{"id":512,"date":"2026-11-13T09:13:02","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T08:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.uit.no\/globsec\/?p=512"},"modified":"2026-11-13T09:13:03","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T08:13:03","slug":"globsec-brings-its-international-network-together-in-tromso-and-harstad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.uit.no\/globsec\/?p=512","title":{"rendered":"GLOBSEC brings its international network together in Troms\u00f8 and Harstad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The GLOBSEC partnership marked its final year with a strong international presence at UiT The Arctic University of Norway\u2019s symposium on Total Defence, held in Troms\u00f8 on 30 October 2026. The event brought together researchers and practitioners from Norway, South Africa, Germany, Poland and Finland to discuss how societies prepare for crises in an increasingly uncertain security environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For GLOBSEC, the symposium was more than a public academic event. It was also an opportunity to bring together colleagues from the partnership, reconnect with the wider academic network developed over the past five years, and demonstrate the value of the student and staff mobility that has been central to the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GLOBSEC was represented by colleagues from both South African partner organisations. Noelle Van der Waag-Cowling, representing the Cyber Security Institute (CSI), contributed to the symposium programme, while Madimabe Tebele represented Stellenbosch University. GLOBSEC colleagues were actively involved in the discussions, alongside speakers and participants from the five countries represented at the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The gathering also offered an opportunity to extend the exchange beyond Troms\u00f8. During their visit, the South African colleagues travelled to UiT\u2019s Harstad campus, where they met Professor Henrik Eriksen. The visit provided a setting for discussions about shared research interests and possible avenues for future academic cooperation, connecting the GLOBSEC partnership with another part of UiT\u2019s academic community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The event also brought the student mobility dimension of GLOBSEC into focus. South African students who had spent time at UiT as exchange students were among the participants, and their reflections on the symposium offered a glimpse of what international academic exchange can mean in practice. Kay-Lee Fisher described the gathering as an opportunity to hear researchers and practitioners from several countries address a shared set of security challenges. Tiaan van Schalkwyk likewise highlighted the value of bringing different national and academic perspectives into the same room. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Their reflections are a reminder that mobility is not simply a matter of spending a semester at another university. It creates opportunities to encounter different approaches, establish professional connections and carry new perspectives back into one’s own academic and professional environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read their reflections on LinkedIn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n