A Blockchain-Based Solution for Diploma Management in Universities

Diplomas are of particular importance in society, as they serve as official proof of education. Therefore, it is not surprising that counterfeits of such documents have become common. Thus, employers usually have to verify diplomas manually with the issuer. In line with the principles of social responsibility (accountability, transparence, ethical behavior, respect of stakeholders' interest), ensure inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4) become a priority for universities. Blockchain technology creates opportunities to surmount these obstacles because it has revolutionized the way people interact with each other. For that purpose, a total of 147 students from a technical university in Romania answered questionnaires to determine how familiar they are with blockchain concepts and what they think about the implementation of this technology. Further, structured interviews were conducted with education and ICT experts to determine the main advantages and disadvantages, applications, and needs for adopting blockchain technology. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to explore the influence of blockchain on education through the assessment of 69 variables. The final part contains the consequences of the analysis's findings and potential future advancements.