Scientific identification of fake news: Research at PU earns world recognition

LAHORE: Research conducted at Punjab University on the scientific identification of fake news and propaganda content has earned international recognition, after Dr Khuram Shahzad, Assistant Professor and Senior Public Relations Officer at PU, was invited by Germany’s Bielefeld University to lead a specialized training workshop on “Fake News on Social Media and Migration.”

Held at the German institution one of the country’s top 20 universities with around 25,000 on-campus students — the workshop drew Dr Aksakel of Bielefeld’s Research Training Group on World Politics, along with BS and Master’s students. The session centred on how fake news emerges, spreads, and impacts public discourse around migration.

The training methodology was drawn from Dr Shahzad’s PhD research at PU, which produced an 11-indicator model for scientifically identifying propaganda content — work now being cited as an example of Pakistani academic research gaining global traction.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026