The case in summary: Parliamentary representative Himanshu Gulati (Frp) believes the government is responsible for the controversial Russia trip of two professors associated with UiT – Norway’s Arctic University. Gulati does not criticize the university or the professors, but points to the government’s panoramic strategy which includes research cooperation with Russia and China. Storting representative for the Liberal Party, Ola Elvestuen, believes that one should not travel to Russia in the current situation with warfare in Ukraine. Elvestuen supports UiT’s position on no contact with Russia and believes that employees and those connected to the university should follow this. Legal expert Mads Andenæs has criticized the university’s handling of the case, and believes the vice-chancellor should apologise. Elvestuen believes that those who travel to Russia must expect criticism and that they can be used in Russian propaganda. Gulati warns that he will take up an earlier proposal to end research cooperation with countries that do not have security policy cooperation with Norway, and which Norwegian security services believe could pose an intelligence threat. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – We believe that the responsibility in this case lies with the government, which chose to designate Russia and China as panoramic countries for research collaboration. This is what member of the education and research committee, Himanshu Gulati (Frp), tells news. The statement comes after the much-discussed trip to Russia by Professor Urban Wråkberg and Professor Emeritus Ivar Bjørklund in June. Both with connections to UiT – Norway’s Arctic University. Several politicians will now, in contrast to several experts news has spoken to, not criticize universities. The trip was debated in Dagsnytt 18 last week. The case continues below the video. The University of Tromsø regrets that two of the professors traveled to the Russian cultural festival. Professor fights back. Supports UiT Venstre’s Ola Elvestuen, like Gulati, wants not to criticize the university. – In the situation we are in now with Putin’s warfare in Ukraine, I think we should not go on that type of trip, he says, before he continues: – I support UiT’s very clear position that they now have no contact with Russia, and I believe that employees and those connected to the university should also follow that. NO CRITICISM: The left-wing Ola Elvestuen will not criticize UiT for your criticism of the much-discussed trip to Russia of Ivar Bjørklund and Urban Wråkberg. Photo: H. Philip Hofgaard / news Through the panorama strategy (2021–2027), the government aims to increase the quality and relevance of Norwegian higher education, research and innovation. This through links to business cooperation and internationalisation. Nine countries are part of the collaboration which the government has deemed to be “strategically important for the knowledge sector”. This includes Russia and China, of which cooperation with Russia no longer exists. – Although the war in Ukraine stopped cooperation with Russia, cooperation with China is still active, says Gulati. IMPORTANT: Norway is dependent on international knowledge cooperation, says State Secretary Ivar B. Prestbakmo (Sp). Photo: William Jobling / news State Secretary Ivar B. Prestbakmo (Sp), believes the panorama countries play a leading role in the world’s knowledge production. Furthermore, he believes that Norway is dependent on international cooperation in order to gain access to leading and new knowledge. – In order to safeguard Norway’s interests and ensure that Norway is a competitive knowledge nation, international research collaboration is essential, he writes in an e-mail to news. Norway does not have security policy cooperation with several of the panorama countries. Nevertheless, Prestbakmo believes this is important to maintain, even if it can be demanding for Norwegian authorities and research environments. – We must have good routines, and throughout the process balance the need for transparency with the need to safeguard security. The government works continuously to safeguard this balance, and support our research environments in their demanding work. Read the full response to Ivar B. Prestbakmo: 1. What is your response to Gulati’s criticism of the government? – The Panorama countries play a leading role in the world’s knowledge production. As a small country, Norway is completely dependent on international cooperation in order to have access to the leading and latest knowledge. In order to safeguard Norway’s interests and ensure that Norway is a competitive knowledge nation, international research cooperation is essential. The Panorama countries are also key countries for Norway in both foreign policy and business policy. It is therefore in Norway’s interest to maintain knowledge cooperation with these countries, including those with which we do not have security policy cooperation. But this can also be demanding, both for Norwegian authorities and research environments. We must have good routines, and throughout the process balance the need for transparency with the need to safeguard security. The government works continuously to safeguard this balance, and support our research environments in their demanding work. Among other things, the Norwegian Research Council and HK-dir on behalf of KD have drawn up guidelines for responsible international cooperation. The aim is to raise awareness in Norwegian research environments about security, but also research ethics, privacy, equality and export control. We have established regular sector meetings on security, where the security services, government actors and research and higher education institutions are invited to discuss specific issues and experiences with security work. Norwegian knowledge environments must be ensured to make good and knowledge-based assessments when they are in demanding situations. 