Digital diplomas and certificates: Solutions against fake diplomas

The concept of digital diplomas and certificates was first introduced in the draft Circular promulgating regulations on diplomas and certificates of the national education system. Experts assessed this as necessary in the current digital transformation period.

According to the draft, digital diplomas and certificates (DCCs) are issued in digital form, have the same legal value as paper DCCs, and will be implemented synchronously and simultaneously with the issuance of paper DCCs.

TRANSPARENT AND ANTI-COUNTERFEIT

Commenting on this new point of the draft, Professor Dr. Hoang Van Kiem, former Principal of the University of Information Technology (Ho Chi Minh City National University), currently a senior advisor and Chairman of the Science and Training Council of Saigon International University, said: "This is a necessary way to ensure transparency and prevent counterfeiting of VBCC. The issuance of digital copies is attached with a unique identification code, QR code or blockchain, so it is almost impossible to counterfeit. Recruiting units, businesses, schools, and state agencies can authenticate online, check real and fake degrees in just a few seconds; reduce costs, simplify procedures. In addition, learners no longer have to worry about losing the original, and can access their lifelong learning records through the personal data portal."

In the near future, graduates will be awarded digital diplomas that can be easily searched.

PHOTO: NGOC DUONG

According to Professor Kiem, digital documents also help form personal learning profiles, record the entire learning process, and integrate into the lifelong learning ecosystem. This is very consistent with the trend of advanced countries standardizing digital documents, increasing the ability to connect and recognize international degrees through open data standards.

Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quoc Viet, Vice Principal of the University of Finance and Marketing, also said that up to now, verifying VBCC has taken a lot of time for schools and employers, not to mention the situation of forgery.

SOME SCHOOLS ARE GRADUALLY DIGITALIZING THE ISSUANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF VBCC

Currently, many schools have built a VBCC management system so that learners, businesses, agencies and units can look up. However, the implementation is still not synchronous. Some schools have issued VBCC numbers. Specifically, from November 2022, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics (UEH) has officially implemented the issuance of electronic certificates/certificates (free of charge) for short-term training courses so that learners, alumni and former students can quickly download them when needed and receiving units can easily check and authenticate online.

"This is one of UEH's efforts in the digital transformation strategy of education , applying information technology to the management and operation process to improve service quality, training activities, care and support for learners, to ensure that learners' needs are optimally resolved," Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Quang Hung, Deputy Director in charge of operations at Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, shared.

From 2025, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry will start issuing digital documents in parallel with paper copies; learners and units can look up and authenticate graduation certificates on the school's information system. Dr. Nguyen Trung Nhan, Head of Training Department, said that this is within the capacity of schools because each school already has training management software and data systems, only needing to invest in upgrading because it requires large storage space and lifelong storage.

Issuing digital certificates will prevent fake degrees. Photo: Mr. NTH's fake doctorate once caused a stir in public opinion when it was used to work as a lecturer and manager at many universities.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY UNIVERSITY

B HOW IS DATA SECURITY AND SAFETY ?

Professor Hoang Van Kiem said that the implementation of issuing digital VBCCs may face difficulties at some universities due to the lack of synchronous technology infrastructure and a lack of specialized IT human resources. "Not all schools have standardized and interconnected learning management systems and student data. Old data (graduation records from many years ago) are difficult to digitize and lack identification standards. Many schools have to depend on outside units, causing concerns about security and system maintenance. Many training and testing department staff will have to be retrained in the process of managing digital VBs," Professor Kiem commented.

Start applying VBCC number from the beginning of 2026

According to information from the Department of Quality Management (Ministry of Education and Training), by December 31, more than 1 million high school diplomas will be issued in 2025 and synchronously in 2026 for high school diplomas, vocational education documents, university and post-graduate documents. The application of digital documents in the national education system will be implemented from the beginning of 2026.

On the morning of November 14, the Ministry of Education and Training held a workshop to contribute ideas to the draft regulations on the management of VBCC; the draft process of digitizing VBCC data at the Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City. Speaking at the workshop, Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Chuong, Director of the Department of Quality Management (Ministry of Education and Training), said that the Ministry of Education and Training was assigned to preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries, agencies and localities to carry out many large and important tasks related to the management of VBCC. Specifically, building a database of digital transcripts and digital VB for learners nationwide according to personal identification codes, to be completed in 2025; promulgating regulations and digitizing VBCC data (priority given to VBCC of citizens born from 1970 onwards) to be completed before December 15, 2025; proposing a solution to use VNeID to identify degrees...

Also according to Professor, Dr. Chuong, the Ministry of Education and Training is presiding over the amendment and supplementation of 3 draft laws (the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Education, the Law on University Education (amended), the Law on Vocational Education (amended). It is expected that the National Assembly will discuss and give opinions on these draft laws on November 20, pass them on December 10 and take effect on January 1, 2026. In the draft laws, many new and breakthrough regulations on the management of VBCC have also been legalized, such as: regulations on VBCC No., replacing the junior high school diploma with a transcript confirmation of the completion of the junior high school program, assigning the authority to grant high school diplomas to principals, supplementing vocational high school diplomas, regulations on university education certificates granted to learners after completing a course or part of the training program, with recognized value in the university education system...

Professor Chuong said that by December 31, more than 1 million high school diplomas will be issued in 2025 and in 2026, they will be implemented synchronously for high school diplomas, vocational education, university and post-graduate degrees. Thus, the application of digital documents in the national education system will be implemented from the beginning of 2026.

According to information from the Department of Quality Management, the issuance of a new circular replacing Circular 21/2019 is to comply with higher-level legal documents; respond to changes in the organization of two-level local government, decentralize the authority to issue public documents; especially meet the requirements of digital transformation in the management of public documents and the application of digital public documents.

Ha Anh

"The Ministry of Education and Training needs to issue national digital document data standards (metadata, format, encoding) so that school systems can connect and communicate; at the same time, integrate with the national database on higher education and the personal identification database (VNeID) to authenticate the owner's identity. A national digital document management portal is needed so that learners, employers and schools can look up and confirm instantly. In the near future, each learner will only need an identification code to access the "National Learning Profile", in which all degrees - certificates - skills are authenticated, connected and shared safely and transparently," Professor Kiem proposed.

Regarding security and safety, Professor Kiem noted that data must be encrypted, stored in a distributed manner or on blockchain to avoid being modified, deleted, or falsified; there must be a multi-layer authentication mechanism when accessing or signing. In addition, regular backups and audit logs are needed to detect unauthorized access.

Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quoc Viet is also concerned about security and privacy issues. Accordingly, if the security system is not good, user digital data is vulnerable to attack, personal information of certificate holders will be exposed, causing unpredictable consequences.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/van-bang-chung-chi-so-giai-phap-chong-bang-gia-185251114231148777.htm