Terrorexpertise:Johns Hopkins University

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N.B. This page relates to the Johns Hopkins University’s terrorism related activities, a separate page deals with the Johns Hopkins University in general.


The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Hopkins or JHU, is a private research university located in Baltimore, USA. It is one of several key American universities which produce and host terrorism experts - the other notable centres being Georgetown University and the University of Maryland.

The two major centres of terrorism expertise at Johns Hopkins are the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies.

Terrorism experts affiliated with Johns Hopkins University

A number of influential terrorism experts have taught or studied at SAIS; many of whom are particularly preoccupied with the funding of terrorism.

The right-wing political commentator Rachel Ehrenfeld was once a Fellow at SAIS. Ehrenfeld is the author of Funding Evil; How Terrorism is Financed and How to Stop It, as well two other books on the international funding of terrorism, Evil Money (1992) and Narcoterrorism (1990). [1] Ilan Weinglass who along with Ehrenfeld is involved in Terror Finance Blog also studied at the School, [2] as did Loretta Napoleoni, author of Terror Incorporated and Insurgent Iraq [3] and Devon Gaffney Cross of the Policy Forum.

Matthew Levitt, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Counterterrorism Blog is a professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies at SAIS, [4] and the School’s Middle East Studies programme is overseen by Fouad Ajami, a middle east expert who is also an influential figure in the ‘Terrorism Industry’.

Mary Habeck, author of Knowing the Enemy: Jihadist Ideology and the War on Terror, is an Associate Professor at SAIS, and the journalist turned terrorism expert Peter Bergen is an Adjunct Professor. Bergen’s collaborator Paul Cruickshank worked as a researcher on his book The Osama bin Laden I Know whilst a student at SAIS, [5] and has now also styled himself as an terrorism analyst. Like Matthew Levitt he is a contributor to Counterterrorism Blog.

The University’s Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies has also produced a number of experts focusing on the scientific and medical aspects of counter-terrorism, most notably Donald Henderson and Tara O'Toole.

The Human Language Technology Center of Excellence, which is a joint project with the University of Maryland is also involved in counter-terrorism and security research.

Walter Laqueur, one of the most influential figures in the first generation of terrorism experts, was mostly associated with Georgetown University, but also taught at Johns Hopkins, [6] as did Barry Rubin, also a former Georgetown 'expert'.

See Also

Notes

  1. RightWeb, Rachel Ehrenfeld, (accessed 27 November 2008)
  2. The Terror Finance Blog, Ilan Weinglass, Editor, (accessed 27 November 2008)
  3. Open Democracy, Loretta Napoleoni, (accessed 27 November 2008)
  4. Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Expert Biography: Matthew Levitt, (accessed 27 November 2008)
  5. Center on Law and Security, Paul Cruickshank, (accessed 27 November 2008)
  6. Middle East Strategy at Harvard, Walter Laqueur , (accessed 27 November 2008)