Despite sharing an island, comparing the Dominican Republic and Haiti is a slippery slope. Like most neighbors, the two nations have experienced moments of tranquility, moments of teamwork, and moments of tension. Culturally and economically dissimilar, the two interdependent countries are divided by more than a politically-imposed border.

Once again East Asian countries have dominated the global education tables. In recent weeks, both the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) published their rankings of education systems worldwide based on students’ skills and knowledge. 

Mrs Helen Annan, the Chief Executive Officer of Brand Ghana, has underscored the need for the nation to intensify its branding efforts to enhance its competitiveness on the global arena. She said: “The process of branding our nation is now, and we call on everyone to be a brand ambassador in promoting our dear nation Ghana and support the Brand Ghana Office in its endeavour.”

As President-elect Donald Trump continues making his picks of US officials, including the controversial announcement on Friday of Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, his upset poll victory is still sending shock waves around the world. [...] The continued shock at Trump’s election, and some of his early decisions and appointments, threatens to potentially damage the reputation of the United States (so-called ‘Brand America’) internationally. 

Contrary to its designer's expectations, the rolling research tracking the relative strength of national brands, now known as the Anholt/GFK Roper Nation Brands Index, is one of the most boring runs of numbers known to humanity. Unlike the Billboard music chart or the "Who's Hot" list in the celebrity-watch magazines, the nation brands index is astonishingly stable. 

Launching in 2017, The South African Brand Summit & Awards will provide a unique platform to begin but probably not finish a series of important conversations about branding [...] The summit will culminate in a gala awards dinner at which brands that make South Africa shine will be celebrated. The summit will also look at how brands that operate in South Africa contribute to the country’s brand narrative.

The news cycle about Brazil’s abundant economic and political problems – combined with issues during the Olympics – have damaged Brazil’s national brand. Latin America’s largest country dropped to 23rd place in the Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index. It is Brazil’s worst ranking to date. NBI rates the image of 50 countries based on interviews and panels held in several parts of the world. It evaluates nations in six different criteria: politics, culture, population, tourism, the potential for immigration, and business friendliness.

How did Brand Dubai rise in such a short time span? Three elements sum it well. Passionate people, great products with a global connect, and popular annual events like the Dubai shopping Festival and Dubai duty Free tennis. The city embodies a rich character with a pioneering spirit, a commitment to innovation, the pursuit of excellence and prosperity, while embracing vast cultural diversity.