When bitcoin is reaching new all-time highs, we take a closer look at the concrete initiatives taken at ESILV, the Pole Leonard de Vinci engineering school, and how they relate to the development of blockchains and cryptocurrency.
ESILV is a pioneer in the teaching and development of these technologies at the crossroads of finance, mathematics and computer science.
The school has racked up four firsts in higher education: the first institution to provide blockchain certification of degrees since 2016, the first engineering school in Europe to teach a course on Bitcoin, the first institution to offer a Fintech major and also the first school to introduce the lightning network, a technology that could help bitcoin improve its overall scalability.
Here is a closer look at the features and innovations of the Fintech Master in French CTI-accredited engineering school, which prepares engineers capable of meeting the challenges of tomorrow’s finance.
A school that successfully leveraged the blockchain and emerging technologies
It’s a story that has been going on for several years between ESILV and blockchain technologies. It was under the guidance of Cyril Grunspan, head of the financial engineering department and a researcher in the field, that ESILV launched, in 2015, a benchmark programme on all aspects of blockchain technology: cryptocurrency, machine learning and artificial intelligence, computing security, financial application development, mobile and web development…
To further develop its programme, the school is also offering, from January 2020, a course on the Lightning Network, a second layer scalability solution for the Bitcoin network. This technology promises to transform the payment market and part of the financial sector and significantly accelerate the spread of Bitcoin as an alternative currency system.
Since its creation, the Fintech Master’s degree at ESILV has provided all the keys to understanding and integrating finance entrepreneurs’ world. Blockchain development, creating Ethereum (ETH) smart contacts and crypto finance are among the subjects covered in this course, designed to give an excellent start to blockchain and cryptocurrency.
Students spend time designing projects around the blockchain, decentralised finance (DEFI), decentralised application development (Dapp), “stable coins” and AMM (Automated Market Maker) programmes. These challenges enable them to stay on top of the changing banking innovation scene.
Examples include projects such as “Blockchain and Smart contracts for actuaries”, “Blockchain technology as a new vector for customer service”, or “Security and traceability in a supply chain”.
The programme also draws on the ESILV’s professors work on protocol security, bitcoin scalability and cryptosystems.
Permanent professors and post-doctoral lecturers bring their experience in a mindset of openness and efficiency and invite future fintech engineers to explore the best financial engineering frontiers.
Internships in all of the blockchain’s areas
ESILV engineering students undertake at least 36 weeks of internship during their engineering cycle. At ESILV, these internships, carried out mainly in startups and large groups, are divided into a technical internship in the 4th year and an engineering internship in the 5th year, each taking up a full semester of training.
Among the positions offered as part of the Fintech major internships are the following:
- Blockchain Integration Expert (blockchain development)
- Software Component Engineer (blockchain)
- IT & Technology Project Manager (blockchain development engineer)
- Junior project manager in fintech
- Fintech project manager (blockchain experimentation study)
The Fintech Master’s degree is also accessible on a work-study basis, through the apprenticeship contract, enabling students to undertake studies funded by companies to validate a state-certified diploma while putting their knowledge to work for the benefit of these companies. The apprentice is an employee of his company and retains his student status, while at the same time receiving an operational and practical training adapted to the changes in the Blockchain sector.
