A blockchain-based information management system for academic institutions: a case study of international students’ workflow

Purpose This study aims to explore the impact of applying a blockchain-based information system in the international students’ administrative workflow in the context of a public research university in the USA. Design/methodology/approach Specifically, a prototype of the blockchain-based information system was developed and tested. The system has the potential advantages of being more efficient, more transparent, faster and safer. Findings The results show that digital registration could increase student registration efficiency with a blockchain-based application. Research limitations/implications There are also some limitations of this study. As an early exploration of the use of blockchain technology in higher education, this study could be further extended in several aspects: different institutions (e.g. private vs public school) may have different operational strategies towards international student affairs. The different administrative processes should be discussed in the context of different institutions, and thus the proposed system should be tested and evaluated based on the requirements of different institutions. Use experience and feedback from different users such as university administrators and students should be considered and investigated with respect to the necessary improvement of the proposed system. The extensibility and scalability of the system should be assessed to accommodate any potential modifications of the administrative process. Originality/value The findings show that a blockchain-based information management system has the potential to improve data transmission efficiency and protect information privacy.