Written by Alicia Shortman, Events Specialist at the Polkadot Blockchain Academy
The PBA campus is a once in a lifetime experience for developers of all backgrounds and cultures to come together to learn, collaborate on cutting-edge blockchain technologies, share diverse perspectives, and build lasting connections. It is an intense 2.5 weeks (previously 5) where students travel across the globe to gather in one location to further their knowledge on Polkadot’s architecture and expand their network within the Web3, blockchain and Polkadot community.
Events are an essential part of the students’ experience and are fundamental in providing networking opportunities with others in the ecosystem. They provide a welcome break from an intense academic schedule and allow the students to create unforgettable bonds with their fellow classmates.
It is during these events that contacts are shared, projects are formed, opportunities are discussed, jobs are offered, and ideas are sparked into innovative collaborations, paving the way for groundbreaking developments within the Polkadot ecosystem and beyond. When you have a room filled with 90 eager and talented developers, surrounded by a distinguished faculty of leading engineers and researchers from the blockchain industry, alongside passionate members of the wider community, the potential is limitless. This unique gathering of expertise, creativity, and collaboration creates the perfect environment for transformative ideas to emerge, partnerships to flourish, and the future of decentralised technology to be shaped.
So what kind of events do our students experience at the Academy?
The team runs several events throughout the Academy and we continuously adapt, refresh, and reimagine them for each new location.
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Check out our most recent event schedule from PBA5 in Singapore:
- Opening party 🎉: the first opportunity for the students to relax, bond over a few drinks and network with other members of the Academy community. This took place at the end of the first week and featured some funky dance moves from our Cryptography lecturers!
- Yoga mornings 🧘♀️: a chance for the students to practise some mindfulness during a very busy schedule of classes and assignments. We ran this twice during the Academy and was enjoyed by students of all levels- some who had never even tried yoga before!
- Beach games 🏖: a PBA first which we introduced to encourage a tighter group bond and a chance for the students to get to know each other a bit better in a fun yet competitive environment outside of the classroom. This was a student favourite despite the unpredictable Singapore weather which had the students battle against the rain as well as each other!
- Trivia day 🏆: a now PBA classic and highlight of the social calendar where students are asked questions on Blockchain and general knowledge followed by a round of Paper Plate awards for the students and the introduction of our Photo Caption Competition. In Singapore, this was reimagined as a trivia brunch day which made it a more relaxed event but still with all the fun!
- Closing party 🥂: the biggest celebration of the whole Academy where staff, faculty, students and the wider community come together to celebrate all the students’ achievements over the past 5 weeks after our Graduation ceremony. We had a special guest DJ here who entertained the students all night with his setlist! Any ideas who that might have been? 😏
Of course, organising these events in different countries and continents every time does pose its challenges. Each country has its own rules and regulations in regards to venue hire and there are cultural differences to consider in regards to food and beverage. The team dedicates hours of time into understanding the culture of the country and researching the dos and don’ts to make sure every event runs smoothly. Each country’s culture, social norms, rules and regulations has a huge impact on how we run events and what can even be possible.
For example, in Cambridge, the Academy was hosted at Corpus Christi college where the graduation party was more of a formal dinner in true Cambridge University style with long dining tables and formal attire and strict rules on expected behaviour in general whilst at the college. In Buenos Aires, the vibrant Latin American culture allowed us to create events with lots of music and opportunities to dance at our festival-like events. In Berkeley, the drinking age of 21 meant we had to reconsider how we ran events where alcohol was provided and carefully plan this around the vast amount of students who were underage in the US but were used to legally drinking in their own countries. In Hong Kong, we had to plan around the noise limits around certain venues which included our closing party in order to not cause disturbances to those close by. Whereas in Singapore, we were faced with a list of strict laws and campus rules to consider which included no alcohol allowed whatsoever on campus or food not allowed in lecture facilities which meant rearranging and relocating quite a few of our events to other permitted venues.
Since the PBA team works remotely and travels to the selected location only during the Academy itself (with the exception of a short site visit where possible), this means all the hard work to organise the events must be done remotely and before we arrive. We spend hours researching venues and ideas for our events that suit the host city and country and have to be prepared to adapt and change accordingly. Each time we are met with a different way of communicating as we overcome cultural differences and language barriers to secure a venue or strike a deal for our events. Though this process can be challenging, it provides a huge opportunity for cultural learning and is all part of the fun of moving from country to country. This learning experience is something that our students also experience when they themselves come to the Academy as they are thrown into a new environment and (for most) a new country. It is a huge opportunity for personal growth and development and really creates a community bond between not just the students but all those involved in the Academy who are going through the same incredible experience of navigating a new country together.
Despite the logistical hurdles of organising events across countries with varying regulations, venues, and cultures, the opportunities for cross-border collaboration, cultural exchange, and global exposure are immense. It is a huge learning experience and it helps prepare us even better for the next Academy in another new country with space for a few surprises along the way! Embracing the unpredictability adds excitement and provides a huge opportunity for growth.
The events at the PBA are the backbone behind bringing our students together, creating lifelong bonds and memories, and providing opportunities that extend well beyond the Academy experience. They provide students with the platform to discuss, share, and apply the knowledge they’ve gained in the classroom, while also expanding their connections and deepening their sense of belonging within the global Polkadot community.
Find out more about Polkadot Blockchain Academy https://polkadot.academy/