Biographies

​Soumaya Ben Dhaou is currently research coordinator at UNU-EGOV, the United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-driven Electronic Government, a think-tank devoted to multidisciplinary research on how digital transformation may contribute to empowered democratic citizenship, trustworthy public infrastructures, more inclusive societies and, in broad terms, to sustainable development. She is also International consultant for UNDP in Uzbekistan and invited professor of e-governance and ICT for Government and Public service at the University of Minho in Portugal. ​She coordinates the research project on “Digital transformation strategy” as well as the research line on the “Emerging technologies for digital transformation in the public sector.” Her research includes potential benefits and challenges of new technologies such as Blockchain, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Data analytics, and their impact on transforming urban centers and settlements into smart cities and communities, and more broadly Government and public service. She also led the “Blockchain4Cities” research project in “United for Smart Sustainable Cities” (U4SSC) joint Global initiative managed by ITU and UNECE. The scope of her research projects encompasses countries, regions, urban and rural areas as well as municipalities, inter-organizational and single organizations.