Towards a single digital educational identity for mbo, hbo and wo

The SURF service eduID is a personalised, unique basic identity for learners, just as DigID is for civil affairs. It has been developed by and for the education sector. It allows you to prove who you are and what you are authorised to do within institutional systems.

Lifelong learning and autonomy

A single digital educational identity for further education promotes student mobility and lifelong learning. It places the learner at the centre of education, rather than digital systems.

Allowing learners to choose whether or not to share data gives them greater control over their identity. By taking control of the digital landscape surrounding educational identity, the education sector also strengthens its digital sovereignty.

Time, human resources and collaboration

To reap the full benefits of eduID, broad implementation is required across vocational education (mbo), higher professional education (hbo) and university education (wo) – in other words, a sector-wide solution. This requires time, human resources and constructive collaboration. We are proceeding step by step: for the time being, existing institutional identities and eduID will continue to coexist.

User-friendly, secure and autonomous

As student mobility does not stop at national borders, coordination with other European countries is also necessary. SURF’s guiding principles in this regard focus on user-friendliness, security, privacy, reliability, good governance and the preservation of the education sector’s autonomy.

Want to know more?

Read the position paper in Dutch