From November 7 to 9, at the Central Military Club in Sofia, the Sofia Information Integrity Forum 2024 will take place – an event that unites experts from various fields to discuss the most current technologies and strategies for combating disinformation. The forum is co-funded by the Open Society Institute – Sofia and the European Union as part of the initiative “Europe Against Antidemocratic Propaganda,” supported by the “Rights and Values” project (ProEUvaluesBG). The event is organized by the Human and Social Studies Foundation – Sofia (HSSF), the Centre for the study of Democracy, GATE Institute, Identrics, Ontotext, Sensika, and Code, and will be conducted in English.
Leading names in the field who will participate in the event include:
Atanas Zapryanov, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria
Dana Spinant, Director-General, Directorate-General for Communication, European Commission
Todor Galev, Director of Research, Center for the Study of Democracy
Dimitar Vatsov, President, HSS Foundation - Sofia
Keith Peter Kiely, GATE Institute, Sofia University “St. Kiment Ohridski”
Watch session's video
Mark Galeotti, Mayak Intelligence
Moderator: Dimitar Vatsov, HSSF
How to Win the Information War. Russia and its Network in Germany
Susanne Spahn, Political Scientist, Historian and Journalist
"The Global South against the Collective West" - Do We Have a New Discursive Front
Dimitar Vatsov, HSSF
The Propaganda Crescendo and the Spiral of Silence!
Milena Yakimova, HSSF
Moderator: Veronika Dimitrova, HSSF
Media capture in CEE: models of emerging news ecologies and safeguarding epistemic rights
Marius Dragomir, Director, Media and Journalism Research Center
Central Europe between the imperial Scylla of "Russkiy mir" and the Charybdis of "post-national European identity"
Przemmyslaw Zurawski vel Grajewski, Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Section Coordinator, Chancellery of the President, Poland
Building resilience to Russian information manipulation and electoral interference in Moldova
Andrei Curăraru, Co-founder & Policy and security expert, Watchdog.md
Transforming Europe’s Media Landscape: Building Resilience and Safeguarding Independence
Maria Stoyanova, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
Anti-EU disinformation in Romania in the context of good governance: narratives, impact and solutions
Bianca Toma, Project Manager, Romanian Center for European Policies
Building Europe's Media Democracy Shield: Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference
Amaury Lesplingart, CTO, Checkfirst Network
Moderator: Goran Georgiev, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
China's efforts to construct its narrative infrastructure in Southeast Europe
Vladimir Shopov, European Council on Foreign Relations
Resilience Against Disinformation in Wartime: Lessons from Ukraine
Halyna Tanai, LMF, NGO Lviv Media Forum
Why is Serbia embracing Russia - and is it actually doing it at all?
Milorad Ivanovic, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
Moderator: Ralitsa Stoycheva, Media Programme South East Europe, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Andy Carvin, DFRLab (online)
Moderator: Ruslan Trad, DFRLab
Atanas Zapryanov, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria
Dana Spinant, Director-General, Directorate-General for Communication, European Commission
Todor Galev, Director of Research, Center for the Study of Democracy
Dimitar Vatsov, President, HSS Foundation - Sofia
Keith Peter Kiely, GATE Institute, Sofia University “St. Kiment Ohridski”
Mark Galeotti, Mayak Intelligence
Moderator: Dimitar Vatsov, HSSF
How to Win the Information War. Russia and its Network in Germany
Susanne Spahn, Political Scientist, Historian and Journalist
"The Global South against the Collective West" - Do We Have a New Discursive Front
Dimitar Vatsov, HSSF
The Propaganda Crescendo and the Spiral of Silence!
Milena Yakimova, HSSF
Moderator: Veronika Dimitrova, HSSF
Media capture in CEE: models of emerging news ecologies and safeguarding epistemic rights
Marius Dragomir, Director, Media and Journalism Research Center
Central Europe between the imperial Scylla of "Russkiy mir" and the Charybdis of "post-national European identity"
Przemmyslaw Zurawski vel Grajewski, Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Section Coordinator, Chancellery of the President, Poland
Building resilience to Russian information manipulation and electoral interference in Moldova
Andrei Curăraru, Co-founder & Policy and security expert, Watchdog.md
Transforming Europe’s Media Landscape: Building Resilience and Safeguarding Independence
Maria Stoyanova, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
Anti-EU disinformation in Romania in the context of good governance: narratives, impact and solutions
Bianca Toma, Project Manager, Romanian Center for European Policies
Building Europe's Media Democracy Shield: Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference
Amaury Lesplingart, CTO, Checkfirst Network
Moderator: Goran Georgiev, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
China's efforts to construct its narrative infrastructure in Southeast Europe
Vladimir Shopov, European Council on Foreign Relations
Resilience Against Disinformation in Wartime: Lessons from Ukraine
Halyna Tanai, LMF, NGO Lviv Media Forum
Why is Serbia embracing Russia - and is it actually doing it at all?
