This was set up as the Commission for Countering Extremism recognises the importance of drawing on and disseminating existing evidence as well as expanding the evidence base, which will help to further support counter-extremism work. The new network will also help to identify gaps in our understanding of extremism and counter-extremism and seek to support future research.
The Academic-Practitioner Counter Extremism Network (APCEN) is made up of members from:
- the Commission for Countering Extremism
- national, regional and local government practitioners working in counter-extremism
- leading academics
The first meeting focused on the relationship between extremism and conspiracy theories, and included a presentation from Professor Paul Gill on conspiracy beliefs and violent extremist intentions.
The group will meet 6 times a year. Academic membership is independent and non-partisan, providing the opportunity for members to have open, honest and frank discussions about counter-extremism work.
The list of independent academic members and links to their profiles are below. They are not additional commissioners, they are independent academics free to express their own views, based on their experience and expertise. They will not be held responsible for decisions made by the Lead Commissioner or the Commission.
- Dr Noemie Bouhana
- Professor Matthew Feldman
- Professor Paul Gill
- Dr Gareth Harris
- Dr Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens
- Professor Lasse Lindekilde
- Dr Lella Nouri
- Dr Julia Pearce
- Professor Hilary Pilkington
- Dr Sandy Schumann
- Dr Sadi Shanaah
- Professor Paul Thomas
- Professor Matthew Williams
- Dr Leor Zmigrod
This news story was updated on 9 November 2020 to remove a link to the terms of reference for the Academic-Practitioner Counter Extremism Network as this was published in error.