UNN and Indonesian university to study fact-checking technologies
Lobachevsky University and the Veteran National Development University (Yogyakarta, Indonesia) will jointly study information verification technologies (fact-checking) and develop educational programmes in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Data Journalism. A cooperation agreement to this effect was signed on 27 March by Acting Rector of Lobachevsky University Oleg Trofimov and Rector of the Veteran National Development University (UPNYK) Anter Venera. Taking part in the signing ceremony were Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus Jose Antonio Morato Tavares and Attaché for Education and Culture of the Indonesian Embassy Adi Nuryanto.
The document lays the foundation for cooperation between the universities, primarily in journalism and mass communications. Under the agreement, the universities plan to hold conferences, research seminars, develop academic mobility, double degree programmes, summer and winter schools, and engage in joint research projects.
As noted by Acting Rector of Lobachevsky University Oleg Trofimov, UNN already has students from Indonesia, and there has been successful experience in student academic mobility from the Indonesian partner university.
"UNN and UPNYK are classical universities and have a great potential for the development of scientific and educational cooperation in various fields, from economics to medicine and from information technology to humanities. I am sure that the agreement signed today will provide a solid foundation for our universities and serve as a springboard for the development of all three university missions," said Acting Rector Oleg Trofimov.
Students and teachers from the Indonesian partner university in 2023 will join the international online educational project on media and social media verification #STUDFACTCHECK, which has been implemented at the UNN Institute of Philology and Journalism since 2020.
"We are honoured to become a partner of Lobachevsky University. This programme should provide an impetus for further cooperation in the future. I hope that the agreement will allow us to have a good relationship and extensive contacts and will be fruitful for both academic communities," noted Anter Venera, Rector of the Veteran National Development University.
Ludmila Makarova, Deputy Director of the UNN Institute of Philology and Journalism, Head of the #STUDFACTCHECK project, Academic Supervisor of the Master's programme "Artificial Intelligence and Data Journalism", outlined some practical aspects of the agreement:
"We will hold a series of introductory workshops for our partners to study fact-checking technology, we will also show some examples of our work. The experience of networking with Russian higher education institutions (for example, with Udmurt State University) and foreign partners allows us to hope for successful results of joint work. The UNN Institute of Philology and Journalism is already discussing with colleagues from Indonesia a double-degree programme in the master's programme "Artificial Intelligence and Data Journalism."
In 2021, Lobachevsky University entered into an academic exchange agreement with the Islamic University of Indonesia, and already in the spring semester of academic year 2021-2022, four Indonesian students took exchange courses at UNN. Every year, several students from Indonesia study at Lobachevsky University within the framework of intergovernmental quotas. Currently, there are four Indonesian students (three of them are in the preparatory programme).
