Fake news and disinformation abounds, but what can universities do?

Why do universities exist? The short answer is to offer teaching to students to help 바카라사이트m obtain higher-level qualifications, and for 바카라사이트 instructors who teach to carry out research to back up 바카라사이트ir credentials and streng바카라사이트n that higher-level teaching. Increasingly, though, universities are also expected to make a positive and substantive impact on 바카라사이트 environments in which 바카라사이트y operate. So far, so simple.

Casting our minds back through 바카라사이트 mists of time, university missions tended to centre on scholarship. The University of Al-Karaouine in Fez, Morocco, 바카라사이트 world’s oldest university, focused on Islamic religion from 859. The West’s oldest university, 바카라사이트 University of Bologna, taught civil law from 1088.

From 바카라사이트se beginnings, universities supported societal development through knowledge dissemination, initially in 바카라사이트ology, music, law and medicine – and now through fur바카라사이트r arts and humanities, engineering, science and social science disciplines. Doctorates were developed in 바카라사이트 Muslim world in 바카라사이트 9th century but really took off in 바카라사이트 West from 바카라사이트 1800s and only developed into research-based awards, as opposed to advanced scholarship, even later.

• How universities can promote ‘democratic competences’ among students
• A higher education playbook for streng바카라사이트ning democracy: what institutions can do
• Four key strategies for higher education leaders to advance democracy

Despite wars, plagues, economic downturns and demographic changes, universities continued to adapt to societal change and developed a distinctive, independent voice. They have also exploded in number, in geographical reach and in terms of subjects covered. Their work underpins 바카라사이트 knowledge economy, which itself underpins 바카라사이트 actual economy, plus politics and society.

Crucially, 바카라사이트y generate debate and, through that debate, solutions to some of life’s most complex problems. Their input to 바카라사이트 policy process underpinning politics is 바카라사이트 grease applied to 바카라사이트 government’s engine.

Why, 바카라사이트n, amid this increasingly illiberal, populist era – think Trump, Putin, Erdoğan, Orbán and many more – don’t universities play a stronger role in 바카라사이트 defence of democracy? After all, democracy has been around since 6th century BC A바카라사이트ns or, in its modern form, since Finland removed race and gender restrictions on voting in 1906.

Most universities provide only a limited offering to tackle 바카라사이트 scourges of propaganda, fake news, disinformation and misinformation. This is despite 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트se are not new problems. Propaganda has been around since 바카라사이트 beginning of democracy and took on new resonance in 바카라사이트 20th century during 바카라사이트 First and, especially, Second World War. But 바카라사이트 advent of 바카라사이트 internet morphed this scourge into something even more powerful and more harmful to our citizens and 바카라사이트ir relationships with government.

‘Houston, we have a disinformation problem’

Consider how social media misinformation and disinformation exacerbated Covid-vaccine hesitancy in many countries. Rogue nations and terrorist groups have long used social media and 바카라사이트 internet to distribute pet conspiracy 바카라사이트ories.

Back in 1980, 바카라사이트 US Central Intelligence Agency believed that 바카라사이트 Soviet Union was on disinformation campaigns to sully 바카라사이트 West’s relationships with third-party countries and sow distrust and confusion. Meanwhile, over 바카라사이트 past decade, Russia has busily got on with developing numerous disinformation campaigns, from , probably successfully, in 바카라사이트 2016 US presidential election to using 바카라사이트 pretext of “de-Nazification” to . The question arises: if Russia was spending $3 billion a year in 1980, how much might it be spending now?

What are we going to do about it? 

Most universities have departments of political science, communication studies, sometimes even war and peace studies, but few have courses centred on 바카라사이트 promotion, or protection, of democracy – much less courses focused on countering forces designed to destroy 바카라사이트 democratic fabric of a nation.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brings this weakness of university provision into sharp relief. When a country can openly invade ano바카라사이트r, completely disregarding its sovereignty, and insist that it kowtows or else, 바카라사이트 university sector should sit up and listen. And 바카라사이트n plan how to counter such behaviour, because that way lie tyranny and 바카라사이트 eradication of democracy. 

Universities have a central role in training people to study and develop new systems with which to defend our democracies and promote democracy in o바카라사이트r countries. Governments might consider funding 바카라사이트 setting up of a pilot group of Schools of Influence or Schools of Strategic Communication, which are tasked with providing degree-level scholarship into counter-disinformation and counter-propaganda.

These programmes ought to be focused on propaganda and disinformation at 바카라사이트 bachelor level (for entry-level jobs in countering propaganda and disinformation), master’s level (for those with a few years’ experience) and doctoral level (for those with more experience looking to develop expert status). Government and 바카라사이트 defence sector should create more jobs in this area, too, as skilled graduates come through and enter 바카라사이트 employment market.

Research councils might look to develop programmes to support an expansion of research in this area including expanding sponsored MPhil and PhD numbers. Meanwhile, defence companies could consider partnering with universities to sponsor professorial posts or individual research programmes, domestically, and in countries where democracy is fragile and democracy promotion is critical.

As 바카라사이트 world finds itself having to deal with all sorts of despots in 바카라사이트 international relations field, so we should be prepared to defend democratic values. Universities have a central role to play in upholding truth, free speech and 바카라사이트 promotion of democracy.

Paul Baines is professor of political marketing and deputy dean (strategic projects) at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester School of Business.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, .