United Nations Development Programme Partners with Algorand to Launch a Blockchain Academy

Algorand selected to deliver blockchain curriculum to 22,000 UNDP employees globally

NEW DELHI, Nov. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announces a partnership with Algorand Foundation, the organization focused on growing the ecosystem for the world's most advanced, secure and reliable layer-1 blockchain, to launch a blockchain academy to provide UNDP staff with knowledge and insights into the applications of blockchain technology. The announcement was made onstage today at the Algorand Impact Summit in New Delhi by Robert Pasicko, UNDP's expert for alternative finance and low carbon development.

The Algorand Blockchain Academy will launch in 2024 and is designed to bolster UNDP staff capacity through education and training in blockchain technology and its practical applications for sustainable development. The curriculum will consist of recorded lectures, interactive workshops and hands-on assignments and will be made available to all 22,000+ UNDP employees in over 170 countries and territories, in addition to staff members at other UN agencies. 

"The Algorand Blockchain Academy will be instrumental in equipping our team with the tools needed to address complex global challenges using blockchain technology," states Pasicko. "We are thrilled to be in a position to leverage the credibility and expertise of the Algorand Foundation and key members of their ecosystem in order to upskill, empower, and inspire UN practitioners around the world."

Focus areas of the program include:

1. Financial inclusion: Exploring the use of blockchain to extend financial services to marginalized communities
2. Supply chain transparency: Enhancing transparency in supply chains, combatting issues like child labor, and promoting sustainable sourcing
3. Real-world asset tokenization: Enabling fractional ownership to increase accessibility for a wider variety of investors
4. Digital identity: Developing secure and universal digital identity solutions to support social and financial inclusion

"We are excited to partner with the UNDP to promote innovation and technology for the betterment of society," says Doro Unger-Lee, head of education and inclusion at Algorand Foundation. "We see this education and tooling initiative as a critical first step toward identifying and delivering actionable, on-the-ground use-cases of blockchain to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in a number of areas."

In addition to the team at the Algorand Foundation, the curriculum will also include speakers from Algorand ecosystem projects including HesabPay, Wholechain, Koibanx, and Quantum Temple.

The beta iteration will commence in Q1 2024 and will continue to roll out throughout the year to reach the global staff.

About UNDP:
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations' global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP has over 20,000 employees worldwide and operates in 170 countries, working collaboratively with them to address global and national development challenges.

About the Algorand Foundation:
The Algorand Foundation is dedicated to helping fulfill the global promise of the Algorand blockchain by taking responsibility for its sound monetary supply economics, decentralized governance, and healthy and prosperous open-source ecosystem. Designed by MIT professor and Turing Award winning cryptographer Silvio Micali, Algorand is uniquely capable of delivering on the promise of a borderless global economy. It achieves transaction throughputs at the speed of traditional finance, but with immediate finality, near zero transaction costs, and on a 24/7 basis. For more information, please visit https://algorand.foundation.