How countries build digital reputation

After years of conflict and upheaval Syria now faces the challenge of redefining its identity on the global stage and fostering unity among its diverse population A well-crafted Country Brand (National Identity) can play a crucial role in this process helping to rebuild Syria's image attract investment, and promote social cohesion --- A country brand is more than just a logo or slogan it's a comprehensive strategy that communicates a nation's values, aspirations and unique attributes to the world For Syria, developing a new brand could be a powerful tool for: 1. Rebuilding international reputation 2. Attracting foreign investment and tourism 3. Fostering national unity and pride 4. Highlighting Syria's rich cultural heritage and potential for growth --- Learning from Successful Rebranding Efforts Croatia 🇭🇷 Croatia faced the challenge of establishing its identity separate from Yugoslavia The country's rebranding efforts including the "Croatia: Full of Life" campaign have helped position it as a top Mediterranean tourist destination Rwanda 🇷🇼 Following the 1994 genocide The "Remarkable Rwanda" campaign coupled with economic reforms and infrastructure development has transformed the country's image Rwanda is now known for its stability clean cities, and growing tech sector --- The Role of Syria's New Generation 1. Digital ambassadorship: Leveraging social media and digital platforms to share authentic stories about their country, its culture, and its people 2. Entrepreneurship: By starting innovative businesses and social enterprises, young Syrians can showcase the country's potential for growth and creativity 3. Cultural preservation and promotion: Playing a vital role in preserving and promoting Syria's rich cultural heritage, making it a cornerstone of the country's national brand 4. Civic engagement: Active participation in community-building initiatives and local governance can help young Syrians shape the values that will define their country's brand 5. Education and skill development: By pursuing education and developing in-demand skills, Syria's youth can contribute to the country's human capital, making it more attractive for investment and partnerships --- Building a Cohesive Brand To create a successful country brand for Syria, several key elements must be considered: - Inclusivity - Authenticity - Long-term vision - Stakeholder engagement - Consistency --- Developing a new country brand for Syria is a complex but essential task It offers an opportunity to redefine the nation's identity promote social cohesion, and position Syria for future growth and prosperity By learning from successful rebranding efforts and harnessing the energy and creativity of its youth Syria can craft a compelling narrative that resonates both at home and abroad A well-executed branding strategy can help Syria overcome the challenges of its recent past and showcase its potential as a nation rich in culture, resilience, and opportunity

Digital Public Infrastructure (#DPI) is changing how societies work. It’s not just about flashy apps or tech for tech’s sake, it’s about building foundational systems that everyone can rely on. Think digital #identity, #payments, and #data sharing. These are the building blocks that make things like applying for benefits, signing up for healthcare, or transferring money easier, faster, and more transparent. The World Bank Group's latest white paper lays out a practical framework to help countries adopt DPI safely and inclusively. The key? Make it interoperable, open, privacy-respecting, and built for people and not just systems. Countries are already showing what’s possible: #India used its DPI stack (Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker) to deliver public services to millions, including real-time benefit transfers and identity verification. #Ukraine’s Diia platform gives access to over 130 public services from a smartphone—proving that even in times of crisis, digital tools can increase trust and efficiency. #Estonia’s EstWin and X-Road infrastructure connect everything from health records to tax services, enabling seamless, secure government interactions for its citizens. #Brazil’s Pix system, run by the central bank, made instant digital payments mainstream, improving financial inclusion almost overnight. But challenges remain—many countries still face gaps in infrastructure, digital literacy, or cybersecurity capacity. And without strong governance, data protection, and real inclusion, digital systems can unintentionally leave people behind. This is where DPI makes a difference. Done right, it helps governments work better, empowers citizens, and creates space for private innovation. It’s not a silver bullet but it’s a shift worth making. Let’s make sure the digital world we build works for everyone. Check out the full White paper👇 #DigitalPublicInfrastructure #DigitalInclusion #DigitalIdentity #GovTech #FinancialInclusion #WorldBank #PublicServices #DataProtection

