The Grey Zone at UiT

The Grey Zone is delighted to announce the publication of The Eighth Baseline Requirement: Resilient Civilians in Hybrid Threats and Warfare, the final deliverable of the NATO Science for Peace and Security Project “Resilient Civilians.”

The book foregrounds insights from leading scholars and practitioners on how civilian resilience can strengthen societies confronting hybrid threats and warfare. The volume argues for the addition of an eighth baseline requirement for NATO’s Article 3 — emphasizing the centrality of resilient populations in collective defense and security.

📖 The book is currently available for free download: https://ebooks.iospress.nl/volume/the-eighth-baseline-requirement-resilient-civilians-in-hybrid-threats-and-warfare

We invite you to read, share, and use this publication to foster much-needed discussion, debate, and policy development on civilian resilience in the face of hybrid threats.

Together with CPS, The Grey Zone successfully organized the third edition of the Model NATO and Security in the North course, held from 15 to 19 September. This year’s course brought together 60 students from UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the University of Iceland, the University of Lapland, the University of Southern Denmark, and Umeå University, reflecting the strong and growing Nordic cooperation behind the initiative.

Over the course of five intensive days, participants took part in a series of lectures and panel discussions led by distinguished experts, practitioners, and academics. The sessions explored NATO’s evolving role, functions, and limitations, examined the pressing challenges facing the Alliance, and analyzed NATO’s evolving engagement with the Arctic, a region of growing geopolitical and security significance.

The highlight of the week was the crisis simulation exercise, where students assumed the roles of national delegations in the North Atlantic Council (NAC). Faced with a rapidly unfolding security crisis in northern Norway, they were challenged to negotiate under pressure, balance competing national interests, and draft a joint response—all under conditions that closely reflected the complexities of real-world diplomacy.

Through delicate diplomacy, tough engagement, and collective problem-solving, the NAC delegations managed to forge a hard-won consensus on how NATO should respond.

On Thursday (April 10), a group of cadets and instructors from the Norwegian Naval Academy are coming on a study trip to UiT. During their visit to UiT, The Grey Zone, in collaboration with the Centre for peace studies, will host a series of talks and a panel discussion on regional and international security. The event—to be held in the Mandela Auditorium at CPS—is open to all UiT students and staff.

As part of the "Model NATO and Security in the North" course, the student-led North Atlantic Council adopted a momentous communiqué after two days of intense deliberations, discussions, dialogue, and diplomacy. The communiqué was approved in the wake of the hypothetical escalation of tensions in the Arctic region—which defined the role-play activity in which the students participated.

𝑳𝑨𝑺𝑻 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑻𝑶 𝑬𝑵𝑹𝑶𝑳! If you are interested in the Model NATO & Security in the North course (SVF-3058) but still have not registered for it, please get yourself enrolled by sending an email request to [email protected] TODAY (Friday, Aug 30). Please copy Arsalan Bilal ([email protected]) in on your correspondence with AISI.

We cannot guarantee enrollment on the course if you sign up later than today.

The Model NATO and Security in the North (course code: SVF-3058) will be held from September 2 to September 6 under the auspices of the Centre for Peace Studies and The Grey Zone research group. It entails three days of thematic lectures and panel discussions followed by two days of an extensive crisis simulation. The course offers a deep dive into the aims, functions, and limitations of NATO, as well as robust training in dialogue and negotiations. If you are a master's student, you get 5 ECTS upon participation in the course and submission of a short paper/essay afterwards.

The course will include students from not only UiT but also Umeå University (Sweden) and the University of Lapland (Finland). Our excellent local and external instructors will generate thought-stimulating discussions and provide hands-on training to the participants.

Following the course, we will select five top UiT course participants for a visit to the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. More information about this will be available soon.

Additional information for first-year students: You can take the course if you are a first-year student. We have designed the course in a way that it is suitable for students at all levels of their education. Model NATO & Security in the North will offer a great learning experience and an opportunity to harness your potential right at the beginning of your studies at UiT.

Should you have any questions, feel free to email Arsalan Bilal (course coordinator) at [email protected] and/or Professor Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv (course leader) at [email protected].

CPS, in collaboration with The Grey Zone at UiT, to offer a special “Model NATO and Security in the North” intensive course for students from CPS as well as other relevant social science, humanities, and law programmes at UiT. It entails three days of thematic lectures followed by two days of an extensive crisis simulation.

Model NATO and Security in the North (course code: SVF-3058*) will be held from September 2 to 6, 2024. It will offer a deep dive into the aims, functions, and limitations of NATO, as well as robust training in dialogue and negotiations. You get 5 ECTS if you participate in the week-long intensive course and submit a short paper/essay afterwards.

The course will include students from not only UiT but also Umeå University (Sweden) and the University of Lapland (Finland). Our excellent local and external instructors will generate critical discussions and provide hands-on training to the participants.

Following the course, we will select five top participants from UiT for a visit to the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. More information about this will be available soon.

* Course name for SVF-3058 will be “PEACE STUDIES MA FIELD COURSE” in the studentweb/UiT system.

In an article published in The Diplomat magazine, Arsalan Bilal (AB), our doctoral research fellow and the coordinator of The Grey Zone at UiT, explains that rising religious extremism is one of the reasons why a lot of young Pakistanis are leaving their country. He argues that progressive young people—who tend to have a liberal worldview and critical approach—are key to the recovery and development of failing states like Pakistan. But they usually do not prefer living in countries replete with religious extremism and violence. AB contends that states like Pakistan (as well as Afghanistan, Iran, and many others) need to radically change their outlook and policy direction besides convincing their bright youth to stay back, prosper, and contribute to nation-building. Click here to read the article: https://thediplomat.com/2023/05/pakistans-people-are-fleeing-not-only-economic-crisis-but-extremism/

Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban: Friends Becoming Foes At first, a Taliban victory in Afghanistan was considered synonymous with Pakistan’s victory. But disappointed hopes on both sides now have the neighbors at loggerheads.

Greyzoner Marc Lanteigne was interviewed by BBC Chinese on China's diplomatic push in the Pacific last month.

中國—太平洋島國外長會聯合聲明「難產」的背後 - BBC News 中文 第二次中國-太平洋島國外長會在斐濟蘇瓦結束，此前被媒體曝光的聯合聲明未獲通過發表，但北京稱其仍有信心推進其計劃。