Cross-Border Collaboration: EBSI-CAN Project explores Innovation in Educational Credential Verification
About the EBSI-CAN Project:
EBSI-CAN is a cross-border collaboration project between the EU and Canada, led by the 3CL Foundation in concert with Canada’s MyCredsTM National Network, owned by the Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC).
The European side of the project is funded by the Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative NGI Sargasso, which supports a collaborative ecosystem and programmes promoting transatlantic cooperation for NGI technologies. MyCredsTM is providing the resources and funding support for the Canadian portion of the project demonstrating the power of Canadian colleges and universities working together across provincial legislative boundaries to support international learner mobility with cybersecurity and quality-assured credential solutions.
EBSI-CAN focuses on measures to improve cross-border services and verification mechanisms for educational credentials between European and Canadian citizens by exploring the potential deployment of the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI), a technology developed by the European Commission as public good. The collaboration also supports the significant data standard and exchange efforts in Canada to adopt and align with the PESC XML standards. Developing mechanisms to enable credential portability across international boundaries is a crucial and foundational necessity to address the real-world challenges faced by many European and Canadian citizens moving between the two regions. They need to have their education credentials recognised seamlessly by education and quality assurance regimes in European member states and Canada. Key objectives of the EBSI-CAN project is to empower EU and Canadian citizens, streamline cross-border movement and eliminate the bureaucratic and expensive verification processes that currently impact educational mobility. Through a set of use case studies, it also explores issues such as data control, security, ownership of credentials, and self-sovereign identities.
Alignment with NGI Goals:
The EBSI-CAN MyCredsTM collaboration aligns seamlessly with Canada’s and the European Commission’s commitment to creating trust and facilitating citizen mobility through technological solutions. The project is a pivotal advancement, enabling seamless educational credential verification and enhancing the educational and professional experiences of European and Canadian citizens.
About the 3CL Foundation:
The 3CL Foundation is an EdTech foundation operating out of Malta. It facilitates collaborative and lifelong learning hubs through action research, technical expertise and the development of international communities of practice. The EBSI-CAN project team includes researchers, strategists and technologists with significant experience in the verifiable credentialing sector and decentralised technologies, including the EBSI framework. Through participation as partners in projects such as the Digital Credentials for Europe (DC4EU) funded by the Digital Europe programme, the foundation is also in regular contact with policymakers, educators and other stakeholders in the credentialing ecosystem. The project kicked of on October 5, 2023, with the support grant ]from NGI Sargasso. The project deliverables will be due the end of June 2024. More information about the foundation can be found at 3CL Foundation.
About MyCredsTM:
MyCredsTM is a recognised, not-for-profit shared service and platform owned by recognised Canadian colleges and universities through ARUCC, the National Registrars’ association. It provides students and graduates access to secure, online and virtual digital wallets. Launched in 2020 and now serving over 1 million learners in addition to supporting an international document exchange network of over 10 million, MyCredsTM ensures they can view and share their verified official transcripts, diplomas, micro-credentials and other academic documents digitally and securely on a 24/7 basis – anytime, anywhere. It also enables sharing between organisations with the learner’s permission and has proven capabilities to deliver interoperable pathways that cross data exchange contexts. Documents are cryptographically signed and instantly accessible, ensuring the international mobility of learners. MyCredsTM is trusted and the only national, bilingual system of its kind in Canada.
3CL Executive Director Dr Alex Grech said “We are pleased to collaborate with MyCredsTM in exploring the potential of using EBSI as a technology to assist learners and education institutions in securing seamless recognition of credentials in EU member states and Canada. We are confident that the project will provide insights on issues such as interoperability and governance, and propose practical recommendations for a way forward. This initiative holds the promise of revolutionising cross-border educational credential verification and advancing the goals of NGI Sargasso.
