Arctic Security Conference 2025
Managing Fragmentation and Polarization
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:
Norwegian Centre for Geopolitics
Fridtjof Nansen Institute
UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Nord University; High North Center for Business and Governance
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
09:00 - 09:30
Kaffe & registration
09:30 - 10:00
Keynotes
Chair: Andreas Østhagen, Senior researcher, Fridtjof Nansen Institute & Associate Professor, 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)
10.00 - 10.55
State of Affairs: Operational and policy perspectives
Chair: Andreas Østhagen, Senior researcher, Fridtjof Nansen Institute & Associate Professor, Nord University
General Eirik Kristoffersen, Chief of Defence Norway (confirmed)
Michael Sfraga, Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs
name
name
11:00 - 12.00
The Arctic states: Will there be conflict with Russia in the Arctic? Is there already?
Chair: Rebecca Pincus, Director, Wilson Center’s Polar Institute (tbc)
name
name
name
name
12:00 - 12.50
Lunch
Food trucks and beverages
12:50 - 13.45
The non-Arctic states: Global perspectives on Arctic geopolitics
Chair: Andreas Raspotnik, Director, High North Center at Nord University Business School
name
name
name
name
13:50 - 14.45
Arctic citizens: Do local security interests diverge with national?
Chair: UiT: Arctic University of Norway (tbc)
name
name
name
name
14:45 - 15.10
Kaffe og boller
15:10 - 16.05
Solutions! How do we avoid war in the Arctic?
Chair: Partner
name
name
name
name
16:10 - 17:00
Attention: Do journalists get it wrong?
Chair: name
Gro Holm, Foreign Affairs Commentator, NRK
name
name
name
17:00
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.
