Abstract: Real education is not just about memorizing facts or passing exams. It is about developing the ability to think independently, critically, and creatively. It involves the acquisition of skills and knowledge that can be applied in real-world situations to solve problems and make a positive impact on society. At MGVU, we aim to bring high-quality real 4th Transformational Technology education virtually. By using a socialized tuition fee system, we aim to be the Uber of technology education. We offer BS and MS in Digital Transformation program that can be a plugin to any accredited universities worldwide.
Metagen Global Virtual University
(The University in the Metaverse)
At MGVU, we believe technology education will be the great equalizer that will bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. It is also the pillar in building a better and more sustainable tomorrow. Together with our partner-host schools, we aim to create a future where technology education is inclusive, accessible, democratized, and decentralized -- with tuition fees based on one’s socioeconomic capacity.
MGVU offers an online bachelor’s and master’s degree in digital Transformation. It intends to be a plugin program for accredited universities worldwide; offering the highest technology education to provide students a competitive edge in the workforce or prepare them to launch their own tech startups.
Our system is available to any accredited universities interested in offering bachelor’s and master’s degree programs focused on advanced technology and digital transformation.
Our classes can be self-paced, or instructor driven. The MGVU app (available in iOS, Android, and or any browser) is the portal to access all courseware and student resources. Students can download a course and learn at their own pace or attend the scheduled-live classes (offered through Zoom/MS Teams) or via the Metaverse (using a Virtual Reality platform), or both.
We offer top-quality technology education by recruiting professors from top caliber schools (like Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, MIT, etc.) and industry professionals (from Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and other big tech companies). All our professors and instructors have Ph.D. or Master’s degrees or Professional IT Certifications to guarantee the quality of our curriculum.
Our BS & MS Programs:
Bachelor of Science in Digital Transformation
A student must complete 30 courseware, pass three professional IT certifications, and complete three capstone projects.
Master of Science in Digital Transformation
A student must complete ten additional courseware, pass three other professional certifications, and complete a thesis paper.
Partnership Model
As a partner-host university, you can charge whatever standard fee you typically charge your students per credit unit; then, we split it 50/50. Half goes to the partner-host university and half to MGVU (to pay professors, administrators, the platform’s maintenance, etc.). If you are a state university and do not charge for anything to your students, we won’t charge anything either -- this is how we enforce the STFS (Socialized Tuition Fee System). With STFS, students can apply at any local partner state university and enjoy the same quality education as those in the Ivy League-MGVU program. Students all over the world coming from Harvard-MGVU, University of the Philippines-MGVU, Local State University-MGVU, and anywhere will converge in the same class, get the same quality education from the same professors -- but pay their tuitions depending on their socio-economic capacity.
Why enroll for a Bachelor’s or Master’s in Digital Transformation?
A degree is becoming less and less critical today. Most organizations seek individuals who can demonstrate real-life skills, expertise, and knowledge. Companies are looking for people who can perform a job effectively rather than a diploma from an Ivy League school. Nowadays, in more prominent tech companies, your aptitude test is usually a coding or programming exam to solve a given problem. Professional certifications with Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Cisco, CISM (Certified Information Security Manager), CISSP (Certified Information Security Professional), PMP (Project Management Professional), ITIL (IT Information Library), and other professional IT certification programs are also becoming more relevant; to show real mastery of a specific platform or system, and not just basic theories. So, guiding our students in obtaining professional IT certifications is vital in our program.
To graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Transformation at MGVU, one must complete 30 courseware, pass at least three professional certifications, and demonstrate mastery of each program by fulfilling three capstone projects.
Then to pursue the Master’s in Digital Transformation degree program, one must take ten additional courses, pass another three professional IT certifications, and write an original thesis paper of at least 100 pages.
The MGVU Way
MGVU brings immersive quality education through a self-paced or instructor-led class in the Metaverse. Our mission is to bring egalitarian and equitable quality education to students worldwide. We offer full scholarships to qualified students in underserved countries and communities. We aim to train the next generations to acquire real-life mastery of 4th Transformational Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Web 3.0 development, Cloud Computing, Metaverse technologies (such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Extended Reality, and Mixed Reality), including games development and cybersecurity.
