Jinfa Hong, Bohao Zhang, Gaoyu Mao, Patrick S. Y. Hung · 5 authors
Lattice-based cryptography (LBC) is an essential direction in the fields of homomorphic encryption (HE), zero-knowledge proofs (ZK), and post-quantum cryptography (PQC), while number theoretic transformations (NTT) are a performance bottleneck that affects the promotion and deployment of LBC applications. Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are an ideal platform for accelerating NTT due to their reconfigurability and parallel capabilities. High-level synthesis (HLS) can shorten the FPGA development cycle, but for algorithms such as NTT, the synthesizer struggles to handle the inherent memory dependencies, often resulting in suboptimal synthesis outcomes for direct designs. This paper proposes a systematic HLS co-design to progressively guide the synthesis of NTT accelerators. The approach integrates several key techniques: arithmetic module resource optimization, conflict-free butterfly scheduling, memory partitioning, and template-based automated design fusion. It reveals how to resolve pipeline bottlenecks in HLS-based designs and expand parallel processing, guiding microarchitecture iterations to achieve an efficient design space. Compared to existing HLS-based designs, the area-latency product achieves a performance improvement of 1.93 to 191 times, and compared to existing HDL-based designs, the area-cycle product achieves a performance improvement of 1.7 to 10.6 times.
Breno Jacinto Duarte da Costa, Márcio Ferro, Mohamed Yassine Zarouk, Alan Silva · 6 authors
Education 4.0 promotes active, personalized, and competency-based learning aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), yet most current platforms rely on centralized architectures that restrict access, agency, and adaptability. To address this problem, Web3 technologies—including blockchain, decentralized identifiers (DIDs), peer-to-peer storage, and smart contracts—enable the creation of platforms that uphold equity, data sovereignty, and pedagogical flexibility. This paper investigates how the convergence of Education 4.0 and Web3 technologies can drive the development of sustainable, inclusive, and learner-centered digital education systems. We examine two decentralized education platforms, EtherLearn and DeLMS, to assess their design affordances and limitations. Building on these insights, we propose a layered architectural framework grounded in sustainability principles. Our analysis shows that decentralized infrastructures can expand access in underserved regions, increase credential portability, empower learners with greater autonomy, and foster participatory governance through decentralized voting, token-based incentives, and community moderation. Despite these advantages, significant challenges remain around usability, energy efficiency, and regulatory compliance. We conclude by identifying key research priorities at the intersection of sustainable educational technology, digital equity, and decentralized system design.
Control theory is shifting from an “analytical optimization” to an “intelligent evolution” paradigm, yet the Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) engineering education model has not adapted to this change. iCDIOS, extending CDIO theoretically, advances control education toward a “learning-by-making, making-by-learning, and lifelong learning” approach. However, its implementation demands new organizational and technological support. This paper introduces a DeSci-based iCDIOS framework, integrating intelligent technologies, decentralized autonomous organizations(DAOs), and dynamic operations to transform the learning process and ecosystem of control education. The study analyzes DeSci-iCDIOS applications in intelligent system design, industrial scenario simulation, social system control, and cross-domain collaborative innovation, discussing challenges in scalability, governance, educational transformation, and privacy-legal ethics, and proposing future research to advance control education.
Remote laboratories have been developed at many universities worldwide to provide students with access to apparatus and experiments via the Internet around the clock, thus giving partner institutions the opportunity to share resources, expensive equipment and specialized laboratories, whether within a single country or at regional and international levels. Universities usually implement learning management systems (LMS) such as Moodle and Blackboard to enable students to interact, carry out learning activities and access remote labs. However, remote labs generate enormous amounts of data, which is stored, processed, analyzed, and accessed using centralized systems that lack transparency, traceability, security features, trustworthiness, and reliability. In addition, they are vulnerable to the single point of failure problem due to centralization. The application of blockchain technology in remote labs is proposed as a promising solution for future online learning as it combines a new pedagogical approach with various state-of-the-art technologies in an era that embraces Education 4.0 as the education norm. Furthermore, a novel blockchain-based framework for remote labs allows data streaming and transfer in a decentralized, transparent, traceable, reliable, secure, and trustful manner, where only authorized peers can join or access the network, thereby providing privacy of students’ data files and reports. An initial pilot of an Ethereum-based remote lab show promising result for effective management of online experiments, originally hosted in a Moodle LMS.
Blockchain technology (BT) is gaining popularity, and there have been increasing papers on blockchain and education, particularly on how to use blockchains in education. However, as a public ledger which is shared and agreed on by all users in a distributed network, blockchain technology involves unconventional thinking, and learning BT could be challenging for college students. In this paper, we present a project-based learning (PBL) approach for effective education of BT at college level. We first explain why PBL is suitable for BT education and discuss various issues should be considered for project-based learning on blockchain technology. We then discuss several different ways of doing this and offer our suggestions. We present case studies which we have developed, that can provide useful guidelines to students and beginners who are interested in BT.