Events & Webinars
AVERT regularly hosts events and webinars featuring the latest research on violent extremism, terrorism, radicalisation, and countering violent extremism.
Upcoming Events
Thursday 11 June 2026, 16:30–17:30 AEST
7:30–8:30 AM Dublin Time
Dr John Morrison
Associate Professor of Criminology, Maynooth University; Co-Editor in Chief, Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression
The Filtering Role of Trust in the Process of Disengagement
In this webinar, Dr John Morrison will focus on the role which trust plays within the process of disengagement from violent extremism. Dr Morrison will utilise the Phoenix model of disengagement and deradicalisation as a basis for his presentation. This model includes the theme of (dis)trust as a filter variable. Dr Morrison will critically discuss the implication of this and how it can be integrated within appropriate CVE approaches, including consideration of the need to understand cross-cultural differences in the development and maintenance of trust, and how this may impact our approaches and understanding of disengagement processes.
About the Speakers
Dr John Morrison
Dr John Morrison is an Associate Professor of Criminology at Maynooth University, Ireland. He is co-Editor in Chief of the journal Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression. With a multi-disciplinary background, John's research interests include organisational fragmentation, individual disengagement, and the role of trust in the psychology of terrorism.
Wednesday 24 June 2026, 10:30–11:30 AM AEST
Tuesday 23 June 2026, 8:30–9:30 PM EDT
J.M. Berger
Senior Research Fellow, Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism (CTEC), Middlebury Institute of International Studies
From the Fringe to the Centre: The Differing Radicalisation Strategies of Extremist In-Groups When They Are Weak Versus When They Are Strong
Much contemporary scholarship on radicalisation focuses on strategies pursued by weak groups like al-Qaeda or the Aryan Nations. But extremists sometimes succeed in seizing the reins of political power. This talk will examine key differences and similarities in radicalisation strategies for strong and weak movements, and how this comparison can inform efforts to hinder or even prevent extremists from achieving success.
About the Speakers
J.M. Berger
J.M. Berger is an internationally recognised and widely cited expert on extremism. He is the author of Extremism (MIT Press, 2018), now available in six languages. He holds a PhD in criminology from Swansea University School of Law. His research encompasses extremist and terrorist ideologies and propaganda, including methods for analysing extremist narratives and language, as well as extremists' use of social media and emerging technologies. As a Senior Research Fellow at CTEC, he has focused on lawful extremism — analysing how extremists bend law and governance to their aims.
Thursday 6 August 2026, 15:00–16:00 AEST
7:00–8:00 AM CEST
Daniel Koehler
Head of Research, Terrorism Analysis and Research Unit, Joint Counterterrorism Center at the State Bureau of Investigation; Co-Director, Competence Center Against Extremism
Teenage Terrorism in Germany: Findings from the First National Study of Terrorgram Police Files
This webinar examines the criminal investigation files on Germany's Terrorgram milieu — the online ecosystem driving militant accelerationism and siege culture. The session presents findings from a landmark new study exploring Terrorgram membership and what draws people into the network. Beyond ideology, the study examines the socio-biographic pathways and mental health dimensions that shape radicalisation in this space — findings with direct implications for practitioners and policymakers. The session closes by situating these insights within the broader P/CVE landscape, highlighting what works, what gaps remain, and what this milieu demands of our prevention strategies going forward.
About the Speakers
Daniel Koehler
Daniel Koehler holds a PhD in political science and studied comparative religion, political science and economics at Princeton University and Free University Berlin. His work focuses on terrorism (far-right, jihadist and left-wing), radicalisation, and deradicalisation processes and programs. He is co-founder of the first peer-reviewed open-access journal on deradicalisation (journal-derad.com). He has served as a court expert on deradicalisation in the United States and as a Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Currently, Daniel is Head of Research at the Terrorism Analysis and Research Unit within the Joint Counterterrorism Center at the State Bureau of Investigation, and co-Director at the Competence Center Against Extremism in Baden-Württemberg.