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A high-profile scandal broke out in Great Britain after the prestigious University of Edinburgh appointed a political scientist who systematically spread outright Russian disinformation about the wars in Ukraine and Syria to teach a course on propaganda. The Times writes about it.
"Scientist Tim Hayward has repeatedly been criticized by students, experts and politicians for pandering to the disinformation narratives of authoritarian regimes," the publication says.
For example, he claimed that in 2022, a drama theater in besieged Mariupol filled with civilians, including children, was blown up by the Armed Forces to discredit Russia. He also spread the Russian fiction that the gas attacks against the civilian population in the rebel-held areas of Syria were not carried out by the Assad regime, but by local civilian rescue volunteers, known as the "white helmets".
Hayward denied being a "useful idiot" for President Putin's regime and insisted he simply wanted to hear "both sides" of the conflict zones. But his appointment as a teacher of the course on "propaganda and censorship in democratic countries" surprised not only Scottish academic circles, but also politicians.
Blair McDougall, a new Labor MP who worked with Soviet dissidents, noted that Putin's Russia was waging an open information war against liberal democracies.
“Our universities play an important role in building resilience against this misinformation and protecting our society from its aggressive influence. It concerns our national security. It is truly disturbing that an academic with a long history of unquestioningly spreading propaganda spawned by brutal dictatorships is teaching students disinformation,” he stressed.
Another British MP, Stephen Gatins, agrees with him. He emphasized that universities "must be an antidote to the misinformation that appears in our political and broader discourse."
Gayward himself has not yet had time to publicly comment on his appointment, but he has previously argued that the West seems to be exaggerating the threat posed by Russian disinformation. "Attempts to "fight" disinformation can pose a greater threat to the democratic institutions of society than disinformation itself," he claimed.
The University of Edinburgh said they did not see a problem with the new appointment.
"We are committed to supporting freedom of expression and academic freedom, while creating a safe environment where members of our community can debate and discuss difficult topics in a lawful manner, all within our policy of dignity and respect," it said.
Russian propaganda in Europe
As he wrote, Russia is conducting a large-scale information and psychological operation in Europe, trying to manipulate politicians, businessmen, journalists and other influential persons. The goal is an attempt to quarrel Europe over America and undermine support for Ukraine.
Germany was the most vulnerable to Russian propaganda. The efforts of the Russians are already having a practical result: right-wing and left-wing populists are gaining a lot of votes in local elections there, and they are openly calling for the suspension of aid to Ukraine and the lifting of sanctions against Russia.
