UTAR iCGPA and Blockchain Certification System

From left: Chee, Prof Lee, Yim, Goh, Datuk Mary Yap, Prof Chuah, Datuk Oh and Nik Zaitun at the launching ceremony

With the support from Silverlake, UTAR launched the Key Generation of UTAR integrated Cumulative Grade Point Average (iCGPA) and Blockchain Certification System at Sungai Long Campus on 9 February 2018.

Present at the launching ceremony were Deputy Minister of Higher Education Datuk Dr Mary Yap Kain Ching; Silverlake Founder and Group Chairman Goh Peng Ooi; UTAR Council member Datuk (Dr) Oh Chong Peng; UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik; UTAR Vice President for R&D and Commercialisation Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei; Silverlake Symmetry and Technology Research Sdn Bhd Managing Director Chee Hin Kooi; UTAR Registrar Yim Lin Heng; and Department of Examination, Awards and Scholarships Director Nik Zaitun binti Nik Salleh.

In view of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, UTAR aims to be a smart university that has implemented the Blockchain technology, with the support from Silverlake Symmetry and Technology Research Sdn Bhd. Being the first university in Asia to launch this certification system, UTAR graduates are issued an actual and a digital certificate which is secured whereby potential employers are able to verify the authenticity of the certificate.

The Blockchain was introduced in UTAR with the aim to set a secure, verifiable, accessible, distributed, immutable and sustainable education database information. The Blockchain is able to store all records, certificates and awards, transfer credits and learning achievement throughout lifetime without any central database. Information stored within the block is more distributed and encrypted, making each block tamper-proof. Thus, the information is secured and at the same time easily accessed by all the parties. 

Prof Chuah inserting the username and password to initiate the key generation

The iCGPA initiative was first launched in 2015. It works together with the Malaysian Education Blueprint and Malaysian Qualification Framework to provide a comprehensive assessment of students’ performance, which is also in line with the UTAR’s six pillars of education, namely “Virtue and Morality, Knowledge and Intellect, Physical and Mental health, Sociality and Humanitarianism, Aesthetics and Harmony and Creativity and Innovation”. The iCGPA assesses students’ performance from other aspects besides academic such as soft skills. It enables the prospective employers to identify potential future employees based on skills and more holistic measurements. Furthermore, this system also encourages students to participate in co-curricular activities and programmes to further enhance their skills and growth in social aspects, and have continuous improvement to better equip themselves for a better career path.

Prof Chuah delivering his welcome speech

Prof Chuah said, “We are glad to say that the iCGPA has been implemented in UTAR since January 2018. The January 2018 intake students will be able to get their iCGPA certificates. It is a new benchmarking and corrective assessment mechanism intended to evaluate students’ overall progressive development. By doing so, the students will have a clearer overview of their personal strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, the university is able to review the curriculum and evaluate the essential elements needed in shaping the students into holistic graduates. An added bonus of the iCGPA is that it enables prospective employers to identify future employees based on skills and other holistic measurements.”

He added, “Together with Silverlake, UTAR is now launching this secured Blockchain Certification System for the University’s Foundation certificates, undergraduate and postgraduate degree certificates. This helps to further increase the security of our degree certification system and to prevent forgeries and tampering of certificates. UTAR is one of the few universities in Asia, if not the world, to implement this Blockchain technology for university certificates.”

Goh delivering his speech

“Blockchain is like an impenetrable container that cannot be manipulated or altered, and in this container, you can put in any object that is in a digital form. With our commitment to science, mathematics and economy, it allows us to make a repeated profit by solving problems in an efficient, meaningful and purposive way. We are proud to have a role in why we are here today to launch the Blockchain certificate, and it is a good example of using technology to empower the Education community. I foresee that this is just the beginning of our collaborative journey towards a cyber-university and true digital education community,” said Goh. 

Datuk Yap delivering her speech

Datuk Yap said, “The iCGPA mechanism includes the attainment of the aspirations stipulated in the education blueprint as well as the eight domains of learning outcomes listed in the Malaysian Qualifications Framework, namely knowledge, practical skills, social skills and responsibilities, values, attitudes and professionalism, communication, leadership and teamwork skills, problem-solving and scientific skills, information management and lifelong learning skills, and managerial and entrepreneurial skills.”

“This integrated system of UTAR contains not only the iCGPA component but also a component of secured certification based on the Blockchain technology for global secure online verification of student’s certificates. The use of this emerging Blockchain technology is secure and transparent. Hence, there will be no hassle with hacking and tampering of data. Overall, education must design and deliver interventions that will strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills, employability skills and global citizenship skills,” Datuk Yap added.

Prof Chuah (right) presenting the souvenir to Datuk Yap

Goh (left) receiving the token of appreciation from Prof Chuah

Group photo after the launch