The Grey Zone (GZ) is a research group at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. We focus on multiple challenges around understanding and addressing "grey zone" or hybrid threats and warfare. We explore both the ways in which these concepts are defined and understood, as well as what and how different threats are perceived, from individual, society, to state and international levels. We address different ways of managing possible threats, crises and warfare including local preparedness and societal trust, national preparedness strategies, Total Defense, and Whole-of Government and Comprehensive Approaches. The Grey Zone supports and strengthens multidisciplinary research and teaching in International Relations and Politics at UiT, consolidating International Politics competencies both on hybrid threats and warfare, but as well on security issues more generally speaking, Arctic security, international crises and operations.
Projects include those led by GZ members and/or relevant projects where GZ/UiT members contribute. Though anchored at the Centre for Peace Studies at the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, the Grey Zone connects researchers with common interests across departments and faculties at UiT, as well as with external research and practitioner environments.
The Grey Zone research group leader is Professor Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv, and the coordinator is Arsalan Bilal (AB).
NOTE: ALL MEDIA REQUESTS SHOULD BE SENT TO PROFESSOR GUNHILD HOOGENSEN GJØRV (gunhild.hoogensen.gjorv@uit.no)
Publications from Grey Zone and/or individual project members at Hybrid CoE:
Security and Geopolitics in the Arctic: The increase of hybrid threat activities in the Norwegian High North - Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv. Read here
Cause for concern: The continuing success and iimpact of Kremlin disinformation campaigns - Aiden Hoyle and Josef Slerka. Read here
Identity as a tool for disinformation: Exploiting social divisions in modern societies - Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv and Outi Jalonen. Read here
Strengthening the resilience and adaptive capacity of societies at risk from hybrid threats - Cedric de Coning. Read here
A warning system for hybrid threats - is it possible? - Sebastiaan Rietjens. Read here
Other Publications:
- Hybrid Threats and the Law of the Sea – Alexander Lott. Click here to read the book
- Shadings of Nuance: Contextualizing a "Convergence of Opinion" Regarding a River Located in the Imaginarium of the Western Mind – Christopher R. Rossi. Read here
- Slaves, Indians, and European Legal Formalism in 19th Century America – Christopher R. Rossi. Click here to access the book chapter
- The Psychology of Foreign Policy – Christer Pursiainen & Tuomas Forsberg. Click here to read
- The case for case in Putin's speeches – Laura A. Janda, Masako Fidler, Václav Cvrček, & Anna Obukhova. Click here to read
- Siviles rolle i sammensatt krigforing (book chapter) – Gunhild H. Gjørv, Jardar Gjørv, Ørjan N. Karlsson, Marte Aasen & Gjermund F. Rongved. Buy here
- Artificial Intelligence in Conventional Arms Control and Military Confidence-Building (book chapter) – Benjamin Schaller. Click here to read
- From European critical infrastructure protection to the resilience of European critical entities – Christer Pursiainen & Eero Kytömaa. Click here to read
- Water Security and Hydro-Egoism: Endogenous Hegemony and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam – Christopher Robert Rossi. Click here to read
- Expanding Multi-Domain Operations to Win Moral Competition – Colonel Christopher Holshek, U.S. Army, Retired. Click here to read
- Identity, Stability, Hybrid Threats & Disinformation – By Gunhild H. Gjørv, Jane Freedman & Velomahanina T. Razakamaharavo. Click here to read
- Trust, Distrust, & Security: An Untrustworthy Immigrant in a Trusting Community – By Gunhild H. Gjørv, Ali Bilgic & Cathy Wilcock. Click here to read
- Russia's Critical Infrastructure Policy: What Do We Know About It? – By Christer Pursiainen. Click here to read
- Psychological Dimension of Russian Foreign Policy: Putin & the Annexation of Crimea – By Christer Pursiainen & Tuomas Forsberg. Click here to read
- Critical infrastructure resilience: A Nordic model in the making? – By Christer Pursiainen. Click here to read
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Chalkboard Seminar — May 3, 2024: Doctoral researcher Isabel Dineen presented her research ideas on mistrust and hybrid threats. |
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Chalkboard Seminar — April 26, 2024: Alexander Lott engaged with the issue of EU's approach to the rules of naval operations. |
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The Grey Zone research group welcomes cooperation with organisations, institutions and agencies that share simiilar and related interests, towards building knowledge and strengthening societal capacities. The Grey Zone with the Centre for Peace Studies cooperate with the following organisations:
NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence: stratcomcoe.org
UTSYN - Senter for sikkerhet og totalforsvar (Centre for security and resilience): prosjektutsyn.no
Please contact us below for cooperation opportunities.