University of Dubai, a fully-owned subsidiary of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry set up in 1997 offering six undergraduate and graduate programs and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), has signed an agreement with the UAE’s leading systems integrator Smartworld for a digital certificate protocol built on blockchain technology.
The tamper-proof certificate platform allows the university to issue encrypted and protected digital certificates and create, record and verify academic credentials securely via the web platform and mobile application. The Shahada initiative is in alignment with the UAE Blockchain Strategy launched in April 2018 to transform 50 per cent of government transactions into the blockchain platform by 2021.
The solution allows UD to have instant and effective creation, generation, and issuance of academic credentials on the blockchain that can be easily shared and verified by employers or any entity. The University students can export certificates in different formats and share them via email, SMS, WhatsApp and any other messaging platforms and the party receiving the certificate able to verify it with digital certainty. The privacy of certificates is maintained in the blockchain as only authorized participants can view them.
To support educational development in the emirate consistent with the Dubai Vision 2020, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, granted the University in June 2006 a three million square feet of land in the Academic City to build its new campus. Following the selection of the design for the new campus by the Ruler through an international competition, Dubai Chambers granted AED200 million to construct the new campus which in December 2015 became operational.
Officials say UD is now publishing over 2,000 graduates’ e-credentials on the blockchain platform. Its President Dr Eesa Bastaki said the e-service is available to all the University graduates as well as the employers. Students and graduates can quickly and easily access their e-credentials via a responsive platform, using their UD username, ID, and password. Employers can access the e-credential verification from https://certify.ud.ac.ae
Abdulqader Ali, CEO of Smartworld said: “We are pleased about being able to contribute to the University of Dubai’s digital transformation. Our deployed blockchain solution will enhance the UD stakeholders’ experience, save costs and support the Green Economy.” Shahada is a collaboration between Smartworld and Grape Technology, a UAE software technology startup with expertise in blockchain implementations across the financial, educational and government sectors.