The Arctic identified as a security risk

A draft Norwegian guide on personnel security in higher education names the Arctic, the High North and Svalbard as research areas that can carry significant security considerations. HK-dir, the Norwegian higher education directorate, wrote it with Sikresiden, an information channel. It deals with recruiting and following up staff at universities and university colleges.

The guide says institutions should work more systematically on risk tied to staff, partners and international cooperation. The reasons given are a higher risk of technology transfer, foreign intelligence activity and influence over Norwegian research. Using the guide is voluntary. It extends the Guidelines for responsible international cooperation and is aimed mainly at those who plan personnel security work.

The draft first went out for consultation in April, with a deadline of 7 May. Critics took issue with its content, the short time allowed, and the absence of trade unions among the consultation bodies. The directorate now says the content is unchanged, more recipients have received the letter, and the new deadline is 15 September.

Besides naming the three regions, the guide points to research on satellite technology, military activity, the coast, the sea and the seabed, as well as outer space infrastructure and dual-use technology. High North News says researchers in the north also work closely with colleagues from Russia, the United States, China and EU countries.

According to High North News, the guidance could bring credit checks and more thorough background checks in recruitment, closer scrutiny of researchers' financial ties and country affiliations, and tighter control of access to satellite data, databases and laboratories. It could also mean more caution about cooperating with certain countries or institutions.

Jørgen Fossland, UiT's Director of Administration, told High North News the guidance adds no new requirements for his university or the sector. The Tromsø university hosts the Centre for Geopolitics, Peace, and Security.

Nord University in Bodø began a mapping of its values this year, run by the firm Agenda Risk. It singled out Nordlab, the High North Centre and the logistics centre CHNL as exposed to foreign intelligence risk. All three work on topics the draft now flags.