Testimonies: Ahmed Fawzi
Ahmed Fawzi, graduate Master of Banking and Financial Markets in Casablanca, by universities Hassan II of Casablanca, in Morocco, and Cantabria, in Spain, in 2018, describes his experience as user of SmartDegrees.
Testimonies: Ayoub Hajji
Ayoub Hajji, student Master of Banking and Financial Markets in Casablanca, by universities Hassan II of Casablanca, in Morocco, and Cantabria, in Spain, describes his experience as user of SmartDegrees.
Building the digital credential infrastructure for the future
Digital Credentials Consortium, was founded in 2018 by 12 universities in Germany, Canada, the United States, the Netherlands, Italy and Mexico, under the leadership of MIT, to modernize the concept of credentials, bringing benefits to learners and to relying parties (such as employers) by improving how skills and competencies are conveyed and recognized. Its mission is to create a trusted, distributed, and shared infrastructure that will become the standard for issuing, storing, displaying, and verifying academic credentials, digitally.
It has just completed his white paper “Building the digital credential infrastructure for the future“, where it establishes the design specifications of the associated system architecture and offers a more powerful and convenient way to share, manage and verify credentials:
- It has a holistic approach and not biased to specific solutions or platforms, facilitating the convergence of other initiatives.
- His effort is focused on the “envelope” and the system that provides safe delivery and storage. The “envelope” contains information about who issued the credential and to whom it was issued. Both the identities and the integrity of their content can be verified to detect fraud or tampering.
- Recommends the Verifiable Credentials (VC) standard and its data model, performed by the European Commission, within the framework of its European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) initiative, because it meets the requirements established by the consortium and offers the following properties:
- Digital, tamper proof and machine-readable.
- Learner is at the center of exchanges of their data; their consent is required to exchange.
- Learner may cryptographically prove the credential is about them.
- Verification does not require consulting the issuer.
- Content of the credential can conform to a variety of schemas and vocabularies chosen by the issuer.
- Robust consideration of privacy, security, accessibility, and internationalization recommendations, making it suitable for high-stakes credentials such as transcripts.
Digital Credentials Consortium does not develop commercial products and services, but works with technology companies and platforms to create an ecosystem of options to choose from, as well as with employers to integrate verification services into their contracting workflow.
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SmartDegrees completes a second year of major milestones
SmartDegrees has finished the year 2019 in the best way, with the signing of an ambitious agreement with the Nebrija University. Thanks to this agreement, SmartDegrees will certify by means of its distributed ledger technology, blockchain, all the diplomas issued by this university and, in addition, will do so following the new standard of verifiable credentials, of the European Commission, which allows interoperability between the institutions.
This collaboration culminates a 2019 year of full growth for SmartDegrees, in which the European Commission has provided it with its Seal of Excellence (Horizon 2020 quality certificate – the largest research and innovation program in the European Union – in compliance with its criteria of excellence, impact, quality and efficiency in the implementation), in addition to granting financing to accelerate its expansion. The company anticipates in this way a technology that will become essential in the medium term.
SmartDegrees also already collaborates fluently with the following institutions:
- University of the Illes Balears. Agreement signed with the objective of carrying out joint research studies on blockchain technology, to expand its possibilities in academic degrees, anticipate future trends and boost its communication to other universities.
- Master in Banking and Financial Markets in Casablanca. A joint initiative between the universities Hassan II of Casablanca and Cantabria, which since August already issues its first university diplomas in blockchain, registered and certified by SmartDegrees.
- Sicomoro Foundation. It has its meetings minutes certified in blockchain, simplifying and guaranteeing its processes, through an innovative end-to-end solution provided by SmartDegrees, since December.
Microsoft for Startups initiative
This innovative and disruptive model has not gone unnoticed and has obtained adherance to Microsoft for Startups initiative, consolidating its university certification platform, by hosting the blockchain nodes in the Azure cloud, improving security and scalability, in addition to multiple advantages for its expansion, for the benefit of universities.
In addition and in order to complement the above, SmartDegrees has expanded its services, incorporating a business strategic consulting activity, which it develops through SmartDegrees Consulting.
SmartDegrees began providing its services for the registration and certification of blockchain degrees at the University Carlos III de Madrid, in July 2018, to help university graduates in the labor market, promoting services around the degree and guaranteeing the validity of diplomas.
Verifiable credentials in European Blockchain Services Infrastructure
Eva’s trip illustrates the possibilities of the blockchain solution developed by the European Commission and the members of the European Blockchain Partnership, the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI), and the verifiable credentials, whose standard it defines.
