Past Events

Tufyal will analyse how UK counter-terrorism has expanded to address extreme violence that falls outside established definitions of terrorism. Focusing on the 2024 Southport killings, it examines the Prevent programme’s shift from targeting ideological extremism to managing individuals characterised by fragmented beliefs, personal grievance, or fascination with violence. Drawing on Prevent referral data and recent…

Research evidence shows that terrorist actors often ‘leak’ their intent towards planning and carrying out terrorist violence to those close to them – partners, family members or close friends (Gill et al, 2014), just as perpetrators of other types of mass targeted violence, such as ‘school shooters’, do. These ‘intimate bystanders’ are thus often the…

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence into digital spaces has reshaped the landscape of terrorism and extremism research. This talk explores the opportunities and challenges of applying data science, machine learning, and generative AI within the field. It offers an overview of conventional data science approaches alongside newer generative techniques, and considers how social science methods can…

What happens when hate speech becomes so routine in a cultural space that it’s treated as unremarkable background noise? This talk examines how digital gaming environments have normalized extreme hate speech (particularly misogyny) to the point where it is often dismissed as “just part of gaming culture.” Drawing on recent research, I’ll trace how this…

In the years following the Arab Spring, a number of Islamist insurgent groups conquered swaths of territory across the Middle East and North Africa and began governing civilian populations. These groups have been faced with the complexities of administering justice, collecting taxes, and providing public services such as health care and education. How do Salafi-jihadist…

When studying terrorist campaigns, analysis typically centres on the two principal protagonists: the state and militant organisations. This narrow focus reflects a persistent assumption that, in moments of political exigency, violence constitutes the most effective instrument for achieving social and political change, rendering non-violent alternatives naïve or ineffective. This roundtable challenges that assumption by examining…

This presentation explores how gendered grievances shape both everyday and extremist forms of violence, drawing on research into perpetrators of domestic abuse and online incel communities. Though usually treated as distinct issues, both groups share similar narratives: that men are entitled to control women and that violence can restore a lost status or authority. Findings…

Research on the contemporary far right has largely prioritised party-centred and electorally driven explanations, often overlooking the ideological, organisational, and relational infrastructures that sustain far-right mobilisation beyond formal political arenas. This seminar advances a transnational social movement perspective, conceptualising the far right as a networked ecosystem of parties, movements, cultural actors, and informal organisations operating…

As an early career researcher, engaging with practitioners and policymakers can be challenging. From knowing how to communicate your work to identifying the right avenues for engagement, translating research into policy‑relevant insights is often daunting. However, ECRs frequently conduct cutting‑edge research with clear policy relevance. In this dual-perspective session, we hear from Research to Practice…

Young people are increasingly being targeted for recruitment by violent extremist organisations and individuals. This occurs across the extremist landscape but has gained prominence recently in association with extreme right-wing (XRW) milieus. Western security agencies have warned that the age of radicalisation and recruitment into extreme right-wing organisations and online subcultures is decreasing. This presentation…

Public interest in understanding extremism and terrorism has only increased with the evolution of technology and pervading hateful discourse online. This presents new opportunities to communicate findings and engage in broader conversations about your research and its impact upon society and public safety. In this session, expect to learn about the process of engaging with the…

It is often claimed that there is little to no organised extreme right-wing (ERW) presence in Ireland. The absence of the ERW was long attributed to Ireland’s ‘civil war’ political system, however, in recent years, the country has witnessed an increase in both far-right and ERW activity via online activism, street protest, and even violence.…

Over the past decade, scholars have struggled to conceptualize the diverse range and dynamic nature of activism that has manifested within US white supremacism. Our thinking has been too tied to conventional forms of activism such as rallies and marches and traditional indicators of white supremacism such as Ku Klux Klan regalia and swastika tattoos.…

This talk uses Boko Haram as a case study to delve into the operations of extremist groups in sub- Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on the unique cultural contexts in which they function. The talk explores how such groups navigate ethnically diverse environments and manage to forge a sense of collective homogeneity, even in…