The pilot of the European Student Card (ESC) Project at the Poznan University of Technology has started! Through a year and a half of conversations between Marek Gosławski, the Deputy Chancellor of Poznan University of Technology, and representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, we have made significant progress towards the implementation of a new project. The project, titled "Development and implementation of a pilot project aimed at developing a European Student Card (ESC) template," is now closer to becoming a reality.
A milestone for our Alma Mater was the signing of the agreement by the Rector of the Poznan University of Technology, prof. Teofil Jesionowski on October 9, 2023. The sealing of the document by the Secretary of State, Wojciech Murdzek, on October 13, 2023, was dot the i's on this agreement.
The pilot project assumes that ESC will be issued by a university unit on behalf of the Poznan University of Technology, namely by the Inter-University Student ID Personalization Centre. The unit has been a leader in the personalisation of student, doctoral and employee ID cards in Poland since 2005. MCPLS has set the technological bar very high. The centre personalises modern electronic cards with enormous possibilities, ranging from identification, through access control, and public transport tickets, and ending with a qualified signature medium.
The leading assumption of the project is to create and provide software enabling independent operation of ESC by universities. Based on them, universities will be able to use the services of MCPLS, prepared as part of the pilot program for issuing ESCs, or create their personalization centres - both operating within a single university or in cooperation with other universities. The software will enable the issuance of ESC cards in "virtual" and "physical" forms. A virtual ESC refers to the ability of a student to confirm their status on the ESC website. It also allows the student to activate the ESC as part of their ERASMUS+ application or through a simple, dedicated mobile application. The idea of "wallets", i.e. universal applications intended for secure data storage, is also becoming more and more popular.
The main feature of the ESC is that it replaces existing student ID cards, thanks to which students can use various services both on and off the university campus during their mobility. The Erasmus+ application is an application that helps Erasmus students in all practical administrative activities - before departure, during their stay abroad and after returning. All administrative procedures related to participation in the Erasmus+ program can be managed online.
The European Student Card initiative therefore represents a decisive step towards a digital European society and a truly European education area, where staying abroad to study becomes the norm and educational excellence is a real experience for all.
It is a success and a reason to be proud that the Poznan University of Technology took advantage of this prestigious opportunity to enter the above path, which opens a range of prospects for the students and the entire community.
The Inter-University Student ID Personalization Centre of the Poznan University of Technology