About DC4EU

DC4EU will contribute to a new paradigm in identity, data, and the once-only principle to enable the citizens’ perspective.

Digital credentials in education

(Education and Professional qualifications)

DC4EU Work Package 5 (WP5) is dedicated to revolutionising the European education and professional qualifications landscape through the implementation of digital credentials. Our mission is to create a secure, interoperable, and user-centric system that enhances student mobility, simplifies qualification recognition, and supports lifelong learning across the European Union.

Objectives

The primary objectives of WP5 include:

  1. Developing a scalable and interoperable architecture for digital credentials in education
  2. Integrating with the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW)
  3. Leveraging eIDAS 2.0 and EBSI frameworks to ensure trust and security
  4. Facilitating seamless cross-border education and professional mobility
  5. Enhancing the recognition and verification of qualifications across the EU

Methodology

WP5 employs a comprehensive, phased approach to achieve its objectives:

1. Business blueprint development

– Analysing current credentialing governance and processes
– Defining system architecture and data models
– Establishing business processes for issuing, updating, and verifying credentials

2. Onboarding procedures

– Defining processes for onboarding educational institutions and verifying entities
– Implementing onboarding for pilot participants

3. Large-scale pilots

– Executing pilot programs across selected educational institutions
– Testing and refining the digital credentialing framework

4. ontinuous improvement

– Analysing pilot results and gathering feedback
– Iteratively improving the framework and processes

Key components

  1. Trust frameworks: Implementing robust governance models to ensure the reliability and recognition of digital credentials
  2. European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) integration: Leveraging the EUDIW for secure storage and sharing of educational credentials
  3. Verifiable credentials (VCs) and decentralised identifiers (DIDs): Utilising these technologies to enhance the security and interoperability of digital credentials
  4. Data protection and privacy: Ensuring compliance with GDPR and implementing privacy-enhancing technologies

Use cases

WP5 focuses on several critical use cases, including:

  1. Cross-border enrolment: Facilitating student enrolment in universities across EU member states using verifiable digital credentials
  2. Professional qualification verification: Enabling seamless verification of qualifications for professionals moving between EU countries.
  3. Lifelong learning recognition: Supporting the accumulation and recognition of credentials from various learning experiences throughout an individual’s career

Expected outcomes

The successful implementation of WP5 will result in:

  1. A standardised approach to digital credentialing across the EU for education and professional qualifications
  2. Improved recognition and mobility for students and professionals
  3. Enhanced trust and security in educational credentials
  4. Streamlined administrative processes for educational institutions
  5. Support for the EU’s broader goals of digital transformation in education

Get involved

We invite educational institutions, technology providers, and policymakers to join us in shaping the future of digital credentials in European education. For more information on how to participate in our pilots or contribute to the project, please contact info@dc4eu.eu