by everyone through the internet.
Although it is currently famous for recording the transactions of the internet’s cryptocurrencies, it is believed to possess a huge potential and its use should not be limited within the realm of virtual money.
Blockchain represents nothing less than the second era of the internet. Everyone is saying that blockchain is the next internet.
MediXserve is a health-tech company that uses blockchain to permanently secure medical and health records. It believes in the potential of the technology to revolutionise the way people do things.
The company believed that once the blockchain industry matures and the public interest in it heightens, research and development together with educational efforts on the technology will then have to make their way into the corridors of leading universities.
Because of this, the company and the University founded AMBERLab to be a venue for research and education of blockchain technologies.
Furthering the reach and use of blockchain in health-tech, Fintech, artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and all other industries is the aim of the lab.
Since the IT that is being developed in the University is not for profit, the AMBERLab is very much aligned with the mission and vision of the University and most importantly, to that of the University’s Department of Information Systems and Computer Science (DISCS).
The IT being developed in the University is a different scape because they want to develop IT practitioners who code with a heart and know who they are writing for, thereby serving in nation-building.
Thus, the focus of the University is on health, disaster, transportation, and every complex problem that every ordinary Filipino takes on every single day of their life.
The University wants to pave the way for the landscape and the digital space of 2030.
Blockchain research is an untapped area, especially in developing economies like the Philippines, but when designed and managed well will best serve such economies.
The doors of the University are open to any kind of collaboration and partnership and the first one to take them up on this invitation is NEM Philippines.
NEM Philippines is a chapter of the NEM Foundation, a blockchain platform provider.
It is one of the first partners of the University in developing a curriculum and electives for the technology, which is considered as the first step towards preparation for blockchain invasion.
There will be four areas of focus for the Lab: research, education, incubation, and community.
Since blockchain is still in its infancy, much research is needed to propel its growth. Despite being in its early stages, a significant number of students are already interested in learning more about it.
Top 50 universities all over the world have started to include blockchain subjects in their curriculum, particularly in the departments of anthropology, history, and political science in order to address the increasing demand.
AMBERLab is not far behind as it is targeting to start teaching blockchain in the University by January 2019.
