Tahir Abbas

Tahir Abbas is Professor of Criminology and Global Justice at Aston University. He was formerly Professor of Radicalisation Studies at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs at Leiden University (2018-2024). His research is situated at the intersection of political sociology, criminology, and critical terrorism studies, with a particular focus on the dynamics of radicalisation, Islamophobia, and social exclusion. He holds a PhD in Ethnic Relations from the University of Warwick, an MSocSc from the University of Birmingham, and a BSc(Econ) from Queen Mary University of London. Before his academic career, he served as a Senior Research Officer for the UK Home Office and Ministry of Justice. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and the Royal Society of Arts.

Professor Abbas has led several large-scale, European Commission-funded research projects, including serving as the Scientific Coordinator for the H2020 Drive project, which investigated the causes of extremism in north-western Europe, and as Principal Investigator for the Protone project, focused on protecting places of worship.

His recent publications include the co-edited volumes Ethnicity, Religion, and Muslim Education in a Changing World (Routledge, co-edited, 2024), Global Counter-Terrorism: A Decolonial Approach (Manchester University Press, co-edited, 2025), and Capitalism, State Power, and the Production of Extremism (SpringerNature, 2025). He has also (co)authored and (co)edited numerous monographs, books, volumes, and special editions, as well as published over a hundred peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and encyclopaedic entries, contributing significantly to contemporary debates on security, integration, and political violence.