BECID
December 5, 2023 ·

Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences will host an international negotiation laboratory on media literacy and cognitive aspects in the age of artificial intelligence 

In order to improve the public’s understanding of the cognitive processes related to media literacy and how artificial intelligence and modern technologies affect the creation and consumption of media content, an international negotiation laboratory will be held in Valmiera on December 12, organized by the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with the UNESCO National Commission and support Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. 

It will be the first interdisciplinary event of such branches in Latvia, which will bring together experts and practitioners in the field of neurocognitive and communication research from Latvia, Sweden, Great Britain, Estonia, Lithuania, Morocco, promoting the exchange of quality information and stimulating professional discussion. 

Rector of Vidzeme University Agnese Dāvidsone: 

“Media literacy in society cannot be improved by only appealing to the rational mind of a person. It is very important to understand what processes occur in the brain when potentially exposed to misinformation, to understand a large number of different factors, about which neuroscientists and psychologists have accumulated extensive knowledge. Therefore, as media literacy researchers and also media literacy educators, we understand that much closer cooperation between researchers in these branches of science is necessary so that we can more successfully implement our task – to promote the media literacy of the Latvian society. At Vidzeme University, we have been working with media literacy issues since 2016, so we have accumulated enough experience to be able to share our knowledge and create a platform for interdisciplinary discussions, which will lead to closer cooperation between researchers and practitioners on a national and international scale.” 

In the conversation laboratory, it will be possible to listen to stories about how the perception of disinformation is affected by artificial intelligence, how the cognitive aspects of media literacy are affected from a psychological point of view. There will be an opportunity to hear practical stories, as well as participate in a high-quality discussion, in which both experts and practitioners will participate. Kaspars Rūklis (Baltic Media Literacy Program “IREX”) and Gunta Sloga (Baltic Media Excellence Center) will lead the discussions. 

Andrejs Pildegovičs, ambassador for special tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia – head of the secretariat of Latvia’s candidacy to the UN Security Council, states: 

“Latvia, being a candidate for the UN Security Council in the 2025 elections (for work on the council in 2026-2027), is actively involved in the creation of UN information policy, paying special attention to combating disinformation and improving media literacy. In case of election, Latvia will put to use the considerable experience accumulated in such areas as media literacy, journalists’ safety and media freedom, as well as the fight against disinformation. We hope that this event will strengthen Latvia’s expertise in these areas.” 

We invite everyone who works with information gathering and processing, especially those working in the media and communication fields, to participate in the conversation laboratory. Also, this event will be useful for teachers, librarians, youth specialists working at various stages of education, representatives of non-governmental organizations engaged in strengthening media literacy, and teaching staff, researchers and students of higher education institutions. 

The conversation laboratory will take place in person from 13.00 to 17.00 in Valmiera, Tērbatas Street 16A (in the premises of the “Wolmar” hotel), and will also be watched online. Translation into Latvian and English will be provided. 

Participation in the event is free. But in order to plan the course of the event, we invite those interested to apply here: https://ej.uz/12_12_2023. 

Anyone interested will be able to follow the event live on “LSM.lv” and Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences’ Facebook and YouTube accounts. 

It should be noted that from 2022, the UNESCO Department of Media and Information Literacy and Scientific Literacy will be operating at Vidzeme University, expanding opportunities for learning and researching these topics for both students and teaching staff. 

Information prepared by: 

Inese Paberza 

Vidzeme University
Head of the Communication Group
Phone: 26418755
E-mail: inese.paberza@va.lv
www.va.lv