Innovation Challenges for Students at Pompeu Fabra University Barcelona

Do you want to test your innovative mindset together with other students from Europe? Join us for three transformative days in Barcelona at Universitat Pompeu Fabra on 13-15th May for the Innovation Challenges for Students event placed under the theme “Unmasking the Truth: Tackling Fake News Together”. Through workshops, discussions, and collaborative projects, we'll explore how misinformation spreads, its impact on society, and the role we all play in addressing it.

It is an opportunity to not only deepen your understanding of the issue but also to work alongside fellow students in creating innovative solutions. Together, we can empower ourselves to separate fact from fiction and build a more informed, responsible future.

In today's digital age, fake news has become a pervasive problem. With the rise of social media and easily accessible platforms, misinformation can spread rapidly, often outpacing the truth. Fake news undermines public trust, polarizes communities, and influences political decisions. Its consequences are particularly harmful when it distorts facts on critical issues like public health, elections, or climate change. The challenge lies in distinguishing credible sources from unreliable ones, as sensationalist headlines and emotional appeals can be misleading. Combating fake news requires a collective effort to promote media literacy, fact-checking, and responsible content sharing. The challenges we need to solve in addressing fake news are multifaceted but we will address the by focusing on four key points:  

1. FAKE NEWS and FACT CHECKING. There is the difficulty of combating the sheer volume and speed at which misinformation spreads across social media and digital platforms.  Promoting fact-checking initiatives to ensure that accurate information is accessible is a must.
2. FAKE NEWS AND MENTAL HEALTH. We face the challenge of improving media literacy, as many people struggle to discern credible sources from unreliable ones. We will focus on improving media literacy to help individuals critically assess the information they encounter to avoid mental health issues caused by unreliable information.
3. FAKE NEWS AND DEEP FAKES. Fostering responsible sharing habits to prevent the spread of misinformation. Platforms and outlets often lack transparency in their algorithms, allowing sensational content to dominate, which exacerbates the spread of false information. We need to encourage transparency from media outlets and platforms to hold them accountable for the content they circulate.
4. FAKE NEWS AND DEMOCRACY. Fake news plays a significant role in exacerbating political fragility, especially in countries with already unstable political climates. Misinformation can quickly erode trust in democratic institutions, polarize the electorate, and manipulate public opinion. There is the issue of holding individuals and organizations accountable for intentionally spreading fake news, which requires stricter regulations and clearer ethical guidelines.  By tackling these areas, we aim to create a more informed and conscientious digital environment. These challenges must be overcome to mitigate the harmful effects of fake news on society.  

What can you expect?
 

If you participate in this challenge, you will have the chance to be in contact with companies and media to give you real-life context experience and to work on an entrepreneurial project together with students from 10 different Universities from the EUTOPIA Alliance, aiming to solve real problems.
 

Target

8 students from each EUTOPIA University will be able to participate. Each team will be composed of 5 students from a mix of universities and study backgrounds.

When?

13-15 May 2025

Where?

Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona, Spain


Programme

How to Apply?

Register through the link of your university or email the contact point below.

• Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca (Romania): Kinga Henning
• Vrije Universiteit Brussels (Belgium): Apply by filling in this form
• Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy): Check the dedicated page on Ca' Foscari website
• CY Cergy Université Paris (France): Apply by filling in this form
• Technische Universität Dresden (Germany): Apply by filling in this form
• University of Gothenburg (Sweden): Check the dedicated page on the University of Gothenburg website
• University of Ljubljana (Slovenia): Please email Jelena Ličanin 
• NOVA University Lisbon (Portugal): Apply by filling in this form
• Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona (Spain): Apply by filling in this form
• University of Warwick: Check the dedicated page on Warwick website

Don’t miss the chance to have an international experience!


Curious to know what the experience looks like? 

Here are testimonials from students who have attended recent Innovation Challenges for Students:

• Innovation Challenges at CY Cergy Paris University - 2024
• Innovation Challenges at Babes-Bolyai University - 2023