Knowledge Session: What can Europe learn from Taiwan’s fight against disinformation?
How do societies deal with disinformation in the age of artificial intelligence? And what can Europe learn from Taiwan, one of the world’s “hottest zones” for online manipulation and fake news? On Tuesday 11 November (09:00–10:00), the China Knowledge Network hosts a knowledge session with Professor Florian Schneider, Academic Director of the Leiden Asia Centre and Professor Modern China at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies.
Earlier this year, Schneider spent six months in Taiwan as a visiting scholar at the Department of Political Science of National Taiwan University, where he conducted research for the project Fake Factory: Disinformation and Learning Machines in Taiwan. His study explores how people in Taiwan think about and respond to disinformation in the context of AI – and what lessons this might hold for Europe. According to Schneider, Taiwan shows that panic is not the answer. While technological tools matter, the real key lies in strengthening AI literacy, media education, and digital skills. Above all, human trust and social connection remain essential to counter disinformation – whether in politics, health information, or public debate.
During this session, Professor Schneider will share his main findings and reflections from the field, and discuss what these insights could mean for policymakers, journalists, and researchers in Europe. It’s an opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and exchange ideas on how we can build more resilient information environments.
Programme
- 8:45–9:00 AM | Doors open
- 9:00–9:05 AM | Introduction
- 9:05–9:30 AM | Presentation by Florian Schneider
- 9:30–10:00 AM | Q&A moderated by Floris Harm, CKN/LeidenAsiaCentre
- 10:00 AM | Event ends
Florian Schneider is Leiden Asia Centre’s Academic Director and Professor Modern China at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies. His research interests include questions of governance and public administration in the PRC, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, political communication strategies and political content of popular Chinese entertainment, recent Chinese economic developments, as well as Chinese foreign policy. He is also managing editor of the academic journal ‘Asiascape: Digital Asia’
China Knowledge Network
The Dutch China Knowledge Network (CKN) is a network established to involve China experts and disseminate knowledge within the government of the Netherlands and beyond.Our key task is to connect various angles of research and events to better understand China’s motives, policies and vision to develop more effective policies and better advise social partners. The secretariat of the knowledge network has been assigned to think tank Clingendael together with LeidenAsiaCentre. They will function primarily as ‘knowledge brokers’, matching the supply and demand of knowledge.
