The manuscript “Incorporating students’ empowerment against disinformation in the curricula of HEIs in EU countries” by Professor Eleni Katsarou (University of Crete) and Dr. Konstantinos Sipitanos (Postdoctoral Researcher of UoC) has received the 2025 Best Empirical Paper Award from the Media, Culture, and Learning Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The award was presented during AERA’s annual conference, one of the world’s largest academic gatherings, with over 13,000 participants.

The awarded paper is part of the European Erasmus+ program SHIELD vs Disinfo (KA220-HED), implemented across five European universities. The project aims to develop curricula, educational practices, and e-guides to empower students—future professionals in critical sectors—against disinformation and fake news. These include future educators, journalists, political analysts, health professionals, and computer scientists.

The awarded work highlighted the fact that the produced educational materials and tools were designed not only by experts but with the active involvement of students and relevant professionals. Their views and experiences formed the foundation of the design process, while the implementation was based on action research, with students taking an active role in the development of teaching practices.

This international recognition acknowledges the contribution of the University of Crete’s research team to fostering critical digital literacy and addressing a pressing contemporary social issue: disinformation.