Teachers from the SAFER programme participated to the NordSTEVA final conference “Technology and Security” hosted by the University of Copenhagen on 28-29 November 2019. The agenda of the conference was introduced as follows:
How do security technologies sustain, bolster or challenge core Nordic values and political structures? These issues have been at the heart of the Centre of Excellence for Security Technologies and Societal Values (NordSTEVA) for the past five years.
Ranging from studies of social media, surveillance, algorithms used to create big data to energy technologies we have investigated how those technologies are embedded in everyday social and institutional practices and how they support or challenge Nordic values. In this final conference, we revisit these focal points and point to future trends and theoretical and empirical insights. The first day is dedicated to academic discussion, whereas the second day is dedicated to the view of practitioners. We encourage all participants to take part in both days, if possible.
After Professor Ole Waever had delivered his keynote speech (with the title The Poltics of Technology), the first day the conference programme was divided into four parallel sessions. In the sessions Nordic researchers from various fields dealt with themes such as information technology, intelligence, critical infrastructure and Nordic ideas on societal security. University instructor Tapio Juntunen from the SAFER team gave a presentation with a title From Spiritual Defense to Robust Resilience: A History of the Finnish Comprehensive Security Model. Postdoctoral research fellow Rune Saugmann Andersen gave a presentation in the Information technology session.
During the second day of the conference practitioners from the Nordic countries presented their ideas and cases in two Dilemma dialogue sessions that dealt with questions such as: how to bring the public closer to societal security planning; how to use digital media in intelligence work and as a a source of openness; general trends in emergency planning and infrastructure protection.
You can see the whole programme of the conference from this link: https://cast.ku.dk/nordsteva/news/final-conference-programme/.
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Research Group on Security Studies in the Tampere University and has participated to the activities of the NordSTEVA centre of excellence, funded by the NordForsk (Nordic research cooperation instrument), during its lifespan between 2015-2020:
“Nordic Centre of Excellence for Security Technologies and Societal Values (NordSTEVA) is a virtual centre of excellence whose aim is to advance research, education and training, industrial strategy and public policy in support of a wider and deeper understanding of the security technology/values interface. The centre will draw together and integrate diverse ideas, capabilities and experiences in order to generate new knowledge, new approaches, and new solutions in support of the enhancement of Nordic societal security.”
