SEARCCT, in collaboration with the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), organised SEARCCT’s University Lecture Series (ULS) on 11 January 2024. Approximately 50 UNIMAS students attended the ULS. SEARCCT Research Officer Ms. Nurul Hidayah Mohd Noar delivered a lecture titled ‘Exploitation of Gaming Spaces by Extremists.’
The session offers a comprehensive outline of the extent and characteristics of violent extremists’ exploitation of gaming environments, encompassing both the games and gaming-adjacent platforms. The session also lays out some of the on-going efforts to mitigate these potential harms, including working together with the online gaming communities to prevent and counter violent extremism (PCVE).
The SEARCCT’s ULS is a public awareness initiative designed to inform young people about the dangers posed by terrorism and violent extremism. The primary objectives of the lecture were to describe social media risks, strategies for online safety, and advice for responsible content creation amongst youth.