Standard Attributes and Use Cases for Academic Certificates
With the advancement of digital transformation (DX) in universities, the digitization of various certificates related to students and faculty members has been gaining attention. Universities have historically served as trusted institutions, where reliability has been emphasized in the issuance of documents such as student IDs and graduation certificates. Traditionally, certificates were issued on paper or plastic cards, requiring significant time and effort for identity verification. In recent years, digital certificates have been introduced to enhance user convenience.
However, digitization involves risks such as forgery and duplication, making it essential to ensure reliability through technologies like electronic signatures and proof of possession. As the issuance of digital certificates expands, the operational burden on universities increases. Therefore, standardizing certificate operations and unifying certificate formats have become increasingly important. This will enable greater efficiency through SaaS-based certificate management and improve convenience for service providers.
In FY2024, the National Institute of Informatics (NII) provided technical support for several digital certificate proof-of-concept (PoC) projects, confirming the importance of standardized attribute information. This paper discusses the development of a standard data format and attribute providers for university-issued data, levels of attribute assurance, and attribute requirements for specific use cases.
Notice of Call for Public Comment
We are seeking public comments on the “Standard Attributes and Use Cases for Academic Certificates.”
The purpose of this proposal is to contribute to the future development of standardization and institutional frameworks, and we aim to incorporate feedback from a broad range of stakeholders.
■ Invitation for Public Comments
We welcome comments, suggestions, and concerns regarding the draft of “Standard Attributes and Use Cases for Academic Certificates.”
■ Submission Period
Until July 20, 2025
■ How to submit
Please use the public comment submission form.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_pqOO-iunDz52BnFG4SyBfCdbeFpoIJzhXwq5qcnkk
■ Notes
Comments received will not be responded to individually, but they will be taken into account in future deliberations.The content of your comments may be made public in a way that does not personally identify you.
Standard Attributes and Use Cases for Academic Certificates
Standard Format and Issuance Scenarios for Digital Student ID Cards (mdoc Version)
Traditionally, university student and staff ID cards have been regarded as highly reliable forms of identification. Although the advancement of educational digital transformation (DX) requires the digitization of certificates, technological support is necessary to maintain the conventional reliability. In particular, the use of authentication technologies—alongside photo matching—is effective in demonstrating proof of possession by the rightful holder.
Currently, each university implements its own specifications for digital ID cards, which imposes a heavy burden on verification systems, making the development of standardized specifications an urgent priority. The international standard mdoc (ISO/IEC 18013-5) is a promising framework for digital ID cards, as it enables a high level of proof of possession through the use of secure elements.
In order to utilize digital student ID cards as authentication tokens, it is also essential to guarantee UID-equivalent data and attribute values. This paper defines the standard specifications and contractual considerations necessary for the issuance and operation of digital student ID cards based on mdoc.
Notice of Call for Public Comment
We are seeking public comments on the “Standard Format and Issuance Scenarios for Digital Student ID Cards (mdoc Version)”
The purpose of this proposal is to contribute to the future development of standardization and institutional frameworks, and we aim to incorporate feedback from a broad range of stakeholders.
■ Invitation for Public Comment
We welcome comments, suggestions, and concerns on the draft of “Standard Format and Issuance Scenarios for Digital Student ID Cards (mdoc Version)”
■ Submission Period
Until July 20, 2025
■ How to submit
Please use the public comment submission form.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1RLOZvWkfPI-ery3BhMyc2vdU_BG7xzPNv-40SAY8mbQ
■ Notes
Comments received will not be responded to individually, but they will be taken into account in future deliberations.The content of your comments may be made public in a way that does not personally identify you.
Standard Format and Issuance Scenarios for Digital Student ID Cards