More information
Description
The aim of this proposal is to recognize and promote early stage development, strategy planning, capacity building, networking and awareness of cooperation between the Estonian School of Diplomacy and the Institute of International Affairs at the University of Iceland through higher education staff exchanges, study trips and research, with specific focus on Arctic affairs and hybrid threats.
Summary of the results
After Covid-19 related delays ESD reactivated the project in spring 2022 in cooperation with the Institute of International Affairs (IIA) at the University of Iceland. They agreed to plan for one slightly more substantial and visible event in Reykjavik instead of 2 smaller ones as envisaged in the initial proposal. The event was organised in the beginning of June 2022 (7-9 June). There was a closed project workshop and an open roundtable/seminar ("New Security Challenges of Small States: Perspectives from Northern Europe“) with a wider panel of speakers (Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland Dr. Artis Pabriks, Minister for Defense and Deputy Prime Minister of Latvia, Merle Maigre, Senior Cyber Security Expert, Estonia''s e-Governance Academy) to achieve more visibility and multitude of ideas. Due to Russia''s invasion to Ukraine, the subject area of this project also changed, and the discussion at the seminar focused more on small countries and the changed security situation in Europe.
Despite the changes in the activities (one big event instead of two smaller ones) and the change in the topic focus (focus was understandably on security issues regarding Russia''s invasion to Ukraine) the project can be considered as a success and there is an ambition for cooperation in organising joint events in the future.