Despite the return of great power competition, land war in Europe, and rapid technological change, terrorism remains one of the defining security challenges of our time because it shapes international politics, domestic security, and social cohesion. Within an eighteen-month window starting in October 2024, non-state terrorist actors plunged several countries in the Middle East into war, brought two nuclear powers to blows on the Indian subcontinent, and installed a man once arrested as a terrorist insurgent into the palace of Damascus.
Terrorism imposes huge costs on society that go beyond the initial death and destruction caused by the attack. It profoundly affects our daily lives in a multitude of ways, including security checks and changes to public spending and infrastructure. It also sows social division along gendered, racial, ethnic, and confessional lines.
The programme adopts a multidisciplinary approach to its teaching methods, drawing on history, political science, international relations, sociology, and cognitive science. It brings together leading academic experts and frontline practitioners from both government and industry to help you interrogate this complex and evolving phenomenon. Building on a strong theoretical background, the programme foregrounds practical experience - allowing you to better understand how theory is applied in practice, in a wide variety of settings—from government to intelligence through to policing, defence, technology companies, and civil society.
The compulsory module addresses key foundational issues including the history of terrorism throughout the 20th century, debates around how to define and conceptualise it, and how to effectively combat terrorist actors while preserving civil liberties and human rights. Once students are equipped with this foundational knowledge, the module will introduce them to in-depth assessments of some of the most active and threatening current terrorist groups and movements. Near the conclusion of the year, students will take part in practical simulation exercises guided by former security and intelligence practitioners where students will be given the opportunity to put all they have learned into practice.