• Home
  • About RSIS
    • Introduction
    • Building the Foundations
    • Welcome Message
    • Board of Governors
    • Staff Profiles
      • Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
      • Dean’s Office
      • Management
      • Distinguished Fellows
      • Faculty and Research
      • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
      • Visiting Fellows
      • Adjunct Fellows
      • Administrative Staff
    • Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
    • RSIS Endowment Fund
    • Endowed Professorships
    • Career Opportunities
    • Getting to RSIS
  • Research
    • Research Centres
      • Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
      • Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
      • Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
      • Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
      • International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
    • Research Programmes
      • National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
      • Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
    • Research @ RSIS
    • Other Programmes
      • Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP)
  • Graduate Education
    • Graduate Programmes Office
    • Overview
    • MSc (Asian Studies)
    • MSc (International Political Economy)
    • MSc (International Relations)
    • MSc (Strategic Studies)
    • NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme
    • PhD Programme
    • Exchange Partners and Programmes
    • How to Apply
    • Financial Assistance
    • Information Sessions
    • RSIS Alumni
  • Alumni & Networks
    • Alumni
    • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
    • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
    • SRP Executive Programme
    • Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
  • Publications
    • RSIS Publications
      • Annual Reviews
      • Books
      • Bulletins and Newsletters
      • Commentaries
      • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
      • Commemorative / Event Reports
      • IDSS Paper
      • Interreligious Relations
      • Monographs
      • NTS Insight
      • Policy Reports
      • Working Papers
      • RSIS Publications for the Year
    • Glossary of Abbreviations
    • External Publications
      • Authored Books
      • Journal Articles
      • Edited Books
      • Chapters in Edited Books
      • Policy Reports
      • Working Papers
      • Op-Eds
      • External Publications for the Year
    • Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
  • Media
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Cohesive Societies
    • Great Powers
    • Sustainable Security
    • Other Resource Pages
    • Media Highlights
    • News Releases
    • Speeches
    • Vidcast Channel
    • Audio/Video Forums
  • Events
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSISVideoCast RSISVideoCast rsis.sg
Linkedin
instagram instagram rsis.sg
RSS
  • Home
  • About RSIS
      • Introduction
      • Building the Foundations
      • Welcome Message
      • Board of Governors
      • Staff Profiles
        • Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
        • Dean’s Office
        • Management
        • Distinguished Fellows
        • Faculty and Research
        • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
        • Visiting Fellows
        • Adjunct Fellows
        • Administrative Staff
      • Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
      • RSIS Endowment Fund
      • Endowed Professorships
      • Career Opportunities
      • Getting to RSIS
  • Research
      • Research Centres
        • Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
        • Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
        • Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
        • Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
        • International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
      • Research Programmes
        • National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
        • Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
      • Research @ RSIS
      • Other Programmes
        • Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP)
  • Graduate Education
      • Graduate Programmes Office
      • Overview
      • MSc (Asian Studies)
      • MSc (International Political Economy)
      • MSc (International Relations)
      • MSc (Strategic Studies)
      • NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme
      • PhD Programme
      • Exchange Partners and Programmes
      • How to Apply
      • Financial Assistance
      • Information Sessions
      • RSIS Alumni
  • Alumni & Networks
      • Alumni
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
      • SRP Executive Programme
      • Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
  • Publications
      • RSIS Publications
        • Annual Reviews
        • Books
        • Bulletins and Newsletters
        • Commentaries
        • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
        • Commemorative / Event Reports
        • IDSS Paper
        • Interreligious Relations
        • Monographs
        • NTS Insight
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • RSIS Publications for the Year
      • Glossary of Abbreviations
      • External Publications
        • Authored Books
        • Journal Articles
        • Edited Books
        • Chapters in Edited Books
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • Op-Eds
        • External Publications for the Year
      • Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
  • Media
      • COVID-19 Resources
      • Cohesive Societies
      • Great Powers
      • Sustainable Security
      • Other Resource Pages
      • Media Highlights
      • News Releases
      • Speeches
      • Vidcast Channel
      • Audio/Video Forums
  • Events
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
  • instagram instagram rsis.sg
Connect

Getting to RSIS

Map

Address

Nanyang Technological University
Block S4, Level B3,
50 Nanyang Avenue,
Singapore 639798

View location on Google maps Click here for directions to RSIS

Get in Touch

    Connect with Us

      rsis.ntu
      rsis_ntu
      rsisntu
    RSISVideoCast RSISVideoCast rsisvideocast
      school/rsis-ntu
    instagram instagram rsis.sg
      RSS
    Subscribe to RSIS Publications
    Subscribe to RSIS Events

