Arctic Security Conference 2025
Managing Polarization and Fragmentation
Oslo, Norway, September 18th
Building on the foundations of last year’s event, the Arctic Security Conference will be held for a second time in 2025. The ASC aims to facilitate in-depth discussions about the underlying drivers and logic shaping Arctic politics, by specifically concentrating on a single issue – security.
This year's conference will be held on Thursday, September 18, with both open and closed events scheduled for Wednesday, September 17. Further details on the full program will be available soon.
When: September 18, 2025
Where: “Den arktiske hovedscenen” (The Arctic Main Stage) at SALT, Langkaia 1, 0150 Oslo (next to the Opera House)
Purpose: Contribute to enlightened debate about security policy in the north, dissemination of research
Organisers:
Fridtjof Nansen Institute
UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Nord University; High North Center for Business and Governance
Norwegian Centre for Geopolitics
Institut Français de Norvège
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Regional Programme Nordic Countries
The Norwegian Atlantic Committee
tbc
Format: One day with panels driven by conversations. Free entry. Lunch included, informal reception at SALT (academic workshop the day before). Approx. 250 seats + live/recorded streaming
Wednesday, Sep. 17
09:30 - 13:00
ASC Workshop
Closed academic workshop. More information available soon
19:00 - 20:00
ASC Pubinar
Open pubinar at Kulturhuset. More information available soon
ARCTIC SECURITY CONFERENCE
Managing Fragmentation and Polarization
Thursday, Sep. 18
Tentative program
Kaffe & registration
Keynotes
Chair: Andreas Østhagen, Research Professor, Fridtjof Nansen Institute & High North Center at Nord University
Espen Barth Eide, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs (confirmed)
Ine Eriksen Søreide, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence in the Norwegian Parliament (confirmed)
State-of-affairs
Operational and policy perspectives
Chair: Andreas Østhagen, Research Professor, Fridtjof Nansen Institute & High North Center at Nord University
Eirik Kristoffersen, General, Chief of Defence Norway (confirmed)
Michael Sfraga, Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs (confirmed)
Finnish representative (tbc)
French representative (tbc)
Conflict
Will there be conflict with Russia in the Arctic? Is there already?
Chair: Jennifer Spence, Director, Arctic Initiative, Harvard University
Mathieu Boulegue, Non-resident Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Defense and Security Program, CEPA
Marisol Maddox, Senior Arctic Fellow, The John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth
Pavel Devyatkin, Senior Associate at The Arctic Institute
Harri Mikkola, Programme Director, Finnish Institute of Foreign Affairs
Lunch
Food trucks and beverages
Outsiders
Global perspectives on Arctic geopolitics
Chair: Andreas Raspotnik, Director, High North Center at Nord University Business School
Muthu Krishnan, Cmdr, Centre for Arctic Studies, Indian Naval War College
Iver B Neumann, Director, Fritdjof Nansen Institute
Thomas Gomart, Director, Institut français des relations internationales (tbc)
Jennifer Welsh, Professor, McGill University (tbc)
Citizens
Do local security interests diverge with national interests?
Chair: Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv, Professor, UiT: Arctic University of Norway
Sara Olsvig, International Chair of Inuit Circumpolar Council
Ulrik Pram Gad, Senior researcher, Danish Institute for International Studies
Magnus Mæland, Mayor, Sør-Varanger
Abbie Tingstad, Professor of Arctic Research, United States Coast Guard Academy
Kaffe og boller
Solutions!
How do we avoid war in the Arctic?
Chair: Svein Vigeland Rottem, Senior researcher, Fridtjof Nansen Institute
Guobjorg Rikey Hauksdottir, Predoctoral Research Fellow, Arctic Initative, Harvard University
Heather Exner-Pirot, Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute
Paal Sigurd Hilde, Professor, Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies
Lassi Heininen, Professor Emeritus, University of Helsinki
Attention
Do journalists misunderstand the Arctic?
Chair: Arne O. Holm, Editor-in-Chief, High North News
Gro Holm, Foreign Affairs Commentator, NRK
Thomas Nilsen, Editor, The Barents Observer
Mia Bennett, Associate Professor, University of Washington
Informal reception
Informal reception and mingling at Bazaar, SALT
ASC Workshop
In connection with the Arctic Security Conference, a closed workshop will be held on Wednesday, September 17. The ASC Workshop will bring together academics for in-depth discussions on selected topics shaping ongoing debates among Arctic scholars.
More information will be available soon.
SALT began as an art project in 2014 on Sandhornøy, Northern Norway, centered around the traditional fish-drying rack (fiskehjell). After several years as a nomadic initiative, SALT found a permanent home in Oslo, where it now represents Northern Norwegian (Arctic) culture and architecture in the capital.