Back to Estonia: The country’s digital prowess did not happen by accident—it was a result of deliberate, strategic decisions made over decades. The country’s transformation into a digital leader was built on a strong foundation of education, policy innovation, and technology adoption. Some key steps that led to Estonia’s success include: - Digital Skills Education - Estonia introduced digital literacy in schools as early as the 1990s, yes, the 90s. This ensured that students gained early exposure to technology. The Tiger Leap program, launched in 1996, provided schools with computers and internet access, integrating IT into the curriculum. - E-Government and Digital ID - By the early 2000s, Estonia rolled out digital identity cards, enabling secure access to government services, e-voting, and e-taxation—reducing bureaucracy and enhancing efficiency. - Public-Private Collaboration - A close partnership between government, academia, and the private sector fostered innovation and created an ecosystem that supports startups and tech-driven solutions. Home-grown solutions were preferred. - Legislative Support - Estonia enacted policies that prioritized digital-first governance, including the world’s first e-residency program, which allows global entrepreneurs to establish and manage businesses remotely. More on this later. - Cybersecurity and Data Integrity - Recognizing the risks of digitization, Estonia invested heavily in cybersecurity, decentralized data storage, and blockchain-based solutions like X-Road to ensure secure and seamless data exchange. BTW the country experienced a massive cyberattack I think in 2007, which eternally changed its cybersecurity posture. Needless to say education played a key role in this journey, producing a tech-savvy population and a workforce capable of sustaining digital transformation. The question for other nations is: Are we investing enough in digital education and infrastructure to build a truly digital future? Berk Erdem Triin Kangur Christopher Waweru Victoria Nkatha Joel Karubiu Ben Roberts Adewale Yusuf Alexander Osterwalder Daniel Schaer Liisi Kirschenberg Lehari Kaustel // KRS Andrew Karanja Devi Paulsen-Abbott #digitaltransformation #egovernment #education #innovation #estonia #smartgovernance #cio #ITLeadeeship

Big players have resources. But speed? That’s a different advantage. A country smaller than New York City just did it again. Not with power. Not with wealth. But with execution. While others hesitate, they act. While complexity slows most down, they simplify. This is Estonia. And it’s moving faster than the rest. Here’s how they built the world’s most advanced e-society: 1️⃣ AI is in schools from age 7. Students learn coding before algebra. No, really. 2️⃣ 99% of public services are online. Marriage and buying a house? The only things done on paper. 3️⃣ Starting a company takes 15 minutes. One form, one click. No lawyers, no waiting. 4️⃣ Filing taxes takes five minutes. No accountants. No paperwork. Just done. 5️⃣ Digital IDs power daily life. Banking, voting, healthcare—all secured, all digital. 6️⃣ E-Residency fuels global business. 50,000+ companies run from Estonia by non-Estonians. 7️⃣ Blockchain secures government records. No lost files, no corruption—just instant verification. 8️⃣ AI slashes bureaucracy. Permits, applications, approvals—processed in minutes. 9️⃣ Internet access is a legal right. Rural, urban, remote—everyone gets connected. 🔟 Voting has been online since 2005. No lines, no delays. Just click and cast. They didn’t just adopt digital tools. They rewired and reprogrammed a nation. The question isn’t if it’s possible—but how fast it will happen. When will your country take the digital leap?

Measuring a nation's digital competitiveness. In formulating its World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, renowned business school, Institute for Management Development, has a framework that looks at three main criteria, namely: (i) Knowledge: Know-how necessary to discover, understand and build new technologies (ii) Technology: Overall context that enables the development of digital technologies (iii) Future-readiness: Level of country preparedness to exploit digital transformation Each criterion, in turn, is divided into various sub-categories. To provide a flavour of what the assessment considers important, such sub-categories span the gamut from R&D investments, education levels, talent pipeline, international exposure and partnerships, start-up funding, investments in tech infrastructure, broadband speeds, digital adoption and integration, policies and regulations including data protection laws, cybersecurity measures, and institutional strength. With the rise of AI, a nation's digital competitiveness becomes of increasing importance, bleeding into national competitiveness and even national security. The litmus test becomes whether a nation can capitalise on the upsides of AI, based on meaningful use cases complemented by pervasive baseline adoption, while managing the risks of AI in a trusted and secure manner. Rather than looking at competition through the lens of competition between individuals or between companies, competition between nations or between ecosystems becomes of increasing consequence. This portends both a threat and an opportunity. A nation that can get its act together, corralling a whole-of-nation effort across infrastructure, investments, laws and policies, education, training and manpower, stands a strong chance to win the digital competition. And this is where a nation's smallness, unity, and agility may unexpectedly become a boon. #digitaleconomy #AI #competition #publicpolicy (Image: IMD)

