In an era of rapid geopolitical shifts and technological acceleration, the boundaries between truth, perception, and reality are increasingly blurred. The speed of interactions and reactions among individuals, institutions, and states — operating at domestic, regional, international, and global levels — may prompt incomplete or misguided responses to issues of political importance, which may be divorced from reality. Compounding this, our perception of reality is increasingly shaped, if not dictated, by decontextualised data, digital technologies, experts, and fast media cycles, which may foster a false sense of 'knowing' for those privileged with their use and access.
What is the role, then, of academics in navigating the growing epistemic fog? Whether in classrooms or in our research, how can we resist the allure of hermeneutics and instead pursue a multidimensional, critically informed, and even interdisciplinary angle to inquiry and knowledge production? How do we resist being confined by cognitive restraints while remaining mindful of the benchmarks that need to be met in our respective academic fields, especially in an era defined by misinformation, disinformation, and information abundance?