Within the project “Institutionalization of interaction between higher education institutions and territorial communities as a factor in the restoration and preservation of human capital in conditions of martial law and post-war reconstruction of the country”, another meeting with practicing journalist Ihor Sereda took place on March 6.

The event was held within the educational course “Information Security: Without Restrictions and Embellishments” and was dedicated to the analysis of psychological tools for influencing mass consciousness. The key topic of discussion was the method of distraction, the principle of which is to artificially create information “noise” and emotional triggers to switch society’s focus from important strategic issues to secondary scandals.

Special attention was paid to debunking the “Expert” syndrome, which is critically important for preserving the mental health of communities. The participants, together with the lecturer, defined the criteria of true competence: only a specialist who has a relevant professional background, operates with proven facts instead of emotions, and clearly outlines the boundaries of his own expertise is trustworthy. Such interaction between the university and communities becomes an effective tool for forming “digital immunity”, which is a necessary condition for protecting human capital in modern information realities.

According to the project team