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

  • December 6, 2023
  • INNOVATIVE FINANCE, NEW TECHNOLOGIES

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

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announces a partnership with Algorand Foundation, an organization focused on enabling an inclusive, decentralized, and borderless global economy based on the Algorand blockchain technology, to provide UNDP staff with knowledge and insights into the applications of blockchain technology.  

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 that 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 training is instrumental in equipping our team with the tools needed to address complex global challenges using blockchain technology,” said Robert Pasicko, UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub’s expert for alternative finance and low carbon development, at the Algorand Impact Summit last week. “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: 

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

“We are excited to partner with UNDP to promote innovation and technology for the betterment of society,” said 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 include speakers from Algorand ecosystem projects including HesabPay, Wholechain, Koibanx, and Quantum Temple. Pilot testing of the platform will start early 2024 and will be rolled out throughout the year. 

About UNDP: 

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries and territories, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP. 

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 contact 
Ms. Svetla Baeva, Communications Lead, Innovation Team Istanbul Regional Hub, svetla.baeva@undp.org 

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