About Jennifer

Dr Jennifer B Robinson was awarded her PhD from the Australian National University in December 2024. Her Doctoral Thesis, entitled “A Network of National Socialists? The Physical Manifestation of Extreme Right Ideology in the trans-Tasman, 2000-2022” utilised both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to examine the backgrounds, prevalence, tactics, use of violence, and group dynamics of the extreme right in both Australia and New Zealand, in the examined timeframe. She has three papers in production based on this Thesis. Jennifer also holds a Master of International Security from the University of Sydney, 2015, and a Master of Arts (Honours) Modern History, from the University of St Andrews, 1997.

Whilst at the University of Sydney, she worked as a Research Assistant for the Australian Research Council funded project “Maritime Piracy Business Networks and Institutions in Africa”, led by Professor Sarah G. Phillips, which sought to uncover the organisational dynamics of Somali maritime piracy groups. Jennifer also developed the dataset for the “Typology of Terror” interactive on Australian Jihadists for The Lowy Institute, Sydney, in 2019 and assisted Dr Rodger Shanahan with the accompanying paper “The Typology of Terror: the backgrounds of Australian Jihadis”. Jennifer has published short articles in both The Interpreter and War on the Rocks, based on this research.

In her life before research, Jennifer served as a Commissioned Officer in the U.K.’s Royal Air Force, serving in the U.K., Europe and the Middle East. She was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service, in the Operational Honours List of 2003, for “performing in the finest traditions of the Service…showing outstanding leadership, determination and courage”.