In an endeavor to battle against the falsification of university diplomas in Brazil, the MEC (Ministry of Education) has recommended developing a Blockchain-based platform to issue digital certifications amongst non-state universities.

 MEC minister Abraham Weintraub has raised this possibility, which also attempts to build coherence between diplomas and thus produce a space for self-regulation.

To fund the creation of the platform, Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico has stated that the resources will arrive from the private educational institutions themselves as they will be entirely responsible for publishing diplomas.

Private universities to fund the blockchain platform

Also, for the measure to be executed, the ministry would need universities to build an independent department that is accountable for maintaining the blockchain-based platform.

Local media also reported that at least 14 private universities had displayed an interest in the government’s proposal to execute such technology.

Gilberto Garcia, former president of the National Education Council, stated Valor Economico that this recommendation also implies the distribution of all the historical information of educational institutions, which would be part of the transparency that the blockchain mechanism can provide.

The ministry’s proposal intends to combat a problem that is not unique in the country: the issuance of fake university certificates, which has been the topic of local press headlines for years.

In that same year, the MEC executed a necessary measure to issue diplomas in digital form, both for private and public educational institutions.

Other Latin American countries issuing diplomas with Blockchain

However, Brazil would not be the only country in Latin America to utilize blockchain technology for issuing university certificates.

The National University of Colombia (UNAL) has been awarding diplomas in digital format since 2019, acknowledgments to the Blockchain. Nonetheless, according to the Colombian educational institution, less than half of graduates have downloaded their digital certifications after then.