The Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University and the University of Bergen Faculty of Law have jointly hosted the first Transatlantic Alliance for Law, Outreach and National Security (TALONS) Conference in Bergen, Norway. The event brought together national security scholars from 16 universities across 12 countries, including Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine and the United States.
The conference focused on “Best Practices in National Security Law: The Frontline State Perspective.” Its main objectives were to establish a lasting alliance among security scholars in frontline states who are committed to teaching national security law; create a forum for exchanging ideas about national security; provide opportunities for participants to publish their work; and identify best practices to help frontline states address current and future security threats while upholding legal and democratic values.
Immediate outcomes from the conference include planned publication of articles in the Eastern European Journal of Transnational Relations. These will cover topics such as Russia’s efforts to influence Romanian elections, hybrid warfare tactics, cybersecurity issues and Russian and Chinese activities in the Arctic region. In addition, University of Bialystok Professor Charles Szymański and Hon. James E. Baker—director of Syracuse’s Institute for Security Policy and Law—will edit a treatise on National Security Law in the Frontline States.
Plans are also underway for the University of Eastern Finland to host the second annual TALONS Conference on Best Practices in National Security Law in June 2026.
“The conference was the culmination of several years’ work on furthering the field of national security law in the wake of the war in Ukraine,” says Baker. “The free exchange of ideas and recommendations that resulted from the conference is critical to supporting the frontline states and, in the case of Ukraine, preparing for post-conflict resolution.
“Law is both a democratic and national security value. At a time when law and security are threatened, recognizing and communicating these values is vital. Courage loves company. And as with any alliance—and this is an academic alliance based on shared values—one cannot overemphasize the importance of showing up.”
