Scholars at Risk commemorated with panel discussion

“Truth Matters”

In connection with a conference within the Mis(sing) Information research project, led by Örebro University and Bielefeld University, Örebro was asked by Scholars at Risk to contribute to their 25th anniversary celebrations. Scholars at Risk is an international network that works to protect researchers threatened because of their work, opinions, or identity – and to defend the right to free research and academic freedom.

The celebration took the form of a panel discussion on issues related to academic freedom, democracy, and truth.

“I think that universities and countries that can engage in these issues should do so. It’s important, not least for the preservation of democracy,” says Magnus Kristoffersson, docent in law at Örebro University and one of the organisers behind the event.

Mis(sing) information

In today’s digital world, information spreads globally and instantly, increasing the risk of misinformation, disinformation, and the omission of crucial context or details. The international and interdisciplinary research project Mis(sing) Information, which organised the event, investigates how such incomplete or selective information affects education, knowledge transfer, and trust in academic knowledge. The project focuses in particular on the role of the education sector in bolstering critical thinking, media and information literacy, and democratic values in an era characterised by digitalisation and new technologies such as generative AI.

Michaela Vogt, Vice-Rector for International Affairs, Diversity and Society at Bielefeld University in Germany, was one of the keynote speakers at the Truth Matters event. Listen to her explain more about Truth Matters and the challenges of promoting academic freedom in the video below.