We live in an age marked all too often by terrorist attacks, under more anti-terrorism laws than at any other time in history.

September 11 marked a turning point in the world and in the perception of terrorism. More than 20 years after these terrorist attacks, the fight against this scourge remains a global priority, with increasing and more complex challenges.

The terrorist threat today is fundamentally different from the one the world faced in 2001. Terrorism is increasingly transnational, geographically dispersed and ideologically diverse, with new sources of financing and a previously different process of mobilization and recruitment. It poses new threats and obstacles, using innovative methods.

From Al-Qaeda or Aqmi to the jihadists of Daesh, via the Taliban or Hamas, their threat in the targeted countries takes the form of deadly attacks targeting both law enforcement and the civilian population.

We are also increasingly faced with government sponsorship of terrorism by non-state actors, terrorism perpetrated by government agents outside a legal framework, and acts “inherent” to state terrorism.

Cyberterrorism appears in this equation as a result of the evolution of terrorism itself. It has unique characteristics and assumes dangerous and challenging contours: highly covert, destructive, easy to implement and difficult to prevent. How to effectively prevent and combat terrorism is a common problem faced by all countries in the world, in societies with increasingly more threats and challenges. Terrorism, in its multiple and varied forms and strategies, remains with the same objective: to spread fear and terror. Content.

This course aims to understand the “new faces” of terrorism, how it moves and in what ways it threatens contemporary societies through an in-depth analysis of the phenomenon of terrorism and the evolution of security in combating it. We will decode and explore the strategies and means to combat terrorism, the phenomenon of radicalization and the main challenges to what many consider to be the main threat of the 21st century.

The course will take place in person, at the facilities of the Autonomous University of Lisbon. Residents or those working in other districts of the country or abroad can attend remotely/online via zoom.

• Promover a análise aprofundada sobre as dinâmicas, problemáticas e outras questões relacionadas com terrorismo transnacional contemporâneo.
• Describe and identify some of the main characteristics of conflicts between States and non-State actors.
• Investigate and discuss responses to terrorism by the international community.
• Analyze and identify political violence and the specific characteristics of terrorist violence.
• Explore the theories underlying radicalization and how these influence government policy.

Students from various levels of higher education, namely in the areas of International Relations, Political Science, History, Sociology, Geography, Economics, Communication Sciences and African Studies; Members of the Armed Forces and Security Forces and Services; Public Administration staff, namely from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Economy; Members of intelligence services, lawyers, members of NGOs, international officials or candidates for these positions; Professionals from the areas of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law; Senior Embassy Officials; Senior staff and technicians from City Councils; Companies focused on internationalisation, consultancy and risk analysis; Journalists.

MODULES

Conceptualization and historical evolution of terrorism
2 horas

Legal framework of terrorism
2 horas

Terrorist organization and methods
4 horas

International Cooperation and Intelligence Services in the fight against terrorism
2 horas

State terrorism
3 hours

Religious terrorism
3 hours

Nationalist Movements
2 horas

Cyberterrorism
2 hours

Radicalization, Counter-Radicalization and De-Radicalization
4 horas

Counter-terrorism strategies
2 horas

Threats and challenges of contemporary terrorism
2 horas

Carlos Mendes Dias
Cátia Moreira de Carvalho
Diogo Noivo
Felipe Pathé Duarte
Joana Araújo Lopes
José Manuel Anes
Marc Marginedas
Patrícia Galvão Teles
Raquel Beleza da Silva