APAN59

This session highlights the role of National Research and Educational Networks (NRENs) as local trust anchors in identity federations. As trusted third parties, Identity federations support both local and cross-border inter-federation use cases. At the international level, eduGAIN provides an inter-federation service built on top of the trust layer provided by identity federations, and it allows students and researchers to access global services and resources for research and education.  We will showcase advanced use cases enabled by eduGAIN, such as MyAcademicID, a service that supports student mobility all across Europe, and MyAccessID, a service dedicated to give access to HPC systems. Finally we will discuss the policy and technological evolution of eduGAIN as trust infrastructure, with a focus on the implementation of the OpenID Federation standard for eduGAIN, and the support for wallets and digital credentials.

Panels participants/speakers:
- Pål Axelsson (SUNET) eduGAIN Steering Committee Chair
- Maarten Kremers (SURF) GEANT Project Trust and Identity Work Package leader
- Davide Vaghetti (GARR) eduGAIN Service Owner

This panel session will explore the critical and evolving role of National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) in supporting their member institutions—particularly higher education institutions—with educational services. As the digital landscape continues to transform education globally, NRENs are at the forefront of enabling and enhancing services such as video conferencing solutions, trust and identity frameworks (e.g., eduGAIN, federated identity and access management, MyAcademicID, wallets) interoperability and standardization, and other collaborative technologies.
The session will bring together representatives from the global NREN community, including Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region, to share insights, strategies, and innovations. Discussion topics will include how NRENs are adapting to meet the changing needs of their members, the challenges they face in a rapidly evolving educational environment, and examples of successful service implementations that address pressing educational demands. This cross-regional dialogue aims to identify common themes, highlight diverse approaches, and inspire collaboration among NRENs worldwide.

Facilitators:
Erik Kikkenborg (NORDUnet)
Gyongyi Horvath (GEANT)

Proposed Panelists:
Representative from the European NREN community (e.g., NORDUnet, GÉANT).
Representative from the American NREN community (e.g., Internet2 or RedCLARA).
Representative from the Asia-Pacific NREN community (e.g., APAN or AARNET).

This side-meeting invites trust and identity professionals and federation operators to come together and strengthen the regional trust and identity ecosystem. During the meeting we aim to discuss the mutual needs of research and education identity federations worldwide, the meeting will provide a platform to discuss shared challenges, opportunities, and priorities for collaboration.
The session will focus on the unique needs of the Asia-Pacific region, including the development of access and identity management technologies, policies, and processes. Participants, including representatives from National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) and national identity federations, will explore ways to align regional efforts with global best practices, share insights into local implementations, and identify strategies to improve interoperability and scalability.

Proposed Agenda:
Welcome and Introduction: Overview of other regional strategies and current priorities.
Regional Updates: Insights from national identity federations and NRENs in the Asia-Pacific region.
Panel Discussion: Addressing shared challenges in trust and identity—scalability, policy alignment, and interoperability.
Breakout Sessions: Collaborative brainstorming on technical, policy, and process improvements.
Action Planning: Defining next steps for regional initiatives and alignment with other region’s strategic directions.

Meeting organisers: Erik Kikkenborg (NORDUnet), Gyongyi Horvath (GEANT)