Blockchain for the Environment: Open Interdisciplinary Education on Generating Disruptive Change through Impactful DLT Applications

Environmental issues are the most pressing nowadays and certain changes in social behaviour could help to solve some of them. Blockchain - the technology that creates the foundation for trust between people without the need for intermediaries - if applied soundly, could impact social behaviour and contribute to the mitigation of the environmental crisis we are facing. The Blockchain technology is currently at the stage of development when we can still shape the impact it will produce in the years to come. Training computer scientists in using this technology in a fair, creative, inclusive way is crucial to bring about a new paradigm in organising human activities. The challenge is to bridge the gap between, on the one hand, narrow specialised IT professionals who understand how Blockchain technology works but lack knowledge from the real-world domains where the technology could actually produce positive impact, and, on the other hand, the professionals from such domains as environmental protection, medicine, agriculture etc. - who have expertise in their own domains, but no knowledge of Blockchain. In order to bridge this gap, the project will aim to equip Computer Science students and professionals with a methodology enabling them to leverage Blockchain’s potential, and with specialised knowledge from the field of Environmental Studies, where innovative Blockchain-based solutions could produce significant positive impact. The course will also teach Computer Science students Design Thinking methodologies to help them come up with ideas of Blockchain applications to produce social and environmental impact. A human-centred approach to education and research in this field, including ethical aspects, will help computer science students broaden their perspectives and create new knowledge. The second part of the course will be aimed at students in environmental sciences, teaching them the basics of blockchain, in order to help facilitate the interdisciplinary dialogue.