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A Plus For Peace - Swiss Neutrality and Its Role in the Security Council
No full textSwitzerland’s neutrality is now more contested than ever. Different discourses about what kind of neutrality might be the right one for Switzerland persist. In my thesis I have made a Critical Discourse Analysis of Swiss Statements on Neutrality during its membership in the Security Council from 2023 to 2024. This allowed me to deepen the understanding of Swiss neutrality in a multilateral context. I was able to show how morality and the differentiation between the law and policy of neutrality have been crucial to the understanding of Swiss neutrality
Framing Education, Fuelling Identity: News Media Narratives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Tamil Nadu
No full textFull text not availableAbstract
Peace and conflict can only be understood in relation to the lived realities and identities of communities. Language, as a central feature of identity, brings people together and enriches culture through shared practices. This thesis examines how news media narratives and language politics interact in the context of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, focusing on Tamil Nadu. Using critical discourse analysis of twenty-two national and regional news articles, the study explores how media coverage of NEP 2020’s language provisions reflects and shapes debates on identity, autonomy, and cultural recognition. Drawing on Framing Theory, Social Identity Theory, and Conflict Theory, the research identifies five major media frames—Hindi Imposition, Linguistic Identity, State Autonomy, Educational Equity, and Unity vs Diversity—that influence public understanding and response to educational reforms.
The findings show that Tamil Nadu’s media strongly anchor their coverage in historical memory and resistance, framing NEP 2020 as a threat to Tamil linguistic and cultural sovereignty. By contrast, national media focus on integration and the benefits of multilingualism. This divergence reveals the news media’s powerful role in shaping policy debates, not merely reflecting them. The thesis concludes that education policy in multilingual federal contexts is inherently political, involving ongoing struggles for recognition and justice. The study calls for more dialogic, context-sensitive policymaking and inclusive journalism, emphasizing the need to amplify marginalized and regional voices. In doing so, it contributes to wider discussions on peace, pluralism, and the negotiation of identity in contemporary India.
Keywords:
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020; Tamil Nadu; media framing; language politics; critical discourse analysis; identity; autonomy; multilingualis
International Practices of Speech-Language Pathologists Working with Bilingual Speakers with Primary Progressive Aphasia
Get PDFBackground - Although primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is considered a rarer form of dementia, individuals living with PPA are increasingly identified by healthcare professionals. Research investigating speech-language assessment and intervention in PPA has been conducted primarily in monolingual speakers and little is known about clinical decision-making of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working with bilinguals with PPA.
Methods - A comprehensive survey containing questions regarding clinician confidence, prioritization, and ratings of basic competency for Volkmer, Cartwright, Ruggero et al.’s (2023) best practice principles was constructed with questions that also queried practices pertaining to working with bilingual populations. Data was collected anonymously, via the Qualtrics survey platform and the survey was disseminated via social media and through social networks of study team members.
Results - A total of 185 participants responded with representation from 27 countries. In total, bilingual participants spoke a total of 39 different languages. The average number of languages spoken by respondents was 1.86 (SD = 1.08). Twenty-three percent of respondents reported that they provided clinical services bilingually and 28% identified as bicultural. Respondents indicated that coursework in their training to become SLPs related to bilingual neurogenic communication disorders was covered for less than two hours (39%), less than five hours (33%), or more than five hours (28%). The majority of respondents indicated that they sometimes or typically worked with an interpreter or translator for conducting bilingual assessments (43%) or performed them independently (18%). When asked which language respondents typically assess participants in, 5% indicated the maternal language, 39% indicated the dominant/most functional language(s), and 54% indicated the language(s) the clinician felt comfortable speaking.
Conclusion - This study reports, for the first time, the practices of speech-language pathologists working with bilingual speakers with PPA. Results indicate that SLPs are likely to receive some exposure to bilingual adult neurogenic communication disorders in their training. SLPs are more likely to assess bilingual individuals with PPA in the languages clinicians speak, or in the participant’s most functional/dominant language(s). Additional international forums are needed to extend core principles and philosophies of SLP practices, particularly when individuals living with PPA speak more than one language
Handelskrigen mellom USA og KIna
No full textFull text not availableJeg skriver om handelskrigen mellom USA og Kina som utspiller seg nå, og studerer bakenforliggende årsaker til hvorfor konflikten eskaler
Destructive Leadership – A Literature Review
Get PDFThis thesis explores how destructive leadership is defined and addressed in academic literature. It examines a wide range of contributions, noting both overlaps and differences in the conceptualisation of the phenomenon. The analysis shows that many definitions rely on individual traits, while others point to broader systemic and relational factors. Various solutions are discussed, reflecting the complexity of the issue and the absence of a straightforward approach. The thesis suggests that more empirical, experience-based research is needed to develop credible and relevant knowledge in the field
Oppløsningen av Hong Kongs selvstyre
Get PDFI denne masteroppgaven utforsker jeg hvordan kinesiske myndigheter tok kontrollen over Hong Kong etter overføringen av suverenitet i 1997, og innføringen av den nasjonale sikkerhetsloven i 2020.
