The research duo at UiT who worked closely on the man accused of being a spy believe that by allowing for increased monitoring of certain population groups, you can create more skepticism in the population. Just as foreign powers want. – If we start to doubt each other, we are more vulnerable. This is precisely the goal for external actors, says professor of security studies, Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv. Both Gjørv and Marcela Douglas, head of the Center for Peace Studies at UiT, believe that increased monitoring and control will give countries that want to spread disinformation, fear and destabilization in Western countries exactly what they are looking for. They believe that international cooperation at universities is the mainstay of democratic exchange of information – and an important antidote to polarization in society. Gjørv believes that as a society we must balance security measures while protecting academic freedom, openness and democracy. The man accused of being a spy was arrested by PST last week on his way to work at the Center for Peace Studies at UiT – Norway’s Arctic University. Photo: Rune N. Andreassen – Isn’t it the academy’s job to security-clear employees Former intelligence chief Ola Kaldager told news Helgemorgen last week that he thought the PST should call in all Russian students and employees at Norwegian universities for an interview. The move came after PST arrested a person who is now accused of being a Russian spy under the guise of a Brazilian guest researcher at UiT. Kaldager was also critical of foreigners researching Norwegian total defense and hybrid warfare. – I find it strange that foreign researchers participate in such research. Especially if Russians are allowed into such a research environment, said Kaldager. The research duo at UiT reacts to the statements. Gjørv and Douglas say the man accused of being a spy had all his papers in order, and that he was not suspected either in Canada or in Norway. The fact that no one suspected, they believe, indicates a professional actor – if the espionage is proven. The man charged with espionage took part in open academic conferences, for example one in Lithuania this autumn where the participants, as a discussion exercise, discussed possible responses from civil society in a fictitious attack on gas pipelines. Photo: @mru_university Gjørv therefore does not believe that UiT has acted naively in this context, as it is primarily the intelligence services, not them, that are supposed to uncover espionage. That their department may have been deceived by the accused spy could just as well have happened at other universities, in her opinion. – In order to uncover future spies, universities, security authorities and the government must work together to maintain academic transparency at the same time as we adapt to new threats, says Gjørv. – This is the new balance we have to find out, together. We were all deceived by that person. Then we all have to clean up, together. Proposing to ban groups on principle is a completely wrong track, she continues. Gjørv and Douglas believe that targeted measures against certain population groups, as Kaldager argues, can become an equally great threat to Norway because this can weaken the unique trust that characterizes the country. According to Statistics Norway, Norway is the country in Europe that has the highest trust in the authorities. Norway also scores very high in a world context – both within groups in the population and for the authorities. Believes that Norwegian trust is rare in a global context – It is no coincidence that it is in Norway that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, or that Norway often participates in peace mediation. We must continue to do that, because having trust in society is a gift. That’s what researcher and center manager for the Center for Peace Studies (CPS) at UiT, Marcela Douglas, says. She was also the immediate manager of the man accused of being a spy. Marcela Douglas is head of the Center for Peace Studies at UiT. She believes that Norway is in a unique international position because trust in society is so high, and that this helps to make the country safer. Photo: UiT Douglas believes that trust is the glue itself and one of the many important pillars of Norwegian security and preparedness. Gjørv is the head of the research group in which the accused spy participated. – It is not enough to secure a country with only military power. Trust is also a very important part of security, says Gjørv. The professor of security studies believes that trust is one of many important pieces in a country’s security. Photo: Ingrid Wester Amundsen / news The two believe that the unique openness that characterizes Norwegian society is a guarantee for the rest of the preparedness. They fear that measures such as Kaldager’s are proposing will contribute to weakening this trust. Something to avoid in a time of increased polarization: – Look at the USA, for example, a country with very low trust and high polarization. Trust is a form of armor. Low trust can make a society weak and vulnerable, says Gjørv. Gjørv and Douglas are critical of the debate following the arrest, which refers to Norwegian systems as naive. This is particularly so since all research results at the centre, like much other Norwegian research, are in any case openly available to anyone and that they do not use graded information. Get support from the university chancellor Douglas and Gjørv get support from UiT’s chancellor Dag Rune Olsen, who is also critical of Kaldager’s plans. He says academia is now in a difficult dilemma, following the arrest of the suspected Russian spy. – We must be as open as possible, and as closed as necessary. If we are no longer open, we cannot call ourselves a university. That does not mean that we are naive, says the principal to news. The rector at UiT, Dag Rune Olsen, believes that academia is now in a difficult dilemma where universities must be kept open and free, while at the same time greater vigilance must be exercised. Photo: Hanne Wilhelms The rector says it is the job of the immigration authorities, not the universities, to ensure that people who receive a residence permit have undergone a thorough background check. Universities therefore have to take it for granted that people with a valid residence permit are also security cleared. When foreigners with a residence permit apply for jobs at the universities, the universities can only assess their academic merits. UiT has a regular and close dialogue with PST, completely independent of this matter, says Olsen. They work continuously, like other Norwegian universities, with risk management and to discuss individual cases. He believes that the collaboration with PST will continue to be close and good, even after this incident. – PST has told us that there was no way we at UiT could uncover this, says Olsen. Kaldager: – Academic cooperation should reflect defense cooperation Intelligence veteran Ola Kaldager believes that one must accept that espionage will occur in the vast majority of nations. – Even the allies spy on each other. Intelligence is a kind of war in peacetime, he says. But he is adamant that he believes research into total defense or espionage should be reserved for people who come from countries with which there is formal defense cooperation. – Everyone who researches this should come from countries we are allies with, Kaldager believes. He believes that people from Iran, China and Russia in particular should not be able to study or work with anything at Norwegian universities. Former intelligence chief Ola Kaldager is skeptical that academics from Iran, China and Russia in particular should be able to participate in research dealing with Norwegian defense and intelligence. Photo: Ola Flyum – I do not believe that the people from these countries should be banned, but that they should perhaps stick to professional areas that do not deal with national security, he says. Despite this, Kaldager believes it is very important that universities continue with a lot of international exchange: – It is very important that there are people from all nations at the universities. It breaks down prejudices and builds bridges, he says.
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Researchers react to spills from previous intelligence summits – news Troms and Finnmark
