East West University seminar highlights media literacy skills for 21st-century youth

East West University has held a seminar on media literacy for 21st-century youth, where Information Advisor Dr Zahed Ur Rahman urged young people to help older adults identify fake news and misinformation, according to a media statement.

The seminar, titled “Media and Information Literacy Skills for 21st Century Youth”, was held on Oct 29 at EWU’s Manzur Elahi Auditorium as part of the nationwide celebration of Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2026.

Zahed said misinformation was spreading rapidly in Bangladesh and globally, adding that the government favoured public education over strict regulatory controls, according to the media statement.

He said older adults were often more vulnerable to social media misinformation than younger people, urging youth to help seniors identify false information.

EWU’s Department of Information Studies organised the seminar in collaboration with the UNESCO Dhaka Office, the Media and Information Literacy Network Bangladesh and the UN Electoral Project Ballot.

EWU Board of Trustees Chairperson Professor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin chaired the event.

Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr M Ashik Mosaddik, UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh Dr Susan Vize and Ballot Bangladesh representative Andrés del Castillo Sánchez attended as special guests, cited per the statement.

EWU Department of Information Studies Chairperson Professor Dr Dilara Begum presented the keynote paper, which was discussed by Professor Dr Kazi Mostak Gausul Hoq of Dhaka University’s Department of Information Science and Library Management.

Awards were given to students and media literacy advocates for their contributions to week-long awareness activities during Global Media and Information Literacy Week.