Seven Iranian programmers have received scholarships and graduated from a bootcamp of ConsenSys Academy, the educational branch of the Ethereum startup incubator. The scholarships, a part of ConsenSys' global program to help developers start coding on the Ethereum blockchain, could provide additional opportunities for people in the country largely excluded from the international tech community.
Women account for 70% of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates in Iran, more than in many developed countries around the world. But technology professionals in Iran face far more obstacles to growth than their peers in Europe and the United States.
Iran is subject to heavy international sanctions designed to prevent the country's leadership from developing nuclear weapons, and this has an impact on the ability of ordinary people to send and receive money from abroad. At the same time, Iran is a major contributor to the bitcoin network (find out how buy Bitcoins), providing about 4% of the global hashpower. The country is a profitable place for miners, and the blockchain community is active.
Obstacles
Training like that offered by the ConsenSys Academy could help Iranians learn new skills, perhaps increasing the chances for an Iranian developer to get a work visa and emigrate.
Unfortunately, this is not enough to solve the geopolitical challenges that many ordinary Iranians face. US and European companies are often reluctant to hire Iranian citizens or send money to locals due to concerns about potential sanctions violations.
Coogan Brennan, developer relations manager at ConsenSys Academy, said Iranian workers actually experience more obstacles when trying to build a global career.
He noted that Iranian students were particularly strong in last year's class. However, it is difficult to suggest such candidates to companies. And being an Iranian amounts to a record disadvantage for some people, Brennan said.
Diplomatic mission
One hundred students around the world received scholarships from ConsenSys Academy last year, Brennan said. The 2020 course included both paying students and others who received grants through local NGOs, mainly in developing countries, and could take classes online for free.
There were $ 100.000 in grants this year, he said, and the program has been running for five years. Iranian students received $ 900 in scholarships each, but not in the form of cash.
Rather, they were able to take online courses and get free tutoring. “We're not actually giving them any money, we feel like it's more of a diplomatic mission to give this opportunity to people who need it,” Brennan said.
ConsenSys Academy selected the students with help from CoinIran's local blockchain organization Thessy Mehrain and ConsenSys, which is half Iranian. The new skills are an opportunity for additional income, but also a hope of creating systems that are unstoppable.
