The NEAR Foundation and the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport today announced a collaboration to launch a learning workshop focused on the intersection of web3 and blockchain technologies and the sports industry.

The NEAR Foundation, a Swiss non-profit responsible for supporting and promoting NEAR Protocol and ecosystem, is working with NYU SPS to provide a holistic course of web3 workshops. The three-day non-technical course, open to NYU SPS students, alumni, faculty, and industry partners, will take place on February 10, 17, and 24, and will cover background introductions to blockchain and digital assets and their growing use in sports, as well as hands-on experience with the technologies.

The NEAR Foundation will provide the content and delivery of the program, continuing the non-profit’s efforts to increase awareness of blockchain applications, particularly the NEAR ecosystem. The in-person workshop in New York City will be taught by Michael Kelly, co-founder and CPO of Open Forest Protocol, who will draw on his professional experience as a founder of the NEAR ecosystem. 

“We are excited to partner with the NYU SPS Tisch Institute to create a new route for members of the business, sports, and education sectors to join the world of web3,” said Marieke Flament, CEO of the NEAR Foundation. “With our expertise, NYU SPS will offer students, faculty, and commercial partners a comprehensive understanding of NEAR Protocol and its many use cases within the sports industry.”

“Web3 and blockchain technologies will have a large role to play, not just in the sports industry but in every industry that touches our lives,” said NYU SPS Dean Angie Kamath.  “As a leading institution of applied, action-oriented learning and professional education, it is NYU SPS’ responsibility to prepare our students and faculty for success in every industry. Our partnership with the NEAR Foundation will give our NYU SPS community access to a wealth of knowledge and experience in these burgeoning areas of innovation.”

The NEAR Foundation is a Swiss non-profit that supports the development of NEAR Protocol, a high-performance carbon-neutral blockchain and dApp development platform. NEAR Protocol is at the forefront of blockchain adoption in the sports industry, having seen success through an exciting partnership with SailGP. The flagship achievement of this groundbreaking partnership is launching a fan-owned SailGP team built on NEAR Protocol using a modified DAO. SailGP continues to innovate using NEAR Protocol, offering exclusive SailGP NFTs directly to fans and creating new ways for fans to engage with the SailGP community. 

Flament added, “The NEAR Foundation will leverage and share our experience of innovating with blockchain in sports, such as our partnership with SailGP, with workshop participants.” 

“Our students, faculty, and industry partners are eager to discover how blockchain and web3 can be integrated with sports and other industries to generate real-world value, while developing skills and knowledge to create future applications,” said Jarrod Barnes, clinical assistant professor at the NYU SPS Tisch Institute, who has been instrumental in leading this collaboration with NEAR and the creation of the workshop program. “This workshop, hosted by the NYU SPS Tisch Institute for Global Sport and the NEAR Foundation, will give participants hands-on experience and a working knowledge of web3 technology to help enhance their career and help us develop the next generation of industry leaders and innovators.” 

In addition to the workshop, NYU SPS will be collaborating with NEAR to introduce an NFT rewards application for NYU SPS students later this year.  The decentralized application, using NEAR’s dApp platform, will be built on NEAR Protocol and will create a market for student engagement owned by students. The NEAR Foundation will support NYU SPS with visioning, planning requirements and roadmapping the dApp’s development. The School will also receive support in identifying a technical development approach, selecting a development partner, and liaising with the development team. The NFT rewards application is a groundbreaking approach to student incentives, showing NYU SPS’ commitment to improving the student experience through innovation.