In a significant development within the evolving landscape of academic publishing and digital research identity, SEIPID (Scholarly Entity International Persistent Identifier) has officially transitioned under the institutional framework of Xpertno Research Center (XRC). The move marks not merely a change of administrative positioning but a broader rebranding and structural expansion aimed at redefining how scholarly entities are identified, indexed, and preserved in the digital age.
SEIPID, originally conceptualized as a persistent identifier system for scholarly objects, now enters a new phase—strengthened by institutional governance, indexing pathways, and a refined framework designed to address long-standing gaps in global academic infrastructure.
The intellectual groundwork of SEIPID was laid between 2022 and mid-2024, during an extended period of structured observation and technical evaluation across journals, repositories, digital archives, and institutional platforms.
According to Nasir Razzaq (also known as Raja Nasir), the initiative did not begin as a product idea but as a research question:
“We kept asking why identifiers fail over time. Why do metadata records fragment? Why do journals struggle with access fees or opaque governance structures? The issue was not the absence of identifiers—it was the absence of sustainable architecture.”
During this period, recurring challenges were documented:
These findings led to a clear conclusion: the global scholarly ecosystem required a persistent identifier framework that emphasized long-term stability, transparent registry records, and institution-friendly governance, without imposing unnecessary technical or financial burdens on journals.
In September 2024, within the ecosystem of SEINU (Skill Edge International Nexus University) under the Expert Novice Group, a formal decision was taken to develop SEIPID as a dedicated scholarly registry and persistent identification system.
With the 2026 transition, SEIPID is now institutionally repositioned under the Xpertno Research Center, consolidating governance, verification processes, and indexing mechanisms under a single academic body. The rebranding aligns SEIPID with XRC’s broader mission: building open, accessible, and ethically governed scholarly infrastructures.
Persistent identifiers are not new to academia. Systems such as the International DOI Foundation and its DOI framework have played a critical role in stabilizing scholarly references worldwide.
However, SEIPID’s architects argue that identifiers alone are insufficient without registry accountability and transparent metadata stewardship. Razzaq explains:
“DOI solved citation stability at scale. But many institutions still struggle with affordability, metadata visibility, and decentralised validation. SEIPID is not built as a replacement—it is built as a structurally transparent alternative that integrates registry governance with indexing pathways.”
SEIPID differentiates itself through:
The model is designed to ensure that identifiers are not merely assigned but tied to evolving quality benchmarks.
“Identifiers must reflect trust,” Razzaq notes. “If we assign an identifier without evaluating metadata standards, archiving, or governance transparency, we risk repeating the same structural weaknesses.”
A defining feature of the SEIPID transition is its emphasis on open registry records. Unlike opaque or partially accessible validation systems, SEIPID aims to provide:
The system seeks to balance accessibility with institutional accountability—an approach Razzaq describes as “minimal complexity, maximum clarity.”
Across many regions—particularly in developing academic ecosystems—journals struggle with:
SEIPID’s rebranding under XRC aims to directly address these systemic issues by offering:
Rather than operating as a purely technical service, SEIPID is positioned as part of a broader academic ecosystem strategy.
By integrating SEIPID within the Xpertno Research Center, governance responsibilities become centralized. This consolidation allows:
Razzaq emphasizes that sustainability is central to the transition:
“We are not building for short-term digital presence. We are building for decades. Identifiers must survive administrative shifts, technological upgrades, and domain migrations.”
SEIPID’s architecture is built with interoperability in mind. The system is designed to remain compatible with global metadata harvesting standards and digital preservation mechanisms. Its roadmap includes:
Future releases are expected to clarify how SEIPID identifiers interact with global discovery systems and institutional repositories.
The transition from SEINU ecosystem design to full XRC governance marks a structural shift. Observers note that the move reflects a broader trend: academic communities seeking greater autonomy over identifier systems, indexing frameworks, and metadata control.
While global identifier systems remain dominant, alternative governance models—particularly those emphasizing transparency and institutional alignment—are gaining traction. SEIPID’s transition under XRC represents one such attempt.
In outlining the philosophy behind SEIPID’s evolution, Razzaq frames the initiative as pragmatic rather than ideological:
“We did not build SEIPID to compete. We built it to correct. If broken links disappear, if metadata becomes consistent, if journals can operate without structural burden—then we have succeeded.”
He further adds:
“The scholarly world deserves infrastructures that are accountable, technically sound, and ethically governed. Persistence is not only about links. It is about trust.”
The coming months are expected to see:
As SEIPID repositions itself under XRC, its leadership signals that this phase marks the beginning of a broader scholarly infrastructure strategy—one that blends identifiers, indexing, governance, and verification into a unified ecosystem. For institutions dealing with the challenges of digital scholarly publishing, SEIPID's change might mean a move towards clearer structures and governance that align with their needs in the world of persistent identifiers.
Whether it reshapes global identifier paradigms remains to be seen—but its ambition is clear: to stabilize scholarly identity in a fragmented digital world.
Xpertno Research Center | Nasir Razzaq | Expert Novice Group