Rate My Professor Lise Waldek

Lise Waldek is a Senior Lecturer at the School of International Studies in the Faculty of Arts at Macquarie University, specialising in terrorism and violent extremism. An experienced researcher with a proven track record delivering social-behavioural solutions on security challenges, she holds a Master’s degree in International Relations (Merit) from the Brussels School of International Studies, University of Kent (2003), and a BSc in Anthropology (2:1) from University College London (2000). Prior to her academic appointment, Waldek worked in defence for the UK Ministry of Defence and in government and industry sectors. Her research adopts an applied multi-disciplinary approach, focusing on violent extremism, identity formation and processes of radicalisation, and the relationships between offline and online violence. She has particular interests in terrorist diversion and the ethics of digital terrorism research.

Waldek has led funded research projects for Australian government agencies at state and federal levels, industry partners, and the United States Institute for Peace, among others. Notable projects include designing the COMPACT countering violent extremism program in collaboration with Multicultural NSW (2015), independently evaluated as a first-of-its-kind success in strengthening societal resilience; the Australian Research Council Discovery Grant-funded 'Online Violent Extremist Youth Audiences in Australia' ($286,400); 'After Christchurch: Mapping the Networks and Narratives of Online Right-Wing Extremism' (NSW Department of Communities and Justice, $198,195); 'Right-Wing Extremism and COVID-19 in Australia' (NSW Department of Communities and Justice, $149,173); and the 'Mass Influence Organisations Project' (Department of Defence Australia, $1,329,518). Key publications include the book Feeling Terrified? The Emotions of Online Violent Extremism (Cambridge University Press, 2021, co-authored with Julian Droogan and Catharine Lumby); 'Ethical conundrums: Hacked data in the study of far-right violent extremism' (New Media & Society, 2025); and 'Boko Haram: The evolution of Islamist extremism in Nigeria' (2011). She convenes Master’s level units on counter-terrorism policies and strategies, processes of radicalisation to extremism and violent extremism, and political violence. Waldek sits on Macquarie University’s Human Research Ethics Committee, serves as an editorial board member for the Journal of Policing, Intelligence, Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism, and is a member of the leadership team for the Vox-Pol Network of Excellence. She is listed as a specialist consultant for Countering Violent Extremism with the Commonwealth Secretariat.