SEEU Hosts International Delegation for Event on Strengthening Societal Resilience to Disinformation

The visit began with a reception at SEEU, where Rector Prof. Dr. Sadudin Ibraimi, together with Prof. Dr. Besa Arifi, Advisor for Community and International Relations, and Prof. Dr. Veli Kreci, Director of the Max van der Stoel Institute (MVDSI), welcomed the Ambassador-at-Large, Head of Office in Skopje of the Embassy of Lithuania, Vilma Dambrauskienė joined by Lukas Andriukaitis, non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s DFRLab; Scambiato Licciardi Luciano, Press and Communication Team Leader at the EU Delegation; and other EU Delegation and Europe House representatives.

The discussion explored the growing challenges posed by malign information manipulation, the importance of academic engagement, and opportunities to collaborate in strengthening democratic resilience.

The programme continued with the lecture “Disinformation and Societal Resilience – Open Source Analysis.” Prof. Dr. Veli Kreci opened the session by emphasizing the importance of strengthening media and information literacy among students and researchers, as well as deepening cooperation with international partners in addressing disinformation. Ambassador Vilma Dambrauskienė followed with reflections on societal resilience and the shared responsibility of institutions in countering foreign and domestic influence operations.

The keynote speaker, Lukas Andriukaitis, non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), delivered a master class on open-source intelligence (OSINT). Speaking to students from various SEEU faculties, he demonstrated how digital evidence can be analyzed to detect manipulation, verify information, and trace coordinated disinformation campaigns through real-world examples.

The event concluded with an interactive OSINT workshop, where Andriukaitis led a table-top exercise simulating how disinformation spreads online. Students explored how false narratives circulate and practiced using analytical tools to counter them.

Today’s event reaffirmed SEEU’s commitment to promoting media literacy and strengthening democratic resilience through education, research, and international cooperation. SEEU expresses its gratitude to the Embassy of Lithuania, the EU Delegation, Europe House, and all participating experts, and looks forward to continuing joint initiatives that support critical thinking and societal resilience in the region.