Milorad Ivanovic, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
Moderator: Ralitsa Stoycheva, Media Programme South East Europe, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Andy Carvin, DFRLab (online)
Moderator: Ruslan Trad, DFRLab
Atanas Zapryanov, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria
Dana Spinant, Director-General, Directorate-General for Communication, European Commission
Todor Galev, Director of Research, Center for the Study of Democracy
Dimitar Vatsov, President, HSS Foundation - Sofia
Keith Peter Kiely, GATE Institute, Sofia University “St. Kiment Ohridski”
Mark Galeotti, Mayak Intelligence
Moderator: Dimitar Vatsov, HSSF
How to Win the Information War. Russia and its Network in Germany
Susanne Spahn, Political Scientist, Historian and Journalist
"The Global South against the Collective West" - Do We Have a New Discursive Front
Dimitar Vatsov, HSSF
The Propaganda Crescendo and the Spiral of Silence!
Milena Yakimova, HSSF
Moderator: Veronika Dimitrova, HSSF
Media capture in CEE: models of emerging news ecologies and safeguarding epistemic rights
Marius Dragomir, Director, Media and Journalism Research Center
Central Europe between the imperial Scylla of "Russkiy mir" and the Charybdis of "post-national European identity"
Przemmyslaw Zurawski vel Grajewski, Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Section Coordinator, Chancellery of the President, Poland
Building resilience to Russian information manipulation and electoral interference in Moldova
Andrei Curăraru, Co-founder & Policy and security expert, Watchdog.md
Transforming Europe’s Media Landscape: Building Resilience and Safeguarding Independence
Maria Stoyanova, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
Anti-EU disinformation in Romania in the context of good governance: narratives, impact and solutions
Bianca Toma, Project Manager, Romanian Center for European Policies
Building Europe's Media Democracy Shield: Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference
Amaury Lesplingart, CTO, Checkfirst Network
Moderator: Goran Georgiev, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
China's efforts to construct its narrative infrastructure in Southeast Europe
Vladimir Shopov, European Council on Foreign Relations
Resilience Against Disinformation in Wartime: Lessons from Ukraine
Halyna Tanai, LMF, NGO Lviv Media Forum
Why is Serbia embracing Russia - and is it actually doing it at all?
Milorad Ivanovic, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
Moderator: Ralitsa Stoycheva, Media Programme South East Europe, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Andy Carvin, DFRLab (online)
Moderator: Ruslan Trad, DFRLab
Atanas Zapryanov, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria
Dana Spinant, Director-General, Directorate-General for Communication, European Commission
Todor Galev, Director of Research, Center for the Study of Democracy
Dimitar Vatsov, President, HSS Foundation - Sofia
Keith Peter Kiely, GATE Institute, Sofia University “St. Kiment Ohridski”
Mark Galeotti, Mayak Intelligence
Moderator: Dimitar Vatsov, HSSF
How to Win the Information War. Russia and its Network in Germany
Susanne Spahn, Political Scientist, Historian and Journalist
"The Global South against the Collective West" - Do We Have a New Discursive Front
Dimitar Vatsov, HSSF
The Propaganda Crescendo and the Spiral of Silence!
Milena Yakimova, HSSF
Moderator: Veronika Dimitrova, HSSF
Media capture in CEE: models of emerging news ecologies and safeguarding epistemic rights
Marius Dragomir, Director, Media and Journalism Research Center
Central Europe between the imperial Scylla of "Russkiy mir" and the Charybdis of "post-national European identity"
Przemmyslaw Zurawski vel Grajewski, Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Section Coordinator, Chancellery of the President, Poland
Building resilience to Russian information manipulation and electoral interference in Moldova
Andrei Curăraru, Co-founder & Policy and security expert, Watchdog.md
Transforming Europe’s Media Landscape: Building Resilience and Safeguarding Independence
Maria Stoyanova, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
Anti-EU disinformation in Romania in the context of good governance: narratives, impact and solutions
Bianca Toma, Project Manager, Romanian Center for European Policies
Building Europe's Media Democracy Shield: Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference
Amaury Lesplingart, CTO, Checkfirst Network
Moderator: Goran Georgiev, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
China's efforts to construct its narrative infrastructure in Southeast Europe
Vladimir Shopov, European Council on Foreign Relations
Resilience Against Disinformation in Wartime: Lessons from Ukraine
Halyna Tanai, LMF, NGO Lviv Media Forum
Why is Serbia embracing Russia - and is it actually doing it at all?
