Gen. Robert Mood's Keynote Speech — NATO’s Security Role and the High North

Monday, September 2 — 10:15 to 11:30 (VENUE: B-1005, SV- og HUM- begget)

We are pleased to host Lt. General (r) Robert Mood, the former president of the Norwegian Red Cross and the former head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria. Gen. Mood has previously served as the Norwegian Military Representative to NATO. In his keynote speech, Lt. General (r) Robert Mood will delve, inter alia, into how the security landscape of the High North has been changing amid politico-security developments taking place on both the regional and international levels. He will shed light on the implications of such changes for our security today and in the future.

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Panel Discussion — Russia’s Escalation of the Ukraine War: How can the Crisis End?

Monday, September 2 — 12:15 to 14:00 (VENUE: B-1005, SV- og HUM- begget)

We will organise a special panel discussion on the dangerous perpetuation of the Ukraine war and its recent escalation. The discussion will foreground, inter alia, the implications of the recent escalation of the conflict for not only Ukraine but also European and global security. We address a critical question: How can the crisis be brought to an end? The panelists include Lt. General (r) Robert Mood, Professor Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv, Professor Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen, Professor Marc Lanteigne, and Professor Sergii Glebov. The conversation will be moderated by Arsalan Bilal (AB).

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Open Lecture by Professor Christopher R. Rossi — NATO, Svalbard, and the Sovereignty Question

Monday, September 2 — 15:15 to 16:30 (VENUE: Centre for Peace Studies, Mandela Auditorium)

Professor Christopher Robert Rossi will be delivering a special lecture on the legal status of Svalbard and Norway's sovereignty over the territory. He will additionally explicate the role of NATO in relation to the Svalbard Treaty and Russia's intensifying efforts to obfuscate/undermine Norway's sovereignty claim over Svalbard. Rossi - currently a professor at UiT - has perviously served as a director on the National Security Council in the White House.

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Open Lecture by Professor Gunhild H. Gjørv: NATO, Arctic/Nordic Security, and Hybrid Threats

Tuesday, September 3 — 9:15 to 10:45 (VENUE: Centre for Peace Studies, Mandela Auditorium)

Professor Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv will be delivering a special lecture on the role of NATO in preserving and enhancing Arctic/Nordic security amid the rise of hybrid threat activities in the region and beyond. She will additionally delve into the role of total defence approaches in mitigating such threats in pursuit of security enhancement.

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Three years of Taliban after 20 years of NATO: What did we learn and where are we now? with author Ayesha Wolasmal (book signing of "Tusen dager med Taliban" at 12:30)

Tuesday, September 3 — 11:00 to 13:30 (VENUE: CPS for the lecture, and Akademika for book signing)

NATO: Lessons learned? We are pleased to host Ayesha Wolasmal - a Norwegian author, journalist, humanitarian worker, diplomat, interpreter and not least - contributor to important debates ongoing in Norwegian society today. Ayesha Wolasmal will talk about her experiences in a variety of roles and connections to and with Afghanistan. Her recent book "Tusen dager med Taliban" (1000 days with the Taliban) captures many of the tensions arising from the 20 year NATO intervention in Afghanistan, and not least, how Afghanistan is living in a Taliban defined peace. The book signing to take place at Akademika right after this seminar!!

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Open Lecture by Professor Sergii Glebov: Ukraine War and Its Impact on European Security

Wednesday, September 4 — 9:15 to 10:45 (VENUE: Centre for Peace Studies, Mandela Auditorium)

Professor Sergii Glebov will extensively scrutinise how the ongoing war in Ukraine affects the security of Europe. He will explicate Russia's onslaught against Ukraine, arguing that it puts the entire region in jeopardy. The conflict in Ukraine unnerves various states, including some NATO members, which fear that Moscow can undermine their sovereignty (and security) in a similar manner in the future. Professor Glebov will also shed light on the policy choices that European countries, as well as NATO, have in the wake of Russia's aggressive designs.

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Open Lecture by Ørjan Karlsson (Digital) — Foreign Malign Activity in the High North - Scenario: Counter Hybrid on Svalbard

Wednesday, September 4 — 13:15 to 14:45 (VENUE: Centre for Peace Studies, Mandela Auditorium)

Details to be added

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Open Lecture by Professor Marc Lanteigne — The Svalbard Treaty: Views from China and Russia

Wednesday, September 4 — 15:00 to 16:30 (VENUE: Centre for Peace Studies, Mandela Auditorium)

Professor Marc Lanteigne will be delivering a special lecture on the growing importance of the Arctic region. He will highlight how the Arctic has become an important priority for NATO over the years. But what complicates this is China's rising clout and its profound interest in the High North coupled with Russia's straetgic ambitions in the region. In particular, he will focus on the Svalbard Treaty and how Moscow as well as Beijing perceive it. Is Svalbard relevant for the discouse on NATO's security role, and vice versa?

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For more information, please contact Arsalan Bilal (AB) at a.bilal@uit.no or Professor Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv at gunhild.hoogensen.gjorv@uit.no.