Blockchain-Enabled Cross-Border Academic Credential Recognition: A Framework for Central Asian Economic Integration
Despite the ratification of regional integration frameworks such as the Lisbon Recognition Convention (1997), cross-border academic mobility in Central Asia remains constrained by fragmented credential verification systems. This paper examines the institutional barriers to educational integration in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This inefficiency stems from two structural factors: (1) the absence of interoperable verification infrastructure, and (2) asymmetric institutional capacity across national systems (Fukuyama, 2013). This paper studies how Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan manage credential recognition differently. We use a comparative case study and policy document analysis. We argue that the main barrier to integration is infrastructural, not legal. We look at how Kyrgyzstan restructured its institutions recently (2023–2025). This created a “bifurcated governance” model, where academic and scientific degrees are verified by separate bodies. To solve this, we propose the Central Asian Blockchain Education Alliance (CABEA). This framework acts as a “middleware” layer. It allows for functional centralization without needing to merge administrative bodies. Using Acharya’s norm localization theory, we show how Web 3.0 technologies can adapt global standards to local realities. Based on the technical specifications of Hyperledger Fabric (500 TPS, sub-second finality) and the elimination of manual document processing, CABEA has the potential to reduce cross-border verification time from 2–4 weeks to near-instantaneous automated queries. However, empirical validation through pilot implementation is required to confirm these projections. We conclude with policy recommendations for a pilot project in Kyrgyzstan. We emphasize that technology should not replace state institutions but fix the gaps between them. This framework has significant implications for labor market efficiency and regional economic cooperation in developing economies.