We want to bring an immersive learning experience at the convenience of our students’ homes. Our professors and lecturers come from top educational institutions like Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, MIT, and many top-caliber schools worldwide. Our goal is to provide state-of-the-art courseware to hone the mastery of 4th Transformational technologies, demonstrated by passing at least three professional certifications for our bachelor’s program and another three professional IT certifications for our master’s program. Throughout the program, we will help build entrepreneurial spirit with the capstone projects and select the best ones to incubate and pitch at Harvard’s I-lab.
After graduation, we will follow through on the professional development of our graduates to guide them in their careers or businesses.
Leveraging 4th Transformational Technologies
(AI, IoT, W3, Cloud, DLT, and the Metaverse)?
The world is becoming more intelligent and interconnected thanks to Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things. We now have intelligent machines that can talk, see, hear, and think unprecedentedly -- evolving and updating themselves constantly. Topics such as NLP (Natural Language Processing), Chat GPT, Computer Vision through an Artificial Neural Network are critical success factors in honing one’s mastery of AI. These intelligent machines, robots, and devices are now ever-present in our workplaces and home. Who doesn’t have Alexa, Google, Cortana, Siri, Bixby, and ChatGPT in their lives?
Industry 4.0, self-driving cars, telemetry, remote sensing, and a vast array of IoT implementations are essential topics to understand the design, architecture, and roadmap of the connected world into the future. With over 30 billion connected devices over the Internet, mastery of connecting, managing, and protecting these devices and our data privacy has become more critical than ever. At MGVU, we overlay our courses with cybersecurity, as this is critical and essential towards securing our interconnected-intelligent-digital world and guarantee privacy with the cipher technology of blockchain. Using blockchain, we can ensure the immutability of transactions to decentralize traditional systems, processes, and organizations.
We deliver and provide all our courses virtually through 2D channels like Zoom, Google Meeting, or MS Teams -- and/or VR-based learning platforms using Metaverse (i.e., Spatial or FrameVR). Students can access our courses anywhere and anytime via smartphones, tablets, computers, cheap single-board computers (like a Raspberry Pi), and for a more immersive experience – a VR headset.
What is AIoT?
AIoT combines Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things to achieve enhanced operations, human-machine interactions, and advanced analytics. It aims to create smart systems, transform industries, and enable new business models or applications to perform intelligent tasks with minimal human intervention.
What is Web 3.0?
Web 3.0 refers to the next generation of the World Wide Web that aims to make data more interconnected, intelligent, and intuitive for machines and humans. It includes using technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain to create a more integrated, seamless, and private web experience.
Decentralized Ledger Technologies & Blockchain
DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) encompasses various technologies that record and validate transactions in a decentralized and distributed manner. Blockchain is a specific type of DLT that uses a chain of blocks to store and validate transactions. In a blockchain, each block contains a set of timestamped transactions linked to the previous block, creating chains of records or blocks that form the immutable ledger. Blockchain records cannot be altered or deleted. Blockchain is behind Bitcoin and all cryptocurrencies, Smart Contracts, and NFTs (Non-fungible tokens), and a growing ecosystem.
What is the Metaverse?
The Metaverse is a concept that refers to a virtual shared space created by the convergence of multiple virtual reality environments, augmented reality, and other immersive technologies. In the Metaverse, users can interact with each other and the virtual environment in real time, creating a fully immersive and interactive experience. At MGVU, we believe that the Metaverse is the future of the academe that can provide an alternative way to acquire high-quality technology education and prepare students to be ready for their real world applications.
The MGVU Learning Pathway
Bachelors and Master’s in Digital Transformation Program
(Bachelor: 30 Courses, 3 Professional Certifications, and 3 Capstone Projects)
(Master: +10 Courses, +3 Professional Certifications, and + a thesis paper)
To be admitted in the program:
1. For the bachelor’s degree, one must complete the foundation courses from edX with proof of certificate for each class or a Certificate from Know the Block Maven Course (for Nigeria candidates). For master’s, one must have completed a bachelor’s degree to be considered, or an equivalent of five valid IT professional certifications can be presented in lieu of a bachelor’s degree.
