A Dream Carried Across Borders: Building Trust in the Digital Economy

Anis SHAMI

LinkedIn, ThesesFr

2026 Social Innovation Thesis Prize from University Grenoble Alpes

Merci beaucoup pour votre témoignage

Why did you choose to pursue a PhD?

A doctorate was always an obvious next step for me. I come from a humble family in South Lebanon, from parents who were always there during the darkest days our country faced. It was my mom’s dream to pursue a PhD in linguistics, but the war prevented her from continuing what she had already started. After two bachelor's degrees in finance and management information systems (MIS), a master's in financial institutions at the Lebanese University, and a second master's in Advanced Finance and Accounting at Université Grenoble Alpes, I knew it was time to carry forward my mother’s dream, which by then had become my dream. My years in academia, and the professors and researchers I met along the way, convinced me that I wanted to become both a researcher, leaving no stone unturned, and a lecturer sharing what I find with my students.

What is your thesis about, and what is its central contribution?

My thesis is titled 'Fostering Trust on Digital Exchanges: Rating Corporate Digital Communication and ESG Performance: Early Foundation Towards a Double Materiality Rating of Digital Activities.' It was conducted under a CIFRE contract in partnership with Dawex Systems (a French data exchange platform), ANRT, and MIAI (the Grenoble Interdisciplinary Institute in Artificial Intelligence).

The starting observation is straightforward but underexplored: firms communicate extensively about their digital activities, cybersecurity, digital carbon footprint, and data privacy. Yet this communication is uneven, poorly standardized, and its effects on stakeholders are poorly understood. The goal was to develop a rating tool capable of assessing firms' digital performance through the lens of double materiality, meaning it evaluates both how digital practices affect a company's financial performance and how those practices affect society and the environment.

By the end of my thesis, I was able to develop a functional rating tool that utilizes machine learning, a set of 581 validated key indicators organized into coherent themes: security, data protection, environmental impact, communication quality, and responsible data governance. The tool generates an overall score supported by specific sub-scores. These scores help investors, companies, and customers make more informed decisions about digital products/services that are more responsible, respect user privacy, have a reduced environmental impact, and are compliant with major European data privacy/governance regulations.

Your thesis received the 2026 Social Innovation Thesis Prize from UGA. What does that recognition mean to you?

The university distinction (official UGA announcement is available here) moves me deeply, precisely because it is awarded under the banner of social innovation. It validates something I had carried from the beginning: I hope that someday, my work will mean something to someone and that I leave an impact on this world, regardless of how small it is.

What was the most significant challenge of this journey?

My thesis was pragmatic, which meant it was developed following a trial-and-error approach. I cannot remember how many methods I tried, how many times I had to start all over again. It reached a point where some of the people who engaged in the project lost faith in it. However, what kept me going was the conviction that the problem was worth solving and that I was not letting go of the dream I carried.

What would you say to a young researcher pursuing a PhD or willing to do so?

Rather than offering advice, I'd like to share a short poem I wrote, which opens my thesis and has guided me throughout this journey:

نظل نمضي مهما تقطعت فينا السبل

We continue to move regardless of blocked paths

ترهقنا الحياة فنسعى لا نكلّ ولا نسل

Life burdens us, yet we never tire, and we never ask

يطول المسير وتثقل خطانا

The journey is long, and our steps grow heavy

وصوت فينا ينادي حي على العمل

But an inner sound pushes us to work harder and never worry

تذوب الروح والأيام تكوينا

Our souls melt, and the days wear us out

ويظل ينبع من جوارحنا الأمل

Yet, hope still lingers in our limbs, diminishing any doubt

نرفع أيدينا إلى السماء نشكو ضيق حالنا

We hold our hands high, complaining of the hardships

فيأتينا الغيث من عزيز لا يمل

Then aid comes from the one who never tires

نرجو الإنصاف من أهل الأرض

We hope for justice from the people of the earth

ومن خيٌر من أهل السماء ومن عدل

But who is fairer than those in the skies

نرغب من الحياة غنائم

In life, we seek rewards and gain

لا بد لمن سعى في النهاية أن يصل

A determined traveler will eventually reach his aim

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أنيس شامي - SHAMI Anis