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Herskip Í Havn Bjarni Rubeksen KVF
25 May
Event

Public Event: Small Nations in the Great Power Struggle

When
Length
19:00 - 20:30
Location
Kongshøll, Vestara Bryggja, Tórshavn

On Monday evening, 25 May at 19:00, a free public event entitled “Small Nations in the Great Power Struggle – Geopolitics, Self-Determination and the Future of the Arctic” will take place at Kongshøll.

The Municipality of Tórshavn and the University of the Faroe Islands invite the public to an informative event and discussion focusing on small nations such as the Faroe Islands and Greenland in today’s increasingly tense geopolitical climate.

Throughout the week, the University of the Faroe Islands is hosting a major international English-language conference at Tjarnir, bringing together around 1,400 participants. Researchers and experts from around the world will present and discuss a wide range of topics at UArctic Congress 2026.

The event at Kongshøll is aimed more directly at the general public and will be conducted in Scandinavian languages and Faroese.

Among the questions to be explored are how the changing geopolitical situation affects us now that the Arctic has shifted from being a region of détente to becoming a focal point of global tensions. What does this mean for our identity, and can we use the new situation to our advantage? Does the current geopolitical climate suppress aspirations for greater autonomy, or can it instead strengthen the right to self-determination? Which alliances and partnerships should we pursue in the future? Iceland will hold a referendum in August on reopening negotiations on EU membership — should the Faroe Islands do the same? And what should our relationship with Russia be?

Programme
19:00 Magni Mohr, Vice-Rector for Research, welcomes participants

19:10  Óluva Zachariasen, journalist, in conversation with:

  • Katrín Jakobsdóttir, former Prime Minister of Iceland and WHO Champion for the European Well-being Economy Initiative
  • Sara Olsvig, former Greenlandic minister and member of the Danish Parliament, and Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC)

19:45 Short coffee break

19:55 Óluva Zachariasen in conversation with:

  • Bjørt Samuelsen, former Speaker of the Faroese Parliament
  • Tór Marni Weihe, PhD fellow in International Politics, University of the Faroe Islands
  • Firouz Gaini, Professor of Anthropology, University of the Faroe Islands

20:30 Closing

Everyone is warmly welcome!

(Photo: Bjarni Rubeksen, KVF)