As a leader in the education industry, SABIS^® continuously seeks new opportunities and explores new horizons that allows the organization and schools in the network to benefit from latest technologies. SABIS^®’s recent participation in the ConsenSys Lebanon Blockchain Developer Boot Camp and performance during the “hackathon” is very exciting and holds great promise for the future. 

Blockchain is a data structure that functions by verifying and handling data between computer systems, ensuring that nothing is altered or changed during a transfer. It is used to maintain and prove the integrity of shared data. The data is secured in a chain of blocks or a series of data records connected to the one before, so essentially the newest piece of information in the chain contains the history of the entire chain. Blockchain technology provides a decentralized database and, using cryptography, a great level of transparency, traceability, and security. Blockchain data is also resistant to tampering as no centralized version of this information exists for a hacker to corrupt.

From October 17 to 21, 2018, SABIS^® web developers took part in a blockchain developer boot camp that allowed them to explore this IT innovation. The boot camp took place in Beirut, Lebanon, and was one of the first blockchain boot camps to be held in the region. Throughout the first three days of the event, participants received in-depth training on the fundamentals of blockchain development. The training was followed by a two-day hackathon, during which participants were required to conceptualize a blockchain-based solution to a certain challenge and then present it to a panel of judges.

The SABIS^® team was able to successfully present a platform in which student certificates and academic transcripts were securely stored, updated, authenticated, verified, and shared using the blockchain technology. Applying the right skills and dedication, the team’s efforts were crowned with success, earning them second place in the competition.

“Attending the boot camp was of great value. It added to our knowledge of blockchain systems and it inspired us to identify the ways we could use this system at SABIS^®,” commented Nazir Masaad, Senior Web Developer.  “Blockchain technology can easily be adapted to future SABIS^® projects starting with the Digital Diploma, the SAGA university app, student apps, and it can also be expanded to benefit the organization on a business level,” added Alain Haddad, Web Development Team Leader at SABIS^®.

SABIS^®’s interest in this event stems from the importance of blockchain, which promises to become the next mainstream technology in both the public and private sectors. Blockchain offers limitless possibilities in finance and other industries. In education, it has the potential to optimize data automation and control record authentication and distribution by enhancing the security, transparency, and incorruptibility of data systems.

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