Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Online International Education Platform "Japan Virtual Campus" Adopts GMO GlobalSign's e-Seal [GMO GlobalSign]

GMO GlobalSign Inc. (hereinafter "GMO GlobalSign," *1), a GMO Internet Group company, led by Representative Director and President Katsuo Nakajo, has announced that its "Denshi Inkan Solution DSS byGMO" e-seal solution has been adopted for digital learning certificates issued by the international education platform "Japan Virtual Campus" (hereinafter "JV-Campus"), operated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

With this implementation, JV-Campus has adopted a mechanism to automatically apply organizational e-seals to digital learning certificates in PDF format (linked with Open Badge issuance) issued from the platform's system. This makes it easier for learners and third parties receiving the learning certificates to confirm the certainty of the issuing source and whether it has been altered, thereby improving convenience as well as reliability.

(*1) GMO GlobalSign is a consolidated subsidiary of GMO GlobalSign Holdings.

## Background

With the expansion of online education and international collaboration programs, there is a growing need to prove and share learning achievements across borders. JV-Campus is an international education platform that began operation in March 2022 as part of a Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology project, with higher education institutions and companies both domestically and internationally participating in content provision.

While digital certificates are convenient, it can be difficult for recipients to determine "if the organization truly issued it" or "if it has been altered along the way." Particularly for international use and third-party submissions (such as for employment, further education, or internal evaluation), the authenticity of the issuing entity, detection of tampering, and long-term verification are crucial. Ensuring reliability has become an important social issue. Therefore, to introduce a signature infrastructure based on electronic certificates issued by trusted certification authorities, JV-Campus utilized GMO GlobalSign's API-type service "Denshi Inkan Solution DSS byGMO," which enables the attachment of e-seals, to verify a mechanism for automatically applying e-seals—an "electronic seal" affixed in the name of the organization—to PDF certificates.

## Overview

"Denshi Inkan Solution DSS byGMO" has been integrated into JV-Campus's learning certificate issuance flow, automating the following series of processes. Please note that GMO GlobalSign does not receive or use data containing personal information from JV-Campus during these processes.

- Generation of certificate information based on learning completion data on JV-Campus.
- Automatic generation of learning certificates in PDF format (linked with Open Badge issuance) containing an Open Badge image and a link (QR code) to the Open Badge verification page.
- Automatic application of an e-seal to the PDF based on an electronic certificate in the name of JV-Campus, using an electronic signature method for hash values, without transmitting the PDF itself externally.
- Addition of a timestamp to strengthen evidence at the time of issuance and long-term verifiability.

This integration has enabled the end-to-end automation of certificate issuance and electronic signature application without individual stamping work. It is now possible to technically prove the issuing entity and enhance reliability without interrupting large-volume issuance operations. By establishing a system where JV-Campus obtains electronic certificates and applies e-seals in its own name, it is expected to promote the establishment of internationally valid issuer authentication, improve the reliability of digital certification in the education sector, and accelerate the social implementation of micro-credentials, thereby driving education DX and standardizing cross-border learning certification.

## Future Practical Application and Development

This system is planned for practical application in operations that automatically issue PDF learning certificates with e-seals, linked to JV-Campus's digital badge issuance system. Once implemented, the automatic issuance of official PDF learning certificates with e-seals will be possible simultaneously with the issuance of digital badges, achieving both enhanced international reliability and convenience of learning achievements.

Furthermore, the knowledge gained from this initiative can be applied not only to the education sector but also to the certificate issuance operations of various companies and organizations, such as:

- Completion certificates, attendance certificates, and internal qualification certificates for training and education.
- Various certificates for business partners (evidence of conformity, completion of courses, completion of work).
- Documents requiring clear identification of the issuer and detection of tampering, such as invoices (including large-volume issuance).

The technical demonstration that "the issuer is certain and has not been altered later" leads to reduced risks in situations where trust is questioned, such as submissions, audits, and international collaborations. JV-Campus and GMO GlobalSign will continue to work towards realizing a society where learning achievements are correctly evaluated across borders, and improving international validity and convenience, through the enhanced reliability of digital learning certification and automation of issuance operations utilizing organizational e-seals and timestamps. Both parties aim to contribute to the acceleration of education DX and the development of cross-border learning through this initiative.