On several occasions we have observed how countries begin to adjust their educational curriculum, with the aim of teaching about the nascent Blockchain technology. This article will explain the case of Turkey, where recently the first university-level center in the country was completed.
The Blockchain and Innovation Center of Istanbul (BlockchainIST Center) was inaugurated at Bahçeşehir University (BAU). According to the director of the center, Bora Erdamar, BlockchainIST will become "the most important center of research and development and innovation in Turkey in which scientific studies and publications are carried out in Blockchain technologies".
Erdamar said that Turkey could become the leading country in technology that "will transform humanity." He stressed the importance of cooperation with other educational institutions, companies and government institutions to carry out an appropriate Blockchain research and examine possible use cases.
Current situation
While the director of BlockchainIST emphasized that Turkey is digitizing and making great efforts to keep pace with the rest of the world in terms of digital transformation, the Turkish authorities have shown an ambiguous stance.
Last November, the country's government adopted a tough stance on Bitcoin (BTC), when lawmakers from the state's Directorate of Religious Affairs said BTC "is not compatible" with Islam.
However, in February of this year, the vice president of the Nationalist Movement Party of Turkey not only proposed regulations for the market, but also mentioned the possibility of a national digital currency, called TurkCoin.
Dilemma: Technology vs. Religion
It can be seen that Turkey has an ethical dilemma, which according to various critics have lagged behind for decades, the discussion being to make the depth of the Muslim religion more flexible within its policies, given that the processes of technological innovation are affected.
The question arose if the power of Blockchain technology and the influence of cryptocurrencies could break the paradigms generated by its cultural roots. What do you think? Will religion or technology win?