Academic biography

Dr James Fitzgerald is Associate Professor of Security Studies at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University, Ireland (2012-present) and Founding Director of the Erasmus Mundus International Master in Intelligence and Strategic Studies (IMSISS; 2016-present). He is Visiting Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil's highest ranking University) is also Affiliate Professor at the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland.

Previously co-convenor of the BISA Critical Studies on Terrorism Working Group (2013-2017), he specialises in applying political theory to dynamics of (violent) extremism and his most recent work examines the interface of disinformation and violent extremism. He is variously published in top-ranking journals, including Critical Studies on Terrorism, The International Journal of Press/Politics and First Monday, and in 2023, he co-edited a Special Issue on “The International Politics of Content Takedowns” for Policy & Internet. His current research (and teaching) focuses on the interrelationship between content moderation and extremism; conspiracy-led violent extremism, and conspiracy and disinformation in Brazilian and international politics.

In addition to his current posts, he has accepted visiting scholarships at prestigious institutions—including Columbia University and Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)—and sits on the Editorial Board of Critical Studies on Terrorism. Dr. Fitzgerald has also presented his research at prestigious venues, including at the United Nations, the G20 (Brazil) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

An award-winning lecturer, Dr. Fitzgerald has a strong track record of attracting international research and mobility funding, standing at €10.85 million to date (as Principal Investigator and co-PI). He is also a leading member of a number of research institutes/networks, including the VOX-Pol Network of Excellence for the Study of Violent Online Political Extremism, the Jean Monet Network of Excellence for EU Counterterrorism (EUCTER) and the NetLab Internet and Social Media Studies Laboratory at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.