2) Why did the government vote against the Frps’ mentioned proposal? Will you stick to that position if the proposal comes up again? – Norwegian knowledge communities today collaborate with partners all over the world. This is crucial for Norway to assert itself as a competitive knowledge nation. At the same time, the development of security policy places new demands on risk management in international research collaboration, not least in the area of technology. Ending all research cooperation with countries with which we do not have a security policy cooperation also poses a risk. These different needs must at all times be weighed up based on an overall risk assessment, both in light of geopolitical developments and in light of Norwegian interests in various policy areas. At the same time, the world around us requires vigilance and increased awareness of values, norms and basic security. – Everyone must be careful On Thursday, legal expert Mads Andenæs came out strongly against the university’s actions in the case. He himself thought the matter should be a personnel matter, but not against the professors who traveled to Russia. – But the personnel matter should be directed at the vice-chancellor. He has spoken in such a way that he should apologise, he says. CRITICISM: Professor of jurisprudence at the University of Oslo (UiO), Mads Andenæs, is strongly critical of UiT and vice-chancellor Jan-Gunnar Winther’s handling of the case. Photo: Bjørn Olav Nordahl / news And added: – Those who have opposed freedom of expression and democracy must come to terms with themselves, lie flat and ask for an apology, Andenæs says. The vice-chancellor for research and development at UiT, Jan-Gunnar Winther, has previously been subjected to the criticism. Read the answer further down in the case. VISIT: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban recently visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Orban is one of the few Western leaders to have met the Russian president since the war began. Photo: Valeriy Sharifulin / AP Elvestuen is clear that freedom of expression must be respected, but believes that those who travel to Russia must expect criticism. This in light of the current situation. – At the same time, they must expect that they can be used in Russian propaganda, and that this is used as an example of normalizing and making the situation we are in harmless. I think we should all be careful not to be used like this. He himself has full confidence that the university does its work in a proper way, without it threatening freedom of expression. – It is precisely freedom, freedom of expression, democracy that Russia and Putin are attacking in Ukraine. That is why it is important for us to have a clear attitude towards it, he says. Elvestuen emphasizes that he cannot enter into this individual case. Read the full response to vice-rector Winther: Photo: Arne Egil Tønset / news news has submitted the criticism from Mads Andenæs to vice-rector for research and development at UiT – Norway’s Arctic University, Jan-Gunnar Winther, who responds to the criticism as follows: – At the same time, both UiT and everyone connected to the institution responsible for taking precautions as a result of the special security policy situation. – When the case first became known to the management at UiT, our impression was that it was of a more serious nature than it has turned out to be. The situation is now more clear, and we can state that the two participants from UiT have not broken formal rules, neither at national nor at UiT level. We also recognize that Ivar Bjørklund, who was part of the program for the festival, tried as best he could to avoid being referred to as a representative from UiT. As said on news/Dagsnytt 18 yesterday, personnel cases have not been opened against anyone who has been on the trip in question. – UiT will nevertheless maintain that people connected to the university should consult with colleagues and managers if they are planning trips where they will attend official functions. We also generally recommend following the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ travel advice. This is the easiest way to avoid misunderstandings arising and your own participation being misused or misrepresented. news has been in contact with acting rector at UiT, Kathrine Tveiterås, about the matter. She makes it clear that the university stands behind the statements Winther makes in this matter. Will put forward proposals In 2023, the FRP put forward proposals that would “protect Norwegian academic institutions against foreign intelligence”. “The Storting asks the government to end research cooperation with countries with which Norway has no security policy cooperation, and which Norwegian security services believe may pose a particular intelligence threat to Norway,” the proposal read. The proposal fell by 14 to 86 votes. Only Frp and Patient Focus voted for the proposal. Now, as a result of this case, the party will take up the proposal again. – I will take it up with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Research and Higher Education, says Gulati. Contacting the embassy Professor emeritus Ivar Bjørklund himself has claimed that he contacted the university ahead of the controversial trip. This without him getting any “clear answer”. As a result, he contacted the embassy in Russia, which allegedly, according to Bjørklund himself, had no reservations about the trip. Bjørklund maintained this in the previously mentioned Dagsnytt 18 debate. When asked what he thinks, if it is the case that the embassy had no qualms, Elvestuen replies: – I still think that you should be reticent about traveling to Russia now, and you should at least be reticent with contacts to something that may be official. Vice-rector Winther has previously confirmed the contact, but then stated that the contact was not with the immediate manager. AGAINST: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against all travel to Russia. Photo: Kristin Humstad / news Communications adviser in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mariken Bruusgaard Harbitz, emphasizes that the Foreign Ministry’s travel advice is advice, not a ban. Furthermore, travel contrary to their travel advice may have consequences for travel insurance, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ ability to help. When asked what the ministry’s view is that, according to Bjørklund, the embassy had no concerns about the trip, she replies: – Safety when traveling is always a personal responsibility. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ travel advice and travel information should make it easier to make good assessments of one’s own safety. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the foreign missions are occasionally contacted for further information. It is not natural for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to comment on the content of such conversations, she writes to news. In its travel advice (external link), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against all travel to Russia. Published 18.07.2024, at 20.25
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UiT professors traveled to Russia – Elvestuen and Gulati will not criticize the university – news Troms and Finnmark