Jeg starter med å presentere en historisk oversikt av Hong Kong, fra begynnelsen av det britiske kolonistyret og overføringen av suverenitet til Kina i 1997, til innføringen av de to nasjonale sikkerhetslovene i 2020 og 2024. Deretter har jeg gjennomført en analyse av hvordan og hvorfor kinesiske myndigheter tok over kontrollen av Hong Kong etter overføringen i 1997.
Teorien jeg har brukt for analysen er nyklassisk realisme. Analysen konkluderer at det er en blanding av utenrikspolitiske faktorer – som Kinas økonomiske makt og militære makt – og interne faktorer – som identitet, lederskapets tolkning av situasjonen og kanskje mest av alt, Xi Jinpings planer og politikk – som førte til Kinas overtagelse av Hong Kong.
Diskusjons-kapittelet berører også Kinas autoritære utvikling under Xi Jinping, og hvordan det har påvirket Hong Kong. I tillegg diskuterer jeg hvorvidt man kan se noen potensielle paralleller mellom Kinas overtagelse av Hong Kong og Xi Jinpings ønske om å «gjenforene» og ta kontrollen over Taiwan.
Jeg argumenterer også at det er vanskelig å vite hvor lenge Kina har planlagt overtagelsen av Hong Kong, men at kombinasjonen av strenge smittevernregler og innføringen av den nasjonale sikkerhetsloven i 2020, ga de den perfekte muligheten til å gjennomføre en total maktovertagelse, og bekjempe demokratibevegelsen for godt
AI Chatbots for Educators: Transforming Online Learning in Higher Education
Get PDFConference paper at the conference Ninth European MOOCs stakeholders Summit 2025 (EMOOCS 2025) , June 30th to July 2nd, Paris, France
https://emoocs2025.telecom-paris.fr/.This study explores the experiences of pre- and in-service teachers
using AI chatbots in Pedagogical Information and Communication Technology
(ICTPED) Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), an online course designed to
develop professional digital competence. Data was collected through an online
questionnaire completed by 46 participants and follow-up interviews with eight
students. The findings reveal that 52.2% of participants used chatbots to support
their learning, while 47.8% did not. Participants primarily used chatbots to clarify
course content, generate learning materials, and explore curriculum-related
topics. Many students found chatbots to be valuable for developing conceptual
understanding, providing instant feedback, and serving as brainstorming partners.
Motivation for chatbot use included curiosity, ease of communication, and trust
in the tool’s feedback. Despite the reported benefits, some participants expressed
concerns regarding the accuracy and reliability of chatbot-generated content. The
study contributes to the growing body of research on AI in education by
highlighting how chatbots can facilitate personalized learning experiences and
self-regulated learning in online teacher education. Further research is needed to
address challenges related to chatbot accuracy, over-reliance, and ethical
considerations
Reindriftssamisk tilstedeværelse i Tromsøområdet fra 1870-tallet - 2015
Get PDFTemaet for masteroppgaven er historieskriving om reindriftssamisk tilstedeværelse i Tromsøområdet. Oppgaven undersøker hvordan reindriftshistorien i Tromsøområdet er fremsatt i perioden fra 1870-tallet til 2015. En historiografisk oversikt over reindriftshistorien i Tromsøområdet belyser forholdet mellom Tromsø/Romsa og reindriften. Oppgaven følger forskningen på reindriftssamisk tilstedeværelse i Tromsøområdet gjennom ulike faglige skifter. I de lokalhistoriske verkene Tromsø bys historie og Tromsø gjennom 10000 år, undersøkes spor av samisk historie. Dette er innflytelsesrike lokalhistoriske utgivelsene. Disse kan ha preget tromsøværingenes forståelse av egen fortid. I tillegg undersøkes andre kilder skrevet av historikere, samfunnsforskere og andre sakprosaforfattere. Formålet med oppgaven er å belyse sentrale kilder til reindriftssamisk historie i Tromsøområdet
Partibarometre og oljeaksjer: kortsiktige effekter i oljesektoren av økt oppslutning hos oljepositive partier.
Get PDFSammendrag
Denne analysen undersøker om månedlige partibarometre gjennom meningsmålinger som rapporterer endringer i oppslutningen til politiske partier påvirker kortsiktige aksjeavkastning i den norske olje og gass sektoren. Fokuset analysen tar for seg ligger på Fremskrittspartiet alene og på en borgerlig blokk bestående av Fremskrittspartiet og Høyre. Fokuset er på disse to partiene da det er de to tidligste forkjemperne for videre petroleumsvirksomhet. Problemstillingen for oppgaven er «Hvordan påvirker politiske partibarometre den kortsiktige aksjeutviklingen til børsnoterte oljeaktører i Norge? Problemstillingen blir bygget opp med to forskningsspørsmål som utdyper temaet videre. Forskningsspørsmål 1: Påvirker publiseringen av partibarometer som viser FrP oppslutning økninger en kortsiktig økning på aksjeprisen til de børsnoterte oljeaktører? Forskningsspørsmål 2: Er partibarometer et sterkt nok signal til å bli priset inn i aksje gitt en endring i oljepositive partier?
