DisinformationWorkshop: Russia and the PRC’s Narrative Convergence

Narratives, Identity and Leadership

Date: 16 October, 2–3:30pm 
Venue: Building 146, RSSS, Room 1.23, Lectorial Room 2

Students took part in a hands-on workshop/masterclass which examined how Russian and Chinese actors use disinformation and propaganda across social media platforms, and how their narratives increasingly converge. Participants learned practical search and verification techniques and analysed real examples of potentially manipulative content. In teams, they worked through crisis-response scenarios, drawing on lessons from Poland’s recent “drone crisis” and considering how similar approaches could apply in the Australian context.

Disinformation rarely targets societies at random. It often exploits issues of migration, ethnicity, race and gender, turning migrants into tools of political pressure, deepening divisions between communities, and discrediting women and minority voices in public life. Poland’s experience on the EU’s eastern border, where migration has been used as an instrument of hybrid pressure, shows how closely information manipulation and migration politics are linked.

Participants left with a clearer understanding of how information manipulation works, the recurring patterns in influence operations, and what to look out for. The presenters stressed that for emerging leaders, especially those from migrant and diverse backgrounds who are often the targets of such narratives, these skills are essential to inclusive and resilient leadership. The workshop also strengthened links between Australian and European expertise on a shared democratic challenge.

The workshop was organised by the ANU Centre for European Studies and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Canberra, in partnership with the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM), National Research Institute (NASK), and the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW). It was supported by the Erasmus+ Programme: Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on Leadership Emerging from Migration, Ethnicity, Race and Gender. 

Disinformation campaigns frequently exploit these dimensions of identity. They portray migrants as threats, exploit ethnic and racial tensions, and target women and minority leaders to undermine their credibility. By building participants’ ability to identify and respond to such narratives, the workshop supported the Centre’s aim of fostering informed, inclusive leadership. It also drew directly on European experience, particularly Poland’s, of the link between migration and hybrid threats. 

Report of the event, presentations, feedback questionnaire - available upon request. 

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.