Lise Waldek is a Senior Lecturer at the School of International Studies specialising in terrorism and violent extremism. An experienced researcher, Lise has a proven track record delivering social-behavioural solutions on security challenges for government, practitioner, industry and academic stakeholders.

Lise’s research focuses on violent extremism, identity formation and processes of radicalisation, and the relationships between offline and online violence. She has a particular interest in terrorist diversion and the ethics of digital terrorism research. Her research adopts an applied multi-disciplinary approach that draws on her own prior professional experiences in government, industry and academia. Lise has led funded research projects for the Australian government at state and federal level, industry partners and the for the United States Institute for Peace, among others. These include projects examining Australian youth experiences of online violence; mapping online far-right violent extremism and conspiratorial thinking; an examination of the popularity of video content in online far-right extremist communities; and assessments of CVE intervention strategies and policies. In 2015, working in collaboration with Multicultural NSW, she helped design the COMPACT countering violent extremism program. Independently and publicly evaluated, this program was noted to be a “first of its kind” in successfully helping strengthen and build societal resilience across NSW. It’s continued funding is a testimony to its long-term success.

Lise convenes Master level units on counter-terrorism policies and strategies, processes of radicalisation to extremism and violent extremism, and political violence. She sits on the University’s Human Research Ethics Committee. She is an editorial board member for the Journal of Policing, Intelligence, Terrorism, Counter Terrorism (JPICT) 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: Commonwealth Secretariat on Countering Violent Extremism.

Funded Research Projects:

• Evidence based online interventions. Moonshot and Department of Home Affairs. $199, 579
• Right-Wing Extremism and COVID-19 in Australia. NSW Department of Communities and Justice. $149,173
• Racially and ethically motivated violent extremism Online Research - Australian Ecosystems. RESOLVE Network US Peace Department. $46,092
• Mass Influence Organisations Project. Department of Defence Australia. $1,329,518
• Macquarie University Themed Research Grant. $2,665
• After Christchurch: Mapping the Networks and Narratives of Online Right-Wing Extremism Online in Australia. NSW Department of Communities and Justice. $198,195
• Vulnerable Youth and Potential Conflicts with the Law. Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP). $41,102
• CAPE CVE Evaluation. All Together Now. $15,688
• Online Violent Extremist Youth Audiences in Australia. Australian Research Council Discovery Grant. $286,400
• Countering Violent Extremism in NSW (COMPACT program). NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet. $100,000
• Countering Violent Extremism Workshop. Mixed academic and government funding. $25,000
• Mapping Violence in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Australian Department of Defence. $18,000

Consultancy:

2021: Icon Agency: Generation Change Hackathon. Department of Home Affairs. $5,000 honorarium.

Bespoke Teaching Programs:

2020: Bangladesh Police Staff College and Ethical Counter Terrorism. Police Staff College, Dhaka. $180,000.

2019: Bangladesh Police Staff College Executive Program in Countering Terrorism. Police Staff College, Dhaka. $50,000

2017: Bangladesh Police and Countering Violent Extremism. Australia Awards. $210,000