"Studying Radicalisation Up Close: Talking to the 'Enemy'? Insights from Prison Encounters"

Organizers information

We are honored to welcome Prof. Ángel Gómez Jiménez at the university to hold a guest lecture. He is a renowned Full Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology at UNED (Spain) and one of Europe’s leading experts on violent radicalization and deradicalization. 

This talk offers a rare inside look on how radicalization unfolds. Drawing on his extensive fieldwork with individuals often considered "the enemy" — from imprisoned extremists and former terrorists to gang members and ex-combatants — Prof. Ángel Gómez Jiménez explores what researchers can learn by engaging directly with these populations. Based on insights from his ERC Advanced Grant, MULTIPREV, he also delves into how identity, belonging, and exclusion drive violent commitment and what these findings reveal about pathways toward deradicalization and disengagement. The session provides an evidence-based, human-centered perspective on violent extremism, grounded in years of empirical research conducted across ten countries, both inside and outside of prison systems.

This guest lecture will be held as part of the Regional Meeting of BSH Groups in Central Germany organized by the Academic Association for Security Studies Erfurt (ISP/BSH) and the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy.

We look forward to seeing you there