/İstanbul
Türkiye
- Queenie Tam
- Ghazi Mabrouk
Intermediate
Event Organizer(s)
Supported by
Description
Digital and AI transformation are critical enablers for advancing sustainable development and economic resilience, particularly in landlocked and transit economies where structural constraints related to trade, transport, and connectivity persist.
This course equips civil servants and policymakers to design inclusive, whole-of-government approaches to digital and AI transformation, with a focus on strategy, governance, and implementation. It introduces the core pillars of digital transformation and the role of government as a user, enabler, and regulator of AI, and provides practical tools for developing digital and AI transformation roadmaps to strengthen trade facilitation, regional connectivity, and cross-border cooperation, addressing the priorities of the Awaza Programme of Action for LLDCs (2024-2034). By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to articulate key principles, frameworks, and tools for digital and AI transformation, and to navigate common implementation challenges in landlocked and transit settings.
With funding from the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative, participation in this training is free of charge for selected applicants. This includes meals during the period of the training and 3 nights of accommodation. Participants or their organizations are responsible for covering the costs of travel expenses to and from their home country to Istanbul, Türkiye.
This course is designed for mid- to senior-level government officials, policymakers, development practitioners, and other stakeholders committed to advancing digital and AI transformation in landlocked and transit economies striving to achieve the SDGs through innovative and inclusive approaches. The ideal participants would be tasked with leading, shaping, or overseeing digital and AI-related strategies, policies, or programmes within their institutions. This may include directors or heads of units, senior policy advisors, programme and portfolio managers, digital transformation or innovation leads, officials working on trade, transport, ICT, or economic development, as well as senior planners or regulators involved in digital initiatives across sectors. Priority will be given to officials working at the intersection of digital transformation, trade facilitation, transport, logistics, customs, and economic diversification.
Participants are ideally mid- to senior-level government officials, policymakers, or practitioners responsible for leading or shaping digital and AI-related initiatives, policies, or programmes at the national or subnational level.
Selection criteria:
- Hold an undergraduate degree or have a minimum of three years of relevant professional experience.
- Possess a fluent level of English
- Complete an application questionnaire, attach an up-to-date CV, and provide a motivation letter or employer recommendation.
Government officials and policymakers from landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and transit economies, particularly women, are encouraged to apply. Selection will be conducted by the course organizers, who will consider the above entry requirements along with an analysis of the application questionnaire and the recommendation/motivation letter of each applicant.
Number of available places for the cohort: 30
Upon completing the training, participants will be able to:
- Describe the main pillars of digital and AI transformation, including digital and data infrastructure, digital government, innovation ecosystems, AI readiness.
- Identify opportunities and challenges for inclusive digital and AI transformation in landlocked and transit economies, including trade facilitation, regional connectivity, and cross-border cooperation dimensions.
- Explain the role of government as a user, enabler, and regulator in advancing digital and AI transformation
- Assess how digital public infrastructure and AI-enabled systems can reduce trade costs, enhance transit efficiency, and support structural transformation in landlocked economies
- Apply global frameworks, tools, and good practices to develop national or sectoral digital and AI initiatives aligned with development and trade priorities.
- Design sectoral digital and AI transformation roadmaps addressing trade, logistics, connectivity, and other context-specific challenges.
This course will be delivered primarily face-to-face. There will be one session held online prior for participants and instructors to get to know one another, align expectations and learning objectives, and get a glimpse of topics to be covered during the course.
The face-to-face sessions will consist of interactive lectures and group work. To maximize engagement, there will be breakout sessions for brainstorming and discussions, as well as short presentations throughout the course that encourage participants to draw on their specific environments. Participants will be assigned into smaller groups to facilitate teamwork and provide opportunities for networking.
On Day 2, participants will work in teams on a capstone project, applying concepts taught during the course to design sectoral digital and AI transformation roadmaps addressing priority areas of the Awaza Programme of Action, particularly Priority Area 1 (Structural Transformation and STI), Priority Area 2 (Trade and Trade Facilitation), and Priority Area 3 (Transit, Transport and Connectivity), and present the results on the last day to instructors and peers for evaluation and feedback.
Pre-class survey : 10%
Active participation: 35%
Final group presentation: 55%
Pre-class survey: Participants will be required to fill out a pre-class survey that assesses their existing knowledge levels on the subject. Completion is mandatory.
Active participation: Attendance and active class participation is considered an integral component of the learning process. Participation focuses on participating in group discussions and completing daily group tasks will be awarded 35 points in total.
Final Group Presentation: Participants will work in groups to design a sectoral digital transformation initiative leveraging AI solutions tailored to their contexts and goals.
Attendance in all sessions is mandatory.
A total score higher than 70% is required to obtain the ITU certificate.
Online Pre-Session
Day 0 – May 12, 2026 (13:00 – 14:30 Turkey Time UTC+3)
Course Introduction and Context
- Welcome and introductions
- Training objectives, methodology, and expectations
- Overview of digital and AI transformation in landlocked and transit economies
Istanbul, Türkiye
Day 1 – May 19, 2026 (09:00-16:00)
Opening of the Training
- Welcome and opening remarks
- Team introductions and housekeeping
Pillars of Digital and AI Transformation
- Icebreaker and warm-up exercises
- Overview of digital and AI transformation concepts
- Core pillars: governance, infrastructure, regulation, business, people
- Enablers of inclusive transformation: DPI, data governance
- Core elements for AI readiness and whole-of-government approaches
AI in Public Services: Fundamentals & Applications
- Core AI concepts and terminology
- Identify AI use cases to improve public services
- Overview of UNDP’s AI Landscape Assessment (AILA) framework
Trust, Governance & AI Innovation Ecosystems
- Government as regulator: trust, ethics, safety, accountability
- Government as enabler: innovation ecosystems, capacity building
- Policy and governance levers for AI adoption
Group Project Work – Problem Framing
- Identify a real-life challenge relevant to your context
- Map stakeholders, institutional roles, and constraints
- Begin framing a digital and AI transformation initiative
Day 2 – May 20, 2026 (09:00-17:00)
From Vision to Strategy: Planning Whole-of-Government Digital & AI Transformation
- Translate digital and AI vision into a strategic roadmap
- Identify institutional capacity, governance, and sequencing requirements
- Align strategies with trade, connectivity, and development priorities
Spotlight: Digital Public Infrastructure for Trade and Connectivity
- Role of DPI in digital and AI transformation
- Foundations: digital identity, data exchange, digital payments
- International examples of DPI implementation
Expert Perspectives: Lessons from the Field
- First-hand experiences and case studies
- Practical insights for implementing digital and AI transformation
- Identify actionable insights for national or sectoral strategies
Group Project Work – Draft Strategy & Roadmap
- Guided by facilitators, using instructions and templates
- Refine strategy, roadmap, and implementation approach
- Prepare final deliverables for Day 3 presentations
Day 3 – May 21, 2026 (0900-1230)
Group Project Presentations
- Each group presents their digital and AI transformation roadmap
- Expert and peer feedback
Wrapping Up
- Refresh key learnings from the course
- Set actionable goals for real-life application
- Complete course evaluation
Closing Ceremony
• Celebrate successful completion of the course
Tutors
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.
