As a new academic year begins, we should note how extreme misinformation is spreading in the Covid era, and how universities are far from immune (so to speak) from anti-Vaxxers and other conspiracists associated with the far Right. I have a practical suggestion about this.

(We have already seen an upsurge in far Right activity on some British campuses over the last few years, and clearly the Covid era brings new potential for groups to abuse the open culture of universities and the fact that they bring together communities of mostly young people)

To tackle this, why shouldn't universities commit to delivering a universal mandatory short course that sets the pandemic in its scientific and historical contexts, dealing with issues from basic science of vaccines (explaining how Covid relates to this in a calm, factual way)-

- To how public health decisions are made, to how pandemics have been popularly understood (and racialised) in the past and present. Why not give all students a basic set of essential facts and frameworks to interpret the crisis around them and to counter mis- and disinformation?

If it was up to me, I'd make it mandatory for *all* students from first-year undergraduate to PhD level (perhaps with opportunities for further sessions appropriate to the level). Maybe it could even be mandatory for staff!

This might sound a bit dramatic, but if larger institutions led the way, I see no reason why it should be fundamentally impractical if the will is there. And I genuinely believe that if we don't do something like this, we'll have reason to regret it later on.