Electronic identification card in higher education: Hungarian Student Chip Card
Today in Hungary every student in higher
education can prove that they are enrolled in a higher education institution
with a chip card (smart card). The student card is emitted by the Ministry of
Education, and the Diák-Bónusz Kht –which company of public utility is owned by
the Ministry of Education - is dealing with the practical utilisation of the
chip (found on the card) and the tasks related to the technological transfer.
With the Hungarian student card it is possible
not only to enjoy travel and cultural discounts but it has commercial benefits
as well. The student card is accepted in about 800 stores, like a regular
customer card. In 2002 this was made by visual basis.
The student card is a multifunctional card,
which main functions are the logical and physical identification, data storing,
electronic validation and value storing in access control systems. There can be
found three electronic purses on the card, from which one is reserved for the
institutions (dedicated EP).
In the higher education there were experimental
programmes and beginning developments in 2001-2002, which give basis for
building a countrywide acceptance net throughout the country in 2003. The Ministry of Education and the
Diák-Bónusz Kht is trying to involve the institutions in this programme and
deploy more card readers this year. Besides this it is an aim to develop
suitable systems, which are able to deal with logical and physical identification
and prepaid systems and to install those experimentally. In these programmes
more developer firms got involved in, the Diák-Bónusz Kht is a member of the
Hungarian Smart Card Forum.
Zoltan Majó
Diák-Bónusz Kht