International Education Spotlight: Nigerian Diplomacy Student Joins Fight Against Disinformation through prestigious Atlantic Council Scholars Program  

School of Diplomacy and International Relations M.A. class of '22 candidate, and Nigerian native, Chimdi Chukwukere, began a training program with the prestigious Atlantic Council Digital Forensics Research Lab or DFRLab 360 as a scholar in the "Digital Sherlocks Program." The purpose of this program is to train media and civil society professionals in Open-Source Intelligence techniques, deepfake detection, data visualization, and the utilization of open-source tools. The scholars have discussions on hot issues in the field of global information, to include online-extremism, digital regulation, state sponsored information operations, and a multitude of others. Chukwukere and his peers also have opportunities to engage with subject matter experts, utilize non-public information and assets, and to meet at the Atlantic Council’s headquarters in New York City.

Chukwukere has found a mission he is passionate about, saying:
"In a time where disinformation and misinformation are being used by state and non-state actors to wage war on democracy and people, I think that acquiring these [Analytics] skills, especially Twitter analysis techniques, geolocation, and OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) techniques empowers me to contribute to a safer and more just world."

Specializing in International Organizations and Foreign Policy Analysis, the knowledge Chukwukere has gained through the School of Diplomacy and in this program has helped him find his own unique path. He hopes to be a global affairs specialist that offers both national security and human capital solutions to organizations. He intends to continue to build on the plethora of skills he has attained to be a successful and sharp professional, whether it is with the United Nations, in the Diplomatic sphere, or even as a private sector intelligence analyst.

As a student, Chukwukere has made his mark, taking advantage of opportunities to work with expert faculty practitioners and the School's diverse student population. He has been involved in the National Security Fellowship research team, sharing his work with National Security leaders in the Department of Defense, State and White House. He also sits on the Board of the School’s award winning Black Diplomacy Student Organization.

Categories: Nation and World