The University of Bahrain (UoB) has become one of the first universities in the world to issue certificates to students using blockchain technology. This rare feat was announced at the ‘Blockchain Unlocked Summit’.

The UoB has collaborated with Learning Machine, which last year implemented a similar project with MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and are recognised as the global leader of using blockchain in education. Over 100 delegates attended the summit from the private and public sectors, which was held in partnership between UoB and Bahrain Fintechbay.

The summit focused on practical applications of blockchain and how economic sectors and start-ups can take advantage of this new technology. Blockchain verified certificates would mean that any certificate issued will secure, tamper-proof and directly shareable with employers and other universities anywhere in the world instantly.

University of Bahrain President, Professor Riyad Hamzah, explained the rationale for using the blockchain platform for academic records: “We at UoB are delighted to be the trailblazers in using blockchain in the MENA region in order to better serve our students. “This technology provides an encrypted platform to issue credentials to students with cryptographic proof that they were issued by UOB. Students will also have their own digital file, which means that they or indeed their employers will not have to wait for us to validate their credentials.