View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/d5262392616e/free-online-course-for-students-precobias-student-challenge?e=b890d56100> Dear Air-L community, As part of the *EU-funded counter-radicalization project* *PRECOBIAS*, we are launching an international student challenge to encourage students to follow our *free online course (MOOC)* on the psychological mechanisms behind online propaganda. This MOOC was developed by researchers from LMU Munich and Ghent University, and we believe that it can be a very interesting pedagogical resource for your students. We would like to invite you to share the student challenge (more info below) or include the MOOC in your own lessons. *Why this student challenge?* Dealing critically with the overload of information on social and online media is one of the most important skills for young adults growing up in this digital age. By educating students of psychology, social work, media or education, PRECOBIAS wants to develop and *strengthen digital resilience* and raise awareness about the *cognitive mechanisms behind online extremist discourse*. *What is the MOOC about?* This course takes a cognitive approach to radicalization and aims to reveal the mental processes that are activated when people are confronted with extremist online content. During a *12-hour program*, which they can start at any moment and follow at their own pace, participants are introduced to key theories surrounding extremism, and gain insights into the principles of information processing and automatic thinking. The course then explores how extremist online content can fuel radicalization processes by triggering cognitive biases, and how helping developing a critical and resilient attitude can play a key role in counter-extremism. The course is *available in 8 languages* (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak). *How does the challenge work?* The challenge will be promoted through the PRECOBIAS project Facebook page. We will target students internationally and encourage them to take part in the MOOC, send us a selfie with their MOOC certificate and share the challenge among their Facebook friends. Throughout the month of *November*, we will draw a *weekly winner* at random, and this person will receive a prize worth 250 euros (Sony headphones, Garmin smart watches or theme park tickets). Of course, the MOOC will still be available after the end of November. Feel free to contact me for any question or comment. Best wishes, Catherine Bouko PRECOBIAS Student Challenge on Facebook <https://ugent.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c0709015288f63648a89af41c&id=11e55b2450&e=b890d56100> PRECOBIAS free online course <https://ugent.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c0709015288f63648a89af41c&id=8e0c79589f&e=b890d56100> [image: Facebook] <https://ugent.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c0709015288f63648a89af41c&id=fca8dc2948&e=b890d56100> [image: Twitter] <https://ugent.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c0709015288f63648a89af41c&id=515ea2c89a&e=b890d56100> [image: Link] <https://ugent.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c0709015288f63648a89af41c&id=ee1c9f4794&e=b890d56100> [image: Website] <https://ugent.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c0709015288f63648a89af41c&id=f96eafcaa1&e=b890d56100> -- Catherine Bouko Ghent University Faculty of Arts and Philosophy Groot-Brittanniëlaan 45 9000 Gent Belgium Bureau: B2.06 http://research.flw.ugent.be/en/catherine.bouko