معرفی
Andreas Ventsel is a **Professor of Political and Socio-Semiotics** at the University of Tartu, affiliated with the **Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics** within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. His academic journey includes a **PhD in Semiotics** (2009) and an **MA in Semiotics and Culturology** (2005), both from the University of Tartu. He has held visiting professorships at institutions like Torino University (Italy), Tbilisi State University (Georgia), and Cyprus University of Technology.
- **Research Focus**: Interdisciplinary approaches combining semiotics, discourse theory, visual communication, and security studies.
- **Key Projects**: Lead researcher in EU-funded projects on conspiracy theories (COST Action CA15101) and strategic communication.
- **Publications**: Authored over 120 articles and books, including *Strategic Conspiracy Narratives: A Semiotic Approach* (2021) and *Varjatud märgid ja salaühingud* (2023).
His work analyzes **strategic narratives**, **conspiracy theories**, and **media literacy**, with a focus on Russia’s influence operations and information warfare. He has advised the Estonian Defence Forces on countering disinformation and developed media literacy tools through projects like S.H.I.E.L.D. vs Disinfo.
**Awards**: 2024 Estonian Republic Science Prize for his work on political semiotics and conspiracy theory analysis. Served as editor for *Sign Systems Studies* and *Acta Semiotica Estica*.
**Grants & Leadership**: Holder of several Estonian Research Council grants, including a 2020 project on digital threats. Organized major conferences like the 2024 World Congress of Semiotics in Warsaw and the 2022 Tartu Conference on Eastern European Studies.
**Labs/Teams**: Core member of the Tartu-Moscow School of Cultural Semiotics and collaborator with international initiatives like the Resilience League and ERGOMAS.