    RSIS Intranet

    S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Think Tank and Graduate School Ponder The Improbable Since 1966
    Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University

    Skip to content

     
    • RSIS
    • Publication
    • RSIS Publications
    • CENS Countering Extremism Workshop
    • Annual Reviews
    • Books
    • Bulletins and Newsletters
    • Commentaries
    • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
    • Commemorative / Event Reports
    • IDSS Paper
    • Interreligious Relations
    • Monographs
    • NTS Insight
    • Policy Reports
    • Working Papers
    • RSIS Publications for the Year

    CENS Countering Extremism Workshop
    Joseph Franco, Cameron Sumpter

    15 December 2021

    download pdf
    Event Report

    Executive Summary

     

    The Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) convened its annual Workshop on countering extremism from 8-11 November 2021. Held via Zoom amid ongoing travel restrictions, the Workshop brought together nine leading experts for what became a lively and thought-provoking series of discussions.

    Panel One considered evolutions among violent extremist networks in Indonesia, and recent developments in counterterrorism. Speakers included Alif Satria (Researcher, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS Indonesia), Dya Ayu Kartika (Analyst, Institute for the Policy Analysis of Conflict, IPAC), and Jordan Newton (Senior Advisor Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Justice, AIPJ2).

    The following evening, Panel Two outlined current research on the psychology of radicalisation and examined the similarities among personal pathways toward different extremist narratives. Leading the discussions were Professor Arie Kruglanski (Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland), Dr Michael Wolfowicz (Honorary Research Fellow, University College London), and Dr Leor Zmigrod (Research Fellow, University of Cambridge).

    Concluding the event was Panel Three, which evaluated the Taliban’s renewed governance in Afghanistan and the implications for regional Islamist militancy. Expert insight was provided by Dr Amira Jadoon (Assistant Professor, Combating Terrorism Center, West Point), Dr Cole Bunzel (Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University), and Andrew Mines (Research Fellow, Program on Extremism, George Washington University).

    The first dialogue focused on Indonesia, where terrorist networks have been decimated by counterterrorism operations in recent years. However, Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) maintains significant organisational resources and a robust structure, according to Alif Satria, while Jamaah Ansharud Daulah (JAD) remains resilient through a decentralised network of autonomous cells, low barriers of entry, and a degree of international connectivity.

    Online pro-Islamic State (IS) propaganda in Indonesia has reduced in quantity and quality since the fall of al-Baghdadi’s caliphate, but content has diversified and remains somewhat durable across small and mainstream platforms. Meanwhile, JI’s messaging increasingly resembles that of non-violent Islamist groups opposing the government, which could misconstrue activists for terrorists and potentially generate further support for violent resistance.

    Looking further afield and towards the future, Dya Ayu Kartika described the dire conditions and perilous security environment faced by Indonesian nationals in the displacement camps of northeast Syria. Repatriating children is certainly complex, but may be the most effective way to address the humanitarian concerns while weakening Indonesian links to global terrorist networks.

    Twenty years after 9/11, terrorism and ideological violence is now diffuse and diverse, with a variety of conspiracy-fuelled narratives and identity-based convictions spawning new forms of extremism. But despite this apparent diversity of extreme perspectives, recent empirical research has highlighted substantial commonalities across different ideologies. The Workshop’s second panel explored the evidence.

    In a comprehensive meta-analysis of attitudes, intentions and behaviours among ideologically violent individuals, Dr Michael Wolfowicz found that psychological factors are more important ingredients for radicalisation than socio-economic or experiential conditions.

    Breaking this down further, Professor Arie Kruglanski stressed the individual need for personal significance, which can be facilitated by exclusive networks and compelling narratives. Delving deeper still, Dr Leor Zmigrod’s research has identified certain neuro-psychological signatures often present among those with extremist convictions, such as cognitive rigidity and impulsiveness. This cutting-edge research could have important implications for disengagement and upstream prevention initiatives.

    Panel three discussed the ramifications of recent developments in Afghanistan. Dr Cole Bunzel highlighted the threat posed by both IS-Khorasan (IS-K) and al-Qaeda (AQ) to the United States (US), but also outlined the two organisations’ respective constraints, in terms of local conflicts and decapitated leadership. IS-K has stepped up attacks over the past two years, but operations have become less deadly, according to Andrew Mines, as the group targets certain local communities and infrastructure in order to further destabilise the war-torn nation.

    Regardless of the Taliban’s intentions with foreign extremist groups, Dr Amira Jadoon believes the new government’s limited protective security capacity may mean the nation becomes a ‘passive sponsor’ of terrorism. The concern for the wider region will be a possibly greater fusion between local extremist networks and transnational organisations, which may influence tactics and strategies moving forward.

