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CHOICE Launches Cooperation with the Kosciuszko Institute

China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe (CHOICE) is proud to announce a new cooperation agreement with the Kosciuszko Institute (KI). The agreement will establish framework cooperation in the fields of disinformation-related research and information campaigns, and help in outreach activities related to these pertinent topics.

The Kosciuszko Institute is a leading non-governmental and non-profit think tank and research institute based in Krakow, Poland. With a proven track record of research on various multifaceted issues of security, the Kosciuszko Institute is also the originator and organizer of the European Cybersecurity Forum – CYBERSEC, an annual conference dedicated to the strategic aspects of cyberspace. 

The new cooperative agreement will serve as a firm foundation for collaboration on the key focus issues, including joint projects and activities on propaganda and disinformation.

The issue of disinformation fostered by foreign actors is one that seems to loom ever larger in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. While Russia has been seen as the primary actor in this respect for much of the modern era, China is rapidly refining its approach, often taking lessons from Moscow.

As has been highlighted amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, external actors can misuse media to spread disinformation and competing narratives damaging to the health of democratic political systems. This includes both traditional media outlets that can come under the influence of a foreign actor via various avenues and, increasingly, dissemination of disinformation on social media. 

In response to these increasing challenges, unity between and action among civil society organizations and experts on the underlying issues are vital for building societal resilience. In particular, cross-border information sharing and offering of lessons to counterparts across regional divides is an important factor. 

More information on our new partner and their important work is available here.

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CHOICE

CHOICE is a multinational consortium of experts providing informed analysis on the rising influence of the People’s Republic of China within the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).