OpenCerts (blockchain platform)

2019: Use for issue of diplomas

At the beginning of May, 2019 18 educational institutions of Singapore decided to issue to students digital diplomas by means of blockchain technology.

This initiative is included into the national project under the name OpenCerts which develops jointly the Ministry of Education of Singapore, the State technology agency and also the national educational movement SkillsFuture Singapore with the assistance of higher educational organization Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

Singapore begins to issue diplomas through a blockchain

Use of a blockchain will fix two important problems: existence of the physical document which can be lost or forged, and need of requests for its check. All information necessary for verification of diplomas and other certificates will be stored in the OpenCerts blockchain platform protected from unauthorized access.

Students can use digital diplomas to get a job or enter other university. Ideally use of a blockchain also should reduce the costs connected with creation of traditional paper diplomas and increase overall effectiveness of a system.

The pilot research OpenCerts started in 2018, and the first digital diplomas were already issued to graduates of the Ngee Ann Polytechnic university. According to the report, annually this organization issues about 10,000 physical copies of diplomas, and employers send about 2000 inquiries for verification of documents at the device of graduates. Application of a blockchain will save time of teachers and staff of the enterprises as it will eliminate need for tiresome work with documents and reverification of paper diplomas and their copies.

Within an initiative is also going to begin digitization of already issued diplomas. Besides, use of an open source code means that also other organizations can apply this technology.^[1]

Notes