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The functionalities of the “Diploma” project, an initiative by RedCLARA that facilitates regional academic dialogue and the interoperability of student and professional credentials, along with other educational services deployed on LACNet's blockchain networks, were discussed in one of the podcasts from the “Café LACChain” series, titled “Education in the Web3 Era.”

RedCLARA’s Services Manager, Carlos González, presented the Diploma Project. He participated in the conversation along with Anabella Laya, Founder and CEO of Acreditta; Carmen Ocampo, Co-founder and CTO of BlockchainDC; and Marcos Allende, Co-Founder and CEO of Blerify.

Through this initiative, RedCLARA provides a service on LACChain networks so that the Latin America and the Caribbean's national research and education networks (NRENs) can enable their member institutions to issue verified academic certifications and diplomas through blockchain. This information can be securely stored, shared, and standardized.

“The role of blockchain is very significant for the work of the national networks and for the entire research ecosystem of Latin America and the Caribbean, with challenges ranging from credential verification to identity management and data traceability,” González emphasized. He added that the NRENs that are part of RedCLARA came together to discuss what could be done to ensure this proper "mobility" of data, and from this effort, “emerged the Diploma, which, with the strong support of LACChain and LACNet, allows " easily verifiable credentials issued by the different member institutions of the NRENs, becoming a regional standard.”

According to the RedCLARA Service Manager, the model creates a "trust list" that ensures that the certificate issuing institution has been properly validated by its respective NREN, which, in turn, has been previously validated by RedCLARA. “This creates a chain of trust confirming that the certificate issuer had the authority to do so, providing greater confidence for all stakeholders.”

Currently, the Diploma project is already operational, and universities wishing to issue verifiable academic degrees using blockchain technology can turn to the national networks and RedCLARA for guidance. The process can be carried out through partners authorized by the regional network or through a joint consultancy between RedCLARA, LACChain, and LACNet which will guide the technical teams of the higher education institutions. For more information about the Diploma Project, please contact to servicios@redclara.net.

Café LACChain is the new program of LACChain, the global alliance integrated by different actors in the blockchain environment, led by the Innovation Lab of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Lab) for the development of the blockchain ecosystem in Latin America and the Caribbean. The whole episode of Café LACChain “Education in the Web3 Era,” featuring Carlos González, is available on YouTube and Spotify.