Meet the Decision-Makers: WSA’s Online Jury
Next week marks a new stage in the World Summit Awards – the Online Jury Process. With a commitment to democracy and transparency, WSA ensures a fair and diverse selection of global digital solutions. Once a digital solution is nominated, it undergoes an evaluation across multiple stages to potentially emerge as a WSA Winner or even Global Champion.
The WSA Jury Process:
- Nomination and Application: WSA National Experts, representing 182 UN member states, nominate up to eight digital solutions across 8 categories. The youth category welcomes open applications. Nominees completing their applications in the WSA online contest database are ushered into the Jury process.
- The Online Jury: An Online Jury, comprising international experts, meticulously reviews and evaluates all permitted applications. This distinguished panel pre-selects the top 15 to 18 products in each of the eight WSA categories, forming the Short List.
- The Grand Jury: For the solutions that make it through the initial stage, there is a second Jury that is done in person. This year, the Grand Jury will be held in Hyderabad, India. In this stage, dedicated Jury Panels, assigned by the WSA office, reassess the Short List. These committed Jury Members then select the five winners in each WSA category.
- Announcement & WSA Global Congress: The winners of the WSA Jury Process are publicly announced and then personally informed. Invitations are extended to join the WSA Global Congress, where winners seize the opportunity to pitch their solutions to an international on-site Jury panel. This presentation determines the one Global Champion in each WSA category, unveiled at the grand Award Ceremony and Gala. This year, the Global Congress will be held in Chile.
Learn more about WSA's Jury Process
The Online Jury Stage
Now, let's turn our focus to the faces behind the Online Jury stage. Comprising a diverse array of international experts, this esteemed panel plays a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of digital innovations. Their discerning eyes and vast expertise contribute to the meticulous shortlisting process, setting the stage for the grand unveiling of the best in global digital innovation.
Meet WSA's Decision Makers
Carlos A. Watson Carazo
Independent Consultant / Founder & President
ISOC Costa Rica Chapter International Foundation
Costa Rica
Arturo Lopez Valerio
Director
Cámara Dominicana de Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación
Dominican Republic
MAHA ZOUWAYHED
Associate Director, Talal and Madiha Zein AUB Innovation Park (Zein AUB iPark)
American University of Beirut
Lebanon
Peace Oliver Amuge
Africa Regional Strategy Lead at the Association for Progressive Communications
APC- Association for Progressive Communications
Uganda
Panayiotis Andreou
Assistant Professor in Computing
School of Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Cyprus
Cyprus
Josué Reyes Mejía
Consultor en Innovación, Transformación Digital y Desarrollo de Ecosistemas de Emprendimiento
Impact Hub Tegucigalpa
Honduras
Michael Madara Ogot
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Enterprise)
University of Nairobi
Kenya
Arletty Pinel
Silver economy evangelist, social entrepreneur & angel investor. WBAF International Partner, Aging2.0 Ambassador.
Panama
Irene Polycarpou
Professor of Technology and Innovation in Education, Head of the School of Sciences
University of Central Lancashire, Cyprus
Cyprus
Natasha Lazarovska-Trajcheski
Co-founder and Executive Board Member
Startup Macedonia
North Macedonia
Marta A. Tomovska
Advisor to the Prime Minister of Serbia
Office of the Prime Minister
North Macedonia
Vanessa Cañete
Managing Director at Willdom Paraguay | Bootcamp Product Manager at Programando Paraguay | Co-founder at Girls Code | GCL 2023
Willdom Paraguay
Paraguay
Gia Gaspard Taylor
President
Network of Rural Women Producers Trinidad and Tobago (NRWPTT)
Trinidad and Tobago
Irene Kaggwa-Sewankambo
Head, Research & Coordinator, Office of the Executive Director
Uganda Communications Commission (UCC)
Uganda