University’s tribute to renowned expert

Renowned terrorism expert Professor Paul Wilkinson CBE will be remembered at a special event at the University of St Andrews today (Thursday 16 April 2015).

Former colleagues, students and friends will attend a memorial lecture to be given by leading expert in Islamic violence, Dr Thomas Hegghammer. The event – to be held at 5pm in School III – is the third to be held in Professor Wilkinson’s memory since he passed away in 2011.

Professor Wilkinson was a world authority in International Relations and a pioneer of the study of terrorism and political violence. His first book on terrorism, Political Terrorism, was published in 1974, and in 1989 he came to the University of St Andrews to take up the first chair in International Relations.

Alongside Bruce Hoffman, he was co-founder of the University’s Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV) in 1994. The Centre has since become one of the most respected and well known in its field.

Dr Thomas Hegghammer is the Director of terrorism research at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) in Oslo and author and co-author of several books, including Jihad in Saudi Arabia (Cambridge 2010) and al-Qaida in its own words (Harvard 2008).

His lecture, ‘Why Terrorists Weep: Socio-Cultural Practices in the Militant Underground‘, follows those given by Bruce Hoffman (2013) and Ariel Merari (2014) in Professor Wilkinson’s memory.

‘Why Terrorists Weep: Socio-Cultural Practices in the Militant Underground’ by Dr Thomas Hegghammer (Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI)) takes place today (Thursday 15 April 2015) at 5pm at School III, St Salvator’s Quadrangle, North Street, St Andrews.  All welcome.

Issued by the Press Office, University of St Andrews
Contact Gayle Cook, Senior Communications Manager on 01334 467227 or email [email protected]
Ref: Paul Wilkinson memorial lecture 160415