🇨🇳🇸🇬🇰🇪 China vs Singapore vs Kenya: A Tale of Three Digital Journeys ✈️ I just returned from China — and what I witnessed wasn’t just tech. It was digital discipline. Sovereignty by design. Inclusion with intention. Not gimmicks. Not donor projects. Nationwide, grassroots digital transformation. So let’s fly through the digital DNA of three nations: > Three countries. Three philosophies. Three futures. ✈️ China: Inclusion by design. ✈️ Singapore: Inclusion by lifestyle. ✈️ Kenya: Innovation without infrastructure. This isn’t just a comparison. This is your wake-up call. 1️⃣ THE PAST: FOUNDATIONS 🇨🇳 CHINA: Digital inclusion = National power Banned foreign platforms to grow local ones. Rural electrification + mobile penetration were strategic. Example: Farmers on Weixin/WeChat and Alibaba Group . Lesson: Inclusion is policy-backed, not donor-funded. 🇸🇬 SINGAPORE: Digital inclusion = National identity IT2000 Masterplan since 1991. Public services digitized for all, including elderly. Example: "Seniors Go Digital" initiative. Lesson: Inclusion is human-centered. 🇰🇪 KENYA: Digital inclusion = Accidental success M-Pesa was a breakthrough. Lack of follow-up ecosystem. Safaricom PLC often outpaces public institutions. Lesson: Innovation without infrastructure doesn’t scale. 2️⃣ THE PRESENT: ACTIONS NOW 🇨🇳 CHINA TODAY: 1.07B internet users. 5G in rural areas. Platforms: DingTalk, Alipay Health Code, Smart farming. Testing Digital Yuan. Insight: Inclusion = Ecosystem immersion. 🇸🇬 SINGAPORE TODAY: Singpass links 2,000+ services. Trust, privacy, and universal access. Digital grants for SMEs. Insight: Inclusion = Access + trust + utility. 🇰🇪 KENYA TODAY: Progress: Ajira Digital Program, Huduma Kenya, Digital Superhighway. Free Wi-Fi zones, mobile money. Challenges: High internet cost, rural schools lack ICT. Insight: We’ve connected phones, not lives. 3️⃣ THE FUTURE: TRAJECTORIES 🇨🇳 CHINA TOMORROW: Building a sovereign digital stack. Digital twins, blockchain, AI skills training. Outlook: Engineering the future. 🇸🇬 SINGAPORE TOMORROW: AI governance in motion. Smart infrastructure + urban digital twins. Outlook: Future-ready, always evolving. 🇰🇪 KENYA TOMORROW? Questions: Own the rails or rent them? Teach code or cram theory? Outlook: Undecided. Hope isn’t a strategy. 💣 Truth Bomb China builds sovereignty. Singapore builds security. Kenya? Still building hope. If Kenya wants digital inclusion: 1. Subsidize rural access. 2. Fund local innovators. 3. Reform ICT education. 4. Host data locally. 5. Create joint execution frameworks. 🔥 Final Words Digital inclusion isn’t about apps — it’s about control. > If we don’t build our own systems, we’ll always serve. Let’s move beyond M-Pesa. Let’s build: M-Agriculture M-Education M-Identity M-Governance Africa: Will we be passengers or pilots in the digital economy? #DigitalInclusion #BuildDontBeg #SmartAfrica #Kenya2030 #FromAccessToOwnership