What happens when terrorists stop having a campaign to fight? What impact does terrorism have on politics and culture across generations? And why are people drawn into terrorist groups?
Through research, Dr Amanda Hall engages directly with these questions as she hopes to not only understand counter-terrorism but to pinpoint the broader processes than can prevent terrorist actions from occurring in the first place.
Involving students in cutting-edge debates and encouraging engagement with these contemporary issues is critical to Amanda. Her module ‘Terrorism in a Globalising World’ is designed to help students understand the full spectrum of terrorism across a range of motivations, aims, time periods, and locations. The module explores the relationship between efforts to both end on-going terrorist campaigns and understand why and how they may start in the first place.
Amanda’s research feeds directly into her teaching by enabling her to incorporate real-world examples of government policies and of statements from violent actors into class debates. Students can utilise these authentic documents to inform their independent research, helping them to develop a richer understanding of terrorism and counterterrorism – including how it shapes life well beyond those spheres today. Inspired by Amanda’s teaching, recent graduates have succeeded in securing jobs within the field of counterterrorism including the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and Cabinet Office.