UiT – The Arctic University of Norway is a research university driving knowledge-based development regionally, nationally and internationally. It is the northernmost university in the world, and therefore UiT holds a unique mission linked to its Arctic location — an area of growing global significance given climate change, resource management, and environmental challenges, areas in which UiT holds particular expertise. Currently, there are around 15,500 students and 3,300 staff who study and work at UiT. It is a highly international academic community, with over 20% of academic staff and 10% of students from abroad. UiT offers more than 20 English-taught master's programmes across eight faculties — Health Sciences; Science and Technology; Humanities, Social Sciences and Education; Law; Arts; Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics — alongside specialized institutes, research centres, and the University Museum. Teaching is research-based throughout.
The Centre for Geopolitics, Peace and Security (GPS) brings together and highlights UiT's expertise and research within geopolitics, peace and security. We produce new knowledge that supports politics, society and business. Our focus is on three priority areas:
GPS offers a Master's programme in Peace and Conflict Transformation and maintains a strong track record of externally funded research on conflict, displacement, gender, memory, and emerging technologies in post-conflict contexts.
Researchers participating in this project are also members of the Research Group EDGE: Emotion, Exposure, and High-Edge Decision Making. https://uit.no/research/edge Using immersive VR with portable physiology and validated measures, EDGE research focuses on modelling and improving decision‑making, de‑escalation, and resilience under timed uncertainty—delivering open benchmarks, registered reports, and practical training modules for SAR, crisis coordination, misinformation inoculation, and reconciliation (leads: A. Sanchez Laws and K. Bergsnev). A Trauma and Reconciliation sub‑pillar (lead: A. Heraclidou) co‑designs safe, dialogic XR experiences with women’s groups and museums, translating immersive journalism and heritage into measurable prosocial outcomes.