A new online platform launched in Melbourne this week will give students access to their authentic digital academic records anytime, anywhere so they can share them with whoever they choose. My eQuals, by the Digital Student Data Project, is an innovative solution to address qualifications fraud.

The platform is currently being implemented in a staged approach across 45 participating universities, thirty-seven from Australia and eight from New Zealand.

The University of Melbourne, Monash University and Griffith University in Australia and the University of Auckland in New Zealand are currently using My eQuals.

In a mobile world, institutions and employers need to be able to verify that qualifications of potential students or employees are authentic.

That’s where My eQuals comes in. It will empower students to move quickly on education and employment opportunities at home and abroad.

The platform will be of economic benefit to Australian education providers by helping to reduce the cost and time involved in verifying documents. It also offers a way to protect Australia’s international reputation for world-class education against qualification fraud. The key benefits of the eQuals platform include:

• Universities retain control of a student’s academic records.
• Universities certify the accuracy of the document before it is released.
• Students or graduates have access to their academic records which they can share with whoever they choose, such as education providers and employers.
• The My eQuals platform has the potential to link with similar platforms to verify the qualifications of students from other countries and regions seeking admission to Australian universities.

Launched on 26 April in Melbourne, My eQuals is an Australian response to the Groningen Declaration, which is an international initiative involving 56 universities and 20 private sector companies from around the world.

The Groningen Declaration aims to promote authenticity of student data in digital form and enhance the mobility of students around the world.