Thomas Renard

Biography

Dr. Thomas Renard joined the Egmont Institute in 2009 and was a Senior Research Fellow until 2021, when he became Director of the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) in The Hague. He remains closely involved with Egmont as a Senior Associate Fellow.

His research focuses on (counter-)terrorism and (counter-)radicalisation in Europe. His recent research has focused on the evolution of counter-terrorism policy in liberal democracies, on anti-government extremism, on (returning) foreign fighters, on radicalization in prison and on terrorist recidivism. His latest monograph is The Evolution of Counter-Terrorism since 9/11 (Routledge, September 2021). He also co-edited two books in 2024 (ICCT Press): Russia and the Far-Right: Insights from Ten European Countries, and Female Jihadis Facing Justice: Comparing Approaches in Europe. His research has been published in many journals and think tanks, including: International Affairs, Perspectives on Terrorism, CTC Sentinel, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, ICCT or RUSI. He presented his research findings in many policy venues, including the UN Security Council, UN CTED, the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), the European Commission and the European Parliament, among others, and his recommendations regularly inform global policy discussions. He also contributes regularly to media worldwide (New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, BBC, Le Monde, etc.).

In 2024, Dr. Renard was appointed by the European Commission as member of the Research Committee of the EU Knowledge Hub on the Prevention of Radicalisation, and by Europol as a steering committee member of the European Counter-Terrorism Centre (ECTC) Advisory Network on terrorism and propaganda. He is also a Senior Associate Fellow at the UNESCO-PREV Chair at the University of Sherbrooke. ?Furthermore, he is the Chair of the Steering Board of Perspectives on Terrorism, a leading academic peer-reviewed journal, and he sits in various scientific committees or advisory boards. He is also a member of the International Gender Champions (ICG), committed to ensure gender equity in his work and organisation.

Dr. Renard obtained his PhD from Ghent University in 2021. His dissertation was awarded the ‘Best Doctoral Dissertation on Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism’ by the Terrorism Research Initiative (TRI). He also holds a MA in International Affairs from the George Washington University (GWU) and a MA in Journalism from the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL). He was also Adjunct Professor at the Brussels School of Governance, at the Free University Brussels (2015-21).

All his publications are available at: www.thomasrenard.eu

Publications

• Le syndrome de Copenhague External publications (24-06-2010)
• NSS Review: Europe given short shrift Commentaries (3-06-2010)
• EU strategic partnerships: evolution of a concept, from Amsterdam to Lisbon External publications (7-05-2010)
• The European Union as a security actor: cooperative multilateralism External publications (30-04-2010)
• Time to end the ‘Copenhagen Syndrome’ Commentaries (21-03-2010)
• Du G2 au G20 Commentaries (10-03-2010)
• From the new G20 to a new multilateral order Commentaries (12-01-2010)
• A need for strategy in a multipolar world: recommendations to the EU after Lisbon Security Policy Briefs (7-01-2010)
• Un climat de terreur : impacts potentiels du changement climatique sur le terrorisme External publications (8-11-2009)
• Défense Européenne, la grande illusion [European Defence, the great illusion] External publications (8-11-2009)
• Afghanistan : une guerre stratégique pour l’Europe, un conflit existentiel pour l’OTAN. External publications (8-11-2009)
• A BRIC in the world: emerging powers, Europe, and the coming order Egmont papers (25-10-2009)
• Strategisch partnerschap tussen de EU en de BRICs: waar is de strategie? External publications (8-10-2009)
• The EU’s strategic partnerships with the BRIC: where’s the strategy External publications (23-09-2009)
• Afghanistan: Strategic war for Europeans, existential conflict for NATO Commentaries (8-09-2009)
• EU’s strategic partnerships lack content Commentaries (27-08-2009)
• Oui, l’Afghanistan est important ! Commentaries (26-06-2009)
• Afghanistan belangrijker dan het lijkt Commentaries (24-06-2009)
• Europol report describes Afghanistan-Pakistan connection to trends in European terrorism External publications (8-05-2009)
• Une stratégie de bon sens. Engager l’organisation de coopération de Shanghai dans la lutte contre le narcotrafic External publications (8-05-2009)