The director of the Agbar Chair co-organizes and participates in a NATO-supported conference on disinformation

With the support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), through a public diplomacy funding project, the UPF Barcelona School of Management organized its first conference on disinformation in minority languages, led by Professor Rodrigo Cetina, Associate Dean of Education and Academic Affairs, in partnership with Professor Toni Aira, director of the Agbar Chair of International Studies in Institutional Communication for Development and Sustainable Growth.

Held on July 1, 2024, the UPF-BSM hosted the event, which gathered over 60 researchers and professionals from different fields under the title “Disinformation effects on minority and minoritized languages: Diagnosing the Problem, Identifying Solutions, Creating Knowledge Networks.”

The initiative aims to create a knowledge network around a particularly overlooked dimension of disinformation: its effects on minority languages. One of its research lines focuses on the use of these languages to serve disinformation regarding climate change, sustainability, and the 2030 Agenda.

The conference in Barcelona addressed initiatives being undertaken by international organizations such as NATO and the European Union to measure, understand, and combat disinformation. For instance, Beatriz Marín, a data analyst for the European Union External Action Service, provided a detailed explanation of the FIMI methodology developed by the agency, which aims to move from analysis to action in response to foreign interference and meddling.

Professor Aira participated as a speaker and led the second panel of the day, titled “Multilingualism, minority and minoritized languages and misinformation,” which also featured journalist Daniel Basteiro and Òscar Escuder, president of Plataforma per la Llengua.