Lee Rowland

From Powerbase
Jump to: navigation, search

Dr Lee Rowland is the Director and Senior Academic Fellow [1] of the Behavioural Dynamics Institute, which claims to be "an academic institute that specialises in understanding influence and persuasion in order to change audiences’ attitudes and behaviour" [2] and is linked to Strategic Communication Laboratories and SCL Elections. He has an academic background in Psychology, with a PhD and MSc from University College London (UCL). He has done post-doctoral work at Southampton University and taught at UCL, the Open University, Birkbeck College and the University of Oxford (where he co-directed the MSc in Psychological Research in the Department of Experimental Psychology) [3].

On his blog he writes that he is "an expert practitioner in strategic communication and behavioural change analysis" and that in 2009 "he delivered the first ever course of its kind to the public affairs branch of one of the world's most advanced military organisations" [4], although he does not reveal the nature or country of delivery of the course. The blog mentions a partnership with his brother, Steven Rowland (a freelance journalist), and claims that they "have worked with the military and governments across four continents" [5]. This seems to refer to experience with the Behavioural Dynamics Institute and Strategic Communication Laboratories group, further revealed by Steven Rowland in references in an interview - "earlier [in 2009] I spent some time in the Carribean writing speeches for politicians" [6] - and in his blog, where he confirms being a "political speech writer in St Kitts" [7] and alludes to writing for the Singaporean Ministry of Defence [8]. SCL Elections (a Behavioural Dynamics Institute affiliate) claim they managed "successfully managed the entire election campaign" for the January 2010 elections in St Kitts and Nevis [9] and there are a number of links between the BDi/SCL group and Singapore.

Lee Rowland has also been involved in recruitment for Behavioural Dynamics Institute, posting an advertisement on the Social Psychology Network e-mail list for a "Social Scientist/Psychologist for research/lecturing post in London with travel". He states that "the ideal candidate would be a highly competent lecturer/seminar teacher, [who has] published research that employs qualitative analysis or questionnaire data" whos work would involve "an all-expenses-paid teaching trip to Singapore for the first two weeks". He also mentions that BDi has upcoming projects in the USA, Lithuania, and the Caribbean. [10].

Understanding Islamist Radicalisation conference 2011

In 2011 Rowland was a speaker at Cranfield University's 'Understanding Islamist Radicalisation and Violence in the 21st Century. A Decade after 9/11: Lessons Learned and New Challenges for the Coming Decade', 19-20 October 2011. The symposium was jointly organised with the UK Defence Academy and the George C Marshall Center at the campus in Shrivenham.[11]

The chairs over the three-day-event were: Professor Nick Pratt of the George C Marshall Center, Professor Patrick Sookhdeo, Visiting Professor, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom and Dr Sebastian Gorka of the College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University.[12]

Speakers included: Brian Jenkins of the RAND Corporation (Keynote Speaker), Dr Tawfik Hamid, Senior Fellow, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, Douglas Murray of the Centre for Social Cohesion, Lord Carlile of Berriew QC and Lee Rowland, Strategic Communication Laboratories.[11]

Affiliations

Notes

  1. "People", BDi website, accessed April 23 2010
  2. "What is BDi", BDi Website, accessed April 19 2010
  3. "People", BDi Website, accessed April 19 2010
  4. "About Rowlandius", Rowloandius: Strategic communication and Behavioural Group Analysis, accessed April 19 2010
  5. "Rowlandius, February 15, 2010", Rowloandius: Strategic communication and Behavioural Group Analysis, accessed April 19 2010
  6. "Freelance Journalist Focus: Steven Rowland", DWpub JournAlert, accessed April 19 2010
  7. "A Complex Plan", Pitching the World, Accessed April 19 2010
  8. "Pitching The World: About", Pitching the World, accessed April 19 2010
  9. "SCL Elections: St Kitts and Nevis", SCL Elections Website, accessed April 19 2010
  10. "Job Posting: Researcher/Lecturer in London", Listserv Message Centre, accessed April 19 2010
  11. 11.0 11.1 University of Cranfield Events, Understanding Islamist Radicalisation and Violence in the 21st Century, 19-21 October 2010, Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 20 July 2010 on 13 June 2016.
  12. Understanding Islamist Radicalisation and Violence in the 21st Century Brochure, Scribdaccessed 8 February 2011.