GDN 2022 — How Digital Credential Networks Support International Learner Mobility
The Groningen Declaration Network is an international, nonprofit and voluntary network of organisations and individuals created to empower digital student data portability. With the expansion of digital technology and remote learning, and the growing need for flexibility and mobility within the learner experience, the GDN now consists of participants and signatories from over 29 countries worldwide. Network participants envision that students and learners across the globe should be able to digitally consult and share their authentic educational data with whomever they want, whenever they want, wherever they are located.
Each year, the Groningen Declaration Network aims to support the academic and professional mobility needs of individuals worldwide by bringing together stakeholders at its Annual Meeting.
The Groningen Declaration Network is an international, nonprofit and voluntary network of organisations and individuals created to empower digital student data portability. With the expansion of digital technology and remote learning, and the growing need for flexibility and mobility within the learner experience, the GDN now consists of participants and signatories from over 29 countries worldwide. Network participants envision that students and learners across the globe should be able to digitally consult and share their authentic educational data with whomever they want, whenever they want, wherever they are located.
Each year, the Groningen Declaration Network aims to support the academic and professional mobility needs of individuals worldwide by bringing together stakeholders at its Annual Meeting.
The GDN Annual Meeting, 2022
At the GDN Annual Meeting, stakeholder representatives from over 100 organisations gathered to share, learn and lead discussions on strategies aimed at streamlining the exchange of authentic, autonomous educational data — with the expectation of fair recognition. The 2022 meeting, held October 12-14, centred on the themes of:
- Learner centricity.
- Interoperability.
- Lifelong learning.
These ultimately highlight the interdependence of three key issues associated with digital credentialing solutions: All of which must be met to make digital learner data portability a global reality.
How digital credential networks support international learner mobility
Kevin Martin, Higher Education, General Manager at Parchment, discussed some of the trends surrounding digital credentials in higher education today and how digital credential networks can support international learner mobility. 
Kevin explained that, in the face of the pandemic, education institutions and educators needed to shift from in-person platforms of teaching, learning and graduating to online platforms. And unfortunately, there’s been an increase in socioeconomic inequality because of a lack of access to virtual learning platforms.
This means vulnerable learners, including students escaping situations like war, rely on documents like transcripts, diplomas and certificates as tools for rebuilding their lives and regaining a sense of autonomy. Concurrently with the pandemic, wars and conflicts are making it difficult and nearly impossible for learners to access credentials relevant to their prior learning.
Over the last 10 years, these effects have been largely seen in:
- Syria.
- Afghanistan.
- Ukraine.
And, the affordability and the cost of studying abroad continue to be important considerations for international students. While studying abroad can offer a high-quality education, cultural and social experiences and a route to a better job, international education is one of the single largest investment decisions for many students due to the:
- High cost of tuition.
- Rising cost of living.
- Unfavourable currency exchange rates.
According to Research.com, the costs of attending a private and public university today are close to $48,510 and $21,370, respectively. This represents an increase of roughly 25% at private universities and about 30% at public universities since 2012.
Support for international learners today
Today, there are several significant projects, partnerships, companies and initiatives that are scaling academic and professional records exchange across the globe. Here are a few examples to note:
- Through the ARUCC MyCreds™ | MesCertifMC National Network, Canadian colleges and universities are providing credential wallets tolearners, giving them 24-7 access and helping them securely send their documents, badges, micro-credentials, transcripts and parchments — anytime, anywhere.
- My eQuals, managed by Higher Education Services (HES), is the official tertiary digital credentials platform for the Australian and New Zealand higher education sector, students and verifiers.
At Digitary by Parchment, our globally trusted online platform — launched in Dublin, Ireland, in 2005 — is now used by employers, education providers and government agencies in over 125 countries. Digitary CORE helps institutions and organisations verify the authenticity of degrees, transcripts and other academic records online.
However, to build toward a united future, standards need to be set. Organisations that will play a critical role in casting the vision for, and standards of, academic credentials include:
How credential innovation empowers learners
New Credentials have emerged to provide a fuller picture of a learner’s capability — representing the breadth of what learners know and can do as a result of their learning. This has led to tremendous innovation in credentials, including:
- Academic transcripts.
- Diplomas.
- Certificates.
- Badges.
- Comprehensive Learner Records.
Institutions are quickly and increasingly partnering with organisations like those mentioned earlier to create new pathways, communicate more content and make these credentials actionable for learners.
What to expect moving forward
Kevin also spoke about how the emergence of digital credentials has been creating a culture of recognition, and the next step is to put those credentials to work.
This means, employees will need to learn new skills as demand moves from physical and cognitive to more technical and socialisation skills, and employers are progressively utilising skills-based hiring. Because of this, there’s an even greater need for skills data. Digital credentials will become the building blocks for both job seekers and employers as the marketplace for skills and technology becomes more sophisticated.
Given the compelling need to work together and the increasing use of digital technologies, the global collaboration surrounding these initiatives is more valuable than ever to:
- Continue to build national networks.
- Bridge these national networks to ensure that we have interoperable systems built to inform and empower greater student mobility.
By connecting national networks and providing access to equitable, interoperable systems that enhance learner mobility, institutions can adequately support international learners — particularly the most vulnerable populations in our localities, countries and the world.
Continued support from partners like Digitary
Digitary by Parchment is a GDN patron organisation with a like-minded belief that learners should be able to access and share their digital credentials, including certificates, transcripts, diploma supplements, Higher Education Achievement Reports (HEARs) and more, securely and easily.
Digitary CORE (Certified Online Records Exchange) is a leading secure online platform for certifying, sharing and verifying digital academic credentials worldwide. Our platform is ultimately designed to empower learners on their lifelong learning journey while supporting higher education institutions in pursuit of providing an unparalleled student experience.
Discover more about how Digitary’s solutions support interoperability and learner centricity or submit an enquiry to get started.
