NUDZ hosted a multidisciplinary workshop „Cognitive Battleground: Tools, Tactics, and Defenses“.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NUDZ), in cooperation with the organization DefSec Innovation Hub, held a workshop on Tuesday, June 25, 2025, dedicated to security in the environment of the cognitive battleground – the human mind. The event was attended by more than 30 experts from collaborating institutions, including representatives of the armed forces and the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic. The workshop took place within the framework of the OP JAK project titled „Socio-Cultural Determinants of the Impact of the Circulation of Representations on the Human Mind and Remediation Possibilities“, the implementation of which began this year. NUDZ participates in this four-year project in the role of a recipient together with partner institutions: the Institute of Psychology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (AV ČR), the Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences (AV ČR), and the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. Representatives of academic workplaces then collaborate with representatives of the Czech Army and other interested institutions on the implementation of the outputs.

The workshop provided space for sharing information about the project’s objectives and current results, including other possible directions for mutual collaboration in an area that thematically fits into the agendas of the project’s collaborating institutions – the Cyber Forces and Information Operations Command of the Army of the Czech Republic, DefSec Innovation Hub, z. ú., and the University of Defense – Military Medical Faculty.

Given the importance of the topic, the team led by Prof. Jiří Horáček plans to present broader partial results of the ongoing research in the coming months, including related media outputs. „The importance of research oriented in this way grows proportionally as the flow of information around us dynamically accelerates. In the space of social networks, a geopolitical battle is also taking place, and thus the human mind becomes a battleground,“ stated Prof. Horáček, adding that it is essential to understand as best as possible the mechanisms of the media sphere’s influence on our minds. „For maintaining a healthy social environment and the effectiveness of seeking possibilities for adequate defense of every individual, this knowledge is absolutely crucial,“ he added.

The project does not only include theoretical and empirical research, but its planned results are intended to help in practical areas, ranging from the development of media literacy and critical thinking through the prevention of the spread of disinformation to the support of mental health, including protection against conspiracy theories. The workshop provided space for sharing various approaches of the participating institutions to these current topics. At the same time, the effective use of the project’s results in the areas of systematic education, healthcare, or political culture was the subject of discussion. The expert team plans to actively collaborate with the Czech Army, media, schools, cultural institutions, and other actors in public life in such a way that the research results are accessible and can serve society to the greatest possible extent.

The OP JAK project, with the acronym COREmind under registration number CZ.02.01.01/00/23_025/0008715, examines the influence of socio-cultural factors on the spread of representations – images, ideas, and information – and their impact on human perception and thinking. An important part of the research also includes the possibilities of preparing, developing, and implementing effective remediation strategies.

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