Visegradfund KS Project

Project “Countering False Information in Kosovo: Experience-Sharing between V4 and Prishtina” seeks to bring together
experts on combating false information from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Kosovo to share their experience and, most importantly, to help Kosovo experts enhance their knowledge regarding the necessary measures and tools to be implemented to protect the country from false information that could seriously harm Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic Path and aspirations.

What is more, the project will train and educate university students to recognize and combat false information and, consequently, increase Kosovo’s society’s ability to tackle and prevent false information from impacting society.

Kosovo is a society under increasing threat from false information (misinformation, disinformation, malicious information, or
deepfake.) Increased use of social networks and the emergence of various online platforms, combined with the ease of disseminating information on the Internet, creates a suitable ground for spreading false information. That leads to conflict and
unrest caused by hate speech stemming from false information.

The Western Balkans, have long been the target of false information. Kosovo is a young country that still has to grapple
with foreign influence accompanied by the dissemination of false information by state and non-state actors. Despite the fact Kosovo has developed some measures to counter false information, the war in Ukraine and the current geopolitical situation pose an imminent threat to Kosovo society, as state and non-state actors are seeking to undermine the democratization effort and sabotage Kosovo´s path toward the membership in the European Union and NATO. Crucially, V4 countries have experience with such malign activities. Experts from Central Europe could provide Kosovo experts and university students with skills and knowledge to help Kosovo counter false information and avoid disrupting the country´s ambitions. Therefore, the project´s relevance is to make Kosovo experts and university students more resilient and capable of countering false information.

Lecture on Disinformation Held with Journalism Students at the Faculty of Philology

On April 25, a lecture on the prevalence of disinformation in Europe was held with students from the Faculty of Philology, Department of Journalism at the University of Prishtina. The event provided valuable insights from experts hailing from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Kosovo on the challenges and trends of disinformation across Europe.

Professor Dr. Remzie Shahini Hoxhaj moderated the lecture, fostering an engaging discussion where students demonstrated great interest by asking thoughtful questions and actively participating in the conversation on how disinformation impacts society and the media landscape.

Distinguished guests included Bohumil Mazanek, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Kosovo, and Michal Plsko, Deputy Head of Mission of the Liaison Office of the Slovak Republic in Pristina, who provided valuable insights and highlighted the importance of international cooperation in addressing disinformation.

The event underscored the importance of regional and cross-border collaboration in addressing disinformation and strengthening media literacy.