Sessions

Our conference sessions offer focused insights into key themes within higher education, presented by experts from across the Nordic region and beyond. Each session is designed to inspire, share practical experiences, and highlight emerging perspectives within the administrative dimensions of higher education.

AI in Higher Education - Challenges and Opportunities

The rapid growth of AI systems impacts all aspects of higher education – what students need to learn, how they learn in collaboration with AI tools, and how students’ learning outcomes can be assessed in a responsible way when AI tools are available. The Norwegian expert committee on AI in higher education is analyzing these elements and have provided preliminary recommendations to the Norwegian government, universities and colleges.

In this talk, we provide an overview of the analysis from the expert committee, its recommendations and insight as to how universities, including the university services, should act to prepare for a future where AI is an integrated part of higher education.

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AI Literacy and Universities: Building Competence Across the Academic Community

The rapid development of artificial intelligence and the implementation of the European AI Act create a pressing need for universities to raise AI literacy among researchers, educators, and administrative staff. Academic libraries can act as catalysts in this process by providing training, infrastructure, and services that help the entire university community understand and apply AI in meaningful ways. The focus is on skill building and capacity development to ensure that AI becomes a tool for advancing research, teaching, and administration. Ethical use and awareness of potential risks remain important guiding principles, but the primary challenge lies in equipping staff and faculty with the competence to use AI effectively. 

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Boosting Nordic Success in EU Funding: National Strategies in Action

Securing competitive EU funding remains a strategic priority for universities across the Nordic region. At the same time, national approaches to supporting participation in EU framework programmes differ in terms of coordination, incentives, funding mechanisms, and governance structures.

This session will bring together perspectives from Sweden and Norway to explore how national strategies and support systems are designed to strengthen institutional success in EU funding. The discussion will highlight differences in policy frameworks, financial incentives, and advisory structures. 

Speakers will reflect on strategic choices, implementation challenges, and key lessons learned — including how national initiatives translate into institutional impact. The session aims to provide comparative insights and inspire dialogue on how national and institutional levels can work together to enhance competitiveness in EU programmes.

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Moderator: 

Boosting Success in EU Funding

University of Copenhagen has been highly successful in securing competitive funding under the Horizon Europe programme. However, developing and implementing strategies and initiatives to strengthen the university’s performance, particularly in strategic and collaborative projects, has been far from straightforward.

In this session, the speakers will outline how the university has worked at a strategic and policy level to increase EU funding, including key initiatives and governance mechanisms.

They will also discuss the operational perspective, illustrating how researchers are encouraged and supported throughout the application process and during the project implementation phase.

Participants will gain insight into why both strategic initiatives and hands-on support are necessary, and how a combined approach can help research organisations build sustainable capacity and competitiveness in EU funding.

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Credential Evaluation in Sweden: Moving Forward in Advocacy

What is the status of the credential evaluation and assessment profession in Sweden?

What are the barriers and challenges to having this work be fully recognized for the value it brings to our institutions, organizations, governments, and, most importantly, the learners whose documents we assess? What do we know, and how can we use that information to advocate for the profession and the people who do this important work?

In this session, Adnan Dautbegovic, a senior credential evaluator at Enic-Naric Sweden, will present how this profession is seen in Sweden and how we work to raise the awareness of credential evaluation. Issues in recognition and appreciation as a profession will be identified. With the assistance of ideas from the audience, this session will identify areas for further research and action in moving our profession forward.

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Cybersecurity - Crisis Management

When a ransomware attack hit one of Sweden’s largest IT service providers in January 2024, the consequences extended far beyond the affected data center. Universities, government agencies, municipalities, and other public organizations suddenly lost access to critical systems and services. Among them was Mid Sweden University, where key HR processes were disrupted and normal operations could no longer be taken for granted. The incident exposed a reality that many organizations face today: even if you are not the direct target of an attack, your institution can still be severely affected through dependencies on external suppliers.

This session presents a real-world case study of how a university managed a major disruption and what lessons can be learned for building organizational resilience.

Victoria Sjöbom from Mid Sweden University will share the HR perspective on the incident: how the organization responded when critical services became unavailable, how employees were informed and supported, which contingency measures were activated, and how the university worked to restore normal operations. The presentation will provide practical insights into crisis management, communication, decision-making, and recovery from a business perspective.

