Become a Signatory

Become a GDN Signatory

We welcome signatories!

Becoming a Signatory has many benefits. Examples include networking opportunities in our international community, discounted registration fees for events, participation in the Annual Business meeting where there is a rich variety of sessions from world thought leaders on learner mobility and digitization, a comprehensive video library of expert sessions, and eligibility for leadership positions within the network.

The term signatory is used to denote persons or organizations that contribute to the sustainability of the Groningen Declaration Network by actively participating in task forces, working groups, leadership positions within the network and by contributing financially.

When you become a Signatory you essentially endorse citizen focused, privacy compliant data exchange principles that support mobility. Doing so is not a contractual obligation; however, it demonstrates support for ethical sharing of academic documents and data. Have a look at our principles and consider signing up today.

Our current Signatories
Apply for Signatory status

Testimonials

Australia and New Zealand

“The Groningen Declaration was an important catalyst to a unique and continuing collaboration of Australian and New Zealand (NZ) universities. What began with a core group of Registrars coming together engaging with the Groningen Network and establishing a Digital Student Data working group, has since evolved in the establishment of My eQuals as the official credentials platform for ANZ tertiary education providers.”
Jay Segeth Program Director, MyeQuals

Canada

“As a nation often referred to as a mosaic in which diversity and multiculturism are fundamental cornerstones, Canada has long placed great importance and value on the free and open mobility of both ideas and of learners. Canada’s nascent National Network supports student – and social – mobility, and aligns perfectly with the central tenets of the Groningen Declaration. It is for this reason that ARUCC is a proud signatory, supporter and partner of the GDN”
Romesh Vadivel ARUCC

Japan

“The sustained efforts of the Groningen Declaration Network to reach out and share its vision of furthering a world of globally mobile learners are critical in converging information technology, governance and practices, which tend to remain fragmented within national jurisdictions if left to develop within country specific silos. It is especially valuable for digitization’s late comers, such as Japan, where RECSIE is now rapidly catching up with other stakeholders, thanks to the GDN's international public benefit network effect."
Koichi Nakasaki Director, RECSIE

Benefits to GDN Signatories

Quoted in the recently issued UNESCO report Digital Credentialing: Implications for the recognition of learning across borders as “probably one of the main global convenors” in the Digital Credentialing Ecosystem, the Groningen Declaration Network promotes the vision that UNESCO calls for in its report: “to reach a common international approach where all aspects of a person’s learning are electronically documented, authenticated and can be accessed at any time and anywhere, shared and amended by the owner or by an authorized party”. Convenors such as the GDN play a crucial role here: “This is also the most critical [sector]. International agencies such as UNESCO and the (…) OECD have a role to play, and increasingly so do open communities and networks that have developed organically and comprise an eclectic mix of actors. The role of the convenors in the digital credential ecosystems is key in this respect”.

Signatories enjoy a sizeable reduction of the registration fee for our annual meeting.

Come and make your voice heard.

Nominate yourself or someone else for leadership positions, keeping in mind that geographical and gender balance are key in the composition of our globally representative board of directors and in our task forces.

The GDN Board is continuously working to bring more benefits to our signatories.

Details on becoming a Signatory

The GDN invites you to become signatories! If you would like to propose yourself or your organisation as a new signatory, this is what we expect you to do:

  • Please make sure to contribute the current annual Signatory fee.

Signatory Fees

– Educational Institution, Not-for-profit, Government Agencies           €500 per annum
-Corporations and commercial companies                                           €2000 per annum
Signatory fees are billed for the calendar year Jan-Dec.

  • Familiarize yourself with the five basic GDN documents: Declaration, Statutes, Bylaws, Code of Conduct, and Statement of Ethical Principles. These five documents inform the way the network expects all of its participants to participate, especially so our prospective signatories. We expect your organization to commit itself to these basic documents and to adhere to it, witness your organization’s written pledge to do so at the time of signing: “We have read and approved of the Groningen Declaration and of its Network’s Statutes, By-Laws, Code of Conduct and Statement of Ethical Principles. We now apply our signatures below and commit to promoting the aims of the Groningen Declaration Network by our active involvement in its Task Forces, Committees and other activities.“
  • After having familiarized yourself with these documents, fill out the online form and submit it.
  • Upon receipt of your application, your organization’s  statement of interest will be reviewed by the Board of Directors. The Executive Director and Secretary will notify you of the outcome once approved.
To apply for Signatory status you can use this form

ON DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY

As any network organization, the  GDN requires a contacts database to stay in touch with you : after all, what is a Network if it has no participating nodes?  But – since our network consist of persons, the data that our contacts database holds are personal; moreover, since many of the persons in our network are either citizens of the European Union or maintain close dealings with citizens in the EU, the GDN has to comply with the rules of the recently enacted EU General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR; and this holds particularly true for the way we store, use and manage data in the GDN contacts database .

Now, given the GDN’s stance on privacy as being one of the essential building blocks  to make the GDN vision and goals happen, the GDN wholeheartedly embraces the GDPR. Therefore,  we want you to know what we do with your data and, of course, give you access to the data we keep on file about you and put you in control of your data. Please follow this link for more information on how the GDN views data protection.