2. Complete the application form with at least a two-page statement of purpose.
3. Approval of admission
A. Foundation Courses - 3 courses
(Free – Three courses from edX and/or certification from Know the Blocks Maven Nigeria)
The MGVU foundation courses are self-paced. You need to get certified with the online self-paced free courses offered by Harvard, Stanford, and MIT through edX. We pre-select the classes you must take to guarantee that you have the fundamental skills to be admitted in the Bachelor of Science in Digital Transformation degree program. Additionally, we will provide live global virtual office hours for Q&As and guidance counseling twice a month.
B. Five courses on AIoT using single-board computers (RPI) and Edge IoT sensors, plus a capstone project and a professional IT certification.
· Unix Operating System
· IoT fundamentals
· Microcontrollers and single-board computers
· IoT networking
· Automation and Industry 4.0
· IoT Security
Capstone: any original or incremental innovation on existing IoT projects citing original sources
Certification Requirement: List of Accredited Certifications
C. Five courses on AI (based on Python), plus a final capstone project and a professional IT certification.
· AI and ML fundamentals
· Fundamentals of data science
· Computer vision
· Natural Language Processing
· Sound classification through Artificial Neural Network
· Machine Learning
· Robotics Process Automation
Capstone: any original or incremental innovation on existing AI/ML projects citing original sources
Certification Requirement: List of Accredited Certifications
D. Five Cybersecurity courses plus a certification exam
· ISO 27001 framework
· FAIR Risk Management framework
· Ethical hacking fundamentals
· AIoT Security
· Blockchain Security
Certification Requirement: CISSP, CISM, ISO27001 Lead Auditor, ACI (Aspire Cybersecurity Institute) Certification, list of other accredited certifications.
E. Five Advanced Electives, plus a final capstone project
· Robotics Process Automation
· Digital design
· Web 3 development
· DLT & Blockchain
· Cloud computing
· Big Data and Analytics
· Mobile development
· Game development (Unity)
Capstone: any original or incremental innovation on existing projects related to the topics above citing original sources
Certification Requirement: Submit proposal to your Program Director
F. Master’s Program Requirements: Ten courses + Thesis Paper of at Least 100 pages.
· IT Business Relationship Management
· Project Management
· Organizational Leadership
· Lean Six Sigma
· Mastering ITIL
· Financial accounting
· Business Oral and Written Communications
· Writing Effective Whitepapers
· Entrepreneurship
· Negotiations
Methodology
Our programs can be self-paced, or instructor driven. The MGVU app (available in iOS, Android, or any browser) is the portal to access all courseware and resources. Students can download each course and learn at their own pace or attend the scheduled-live classes (offered through Zoom/MS Teams/Google Classroom or the Metaverse using a Virtual Reality platform).
All quizzes and exams are online.
Capstone projects: are designed to demonstrate students’ real-life mastery and expertise of what they learned at MGVU. Students are assigned a coach (typically an expert in the field or our graduates who were part of the Big Brother Mentorship Program) to guide them in developing their capstone projects.
Professional Certifications: Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Cisco, Linux, CISM (Certified Information Security Manager), CISSP (Certified Information Security Professional), PMP (Project Management Professional), ITIL (IT Information Library), and other professional certification programs are welcome. Consult your Program Director if you intend to take any certification not currently listed.
MGVU’s Commitment to Our Students’ Success
Braincubation Start-up Sharktank
For the Digital Entrepreneurs of the Future
If a student’s capstone project is ready for a Kickstarter or Shark Tank prime time showing, we’ll offer them to pitch to our VCs and Angel Investors using Braincubation’s (http://www.braincubation.com) platform. We will select top MGVU student projects yearly to present them at Harvard’s I-lab. We will offer candidates a blatant review of their ideas, then guide them for their pitch day presentation.
Placement service
We want to ensure our graduates use their newly honed talents and skills immediately. After graduation, we will not just let our graduates out to dry; MGVU will help them to seek employment free of charge with our placement service. In return, we’ll ask their employers to support the MGVU program as our sponsors or benefactors.
Continuing Education
As one embarks on professional life, more than technical training and expertise is required to get one to the next level of growth in their chosen career. Of course, this doesn’t mean that one cannot grow as an AI or IoT developer, W3 programmer, VR/AR developer, or entrepreneur by focusing one’s energy on technical expertise. However, developing other essential business, managerial, and relationship skills to complement technical savviness is often the key to employment or business success. To address this, we also offer the Digital Transformation Master’s Program.