Peter Bruun Nielsen from Aarhus University will complement the case with a cybersecurity and resilience perspective. Drawing on experiences from the higher education sector, he will discuss why universities are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals, nation-state actors, and supply chain attacks, why recovery from a major cyber incident often takes much longer than expected, and what university leaders can do to strengthen resilience before a crisis occurs.

Together, the speakers will explore how universities can move beyond a traditional focus on prevention and instead prepare for the reality that serious cyber incidents will occur. The session will address topics such as supplier dependencies, business continuity planning, crisis preparedness, incident response, recovery planning, and the critical collaboration between administrative functions and IT security teams.

Participants will leave with concrete ideas for how their own institutions can reduce the impact of cyber incidents, strengthen preparedness, and accelerate the journey back to business as usual when disruption strikes.

Key question: How resilient is your university if a critical supplier is compromised tomorrow and your most important systems become unavailable for weeks rather than days?

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Digital Sovereignty: Regaining Control in a World of Digital Dependencies

In this session, representatives from DeiC and DKCERT will explore digital sovereignty from the perspective of the higher education and research sector. As universities increasingly rely on external digital ecosystems, questions arise about strategic dependencies, vendor lock-in, cybersecurity risks, geopolitical developments, and the long-term sustainability of critical digital services. At the same time, growing expectations around governance, security, and compliance require institutions to take a more strategic approach to managing their digital dependencies.

Drawing on experiences from Denmark and the Nordic research and education community, as well as practical lessons from operating ISO-certified services with a strong focus on digital sovereignty and security, the speakers will discuss how collaboration can strengthen resilience and strategic autonomy. The session will highlight both the role of shared national and sector-wide capabilities, such as those coordinated through DeiC and Nordic collaborations, and the actions individual universities can take to increase their control, reduce critical dependencies, and make informed technology choices.

Digital sovereignty is not about achieving complete independence from global technology providers. Rather, it is about maintaining the ability to make informed choices, retain control of critical assets and data, and ensure that universities can continue to fulfil their mission regardless of technological, commercial, or geopolitical developments.

Participants will gain practical insights into how universities can balance innovation, usability, security, collaboration, and resilience while building trustworthy and sustainable digital foundations for research and education.

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Digital Sovereignty Realized: Mapping Institutional Architecture for Resilient Administration

Universities run on invisible architecture: governance structures, vendor dependencies, and operational workflows that often exist only in scattered documents or people’s heads. This fragility is a core risk to institutional resilience. This session moves beyond conceptual frameworks to present a live case study: BORG, the University of Akureyri’s fully operational, vendor-independent AI toolsuite and infrastructure.

At the heart of BORG is a comprehensive Institutional Knowledge Graph that systematically maps the university’s complete DNA. We will explore how establishing this sovereign, on-premises source of truth enables UNAK to drive policy and ownership gaps to zero, instantly analyze operational dependencies, and permanently safeguard institutional memory.

Building on this foundation, we will demonstrate how this graph-aware AI is actively transforming daily administration—streamlining complex, everyday tasks like automated document classification and filing—while maintaining full institutional control. With a managerial focus, this session equips administrators with a practical blueprint to map their own institutional knowledge, avoid vendor lock-in, and build genuinely resilient digital architectures.

(Note: The full technical methodology and open-source architecture backing this presentation is published at: www.smarason.is/en/blog/building-institutional-knowledge-graph-neo4j)

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FIRES! FLOODS! THEFT! WAR? Resilience in Administration

Records management & archives as part of organization’s resilient mindset

Records management & archives are in key roles when it comes to organizations information management & information life cycle. Well managed organizational records and information ensure right information at the right place & time. The archivists know how to keep our information safe to make sure that our universities can keep working no matter what crisis might happen. In this seminar, we will talk about resilience, records management, emergency preparedness and how we are working with it in our organizations, but also how You accomplish this in Your university.

Don’t be scared – be prepared! We will show You how.

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From Procurement to Circularity – Managing University Resources in Life Cycle Perspective

Universities rely on significant resources to support education and research, from buildings, laboratories, and teaching environments to travel, accommodation, and catering services. At the same time, increasing attention is being paid to how these resources are managed in a more sustainable and economically responsible way.

This session will explore how universities can strengthen resource efficiency through circularity in practices. The discussion will focus on how procurement, reuse, and internal sharing of equipment and materials can reduce consumption, waste, and costs. Examples may include reuse of furniture and laboratory equipment, more efficient use of buildings and learning environments, and more sustainable approaches to travel, accommodation, and event services.