The trip shows a Belgian girl who graduates in her country, studies a master’s degree in Spain and later undertakes in Italy. In her country of origin she obtains two documents, one from the national government that will certify his identity, while another from the regional administration validates his university degree. This information allows her to access postgraduate education in Spain, which in turn issues a new digital certificate that she can store in her EBSI wallet. With all that information, as standard verifiable credentials, Eva can undertake in Italy, accessing grants from Feder funds, thanks to the credentials she has collected.
The European Blockchain Services Infrastructure aims to offer cross-border digital public services throughout the European Union using blockchain technology. It is formed by a network of blockchain nodes distributed throughout Europe, taking advantage of an increasing number of applications focused on specific use cases, whose proof of concept will begin to be available from January 2020.
(Source: CEF Digital)
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The Master of Banking and Financial Markets of Casablanca certifies its degrees in blockchain
The Master of Banking and Financial Markets in Casablanca, which is carried out by universities Hassan II of Casablanca, in Morocco, and Cantabria, in Spain, already has its first university degrees in blockchain, registered and certified by SmartDegrees.
The graduates of this prestigious master can manage their university degree from their smartphone, through a free app that allows them to share the degree data with labor platforms, recruitment companies and third parties, guaranteeing the inviolability of the degree, by being registered and certified in the distributed ledger technology, blockchain.
The master wants to take advantage of the opportunities provided by blockchain technology in the higher education sector, as well as the technological capabilities developed by the SmartDegrees platform.
Its main advantages: agility, comfort and security in blockchain
The benefits for graduates are as follows:
- It facilitates the enhancement of the degree, allowing sharing it agile and comfortable with other parties.
- The graduate is the sovereign owner of their data and decides how, where and when to display them.
- The app and support technology, blockchain, guarantee its inviolability and prevent fraud.
These are the first university degrees in Morocco registered in a mature, scalable and with the potential that smart contracts allow, such as Quorum, based on Ethereum.
“This certification makes it easier for the graduate to be put into value in the labor market and avoids any falsification, thanks to blockchain technology. We are very satisfied with this innovative service, which we plan to extend to graduates from previous years”, according to Professor Alaoui Mdaghri Abdelouahed, director of the master.
About the Master of Banking and Financial Markets in Casablanca
The Master of Banking and Financial Markets is taught jointly by the University Hassan II of Casablanca and the University of Cantabria since 2007, and has the technical support of two large banks, Attijariwafa Bank and Banco Santander. Its graduates obtain a double degree from both universities, and it is the most prestigious postgraduate program in the Maghreb and the second in the African continent in its specialty, according to Jeune Afrique, the most prestigious French-speaking magazine with the largest circulation in Africa.
About SmartDegrees
SmartDegrees is a platform for the registration and certification of academic degrees and corporate training, with associated services, which allow to be put in value in the labor market and in the society, while making them inviolable, ensuring their validity indefinitely.
Media coverage: elEconomista.es, DiarioBitCoin, Empresa Exterior, News 1, The Bitcoin Times, Le Matin, CoinTelegraph, Pokemag, Jamiati, Pages Afrik, EcoActu, Imperium, ConsoNews, Aujourd’hui
Related articles: SmartDegrees blockchain degrees work in Spain and Morocco
SmartDegrees obtains the European Commission Seal of Excellence
The European Commission has awarded SmartDegrees the Seal of Excellence, for its platform for the registration and certification of academic degrees and certificates based on blockchain.
This is a quality certificate provided to project proposals submitted to Horizon 2020, the European Union framework program for research and innovation in the 2014-2010 period. The certificate guarantees the fulfillment of the criteria of excellence, impact and quality and efficiency in the implementation, valid for obtaining financing within the Horizon 2020 budget.
Horizon 2020 is the largest research and innovation program in the European Union, with funds available for 7 years (2014 to 2020), an emblematic initiative of Europe 2020, aimed at ensuring Europe’s global competitiveness. It is a means to boost economic growth and create jobs and has the political backing of European leaders and members of the European Parliament. By bringing together research and innovation, Horizon 2020 drives excellence in science, industrial leadership and address social challenges.
SmartDegrees uses Microsoft to consolidate its university certification platform in blockchain
From now on, the nodes that constitute the SmartDegrees blockchain platform operate in Microsoft’s Azure cloud, where they have been moved from their previous support. This gives more security, scalability and monitoring possibilities, as well as flexibility in the development of improvements in its service.
The innovative and disruptive nature of this technology opens up enormous possibilities in all sectors, particularly in higher education, new graduates, alumni, universities, work platforms and recruiters.
SmartDegrees has the service available in several universities and educational institutions in several countries, being the University Carlos III of Madrid the first to have its official university degrees registered and certified in blockchain. Graduates who have joined the service can manage their titles from their smartphone, through a free app that allows them the following benefits:
- It facilitates the enhancement of the title, speeding up its sharing with work platforms, recruiters and third parties.
- The graduate is the sovereign owner of their data and decides how, where and when to display them.
