A presentation on the application of the blockchain for the purposes of transforming Academia in line with Industry 4.0

1. Application of the Blockchain for
the Purposes ofTransforming
Academia in line with Industry 4.0
Hristian Daskalov, www.OS.UNIVERSITY Project Lead
PhD Candidate @ Brno / Riga / Sofia Technical University
Brno International Week – VUT FBM, 06-09.11.2017

2. 1.Research
2.Development
3.Network
Why? What? Who?

3. Expectations

4. Research:
Critical Success Factors in Managing
Open Source Stakeholders -
Application Beyond IT?
Part 1

5. Source:blog.hackerearth.com

6. “2017 will be theYear of the Internet of People”
https://daskalov.info/2016/12/28/2017-will-be-the-year-of-the-sharing-economy-2-0-the-internet-of-people/

7. IBM’s
‘Device
Democracy’

8. TheOpenSourceWorld
Software
- System software
- Application software
- Programing tools
Hardware
- IT hardware
- Non IT hardware
Content

9. The open source model is a
decentralized development model that
encourages open collaboration.
(Eric S. Raymond, 2001)
Source: medium.com

10.  Frequencies of critical success factor (CSF) categories, observed within the qualitative content
analysis conducted as part of the research on ‘’CSF in Managing OS Stakeholders Engagement’’
1
10 10
5 5 5 5
1 1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12

11. OSUniphoto

13. TheEconomy
TheL&DSystem
Skills
Demand
Skills
Supply
Information
Coordination
Relationships
Match
of skills
to jobs
Badqualityof
informationcoordination
relationshipsistheroot
causebehindpoor
resultsinschool-to-work
transition.
AccordingtoErnst&Young:

15. University А
Life-long learning
Consultants
Corporate
L&D
P2P
University B
Government L&D
Online e-learning
Non-formal education
NGO
L&D State of Art

16. Life-long learning
University III
Cluster
University II
Corporate
e-learning
Online education
University I
Government
L&D
Non-formal
education
NGO
Learners’ community
Concept

17. Our underlying technology:

18. Development:
World’s Academic & Career
Development Ledger on the
Ethereum Blockchain
Part 2

19. Itisashareddatabase.This
databaseiscalledaledger.
Likeabank,theledgerskeep
trackofdata(financialand
other).Unlikeacentralized
inst.(e.g.abank),everyone
hasacopy->decentralization
&autonomousverification.
The Blockchain 101

20. Public vs. Private Blockchains

21. Difficultinformation
&assetexchangein
businessnetworks
(e.g.supplychains)
Separate ledgers

22. Consistency,efficiency,
securityandscalability
ofdatafortransactions
throughoutthechain
Beyond understanding in general how the distributed database technology that powers blockchain works, it is important to
understand the types of problems facing institutions that blockchains appear to be good at solving. According to IBM, these
include: eliminating paperwork; updating/re-engineering (“extinguishing antiquated”) processes; creating transparency
Blockchain advantages

23. Haveyouseen
thelast 2slides
earlier inthe
presentation
already?

24. -Businesslogicthatcanbeassignedto
atransactiononthe blockchain
-Actsasa‘notary’ofblockchain
transactions
-Holdsconditionsunderwhich
specificactionscan/mustbe
performed
-Can’tbemodifiedwithout
predefinedpermissions
Smart contracts

25. CodingSmartContracts
● Data of the transaction is the compiled contract
● Contracts can call other contracts
(they can even call themselves)
● High level languages (for which compilers exist)
- Solidity (Javascript like)
- Serpent (Python like)
- LLL (Lisp like)
● Everything you use in a smart contract is publicly
visible

26. Learnerswillbeableto
recordandstoreprogress
directlyintotheblockchain,
usingsmartcontractsto
validateandshowcasetheir
accomplishmentsonaglobal
stage.
The Credentials Wallet
Source: www.os.university

27. Businesseswillhavedirect
accesstoaglobalpooloftalents,
whilebigdatawillenablethem
totargettherightcandidates
andmeetthelearningand
developmentneedsof
employeesthroughcustomized
pathwayson-demand.
The HR Process Optimizer
Source: www.os.university

28. Universitiesandother
learningproviderswilleasily
populatetheircourseand
programofferingsintothe
blockchain,makingtheir
knowledgeproduction
scalable,opening-upforthe
world.
The Global Ed. Marketplace
Source: www.os.university

29. The‘InternetofThings’eraisabout
collecting,connecting,andmaking
senseofdata.Weneeda
decentralized‘Diplomaofthings’
mechanismtocollect,connectand
makesenseoflearning.Therefore
thedistributededucation&career
developmentledgeriswhatwe
workonatwww.OS.UNIVERSITY.
The World’s L&D Ledger

30. FromLedger1.0
to Ledger2.0
Keeping it simple

31. Ourteamconsistsofrenowned
academicians,seniorcorporate
executives,experiencedpublic
sectorleaders,blockchain
evangelistsandsocialchange-
makers,unitedbythecommon
strivetorevolutionizetheworldof
learningandprofessional
development.
It takes a (global) village...

