SVH-8006 Arctic security and balance of power in an age of strategic competition - 5 stp

The lectures will be held on Oct. 6, 2025 12:15 PM - Oct. 8, 2025 12:00 PM.

The course will investigate key factors influencing geopolitics, security and the military-strategic dynamic of the Arctic region (defined as the region north of the Arctic Circle). By applying deterrence theory and existing studies of escalation dynamics, this course will investigate how military competition and technology development potentially influence international peace and stability in today’s Arctic. The course will assess key historic trends of great power competition, balance of power and cooperation in the Arctic, also including the Nordic countries’ situation, from about 1850 until our time. The course will investigate military and operational challenges related to operating in the Arctic (cold weather operations), including current development trends and evolution in capabilities, military concepts, exercises and force posture.

PhD students or holders of a Norwegian Master´s Degree of five years or 3+ 2 years (or equivalent) may be admitted. PhD students must upload a document from their university stating that they are registered PhD students.

Holders of a Master´s Degree must upload a Master´s Diploma with Diploma Supplement / English translation of the diploma. Applicants from listed countries must document proficiency in English. To find out if this applies to you see the following list: https://www.nokut.no/globalassets/nokut/artikkelbibliotek/utenlandsk_utdanning/gsulista/2021/language_requirements_gsu_121121.pdf

For more information on accepted English proficiency tests and scores, as well as exemptions from the English proficiency tests, please see the following document: https://uit.no/Content/254419/PhD_EnglishProficiency_100913.pdf

The course has 15 seats. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available on the PhD course, applicants will be ranked from category 1 to 4.

• Category 1: Students admitted to the PhD Programme at UiT
• Category 2: Doctoral students from other universities
• Category 3: People with a minimum of a Master´s Degree (or equivalent). (A Norwegian Master´s Degree of 5 years or 3 (Bachelor Degree) + 2 years (Master’s Degree).
• Category 4: Students attending a research study programme.

If there are more than 15 PhD students from HSL who apply, the students who have studied the longest will be given preference.

Individual applicants may be denied access because the subject matter in the coursefalls under the Norwegian export control regulations.

The students have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

• The student has advanced knowledge of key factors influencing the geopolitics, security and the military-strategic dynamic of the Arctic region (defined as the region north of the Arctic Circle), also including historic trends of competition and cooperation in the Arctic from about 1850 until our time.
• The student has advanced knowledge of deterrence theory, escalation dynamics and the challenges military competition and technology development potentially pose to international peace and stability.
• The student has basic knowledge of military and operational challenges related to operating in the Arctic (cold weather operations), including current development trends and evolution in capabilities, military concepts, exercises and force posture.

Skills

• The student can make a structured analysis of development trends in the geopolitics and security dynamic of the Arctic, including identifying key factors likely to influencing tension levels and stability in the region.
• The student is able to place assessment of Arctic peace and stability in a historic context, including the post-Napoleonic Europe, the Cold War, and the current time of strategic competition.

There will be three days of lectures (lunch day 1, - lunch day 3), also including some group works.

Day 1: Lunch 11.00-12.00 + four sessions of 45 min (12.15 - 16.00)

Day 2: 2x 45 min (09.15 - 11.00) , Lunch 11.00-12.00 + 4 x 45 min (12.15 - 16.00)

Day 3: 2x 45 min (09.15 - 11.00) , Lunch 11.00-12.00.

(Sum divided on days: 4 + 6 +2 sessions = 12 sessions)