LAHORE: Punjab University's Assistant Professor and Senior Public Relations Officer Dr. Khuram Shahzad recently conducted a training workshop at Bielefeld University in Germany, focusing on the identification of fake news and propaganda content on social media, particularly in the context of migration. His invitation to lead the workshop underscores the international recognition of his research in this field.

According to University of the Punjab, the workshop, titled "Fake News on Social Media and Migration," was organized by Bielefeld University's Research Training Group on World Politics and attended by students from both BS and Master's programs. Dr. Shahzad presented methodologies from his PhD research, which includes an 11-indicator model for identifying propaganda. This model was developed at Punjab University and has gained international attention, highlighting the impact of Pakistani academic research on global issues.

Throughout the workshop, Dr. Shahzad emphasized the importance of verifying information and understanding how misleading content can affect societal perceptions and policy debates on sensitive topics like migration. He also addressed the potential for academic collaboration between Pakistani and German universities to enhance research and tackle shared social challenges.

Dr. Shahzad expressed gratitude to German Ambassador to Pakistan Ina Lepel for her support in fostering educational collaborations between the two countries. The workshop concluded with a question-and-answer session, providing practical examples of fake news related to migration in Germany and introducing participants to methods for discerning such content.