US trademark filing hints at Arizona State University planning classes in the metaverse

Sebastian Parker
Sebastian Parker
Last Updated on June 13, 2022

One of the most prestigious public universities in America may soon launch virtual classes in metaverse.

According to records filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Arizona Board of Regents for Arizona State University submitted seven applications to modify its name — ASU. Arizona State. Arizona State University. The Sun Devils’ football team’s name was also included in the application. The trademark filings contained the name of the university, as well the logo and pitchfork symbol of the Sun Devils for “virtual environments” in which users can interact with each other for entertainment, recreational, or leisure purposes.

ASU reported that 77,881 students were attending physical campuses across the U.S., while 57.848 attended digital immersion. It is unclear if the potential move to the metaverse by the university having more than 42% students enrolled in online courses may have been prompted. Casey Evans , ASU’s senior director of strategic learners and program mobilization, stated that digital immersion courses were the school’s “best tool to allow students to continue learning during the time of physical separation.” This likely refers to the ongoing pandemic.

Related: How to get work in the Metaverse or Web3

ASU may also be looking into nonfungible tokens (or NFTs) to authenticate documents such as diplomas and tickets for university events. ASU has used blockchain technology before for many purposes within the university. These include tracking the spread the COVID-19 virus in November 2020, and sharing data derived from its academic records in 2019.

Similar initiatives have been taken by other universities to “go meta” in 2022. Cointelegraph reported that the University of Sao Paulo intends to conduct research about the effectiveness of virtual reality and augmented reality devices as well as the effects on human behavior.