From 5 to 7 November, the GATE Institute at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” hosted the Sofia Information Integrity Forum 2025 — an international event dedicated to strengthening trust in information and countering manipulation in the digital environment.
The forum brought together leading researchers, analysts, and experts from across Europe to explore the intersections of technology, policy, and science in building societal resilience to disinformation. The event was co-organised by the Foundation for Humanities and Social Studies – Sofia, the Center for the Study of Democracy, the GATE Institute, Identrics, Graphwise, and Sensika.
At the heart of the discussions, GATE showcased its growing expertise in information integrity and the practical applications of artificial intelligence for democratic resilience. The Institute’s Director, Prof. Sylvia Ilieva, took part in the opening session, while GATE researchers led multiple thematic contributions. Dr. Keith Peter Kiely, Research Lead of the Intelligent Government Domain (iGOV) presented an analysis on democratic vulnerability, Dr. Borislav Bankov, NATO DIANA Test center manager, introduced the upcoming CoDE Hackathon 2026 focused on digital defence, and Iglika Ivanova, part of the iGOV team, moderated the regional workshop on election integrity in Southeast Europe, as well as the Wikipedia and Information Integrity panel.
The GATE iGov team also engaged participants in a unique live simulation exercise — Project Cassandra, a real-time scenario designed to test logical fallacy detection and strategic response to online information operations. This interactive component underscored GATE’s interdisciplinary approach, bridging research, training, and applied experimentation in combating disinformation.
The Forum also marked the official kick-off of BROD 2.0 – the Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media, coordinated by GATE Institute under the European Union’s Digital Europe Programme. The project’s launch featured a regional workshop on Election Integrity in Southeast Europe, bringing together partners from AFP, Funky Citizens, and other regional organizations. Building on the success of the original BROD initiative, BROD 2.0 expands its mission to Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova, developing AI-powered analytical tools and regional fact-checking networks to reinforce public resilience against disinformation.