Transatlantic Law, Outreach, and National Security Conference Held Jointly by Syracuse University and University of Bergen
Transatlantic Alliance for Law, Outreach and National Security (TALONS) Conference Emphasizes Best Practices in National Security Law
The Transatlantic Alliance for Law, Outreach and National Security (TALONS) Conference, hosted by Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law (SPL) and the University of Bergen Faculty of Law, brought together scholars and officials from 16 universities and 12 states to discuss best practices in National Security Law. The event, which took place at the University of Bergen, Norway, was a crucial gathering in supporting frontline states and preparing for post-conflict resolution in the case of Ukraine.
The conference, themed "Best Practices in National Security Law: The Frontline State Perspective," was an academic alliance based on shared values, where law and security were recognized as democratic and national security values. Recognizing and communicating these values was considered vital at a time when law and security are threatened. Showing up to the conference was emphasized as important for an academic alliance based on shared values.
Participants included scholars and officials from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the U.S. The conference had four goals: to establish an ongoing alliance of security scholars, to create a forum for exchanging ideas, and to focus on national security and teaching national security in frontline states.
While the search results do not contain direct information about the best practices in national security law identified specifically from the TALONS Conference, best practices in national security law dialogues commonly emphasize several key areas. These include strengthening international cooperation and alliances, balancing national security and civil liberties, enhancing legal frameworks to address emerging threats, promoting transparency and accountability, and encouraging multi-stakeholder engagement.
Articles from conference participants will be published on topics such as Russia's efforts to subvert the Romanian presidential election, hybrid warfare, cybersecurity, and Russian and Chinese threats to the Arctic. The University of Eastern Finland will host the Second Annual TALONS Conference on Best Practices in National Security Law in June 2026.
University of Bialystok Professor Charles Szymański and the Hon. James E. Baker will edit and contribute to a treatise on National Security Law in the Frontline States. The Eastern European Journal of Transnational Relations will publish articles on the conference and its key findings. The TALONS Conference was the culmination of several years' work on furthering the field of national security law in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
- In line with the TALONS Conference's focus on best practices in National Security Law, strengthening international cooperation and alliances, especially among frontline states, should be central to education and self-development in this field.
- During the TALONS Conference, participants engaged in discussions about various general news topics, including Russian and Chinese threats to the Arctic, hybrid warfare, and cybersecurity, demonstrating the relevance of understanding war and conflicts in the context of national security law.
