- Peter Szilagyi, an Ethereum core developer, reached out to his old university for student collaborations on Ethereum projects but faced disinterest and silence.
- Szilagyi organized funded opportunities for students to attend Devconnect and work on Ethereum, but the university did not promote this or recommend students.
- Despite growing demand for crypto education and blockchain courses at universities, Szilagyi’s alma mater did not capitalize on his proposal for mutually beneficial student collaborations.
Peter Szilagyi, the team lead for Ethereum core development, has expressed frustration over the lack of enthusiasm from his alma mater to provide opportunities for students to work with Ethereum. Despite reaching out to his old university contacts about potential collaborations, he has faced radio silence.
Szilagyi’s Efforts to Engage His University
Over the years, Szilagyi has returned to his university to give talks about Ethereum, but noticed a lack of genuine interest beyond the price performance of ETH. This year, he organized a funded opportunity for students to attend Devconnect and collaborate on Ethereum projects. However, the students benefiting from this grant were unaware it came from Szilagyi. After contacting professors to recommend students for paid collaborations, Szilagyi did not receive any responses.
The Lack of University Interest Despite Growing Demand
Szilagyi’s experience contrasts with reports of growing demand for crypto education and blockchain courses at universities. Major companies like Google, Amazon and Oracle are hiring those with crypto knowledge to develop blockchain products. Information systems students increasingly want to learn about decentralized applications. However, Szilagyi’s university did not capitalize on his proposal for mutually beneficial student collaborations.
The Blockchain Dilemma in Schools
While crypto attracts more interest on college campuses, Szilagyi’s alma mater did not reciprocate his efforts to provide funded opportunities for students to work with Ethereum. His experience shows that practical collaboration between universities and blockchain projects remains limited despite burgeoning demand for crypto education.
