Tecnológico de Monterrey to issue college diplomas through blockchain-powered platform •

Contxto – As controversial as blockchain technology can be, Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec), has found a potential great use for it. According to El Economista, the prestigious Mexican university will soon issue degrees through a blockchain-powered platform known as Blockcerts Wallet.

In Summary

Tec is currently in the process of adopting this new protocol to diminish leaks and falsification of degrees via blockchain technology. Considered to be one of Latin America’s most innovative institutes, this effort certainly adds another element to the claim.

Students from the Massachusetts Institution of Technology (MIT) developed the Blockcerts Wallets app in 2016. The platform allows users to store or share personal documents as well as credentials. This way, users can securely send verification of diplomas to universities, government agencies or employers.

With this system, partners can verify the authenticity of degrees without having to directly contact the university itself. Tec is the first Mexican institution to implement such a model.

In-Depth

The blockchain’s main idea is to decentralize communication and transmission channels. Blockcerts Wallet uses Bitcoin’s blockchain system because of its emphasis on security protocols and data protection over speed, cost or ease to use. This is especially important when handling delicate data like university credentials.

Once the Blockcerts Wallet has been downloaded, students obtain their own private key to consult and authorize the distribution of documents. It also sends another key to institutions to store digital records. Additionally, a unidirectional hash is added to the blockchain for subsequent verification requests.

This hash includes the time stamp of when the digital record was created by the institution. It proceeds to send an email to the student with a JavaScript object notation file (JSON) to access the diploma. The mobile app also provides further confirmation due to its unique private code.

Students can simply share the JSON file carrying their credentials, not to mention access the same file through the institution’s digital platform.

Tec became the first Mexican academic institution to implement this initiative allowing graduates to share their credentials online with high-security standards. Eventually, the university will approve additional documents besides diplomas for blockchain sharing.

“This will brings benefits to employers, institutions, and organizations around the world,” said David Garza, the dean of Tec, through a statement.

With this, Tec joins other well-known universities implementing the newly developed platform, such as MIT and The National University of Singapore.

Conclusion

Nowadays in Mexico, the authentication process for university-issued records can be tedious. Human resource departments, for example, typically ask candidates to bring physical documents on official university letterhead. Sometimes they event expect universities to stamp certain records.

In some cases, Mexican employers even consult the Secretary of Public Education to validate applicants’ claims of having a college degree. This blockchain technology, however, can provide the same “trust” without any external verification process. In the end, everything becomes easier and faster.