eduGAIN

eduGAIN is a federated authentication and authorization interconnection service that enables cross-border single sign-on for education and research. It links participating identity federations, primarily national research and education networks, so users can access services across institutions and countries using a single set of home credentials.

The service operates by exchanging metadata between participant identity providers (IdPs) and service providers (SPs) through a trusted federation layer. eduGAIN uses established standards, most prominently SAML 2.0, to issue and validate assertions that convey user attributes needed for access decisions. A central metadata and trust framework allows SPs to rely on IdPs from other federations without maintaining separate connections to each one. Shibboleth-style implementations are common, but other SAML-based or compatible solutions can participate.

eduGAIN is operated by the GÉANT Association on behalf of the European and global education and research community. It collaborates with national research and education networks (NRENs) and international federations to broaden reach and interoperability. Participation is voluntary and aims to simplify access to a wide range of resources, including e-learning platforms, digital libraries, HPC services, and cloud-based tools.

Security and privacy are core considerations. Attribute release is governed by federation-level policies and home institution guidance, with a focus on minimizing data exposure and complying with data protection rules. By leveraging home institution credentials and standardized attribute-based access control, eduGAIN reduces credential management overhead for users while maintaining trust across organizations. The service supports global collaboration by enabling researchers and students to access resources across borders with a reliable, privacy-conscious authentication framework.