- The app and support technology, blockchain, guarantee its inviolability and prevent fraud.
The blockchain platform used by SmartDegrees consists of its own network, which operates on Quorum, Ethereum’s enterprise evolution, and, in addition, uses the public Alastria network, which provides security, transparency and puts in value the integration and interoperability between blockchain networks.
Its main advantages: security, scalability and monitoring
The support of the blockchain nodes of SmartDegrees, private and public, in the Azure cloud of Microsoft, increases security, scalability and gives more possibilities, both in the monitoring processes of the nodes, as in the access to developing tools.
SmartDegrees is a member of the Microsoft for Startups initiative, which provides multiple benefits in the expansion of the SmartDegrees service to the rest of Spanish universities and other countries, interested in being members of the network of user universities.
UIB and SmartDegrees will conduct joint research studies on blockchain technology
The University of Illes Balears (UIB) and SmartDegrees signed an academic, scientific and cultural collaboration agreement on April 15, with the aim of developing joint study, exchange and cooperation programs in the field of blockchain technology research, especially related to the registration and certification of academic degrees.
The agreement, signed by Llorenç Huguet, rector of the UIB, and José María Fuster, president of SmartDegrees, contemplates joint research studies, seminars, colloquiums and symposia, and other programs and activities agreed between the parties.
The innovative and disruptive nature of blockchain technology opens up huge possibilities in all sectors, particularly in higher education. Its use in academic degrees allows to transform the degree in the labor market and in the society, with the following benefits for graduates:
- It guarantees the immutability of the degree, avoiding the fraud.
- The graduate is the sovereign owner of their data and decides how, where and when to display them.
- It facilitates the enhancement of the degree, speeding up its sharing with work platforms, recruiters and third parties.
The growing trend of continuous and competency learning, together with digital work platforms and the increase in degree fraud, make it necessary to have secure, decentralized technologies that facilitate the portability of academic degree certificates.
The collaboration with the University Illes Balears will allow to take advantage of these opportunities, expanding the service provided by SmartDegrees for the certification and registration of academic degrees in blockchain platform, since July 2018 for several institutions of higher education and that is extending to other universities in Europe and Latin America.
About University Illes Balears
The University Illes Balears is a public university, innovative and committed to the improvement of society, through research, teaching and dissemination of knowledge in various fields.
About SmartDegrees
SmartDegrees was created in August 2017 with 100% Spanish capital, with the aim of offering registration and certification services for degrees in blockchain, to help university graduates in the labor market, promoting services around the degree and guaranteeing the validity of the diplomas.
Media coverage: Europa Press, La Vanguardia, Economía de Hoy, 20 Minutos, Gente Digital
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SmartDegrees and TechHeroX certify corporate training with blockchain
TechHeroX already has the first certificates for professionals in blockchain, registered and certified by SmartDegrees, being pioneers in giving validity to the skills acquired by those attending the Summit I event “Cybersecurity d3c0dified for data protection”. The main advantages for attendees are agility, comfort and safety.
This blockchain certified cybersecurity event was organized by TechHeroX, GirlsCanHack, MujeresTech and sponsored by Terminus7. These are the first professional certificates of skills and corporate training, registered in a mature, scalable and potential blockchain network that smart contracts allow, such as Quorum, based on Ethereum.
It uses the technology of distributed registration, blockchain, whose innovative character makes it the most important to change higher education and lifelong learning, opening enormous possibilities to graduates, companies, universities, labor platforms and recruiters.
Its main advantages: agility, comfort and security in blockchain
These professionals can manage their training and skills certificates from their smartphone, using a free app that allows them the following benefits:
- It facilitates the enhancement of skills and abilities, speeding up their sharing with work platforms, recruiters, social networks and third parties.
- The professional is the sovereign owner of his data and decides how, where and when to display them.
- The app and support technology, blockchain, guarantee its inviolability and prevent fraud.
“These certifications make it easier for professionals to enhance their value in the labor market and in society, by allowing them to share their corporate training online, guaranteeing immutability for life. We are very satisfied with this innovative service, which we plan to extend to more companies and users soon”, according to María Laura Mosqueda, CEO of TechHeroX.
About TechHeroX
TechHeroX is a producer of online training experiences, which designs disruptive content such as 360º and interactive videos, chatbots, augmented reality, interactive infographics and digital charts, among other tools. It also has its own Mobile Learning technology to distribute its courses in an app.
About SmartDegrees
SmartDegrees is a platform for the registration and certification of academic degrees and corporate training, with associated services, which allow to put their value in the labor market and in the society, while making them inviolable, ensuring their validity indefinitely.
Related article: TechHeroX present at the Mobile World Congress 2019, SmartDegrees blockchain degrees work in Spain and Morocco