    Categories: Commemorative / Event Reports /

    Last updated on 13/01/2022

    Event Report

    Executive Summary

     

    The Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) convened its annual Workshop on countering extremism from 8-11 November 2021. Held via Zoom amid ongoing travel restrictions, the Workshop brought together nine leading experts for what became a lively and thought-provoking series of discussions.

    Panel One considered evolutions among violent extremist networks in Indonesia, and recent developments in counterterrorism. Speakers included Alif Satria (Researcher, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS Indonesia), Dya Ayu Kartika (Analyst, Institute for the Policy Analysis of Conflict, IPAC), and Jordan Newton (Senior Advisor Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Justice, AIPJ2).

    The following evening, Panel Two outlined current research on the psychology of radicalisation and examined the similarities among personal pathways toward different extremist narratives. Leading the discussions were Professor Arie Kruglanski (Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland), Dr Michael Wolfowicz (Honorary Research Fellow, University College London), and Dr Leor Zmigrod (Research Fellow, University of Cambridge).

    Concluding the event was Panel Three, which evaluated the Taliban’s renewed governance in Afghanistan and the implications for regional Islamist militancy. Expert insight was provided by Dr Amira Jadoon (Assistant Professor, Combating Terrorism Center, West Point), Dr Cole Bunzel (Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University), and Andrew Mines (Research Fellow, Program on Extremism, George Washington University).

    The first dialogue focused on Indonesia, where terrorist networks have been decimated by counterterrorism operations in recent years. However, Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) maintains significant organisational resources and a robust structure, according to Alif Satria, while Jamaah Ansharud Daulah (JAD) remains resilient through a decentralised network of autonomous cells, low barriers of entry, and a degree of international connectivity.

    Online pro-Islamic State (IS) propaganda in Indonesia has reduced in quantity and quality since the fall of al-Baghdadi’s caliphate, but content has diversified and remains somewhat durable across small and mainstream platforms. Meanwhile, JI’s messaging increasingly resembles that of non-violent Islamist groups opposing the government, which could misconstrue activists for terrorists and potentially generate further support for violent resistance.

    Looking further afield and towards the future, Dya Ayu Kartika described the dire conditions and perilous security environment faced by Indonesian nationals in the displacement camps of northeast Syria. Repatriating children is certainly complex, but may be the most effective way to address the humanitarian concerns while weakening Indonesian links to global terrorist networks.

    Twenty years after 9/11, terrorism and ideological violence is now diffuse and diverse, with a variety of conspiracy-fuelled narratives and identity-based convictions spawning new forms of extremism. But despite this apparent diversity of extreme perspectives, recent empirical research has highlighted substantial commonalities across different ideologies. The Workshop’s second panel explored the evidence.

    In a comprehensive meta-analysis of attitudes, intentions and behaviours among ideologically violent individuals, Dr Michael Wolfowicz found that psychological factors are more important ingredients for radicalisation than socio-economic or experiential conditions.

    Breaking this down further, Professor Arie Kruglanski stressed the individual need for personal significance, which can be facilitated by exclusive networks and compelling narratives. Delving deeper still, Dr Leor Zmigrod’s research has identified certain neuro-psychological signatures often present among those with extremist convictions, such as cognitive rigidity and impulsiveness. This cutting-edge research could have important implications for disengagement and upstream prevention initiatives.

    Panel three discussed the ramifications of recent developments in Afghanistan. Dr Cole Bunzel highlighted the threat posed by both IS-Khorasan (IS-K) and al-Qaeda (AQ) to the United States (US), but also outlined the two organisations’ respective constraints, in terms of local conflicts and decapitated leadership. IS-K has stepped up attacks over the past two years, but operations have become less deadly, according to Andrew Mines, as the group targets certain local communities and infrastructure in order to further destabilise the war-torn nation.

    Regardless of the Taliban’s intentions with foreign extremist groups, Dr Amira Jadoon believes the new government’s limited protective security capacity may mean the nation becomes a ‘passive sponsor’ of terrorism. The concern for the wider region will be a possibly greater fusion between local extremist networks and transnational organisations, which may influence tactics and strategies moving forward.

    Categories: Commemorative / Event Reports

    Last updated on 13/01/2022

    Back to top

    Terms of Use | Privacy Statement
    Copyright © S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. All rights reserved.
    This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy. Learn more
    OK
    Latest Book
    CENS Countering Extremism Workshop

    Executive Summary

      The Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) convened its annual Workshop on countering extremism from 8-11 Nov ...
    more info