SURE program to counter disinformation and promote social cohesion

American Councils for International Education, a leading international academic and cultural exchange organization, is teaming up with EdVenture Partners, a renowned US-based experiential learning agency known for creating many of the world’s leading social impact programs for young people , in universities around the world, to launch the “Students for a United and Resilient Europe” (SURE) program.

SURE encourages students to promote social cohesion and counter disinformation in the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Funded by the US State Department, the project aims to raise public awareness of harmful disinformation and ensure the peaceful coexistence of Ukrainian refugees in host communities.

American Councils and EVP will hold a competition in 16 universities in 4 countries. Teams participating in SURE will conduct the primary and secondary research needed to develop, implement, and measure the success of an online and offline campaign focused on countering propaganda designed to create tension between refugees in Ukraine and refugee-hosting communities.

In the first semester of the competition, teams from the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Poland will compete to become one of the five teams selected to present their project in the final competition of SURE, which will take place in Bucharest on July 30, 2024. The public event will include key leaders, industry experts and special guests. Universities from Poland, Romania and Slovakia will participate in the second semester of the competition.

Direct beneficiaries include students in the four countries, while indirect beneficiaries are the general public, NGOs, local business communities and the media.

The SURE program addresses the threat posed by disinformation campaigns that aim to create mistrust and fear between refugees in Ukraine and their host communities.

With nearly 50 years of experience in international academic and cultural exchange, American Councils conducts US government-sponsored programs and student-oriented educational initiatives in more than 115 countries. Working with the US Department of State and the public diplomacy section of the US Embassy, American Councils improves students’ critical thinking and media skills. EdVenture Partners (EVP), a technical partner in the SURE program, specializes in designing experiential academic programs that empower students to develop creative solutions to real-world challenges at more than 900 universities in 76 countries.