KU to foster experts in blockchain and cryptocurrencies

Blockchain Security Research Center partners with blockchain company Ripple

First in Korea to participate in the University Blockchain Research Initiative

Research focused on blockchain and cryptocurrency security technology

On June 4, the Blockchain Security Research Center (Director Ik Rae Jeong) of the Graduate School of Information Security at Korea University signed an agreement with global blockchain company Ripple (CEO Brad Garlinghouse) to join its University Blockchain Research Initiative.

Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative is a research project that supports prestigious universities around the world in conducting academic and technical research on blockchain and cryptocurrencies. The 17 partner universities include MIT and Princeton and Stanford universities. Korea University is the first and currently the only Korea-based institution involved.

The Blockchain Security Research Center will focus on security technology needed to ensure the stability of blockchain consensus algorithms and smart contracts and will receive funding and technical support from Ripple.

Through the University Blockchain Research Initiative, the Blockchain Security Research Center aims to conduct innovative research on cryptocurrencies and blockchain, as well as foster Korean blockchain experts.

Eric van Miltenburg, senior vice president of business operations at Ripple, said, “Academia has always played an important role in technological innovation. The University Blockchain Research Initiative will lay a foundation for universities to become a key player in blockchain-related innovation. It will also enable graduate students to gain the necessary skills to serve in blockchain-related industries.”

Sang Jin Lee, dean of the Graduate School of Information Security, said, “The partnership with Ripple gives us access to its extensive database, and this will be essential in the development of practical blockchain security technology. In addition, it will help to meet the increasingly high demand for blockchain experts.”

※ The Blockchain Security Research Center of the Graduate School of Information Security at Korea University was established on May 1, 2018, for the purpose of conducting blockchain security research. Participating members include Dean Sang Jin Lee, Professor Ik Rae Jeong, and Professor Ji Won Yoon.

※ Ripple is a company that expedites faster payments using blockchain and has its own digital currency, XRP. It has branch offices in major cities such as San Francisco and London and provides services to more than 100 financial institutions worldwide.

※ List of the 17 universities participating in Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative

- Australian National University College of Law (Australia)

- CITP at Princeton University (U.S.)

- CSAIL at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (U.S.)

- Delft University of Technology (Netherlands)

- Fundação Getulio Vargas (Brazil)

- Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley (U.S.)

- IITP Bombay (India)

- International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (India)

- Korea University (Korea)

- McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin (U.S.)

- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (U.S.)

- The University of Pennsylvania (U.S.)

- University College London (U.K.)

- University of Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

- University of Nicosia (Cyprus)

- University of Oregon (U.S.)

- University of Waterloo (Canada)