As part of his official visit to Kazakhstan, His Excellency Dr. Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, has delivered a public lecture at Nazarbayev University (NU)
As part of his official visit to Kazakhstan, His Excellency Dr. Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, has delivered a public lecture at Nazarbayev University (NU) addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time – disinformation in the digital age.
In his lecture, Dr. Berset explores how the spread of false and misleading information undermines democratic values, institutions, and public trust – both in Europe and globally. He also emphasizes the role of education and quality journalism in countering disinformation while upholding the principles of freedom of expression. Dr. Berset stresses the urgent need to rethink responsibility in the digital space, posing a series of questions to the audience:
“What kind of democracy do we want? Can we afford to ignore disinformation? Are we strong enough to regulate the platforms, to challenge the business models, and to protect the public space – even when it is hard? Because democracy is not about staying comfortable.”
The lecture, titled “Disinformation – A Threat to European Democracy”, has been held as part of NU’s Distinguished Speaker Series, which brings global leaders and experts to engage with students, researchers, and the wider public. The guest speaker has been welcomed by NU President, Professor Waqar Ahmad, and the event has been moderated by Dr. Loretta O’Donnell, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at NU. After the lecture, Dr. Berset signs the NU Guest Book and shares his reflections. The event has been attended by students, members of the media, and university staff.
In line with its mission to foster academic and international dialogue, NU regularly hosts high-ranking political and public figures — including heads of state, government leaders, and representatives of international organizations. Since its founding in 2010, the university has welcomed more than 50 distinguished guests, including Xi Jinping, Prince Albert II, David Cameron, Shinzo Abe, Christine Lagarde, Narendra Modi, Catherine Ashton, José Manuel Barroso, and Suma Chakrabarti.
