The mobility of students and professionals is increasing on a global scale, and for this reason it is necessary to have tools that allow us to present our qualifications to an employer or institution in a simple and secure way, while guaranteeing authenticity and the protection of personal data.
The Ministers for Higher Education of the 48 Countries belonging to the European Higher Education Area, in the communiqué published at the end of the Ministerial Conference in Paris in 2018, declared: «We also urge the adoption of transparent procedures for the recognition of qualifications, for prior learning and for periods of study, supported by interoperable digital solutions. [...] Digitization plays a role in all areas of society and we recognize its potential when used as a transforming element in the formative offer of higher education and in that of learning for people at various stages of their lives. [...] We therefore urge the BFUG to pursue the subject of digitization in the next working phase» (Communiqué of the European Higher Education Area Ministers, Paris – 25th May, 2018).
The European Recommendation on the Automatic Recognition of Qualifications, adopted by the Council of the European Union on 26th November, 2018, states: «The Council of the European Union […] Favourably receives the intent of the Commission with a view to: […] 16. Explore the potential of new technology, such as blockchain, to facilitate automatic recognition» (Recommendation of the Council to promote reciprocal automatic recognition of higher education and higher secondary school qualifications and the results of study periods abroad – 26th November, 2018).
This Recommendation was incorporated in the Procedures for entry, residence and enrolment at higher education institutions for students requiring visas for higher education courses in Italy in the 2019-2020 academic year, published by MIUR in March 2019, where «institutions of higher education are invited to adopt useful tools for the verification of qualifications that can facilitate the entry of candidates with foreign qualifications, in line with the provisions of the recent "Recommendation of the Council of the European Union to promote automatic mutual recognition of higher education and higher secondary school qualifications and the results of study periods abroad", including the use of new tools and new technologies made available internationally, including blockchain technology and the statements of verification of qualifications by the ENIC-NARIC centres».