Bendjedid Rachad Sanoussi
Bendjedid Rachad Sanoussi is an ICT specialist with an infectious enthusiasm for environmental protection. Since 2016, he has been working to provide innovative and sustainable solutions to socio-economic and environmental challenges. Currently, Rachad is pursuing a PhD in digital and artificial intelligence (AI) for management. His current research focuses on using AI to enhance customer experiences in sustainable tourism. His aspiration as a researcher is to bridge the gap between academia and industry through applied research. Furthermore, Rachad actively contributes to the analysis, research, and evaluation of cutting-edge policies. He was a member of the research group at the Centre for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP), where he contributed
to the assessment of AI policies and practices for Morocco using several metrics based on the CAIDP Artificial Intelligence and Democratic Values (AIDV) 2022 report. Previously, he worked at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a Digital Transformation Support, and ICT Engineering Support. He supported the implementation of the Digital Readiness Assessment (DRA) and the Artificial Intelligence Landscape Assessment (AILA) and contributed to the deployment of digital solutions worldwide. He also worked as a communications intern at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). For four years, he taught and facilitated practical work for telecommunications engineering students as a laboratory technician at the University of Abomey-Calavi. Rachad also holds a certification in Marketing and Communications. For Rachad, digital technologies must contribute more to a more sustainable future. His passion, determination, and ambition led him to get more involved in the community and become an SDG advocate by sharing and passing on hope to young people through his work and community commitments in many organisations, including Ecolotrip, Digital Grassroots, Internet Society Benin, Cadre de Concertation des Associations / Organisations de Développement de la Commune de Pobe (CCAD/Pobe), Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), Global Youth Climate Network (GYCN), World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW), etc. At Digital Grassroots, Rachad curated the Community Leaders Program for Internet Advocacy which focuses on using the Internet for democratic participation. Their Digital Rights Monopoly project has been selected for C/Change’s 2nd Creative Research & Development Lab. They developed a virtual platform modelling decentralized power distribution and amplifying marginalized youth voices. Rachad coordinated the working group on universal access and meaningful connectivity for the Project Youth Summit. As an Open Internet Leader, he also collaborated with the AU-EU Digital for Development Hub (D4D Hub) to bring youth voices to the 17th Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Rachad aspires to become a tech policy analyst. He is a DWeb Fellow and an ICTforAg Youth Ambassador, and he co-founded Green Leaf AI, an AgriTech startup that uses artificial intelligence to detect date palm diseases. Green Leaf AI was awarded 2nd place at Falling Walls Lab Morocco 2024 and was one of the semi-finalist startups in the ITU AI for Climate Action Innovation Factory 2024. Moreover, Rachad is one of the recipients of the Youth Digital Champion (YDC) awards. He also earned the Inaugural Paul Muchene Fellow Award, a tribute to Paul Muchene.