Blockchain-Based Academic Record System
Abstract
Blockchain offers some valuable properties, such as decentralization, transparency, pseudo anonymization, and data integrity. Combined with Smart Contracts, they enable decentralized applications and agreements without the need for a trusted third party. They can also work as tools to improve governance processes. Noteworthy are works that use blockchain in the automation and enhancement of degree certificates issuance. These works range from a simple proof of existence of degree certificates to more sophisticated proposals, which include the record of credits taken in a higher education system. Here, we propose an automated, transparent, auditable, and secure model to record credits and issue degree certificates using blockchain. We aim to minimize the bureaucracy of the processes involved, facilitate auditing, and reduce the falsification of degree certificates. The proposed model considers the existence of a public higher education regulatory agency and independent educational institutions. Unlike related works, this proposal encompasses undergraduate students’ entire trajectory, from registration to the issuance of his or her degree certificate. Hence, we present a prototype and a cost analysis considering official data from the Brazilian higher education system and the Ethereum blockchain platform.
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