Trademark attorney Josh Gerben tweeted about the big plans of Arizona State University for Web3 and the metaverse.
Although crypto is yet to become part of regular conversations soon, the metaverse would be something your kids would talk about at the family dinner. One of the largest public universities in the country (United States), Arizona State University will soon set an example for others in the digital space. Through a series of trademark filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the public research university is planning to not just launch classes in the metaverse but also issue NFTs for authenticating certificates and event tickets.
Metaverse-related Application Filings
Trademark attorney Josh Gerben tweeted about the university’s ambitious plans for the metaverse. Josh doesn’t go into details but outlined some of the principal offerings that the university has planned. The Arizona Board of Regents filed the seven applications at the behest of the university under several names including Sun Devils, the university’s very own football team. Some of the key facts related to the offerings are as follows:
- The university has plans to issue NFTs or non-fungible tokens for in-house events as well as for artwork of the landmarks within its campus. Additionally, it will also issue NFTs for videos of the university’s sports highlights.
- Another important change would be the university going fully virtual which means taking classes and conducting meetings or workshops in the metaverse. This could also translate to the institution organizing events too such as concerts and exhibitions in the virtual world.
These filings could also point towards the university exploring NFTs for authenticating diplomas.
Why Are Educational Institutions like Arizona State University Interested in the Metaverse?
It won’t be an exaggeration to say that going digital is the need of the hour for each and every entity amidst the global pandemic. Just like the other institutions, the educational ecosystem had to bring a massive change in its ways of working. It soon understood the relevance of creating immersive digital experiences for the students through virtual reality technology. In case of the Arizona State University, over 42% of its enrolled candidates for the fall of 2021 semester attended classes through the online mode. This is a big number for the university to bring in permanent transformation in its old ways. Additionally, the university is not new to blockchain. In November 2020, Arizona State University employed blockchain technology to track Covid 19’s spread within the university.
Besides making in-house improvements and changing strategies as per emerging needs, competition is another factor luring educational institutions towards the metaverse. In May, the Brazil-based University of Sao Paulo announced its research plans on understanding the significance and impact of augmented reality devices. It also expressed its interest in building a virtual headquarters for student interaction. The University of Bari Aldo Moro in Italy went a step further and launched a program for promoting local culture using virtual artifacts like the NFTs and metaverse. Metaverse has finally become a part of popular culture and will soon permeate every aspect of our lives.
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