HSSH, with work led by university researcher Matti Pohjonen from HSSH’s Methodological Unit, is a partner in a EU Horizon ARM project led by CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute) in Bergen, Norway. The ARM project delves into authoritarian strategies for information control beyond borders. While foreign disinformation receives ample scrutiny, other forms of foreign information manipulation and intervention (FIMI) remain overlooked.
The second ARM project meeting took place in Helsinki from October 2–4, 2024, bringing together participants to discuss key project developments and collaborative goals. On the opening day, attendees had the option to participate in a cybersecurity training led by experts from the Helsinki-Aalto Institute for Cybersecurity.
October 3rd featured a full schedule, starting with an introduction by Director of HSSH, Risto Kunelius., followed by a keynote talk by Professor Iginio Gagliardone on Chinese media influence and comparative research, after which country teams worked on identifying cross-cutting themes. The evening concluded with a dinner hosted by the University of Helsinki team at Restaurant Savotta, followed by optional social events.
The meeting wrapped up on October 4th with starting with a General Assembly for team leaders, followed by sessions on ethics, project updates, and the introduction of new funding calls.
The event fostered productive discussions and paved the way for continued collaboration on the ARM project. “It was such a pleasure to invite the 17 participants to Helsinki, and to HSSH, for two days of active discussions about the project. We developed a clear roadmap ahead for the research and will hope to publish some results about this relevant topic in the near future,“ Matti Pohjonen said.