Certificate Training: Disinformation and Cybersecurity (in person)

Date: 20-23 November 2024
Application Deadline: 8 September 2024
Venue: The OSCE Academy in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic (in person)

About the training
This intensive four-day course examines the critical role of digital media in shaping public perception and its impact on conflicts, highlighting the dangers of disinformation and the importance of media-literacy and cybersecurity. Participants will explore how biased reporting and simplified narratives can exacerbate conflicts and learn the approaches to transform conflict-supportive narratives. We will also explore the ethical questions in cybersecurity and implement the gained knowledge in a simulation game. The game specifically examines the influence of external cyber-attacks on electoral processes and which defensive or offensive strategies attacked nation states have to guarantee fair elections. In the end, participants have better insights into digital threats and have an understanding of possible approaches to deal with them on state and personal levels.

Trainers and organizers
The OSCE Academy in Bishkek promotes and enhances the principles and values of the OSCE in Central Asia. As a regional hub for higher education, capacity building, research, and regional dialogue, the Academy is dedicated to fostering a community of scholars, researchers, civil society activists, policymakers, and academic and developmental institutions. Located in Bishkek, it offers rigorous programmes designed to meet the needs of its key stakeholders. The Academy offers MA programmes in Economic Governance and Development, Politics and Security and Human Rights and Sustainability (MAHRS),  as well as a BA programme in Economics. More information: www.osce-academy.net. 

CRISP is an organization based in Berlin, Germany. It is one of the few organizations worldwide that develops and applies the method of simulation-gaming to the fields of conflict transformation, civic education, and citizen participation. Geographical areas of intervention are the South Caucasus, Ukraine, Central Asia, the Western Balkans, MENA Region, and the EU. More information: www.crisp-berlin.org.

Kateryna Pavlova is the Chief Operating Officer and a trainer at CRISP. Originating from Ukraine, she resided there until 2014, before relocating to Hungary to pursue studies in Cultural Diplomacy at the German-speaking Andrassy University of Budapest. Since 2010, Kateryna has been actively involved in organizing projects and conferences, gaining extensive knowledge and experience in international cooperation and management. Now based in Berlin, her areas of expertise include peaceful conflict transformation, civic dialogue, and countering disinformation.

Medium of the training
English

Costs
Free of charge. Travel, accommodation, and meals are covered by the programme.

Eligibility
• Junior and mid-level professionals with basic knowledge of disinformation, misinformation, and hybrid security threats. Professionals from civil society, NGOs, governmental organizations, as well as journalists, researchers, activists, and other experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Important: citizens of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan can apply only if they reside in Kyrgyzstan;
• Completed BA or MA degree in Social Sciences or other related fields;
• Be motivated and ready to dedicate 4 full days to the intensive training (attending lectures, participating in all assignments in mornings, afternoons, and some evenings).

Deadline
The deadline for submission of the documents is September 8 2024 at 12 PM (Bishkek time). Please note that we do NOT accept applications after the deadline. 

How to apply
If interested in applying for the training, please send the following documents as a single PDF document, all in English, saved as Mr/Ms_Name_Surname_DC to: training@osce-academy.net

1. CV (in English), no more than 2 pages;
2. Letter of interest explaining how this training would benefit your professional or academic career, including self-assessment regarding the level of knowledge in disinformation and cybersecurity (in English and not more than 600 words). In the letter of interest, please indicate your citizenship and current city of residence for the record.
3. Please indicate “Disinformation & Cybersecurity Training” in the subject line of your email.

An application that does not follow these instructions will not be reviewed. Please NOTE that only selected candidates will be contacted.

Selection
Invited training participants will be required to fully attend the programme, complete all training activities, and make tangible progress during the training.