Blockchain Lab

The development of the digital economy is changing the ways of modern business and the exchange of digital information. In the digital world, data and information are intensively exchanged and there is a need for the secure transfer of transactions through the network. Consistent integrity of data and records in modern distributed information systems can be achieved by applying blockchain technologies. Blockchain is based on: distributed bookkeeping, cryptography, consensus protocols and smart contracts. It is based on a distributed database, which consists of encrypted data that cannot be changed or copied, and which enables reliable verification and automation. Transactions are exchanged between different nodes in a decentralized peer-to-peer (P2P) network, where the transactions are validated and “chained” into the blockchain.

bc-lab

Blockchain can be applied in the domains of electronic business, education, health, transportation, industry, agriculture, and others. The goal of applying blockchain technologies in certain domains is to improve the way of doing business with lower costs, greater security of business transactions and reduced risk of fraud. The development of business ecosystems based on blockchain technologies implies the existence of appropriate hardware and software components. The technologies used to support blockchain-based systems are: computer networks and protocols, mobile technologies, cloud computing, big data, the Internet of intelligent devices.

Blockchain Laboratory (BC Lab) was founded on 28th September, 2022 at the Department of e-business, Faculty of organizational sciences, University of Belgrade Serbia.

The head of the Blockchain Laboratory is Prof. dr Aleksandra Labus, and the deputy head is Prof. dr Marijana Despotović-Zrakić.

Prof. dr Aleksandra Labus

Head of the Blockchain Laboratory

Marijana-Despotovic-Zrakic

Prof. dr Marijana Despotović-Zrakić

Deputy head of the Blockchain Laboratory

Laboratory goals

The goals of establishing the Blockchain Laboratory are the improvement of teaching materials for all levels of studies at FOS (Faculty of organizational sciences, University of Belgrade, Serbia), empowerment of blockchain community at FOS among students, professors and researchers,  the realization of scientific and research work in the field of blockchain, cooperation with other scientific and research institutions and the economy, creation of a center of excellence for blockchain at FOS.

Forementioned  goals will be realized through various activities:

  1. Advancing Blockchain Education
    1.  Development of new teaching materials and improvement of the curriculum of subjects in the programs of basic, master’s, specialist and doctoral studies at FOS.
    2.  Organization of micro and macro courses for students
    3. Organization of Elab Hands-on events where students will have the opportunity to gain practical knowledge about modern technologies, methods and techniques applied in real business problems.
    4.  Holding workshops at the university – once a week and once a month
    5. Organizing free courses within the Elab Summer School “Technology of Electronic Business” for students of FOS, University of Florida, and students from other faculties from the country and abroad who have student status.
    6. The application of blockchain technologies in the development of innovative educational services: implies the development of a blockchain ecosystem that would include a greater number of advanced services and applications primarily intended for students and teachers. These services should contribute to better study conditions, better student results, greater student interest and FOS’s competitive advantage over other faculties. The basis will be a hardware-software platform for blockchain, which will enable the development of blockchain systems for various domains of application.
    7. Guest lectures by experts from science and business as part of lectures at all levels of study, as part of micro lessons, workshops and Elab Summer School.
  2. Realization of scientific and research work in the field of blockchain
    1. Improvement of scientific literature in the field of blockchain in Serbian and English
    2. Preparation of research papers for the blockchain section within:
      • international E-business Technologies conference  – EBT, FOS,
      • Workshop BMASmartC – Workshop on Innovative Business Models and Applications for Smart Cities, which is organized every year as part of the conference ICMarkTech – The International Conference on Marketing and Technologies, in cooperation with FOS, University of Belgrade, RAF, Union University – Belgrade, Nova de Lisboa University.
      • Symorg International Conference, E-business ecosystems section, FOS.
    3. Realization of student graduation, master’s, specialist and doctoral theses in the field of blockchain.
    4. Dissemination of knowledge in the field of blockchain. Preparation and publication of scientific papers in the field of blockchain categorization M20 and M30 in cooperation with the University of Florida and other higher education institutions and scientific research institutions in the country and the world with the aim of promoting the scientific field of blockchain.
    5. Realization of scientific and research projects using Algorand technology, one of the most powerful and sustainable blockchain platforms in the world.
    6. Participation of the Blockchain Laboratory in international working groups for standardization in the field of blockchain.
  3. Development of the blockchain community in the country and region
    1.  Positioning FOS as a center of excellence for the field of blockchain technologies.
    2. Establishment of Student Blockchain Club at FOS in cooperation with student communities, in which members will actively participate, acquire new and exchange acquired knowledge, be part of many events and conferences
    3. Popularization of blockchain technologies, with a focus on Algorand .
    4. Personnel growth in the field of blockchain.
    5. Organization of Hackathons specifically related to blockchain technology. The hackathon will be internationally oriented, which means that the participants will be the students not only from Belgrade, but from the neighboring countries and Florida as well.
    6. Connecting with scientific research institutions, organizations and companies.

 

Laboratory resources and organization

Activities within BC Lab will be organized and led by professors and associates of the Department of e-business, FOS who have more than 5 year experience in the field of blockchain. 

The software and hardware infrastructure necessary for the functioning of the BC Lab has already been set up within the Department of e-business. The existing facilities used by the professors and associates of the Department  will be used as the space for the work of the Blockchain Laboratory. Additionally, through participation in the “UF Blockchain Lab” project, the Department will be provided with the funds needed for the purchase of equipment and infrastructure development.

The Blockchain Laboratory is open for cooperation with all departments at FOS, as well as with other scientific and educational institutions, companies and other interested parties whose activities are related to the field of blockchain.

The work of the Blockchain Laboratory is public, which is ensured by the annual work plan and report published through the website of the Department of e-business, the website of the Blockchain Laboratory, the website of the FOS, social networks and other communication channels.

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