The session will discuss how robust systems, processes, and incentives can be developed to support circular resource management across the university, contributing both to sustainability goals and responsible use of financial resources.

The session aims to provide inspiration and practical examples of how universities can optimize the use of resources while reducing environmental impact and operational costs.

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Full Cost Covering - the Danish Agreement with Private Funds

With increasing external funding, the universities have had focus on securing full cost covering. In 2022 the Danish Universities, together with Deloitte, made an analysis of the full cost covering, i.e. what are the cost imposed on the university when we employ someone to do external research. The purpose was to make an agreement about project supplement with the major private funding bodies in Denmark, as an alternative to overhead. The agreement was implemented from 1st of January 2024.

In this presentation, we will talk about the background, the method used to uncover the costs, how it was implemented and how its effect on the universities. Finally, did it live up to our expectations?

Speakers at 11:00:


Speakers at 14:45:

Future Sense: Where Hope, Values, and Young Adults Futures Meet

In a world shaped by rapid change, AI, social media, and uncertainty, young adults need more than answers; they need ways to make sense of possibility — especially as they navigate career decisions and the transition from education to working life.

Future Sense, grounded in the philosophy of Positive Uncertainty, invites young people — and the professionals who support them — to stay open, curious, and creatively engaged with the unknown. It also challenges us to help young people look beyond job titles and toward the meaningful challenges they want to engage with.

For too long, we have encouraged young people to prepare for the future by choosing a specific occupation — an approach that can create anxiety and does little to prepare them for a complex, rapidly changing world. By adopting a Challenge Mindset, we can support young adults in finding purpose and direction while embracing uncertainty. During the session, you will gain new perspectives, practical tools, and conversations to bring back into your everyday guidance practice and communication with young adults.

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Harassment of Researchers on Social Media – Cases, Data and Support Systems

When researchers go public, they may face varying degrees of harassment, especially on social media. Some groups are especially exposed due to factors such as gender and research topic. In this session, we present data on who is targeted and by whom, hear a Norwegian climate researcher share her experiences, and learn from a university communications advisor on how institutions can support researchers. We will also highlight how colleagues and bystanders can contribute to a safer and more supportive environment.

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Facilitators:

Integrating Sustainability into Governance in Higher Education Institutions

Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important part of how universities are governed and managed. While many institutions report on sustainability, fewer have integrated it into their governance and decision-making processes.

This session will explore how sustainability perspectives can be incorporated into the management of universities. The discussion will address external drivers and stakeholder expectations, the role of sustainability in institutional risk analysis, and how financial governance models such as budgeting, investments, and procurement can support sustainability goals.

The session will also discuss how universities can move from sustainability reporting towards using sustainability data to inform strategic decisions and resource allocation.

The session aims to inspire exchange of experiences across Nordic universities and identify practical ways to integrate sustainability into governance.

Speakers at 11:15: 

 

Speakers at 13:15:

Loneliness and Wellbeing in the Modern Workplace

As work environments rapidly evolve, employees face new challenges that directly affect well-being and social connectedness. Remote and hybrid work models can create feelings of isolation, while open office spaces may reduce privacy and increase stress. In universities, financial pressures often drive a push toward greater space efficiency and shared facilities. Yet these strategies risk unintended consequences: weakened social connections, increased loneliness, a poorer work environment, and ultimately higher hidden costs through disengagement, burnout, and staff turnover.

This session will examine how organizations can balance efficiency with human needs, ensuring that digitalization, new office concepts, and remote work practices support rather than undermine resilience and inclusion.

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Organising for Responsible Internationalisation

As international collaboration remains a cornerstone of Nordic universities, institutions are increasingly required to integrate responsible internationalisation into their core operations. Export control regulations, dual-use considerations, and evolving geopolitical risks call for new ways of organising support, governance, and internal collaboration.

This session will showcase how two Nordic universities (in Sweden and Denmark) have structured their work on responsible internationalisation, with particular attention to export control and dual-use compliance. The presentations will highlight organisational models, division of responsibilities and practical support mechanisms.

A key focus will be how institutions have moved beyond traditional organisational silos — bringing together legal services, research support, security functions, leadership, and academic environments — to create coordinated and sustainable approaches.

The session aims to provide concrete examples, lessons learned, and reflections on challenges and success factors. Participants will gain insights into how universities can balance openness and international engagement with regulatory compliance and risk awareness in an increasingly complex global landscape.

