一本道

I work as a Project Manager and Operational Manager at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Tallinn Mechanism Project Office. My role involves coordinating international support and donor efforts to strengthen Ukraine鈥檚 national cyber resilience during the war.

I applied to STRIDE because my work brings together public management, international cooperation and rapid digital transformation. I wanted to learn from Sweden and Estonia and better understand how they build resilient governance structures, protect data and maintain institutional trust. I was particularly interested in connecting these experiences with Ukraine鈥檚 immediate digital defence and recovery needs.

One concrete result has been how I approach the coordination of international technical assistance. Inspired by the governance models we encountered during STRIDE, I began developing an operational action plan for more structured and transparent workflows. The aim is to improve how assistance is traced and coordinated and ensure that donor resources respond to national needs without unnecessary delays.

One experience that stayed with me was our group work on the use of AI. Despite the very different circumstances represented in the group, we recognised a common challenge: introducing technology is not enough. People need the knowledge, confidence and structures to use it effectively.

STRIDE showed me how experiences from different countries can be combined and adapted to very different contexts. That perspective continues to influence how I approach projects involving multiple institutions and international partners.

I am Country Director of the Near East Foundation Armenia. I lead development programmes focusing on economic empowerment and resilience, particularly for women and displaced people, community development and strengthening civil society organisations. An important part of our work is bringing together civil society, local governments, businesses and communities to address local challenges.

I applied to STRIDE because I wanted to deepen my understanding of digitalisation, governance, inclusion and emerging technologies. I was particularly attracted by the combination of academic learning, practical workshops and the opportunity to see how digital solutions and governance work in practice in Sweden and Estonia.

One of the most tangible results of STRIDE is an idea I am now developing in Armenia: the Social Innovation Partnership Platform. During the programme, I explored Swedish approaches to cooperation between civil society and businesses, including challenge-based funding.

Inspired in part by Sweden鈥檚 Vinnova model, the idea is to create a digital platform where civil society organisations and businesses can jointly respond to challenges in areas such as rural development, employment, food systems and social inclusion. Collaboration would be built into the process from the beginning.

Our visit to Link枚ping Municipality also stayed with me. It was valuable to see the role local government can play in development and how citizens and different organisations can be involved in decision-making.

For me, STRIDE demonstrated that digital transformation is not simply about introducing new technologies. It also requires leadership, collaboration and a willingness to rethink how things are done.

I am an international relations specialist and communications professional from Georgia. My professional experience includes communications and outreach work for World Vision Georgia and I currently work as Head of Operations at WST Georgia.

I applied to STRIDE because I wanted to deepen my understanding of digital governance and innovation in the public sector from an international perspective. Learning directly from Sweden and Estonia was particularly valuable because of their experience in public administration and digital governance.

With my background in international relations and development, I was interested in how digital tools, transparent governance and data-driven approaches can contribute to stronger public institutions.

STRIDE has influenced how I approach strategic communication and organisational planning in my current role. The programme helped me see digitalisation not simply as introducing new tools, but as a process that needs to connect technology with organisational needs and long-term objectives. I have been able to use some of these insights when improving communication workflows and assessing digital needs.

One of the most valuable parts of STRIDE was working with professionals from different countries during our final group project. Working together on real challenges demonstrated how different experiences and perspectives can contribute to better solutions.

The programme reinforced for me the value of regional cooperation. Digital development may take different forms in different countries, but sharing experiences across borders can help us ask better questions, learn from one another and find new approaches to common challenges.

I am a youth development professional from Azerbaijan with a background in Library and Information Science. I have worked with youth participation, girls鈥� education, community engagement and international cooperation. I am also the founder of 100 Girls of Azerbaijan, an initiative focusing on girls鈥� education and women鈥檚 empowerment.

I joined STRIDE because I wanted to understand digital innovation beyond technology itself. I was interested in how information, data, digital tools, governance and human-centred approaches come together to create better opportunities for people. The programme also offered a bridge between my academic background and my professional work with young people and communities.

One concrete result came through our capstone project. Together with participants from different Eastern Partnership countries, we developed an idea for practical guidance for youth workers and educators on the responsible and ethical use of AI, with a strong focus on digital safety.

I have also started incorporating AI and digital literacy into the annual community engagement programme of 100 Girls of Azerbaijan. This has allowed me to bring what I learned through STRIDE directly into work I was already doing around girls鈥� education and youth participation.

One idea followed me throughout the programme: digital transformation is ultimately about people. We discussed everything from AI and cybersecurity to digital identity and smart cities, but repeatedly returned to people鈥檚 ability to participate, adapt and use technology meaningfully.

That connects strongly with my own work. Giving people access to information and technology matters, but creating the conditions for them to use that access confidently matters just as much.

I am Head of the International Interaction Division at the Prosecutor General鈥檚 Office of Ukraine. My work focuses on international cooperation, particularly accountability for international crimes, as well as cooperation with international partners and institutions supporting Ukraine鈥檚 justice and law enforcement sector.

I applied to STRIDE because digital transformation is increasingly shaping how justice institutions operate. For Ukraine, this is taking place while we are strengthening the justice system, responding to an ongoing war, investigating an unprecedented volume of international crimes and advancing towards EU membership.

I wanted to understand how other countries have approached digitalisation and institutional change, but also what makes these transformations sustainable and trusted by the people who use the systems.

One concrete example has been our work with open-source information in investigations of international crimes. Following STRIDE, we initiated further discussions on developing a more systematic approach to cooperation with civil society organisations working with open-source intelligence, or OSINT. This includes questions of governance, admissibility, information exchange and institutional responsibility.

STRIDE has also changed how I approach discussions with international partners supporting digitalisation. Rather than considering individual tools or projects separately, I increasingly look at the connections between technology, institutional needs, user trust and long-term sustainability.

Our discussions about AI were particularly memorable. AI is becoming an everyday professional tool, including in the legal field, but technology should support rather than replace professional judgement. In justice institutions especially, final responsibility for decisions must remain with people.

听

I am a principal consultant at the National Security Council Service within the Administration of the President of the Republic of Moldova. My areas of interest and expertise include cybersecurity, information security and digital transformation.

I joined STRIDE because I wanted to exchange perspectives with professionals from across the EU鈥檚 Eastern Partnership countries and deepen my understanding of how digital transformation can strengthen democratic institutions, public trust and resilience.

I was particularly interested in learning from Estonia and Sweden and considering how their experiences could be relevant to Moldova鈥檚 public administration and European integration.

STRIDE reinforced something that is particularly relevant to my work: resilience is not built through governance and technology alone. It also depends on clear communication and on institutions being able to coordinate and respond in ways that strengthen public trust and shared awareness.

When analysing national security issues, I now pay even closer attention to how different institutions coordinate, how responsibilities are communicated and how trust can be maintained.

Meeting former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves also made a lasting impression on me. Estonia鈥檚 experience showed that building a digital society requires more than advanced technology. It takes vision, long-term commitment, institutional cooperation and trust between citizens and the state.

STRIDE also left me with a personal lesson: 鈥淪tay both sharp and soft.鈥� For me, that means being sharp in my thinking while remaining open to learning and to different perspectives. It is something I will carry with me both professionally and personally.