32. • H1 2015 - OSUni research project initiated at the Faculty of Management
within the Technical University of Sofia, resulting in scientific publications on the
subject, published in Bulgaria, Latvia, and the Czech Republic.
• H2 2015 - OSUni proof-of-concept phase initiated, along with corporate
partners from Bulgarian industry and software development sectors, resulting in
early versions of system's architecture and design.
• H1 2016 - OSUni announced among top 10 social innovation ideas globally,
in competition with 400 technology concepts and 130+ project proposals as
part of the Living Progress Challenge of Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
• H2 2016 - OSUni receives positive reviews and engages in expanding its
partnership network under programs for support of young entrepreneurs, led by
the Ministry of Economy and the Open Society Institute, as well as through the
Sofia Business School.
• H1 2017 - OSUni announced as 2017 "YouthSpeak'' forum winner in Latvia,
based on a scaled-down prototype, resulting in a distributed learning program
implementation project at a community center in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
• H2 2017 - OSUni development work reaches important milestone, under the
project leadership of IO.Era, software consultancy, specializing in blockchain-
based applications, leading the way to an initial currency offering (ICO).
R&D Background

34. Networking:
Ittakesavillagetore-engineera system
thatis 1000yearsold...
Let’smakeita globalvillage...
Bettera globalarmy...
Part 3

35. “TheFutureis
here–it’sjustnot
veryevenly
distributed”
Picture: blockchain.open.ac.uk
“Learning Is Earning 2026”
Video: Learning is Earning 2026

36. 1. Single institution for authentication of
certificates
2. Groups of institutions for shared
repositories of certification and
achievement, as in the example of
some universities have grouped
together in the US already
3. National blockchain database of all
certificates
4. Global assessment (Sony Global
Education)
5. Blockchain and badges – open
badges to evidence credentials and
safe storage
6. Blockchain and MOOCs – more
reliable certification of MOOCs
7. Continuing Professional Development
– currently CPD, and other forms of
formal and informal work-based
learning are diverse, and poorly
tracked
8. Corporate learning
9. Apprenticeship
10. Bodies of knowledge

37. Cipryss
The University of
Nicosia has been
issuing academic
certificates whose
authenticity can be
verified through the
Bitcoin blockchain
from 2014. These
certificates are being
issued to students
who successfully
completed or
participated in DFIN-
511 Introduction to
Digital Currency,
which is the first
university course
offered on the topic
of cryptocurrency.

38. 2015 Argentina graduates with proof of their diplomas on Bitcoin’s blockchain, thanks to a
piloting project by ‘Signatura’ and Calidad en Educación en Zona Norte College

39. MIT
“Digital Diploma debuts at MIT“
October 17th, 2017
Background:“In 2015, Philipp Schmidt, the director of learning innovation at the MIT Media
Lab, had begun issuing internal, non-academic digital certificates to his team. Schmidt had
realized that, despite the rise of decentralized, informal online learning opportunities, there
was no digital way to track and manage these accomplishments. He says he
became interested in finding a “more modular credentialing environment, where you would
get some kind of recognition for lots of things you did throughout your life.”

40. "Webelievethatblockchain
technologiesmayholdananswerto
collatingtheoutcomesofthenew
distributedlearningrealityandwe
intenttoexplorethepossibilitiesthat
thisinfrastructurecouldprovide.”
OU’sKnowledgeMediaInstitute
The Open University (UK)

41. UGron

42. Thisreportconcludesthatblockchain
applicationsforeducationarestillintheirinfancy.
Itdescribescasestudiesofimplementations
fromvariousEuropeanandnon-European
players,buteachoftheseimplementationsisin
apilotingphase.However,evenfromtheseearly
pilots,itispossibletosuggestthatblockchainhas
thepotentialtodisruptthemarketinstudent
informationsystems,bylooseningthecontrol
currentplayershaveoverthismarket.(inline
withopeneducation’ssharingandtransparency
principles)
EU’s JRC main conclusions

43. -Reproducibility
-Continuousresearch&
dataautonomy
-Realinnovation
“Blockchain for Science”
That’sawholeother
topicthatrequiresan
additionallecture...

44. “We envision a world in which the awarding and
validation of qualifications no longer occur
exclusively under the management of an education
institution or an employer and individual students,
teachers, and peers take more ownership of the
learning experience and its outcomes without
compromising on safety, security, and
accessibility"
Prof. John Domingue, Director of
the Open University’s
Knowledge Media Institute.

45. Thank
you!
 More on the subject:
 https://govinsider.asia/digital-gov/patrice-choong-ngee-ann-polytechnic-campus-ecosystem/
 https://news.coinify.com/academic-certificates-blockchain/
 http://www.investor.bg/kriptovaluti/491/a/zadava-se-pyrvata-globalna-platforma-za-
akademichno-razvitie-bazirana-na-blokchein-249123/
 https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2017/10/123841-open-source-university-project-launch-
global-social-innovation-platform-ico-round/
 http://www.bloombergtv.bg/investbook/2017-10-10/balgarska-platforma-osnovavashta-se-na-
blokcheyn-gleda-kam-revolyutsiya-v-obrazovanieto
 http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/80704/government_launches_first_blockhain_in
itiative_in_education
 https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-05-12-what-blockchain-means-for-higher-education
 https://www.coindesk.com/blockchain-education-big-idea-need-bigger-thinking/
 https://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/09/schools-are-recording-students-results-on-the-
blockchain.html
 https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/what-blockchain-technology-could-mean-for-
universities
 https://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/3/the-blockchain-revolution-and-higher-education
 https://oeb-insights.com/10-ways-blockchain-could-be-used-in-education/
 https://blog.signatura.co/first-official-career-diplomas-on-bitcoin-s-blockchain-69311acb544d
hristian.daskalov@opensourceuni.org