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Politics - Computer Science - 09.12.2021

The identification of political ads on Facebook often goes wrong
Researchers at KU Leuven (belonging to the imec-DistriNet research group) and New York University (Cybersecurity for Democracy) have demonstrated that on a global scale, Facebook misjudges up to 83 percent of ads that they or the researchers deemed political. In some cases, Facebook does not recognise them as political ads, while they often wrongfully label non-political ads as political.

Politics - History / Archeology - 23.04.2021

Immigrants participated in the political life of medieval England
VUB research shows many people came from the Low Countries and were politically active Friday, April 23, 2021 — The question as to what extent newcomers from abroad should have a political say in their new place of residence is one that occupies many minds.

Environment - Politics - 09.04.2021

Research from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and KU Leuven on Ethiopian mega-dam
Solar and wind power could mitigate geopolitical conflict in Northeast Africa Friday, April 9, 2021 — A new study shows that several disagreements between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt around Africa's largest hydropower plant, the new Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), could be alleviated by massively expanding solar and wind power across the region.

Environment - Politics - 09.04.2021

Solar and wind power could mitigate conflict in northeast Africa
A new study shows that several disagreements between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt around Africa's largest hydropower plant, the new Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), could be alleviated by massively expanding solar and wind power across the region. Adapting GERD operation to support grid integration of solar and wind power would provide tangible energy and water benefits to all involved countries, creating regional win-win situations.

Politics - Social Sciences - 26.01.2021

Strength of combining participation with peace-building
VUB researcher Dr. Derya Yüksek has developed a method to transform conflicts, by using participatory community media practices to unite young people of Cyprus, a still deeply divided island with a violent past. Dr. Derya Yüksek: " In a worldwide tendency to relapse back to politics of antagonism and aggression, we need processes and models that can constructively deal with the diverse make-up of our societies, and the conflicts this brings.

Environment - Politics - 12.06.2019

Does climate change cause armed conflict?
A new study finds that climate has affected the risk of armed conflict. Though other drivers of violence were found to be substantially more influential, as global temperatures continue to rise, the changing climate is expected to further amplify the risk of conflict. Can a changing climate trigger organised armed conflict, such as civil war, or make it more severe?