Abstract
Immigrants often encounter significant barriers to integration, including limited recognition of prior education, restricted access to learning opportunities, and low levels of trust in digital systems, all of which contribute to social exclusion in host societies. Although blockchain technology offers mechanisms for transparency, reduced reliance on intermediaries, and verifiable records, its potential for fostering inclusion remains underexplored. This paper presents EduChain, a permissioned blockchain architecture designed to explore how blockchain-based systems can support inclusion and trust among immigrants through academic credential verification and incentive-based learning. Drawing on documented challenges in education and academic credential verification reported in prior migration and integration studies, the paper identifies key design requirements that inform the system architecture. The study adopts an Action Design Research approach, implementing a prototype of a credential verification component while exploring the learning component conceptually in an analogous real-world setting.
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