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Moderator: 

  • Sigridur Beck – University of Gothenburg 

Resilience on Campus – when Lightning Strikes

This session will focus on how the institutions are prepared for security and safety-related matters. What kinds of protocols and practices do we have or should we implement? What are the typical discrepancies? The session will include lessons learned from attack on academic staff from Oslo, a knife stabbing incident. 

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Risk Based Thinking: Building Resilience in an Age of Uncertainty

Universities operate in an increasingly complex and unpredictable environment. Cyber threats, geopolitical developments, shifting political priorities, demographic changes, funding pressures, and reputational risks all have the potential to affect an institution’s ability to achieve its strategic objectives. Yet many organizations still approach risk management as a compliance exercise rather than a strategic leadership tool.

This session explores how universities can develop a more mature and effective approach to risk management by embracing risk-based thinking. Rather than attempting to eliminate every possible risk, university leaders must learn to identify, assess, prioritize, and manage risks in a way that supports institutional goals and strengthens organizational resilience.

Drawing on practical experience from both the public and private sectors, Peter Ilsted will discuss why risk can never be fully eliminated, how a strong risk culture enables better decision-making, and why defining an institution’s risk appetite is essential for effective governance.

Participants will gain practical insights into how risk frameworks can become living management tools rather than administrative paperwork, how scarce resources can be focused on the risks that matter most, and how universities can build resilience while continuing to innovate and pursue their strategic ambitions.


Key question: If risk cannot be eliminated, how do we decide which risks are worth taking, which must be mitigated, and which we simply need to be prepared to live with?

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Strengthening Information Resilience: The National Library of Finland’s Role in Countering Disinformation

In an era marked by geopolitical tension, algorithmic amplification, and AI-driven manipulation, disinformation has become a systemic risk to democratic societies. This talk outlines how the National Library of Finland advances information resilience by combining human competencies with trustworthy knowledge infrastructures. First, we address the cognitive battlefield: why disinformation exploits predictable biases, and how libraries can foster calm, critical thinking, and AI literacy alongside traditional information and media literacy. Second, we present an infrastructure approach to trust: open, transparent systems grounded in professional metadata and interoperable standards. The session suggests practical strategies for libraries and other cultural heritage institutions to counter disinformation: strengthening metadata ecosystems, building staff competencies, and engaging in cross-sectoral co-operation.

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The Economics of Internationalization: Value for Universities and Society, Internationalization

Internationalization has often been described either as a cost (mobility funding, support services, scholarships) or as a revenue source (tuition fees, partnerships). In practice, it is both and much more. 

This session will examine whether and how international student exchanges, staff exchanges, and global partnerships contribute to universities’ financial resilience, talent pipelines, and broader societal impact, especially in the Nordic context where funding models differ (tuition vs. no tuition; government vs. institutional funding). 

Linking this to the forum theme “University sovereignty – resilient administration in a rapidly changing world”, the session explores how universities govern, fund and prioritize internationalization under growing financial and administrative pressure.  

Speakers at 12:00, 20 of August 2026:

 

Speakers at 13:00, 21 of August 2026:

Transforming University Services: The Modern Demands on Digital Tools and Processes

In this session, we will examine how modern digital tools, and especially emerging AI capabilities, are reshaping university support services and setting new expectations for how administrative work is organized. We will look at practical examples of how AI, digital assistants, and intelligent automation are being applied to everyday processes, and discuss what these developments demand from systems, skills, and organizational practices.

The session will highlight experiences from the University of Helsinki and other educational institutions, share insights into evolving best practices, and offer reflections on how universities can navigate the opportunities and challenges of ongoing digital transformation.

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Universities in the Loop: Transformational agreements forever?

Open Science has transformed the scholarly publishing landscape, but critical questions remain: 

What are the real costs and benefits of openness, and can universities afford them in the long run? 

Despite new open access business models and rights retention strategies (RRS), the continuous rise in journal costs challenges sustainability. At the same time, Open Science intersects with emerging issues such as AI and dual-use risks, where openness can inadvertently enable misuse of research. This session invites reflections on how universities can balance commitments to openness, costeffectiveness, and security, and asks whether current transformational agreements are a permanent solution—or just a temporary stage in a rapidly changing environment. 

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When the World Walks In: Universities Responding to Protest and Change

This session explores how universities can navigate moments or situations when global issues enter campus life through engagement, protest and demonstration. How can universities respond constructively — protecting academic integrity while embracing their responsibility to engage with the world’s most pressing questions?

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