The concentration of the Digital Transformation Master’s Program is to help technical professionals thrive as managers and as business leaders. It focuses on IT Business Relationship Management, Project Management, Organizational Leadership, Lean Six Sigma, Mastering ITIL, Financial Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Business Oral and Written Communications, Writing Whitepapers, and Negotiations.
Performance Rating and Continuous Development
We will keep track of our graduates’ development and survey their employers to rate their job performance for two main reasons:
1. Performance assessment - to guide them in achieving peak performance consistently.
If we detect any development opportunities, we’ll recommend other courses to help them develop further.
2. Determine the right compensation level - compensation usually depends on one’s skillset, experience, and passion -- which translates to one’s overall performance.
Typically, the better rates you get from your employer, the higher your expertise level and, therefore, the higher compensation levels you can command.
Fees and Matriculation: Socialized Tuition System (STS)
By plugging the MGVU system into any accredited university program, we can guarantee that the cost of tuition and other fees is scaled based on the student’s economic capacity to pay. The lower the family’s income, the lower the tuition and fees they must pay. The only determining factor is the partner school’s tuition fee scale. The courseware, the professors, and everything else are the same.
Qualified students can graduate from our programs without spending a dime.
Also, the Metagen DAO and other corporate sponsors will provide the Raspberry Pi single-board computer devices to those who can’t afford a computer or a smartphone.
Our programs aim to help level off the playing field between those who can afford expensive Ivy League education versus some poor kids in underserved communities from 3rd and 4th world countries. We use edX modules from top-brass universities such as Harvard, Stanford, and MIT as admission requirements. They typically range from $50 to $500 to complete the three admission courses. Our degree courses are pegged on the price of host-partner universities tuition fees per credit hour.
We also require our students to do community service to develop keystone habits and teach discipline. We will track Proof of Community Service using the MGVU app. Becoming a student assistant is another way to get a full scholarship in the program directly at MGVU.
Proof of Community Service
(Tracked through our app and verified by a sponsor)
- Joining the Rotaract or Interact (local Rotary Club International for High School students)
- Planting trees (must provide pictures and GPS coordinates of trees)
- Participating in the Braincubation community
- Digital outputs: codes, digital artworks, datasets, AI models, etc.
- Recycling and Upcycling products and services
- Any service you provide to your local community (photos and signature of community leader required)
- Light by the Litter
- Global Citizen for Humanity
- Renew Now
- Project Aware
- AACY (American Association of Caregiving Youths)
- Kids Cancer Foundation
- Building Blocks Foundation
- Forgotten Soldiers
- Church Volunteer Works
- Joining the MGVU Student Assistant Program (detailed next)
Student Assistant Program
the Big Brother Mentorship Method (BBMM)
Students who wish to pursue the Student Assistant Scholarship Program must meet the following requirements:
· Completion of the base courses at edX
· Admission to the bachelor’s degree program
· Application for the SAP (Student Assistant Scholarship) Program
· Commitment to the Big Brother Mentorship Program (after graduation)
Big Brother Mentorship Program
To guarantee academic excellence and to prepare for future MGVU trainers and lecturers, we designed the Big Brother Mentorship Program or the BBMP.
This program aims to help struggling students catch up with their learning goals. Also, the BB Mentors will act as student assistants of the lead professors or lecturers. This program is only available to those who have taken at least two courses at MGVU.
Accreditation
MGVU uses the host partner university’s current accreditation system. Whatever accreditation level the local partner university has, we will follow their accreditation process. We will also seek MGVU global accreditation.
MGVU Core Team
Name
Position
Role
Romeo Siquijor
Program Director – Ed Tech, platform, and Curriculum
Courseware, Program, Recruitment of Professors
Steve Epstein
Program Director – University Relationships for US
US GVMU Operations General Manager
Dr. Manuel Guzman
Program Director – University Relationships for Philippines
Philippines GVMU Operations General Manager
Ayomide Arowolo
Program Director – University Relationships for Nigeria
Nigeria GVMU Operations General Manager