Milorad Ivanovic, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
Moderator: Ralitsa Stoycheva, Media Programme South East Europe, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Andy Carvin, DFRLab (online)
Moderator: Ruslan Trad, DFRLab
Atanas Zapryanov, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria
Dana Spinant, Director-General, Directorate-General for Communication, European Commission
Todor Galev, Director of Research, Center for the Study of Democracy
Dimitar Vatsov, President, HSS Foundation - Sofia
Keith Peter Kiely, GATE Institute, Sofia University “St. Kiment Ohridski”
Mark Galeotti, Mayak Intelligence
Moderator: Dimitar Vatsov, HSSF
How to Win the Information War. Russia and its Network in Germany
Susanne Spahn, Political Scientist, Historian and Journalist
"The Global South against the Collective West" - Do We Have a New Discursive Front
Dimitar Vatsov, HSSF
The Propaganda Crescendo and the Spiral of Silence!
Milena Yakimova, HSSF
Moderator: Veronika Dimitrova, HSSF
Media capture in CEE: models of emerging news ecologies and safeguarding epistemic rights
Marius Dragomir, Director, Media and Journalism Research Center
Central Europe between the imperial Scylla of "Russkiy mir" and the Charybdis of "post-national European identity"
Przemmyslaw Zurawski vel Grajewski, Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Section Coordinator, Chancellery of the President, Poland
Building resilience to Russian information manipulation and electoral interference in Moldova
Andrei Curăraru, Co-founder & Policy and security expert, Watchdog.md
Transforming Europe’s Media Landscape: Building Resilience and Safeguarding Independence
Maria Stoyanova, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
Anti-EU disinformation in Romania in the context of good governance: narratives, impact and solutions
Bianca Toma, Project Manager, Romanian Center for European Policies
Building Europe's Media Democracy Shield: Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference
Amaury Lesplingart, CTO, Checkfirst Network
Moderator: Goran Georgiev, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
China's efforts to construct its narrative infrastructure in Southeast Europe
Vladimir Shopov, European Council on Foreign Relations
Resilience Against Disinformation in Wartime: Lessons from Ukraine
Halyna Tanai, LMF, NGO Lviv Media Forum
Why is Serbia embracing Russia - and is it actually doing it at all?
Milorad Ivanovic, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
Moderator: Ralitsa Stoycheva, Media Programme South East Europe, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Andy Carvin, DFRLab (online)
Moderator: Ruslan Trad, DFRLab
Atanas Zapryanov, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria
Dana Spinant, Director-General, Directorate-General for Communication, European Commission
Todor Galev, Director of Research, Center for the Study of Democracy
Dimitar Vatsov, President, HSS Foundation - Sofia
Keith Peter Kiely, GATE Institute, Sofia University “St. Kiment Ohridski”
Mark Galeotti, Mayak Intelligence
Moderator: Dimitar Vatsov, HSSF
How to Win the Information War. Russia and its Network in Germany
Susanne Spahn, Political Scientist, Historian and Journalist
"The Global South against the Collective West" - Do We Have a New Discursive Front
Dimitar Vatsov, HSSF
The Propaganda Crescendo and the Spiral of Silence!
Milena Yakimova, HSSF
Moderator: Veronika Dimitrova, HSSF
Media capture in CEE: models of emerging news ecologies and safeguarding epistemic rights
Marius Dragomir, Director, Media and Journalism Research Center
Central Europe between the imperial Scylla of "Russkiy mir" and the Charybdis of "post-national European identity"
Przemmyslaw Zurawski vel Grajewski, Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Section Coordinator, Chancellery of the President, Poland
Building resilience to Russian information manipulation and electoral interference in Moldova
Andrei Curăraru, Co-founder & Policy and security expert, Watchdog.md
Transforming Europe’s Media Landscape: Building Resilience and Safeguarding Independence
Maria Stoyanova, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
Anti-EU disinformation in Romania in the context of good governance: narratives, impact and solutions
Bianca Toma, Project Manager, Romanian Center for European Policies
Building Europe's Media Democracy Shield: Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference
Amaury Lesplingart, CTO, Checkfirst Network
Moderator: Goran Georgiev, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
China's efforts to construct its narrative infrastructure in Southeast Europe
Vladimir Shopov, European Council on Foreign Relations
Resilience Against Disinformation in Wartime: Lessons from Ukraine
Halyna Tanai, LMF, NGO Lviv Media Forum
Why is Serbia embracing Russia - and is it actually doing it at all?
Milorad Ivanovic, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
Moderator: Ralitsa Stoycheva, Media Programme South East Europe, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Andy Carvin, DFRLab (online)
Moderator: Ruslan Trad, DFRLab
This event takes place with the financial support of the following initiatives, projects and programs: the initiative “Europe against anti-democratic propaganda” (Project “Rights and Values”, financed by European Union and Open Society Institute – Sofia); BROD (Digital Europe program under contract No: 101083730), vera.ai (Horizon Europe, Research & Innovation program, under contract No: 101070093), “Social Vulnerability and Propaganda” (Financed by America for Bulgaria Foundation) and Media Programme South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, of the European Executive Agency for Scientific Research, Open Society Institute – Sofia, America for Bulgaria Foundation, Media Programme South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Neither the European Union nor the funding body can be held responsible for them.
The Forum is part of the program of the European Solidarity Festival.
