Blockchain for Sustainable Supply Chains: Enhancing Transparency from Producer to Consumer

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Topic focuses on the transformative application of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) in Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SCM), addressing the inherent complexities of traceability and verification across multiple, critical sectors. The scope is broadened beyond traditional agri-food to include high-complexity areas like the energy sector (oil and gas), advanced manufacturing, and global logistics transport. The "Farm" symbolizes any point of origin of value, and the "Consumer" represents the final point of custody transfer. The core aim is to leverage blockchain to develop solutions that not only verify origin and sustainability but also ensure regulatory compliance (tariffs, sanctions), integrate securely with Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) and AI systems, and analyze the energy cost-efficiency of the DLT implementations themselves. The call is strongly multidisciplinary, seeking contributions from experts in Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, Logistics, International Commercial Law, Economics, and Cybersecurity.

Dr. Cándido Caballero-Gil
Prof. Dr. Mike Burmester
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Administrative Sciences admsci	3.1	5.6	2011	21.3 Days	CHF 1600	Submit
Computers computers	4.2	7.5	2012	17.5 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
Future Internet futureinternet	3.6	8.3	2009	16.1 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research jtaer	4.6	11.7	2006	27.9 Days	CHF 1400	Submit
Sustainability sustainability	3.3	7.7	2009	17.9 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Technologies technologies	3.6	8.5	2013	19.1 Days	CHF 1800	Submit

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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All Sustainability Computers Future Internet Technologies JTAER Administrative Sciences

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20 pages, 1137 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Trust and Sustainability in Higher Education Through Blockchain-Based Academic Document Verification

by Yenlik Begimbayeva, Olga Ussatova, Vladislav Karyukin, Galimkair Mutanov, Yerlan Kistaubayev and Medet Turdaliyev

Sustainability 2026, 18(7), 3547; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18073547 - 4 Apr 2026

Viewed by 480

Abstract

The sustainability of higher education systems increasingly depends on the integrity, transparency, and long-term verifiability of academic credentials. Widespread diploma fraud, unauthorized modification of academic records, and fragmented verification mechanisms undermine institutional trust, graduate mobility, and public confidence in educational outcomes. These challenges [...] Read more.

The sustainability of higher education systems increasingly depends on the integrity, transparency, and long-term verifiability of academic credentials. Widespread diploma fraud, unauthorized modification of academic records, and fragmented verification mechanisms undermine institutional trust, graduate mobility, and public confidence in educational outcomes. These challenges directly affect the social and governance dimensions of sustainable development, particularly in the context of universities’ digital transformation. This study proposes a blockchain-based approach to support the sustainable governance of academic documents by strengthening transparency, accountability, and auditability. The proposed system employs cryptographic hash anchoring and smart contract–based enforcement to verify academic credentials such as diplomas, transcripts, and certificates. Document contents are processed and stored off-chain, while cryptographic representations and essential metadata are immutably recorded on an EVM-compatible blockchain, ensuring data privacy and resistance to tampering. Any modification to a document results in a mismatch between the original and recomputed hashes, making fraudulent alterations immediately detectable. A web-based application and a role-restricted smart contract were implemented to support document issuance, verification, and immutable audit logging. System evaluation based on blockchain transaction evidence confirms reliable document registration, deterministic verification outcomes, and verifiable linkage between institutional actions and on-chain records. The results indicate that blockchain-based document verification can contribute to the reduction in corruption risks and improve transparency, strengthening institutional trust and supporting sustainable digital governance in higher education systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Blockchain for Sustainable Supply Chains: Enhancing Transparency from Producer to Consumer)

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