Datagrunnlaget for analysen består av 96 månedlige Norfakta målinger som rommer perioden januar 2017 til desember 2024. En hendelse defineres som en måned hvor endringen av oppslutningen til enten Fremskrittspartiet eller den borgerlige blokken overstiger 1,5% i positiv eller negativ retning. Denne terskelverdien gir 16 hendelser for økt oppslutning hos Fremskrittspartiet og 19 hendelser hvor oppslutningen reduseres. For den borgerlige blokken er det 22 hendelser med økning i oppslutning og 19 hendelser i reduksjon på oppslutning. Disse hendelsene blir analysert opp mot fire børsnoterte selskaper i olje og gass sektoren. Disse selskapene inkluderer Equinor, Aker BP, OKEA og Vår Energi. Markedsreferansen er Oslo Børs Benchmark Index.
Metodisk er analysen forankret i semisterk versjon av Efficient Market Hypothesis (Fama, 1970) og benytter klassisk event study metodikk (MacKinlay, 1997). Tre hendelsesvinduer blir analysert i oppgaven. Disse vinduene er (-1,1), (-2,2) og (0,3) handelsdager. Normalavkastning blir estimert gjennom markedsmodellen fremstilt av MacKinlay (1997) med et estimeringsvindu på -120 til -20 børsdager i forkant av analysen. Abnormal avkastning blir beregnet gjennom differansen mellom faktisk aksjepris mot forventet aksjepris. Den kumulative abnormale avkastningen aggregeres over hendelsene og de utvalgte børsnoterte selskapene. Statistisk signifikant blir testet gjennom vanlig t-test, cluster robust t-test og gjennomsnittlig kumulativ abnormal avkastning tabell. Alle beregningene gjennomført i analysen er gjennomført i R studio ved hjelp av programpakkene Tidyverse, readxl, janitor, lubridate, quantmod, zoo og fixest. Innhentningen av data er gjort gjennom Yahoo Finance og partioppslutningen er laget i Excel.
Resultatene av analysen er entydige, det blir ikke gjort noen signifikante funn som viser at partibarometer gir abnormal avkastning over analysens periode ved et 5% nivå. Ved kalkulering av gjennomsnittlig kumulativ abnormal avkastning er p-verdiene langt over akseptert nivå. I tråd med forventningene for analysen viser Equinor lite utslag uansett over hendelse studiet mens OKEA som er en mindre aktør er mer sporadisk.
For praktiske implikasjoner av studien blir det trekt frem hvordan investorer som ønsker å redusere eksponering mot innenriks politisk risiko kan vektlegge større, diversifiserte selskap fremfor mindre sokkel orienterte aktører. En annen implikasjon er å se bort fra meningsmålinger som handelssignal å prioritere større konkrete hendelser.
Nøkkelord: markedseffisiens, hendelsesstudie, politikk, olje og gass, partibarometer
Whales in a bottle- using environmental DNA in combination with acoustic and visual observations to identify presence of whales in Northern Norway
Get PDFWhales have several important ecological functions as top predators in marine ecosystems and may also serve as sentinels of anthropogenic activities that drive ecosystem shifts. It is therefore important to have efficient methods to monitor the spatiotemporal presence of different whale species in the vast ocean realm. Traditionally, visual observations from research vessels have been the method of choice, although this method has several limitations, including weather and light conditions, and personal skills of the observer. More recently, acoustic arrays or towed cables have also been used to identify the presence of whales, but these are limited to specific frequencies and identifiable species-specific sounds for speciation. In recent years, environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques have been increasingly used to provide information on the biodiversity of a given area with information extracted from filtered sea water. Sampling eDNA could potentially serve to aid in monitoring the spatiotemporal presence of whales, while also contributing additional trophic and ecosystem information. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to conduct horizontal eDNA sampling transects from surface waters to compare whale detections with visual observations and hydroacoustic recordings of whales. In addition to examining the spatiotemporal structuring of fish communities that could possibly serve as whale food resources through vertical eDNA sampling of whale hotspots and horizontal eDNA transect sampling. This was done in March 2024 in four close-proximity areas off the coast of Northern Norway (ranging from ~69-70° N) that are known to be highly productive and known to harbor seasonal aggregations of several whale species, especially sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). The results showed that the three detection methods generally did not align directly with each other. While eDNA was able to capture the highest amount of diversity, hydroacoustics had the highest amount of overall whale detections. Visual observations detected whales more frequently than eDNA and a higher number of whale species than hydroacoustics. The results also indicated that eDNA might be able to detect whales from a greater distance than some previous studies. Further research and developments are needed to efficiently use eDNA analysis as a whale detection method, but it has great potential to be used in combination with other methods. For the fish communities, eDNA sampling identified several species of demersal and pelagic fish in the areas, with the most relative abundant being Clupea sp. and Mallotus villosus, indicating that these may be keystone species in the area during the time of year sampling took place, when they spawn on the continental shelf, potentially attracting whales. This further illustrates how eDNA can add new layers of information that can support the traditional whale abundance estimate methods