Haval Ahmad

Research interests include radicalization, de-radicalization, violent extremism, child soldiering, MENA, and policy analysis.

Peer-reviewed paper publications: 

Research Note on Immigrant Youth Radicalization and Terrorism: Pre and post-migration Considerations

Ahmad, H., & Masinda, M. T. (2018). Research Note on Immigrant Youth Radicalization and Terrorism: Pre and post-migration Considerations. Journal for Deradicalization, Winter(17).

Youth Deradicalization: A Canadian Framework 

Ahmad, H. (2017). Youth De-Radicalization: A Canadian Framework. Journal for Deradicalization, Vol Fall, Iss 12, Pp 119-168 (2017), (12), 119. 

Haval Ahmad is a PhD candidate in the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University in Aberystwyth, Wales. His current research aims to create a framework for youth deradicalization in the post-ISIS era. Through a mixed-methods approach, Haval is investigating the factors contributing to successful deradicalization from extremist groups and limiting the expansion of radical extremist ideology.

Haval is also a research affiliate with the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security, and Society (TSAS). In his latest research project, Haval used qualitative methods to research youth deradicalization in Canada. More recently, Haval co-authored a theoretical paper on pre-and post-migration experiences of youth radicalization. Both papers were published in 2017 and 2018 in the Journal of Deradicalization. 

Current work includes a completed co-authored paper, which provides a comparative analysis of deradicalization approaches between European states in the context of human security.

Haval presented his research at numerous international conferences including Resilience Research Centre in Cape Town, South Africa, Athens Institute for Education and Research in Athens, Greece, Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) in Washington, DC, USA. Haval was also set to present in the International Studies Association (ISA 2020), and the International Political Science Association Congress (IPSA 2020) before they were cancelled or moved to 2021 due to COVID-19.

Haval holds a diploma in Child and Youth Care Counselling from Douglas College, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Justice Studies and a Master of Arts Degree in Human Security and Peacebuilding, both of which were completed through Royal Roads University in Victoria, Canada. In addition, Haval also has extensive training in youth and child crisis intervention and applies this knowledge to research conducted.

Haval frequently appeared on CBC and other Canadian news outlets to provide analysis and commentary on the refugee crisis and the role of Canadian schools in integrating refugee students.

Professional Membership

International Studies Association (ISA)- Member

International Political Science Association (IPSA)- Member

Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA)- Member

Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA)- Member

Conference paper presentations:

• The de facto Autonomous Governance and Stability in the Middle East: The Case of Kurds in Rojava: Association for the Study of the Middle Ease and Africa (ASMEA) 13th Annual Conference. Washington, DC. USA 2020.
• Deradicalization in European States: Implications for Human Security: 17th Annual International Conference on Politics and International Studies. Athens, Greece. June 2019.
• Youth Deradicalization: Best Practices: Pathways to Resilience Conference IV in June 2017, Cape Town, South Africa. 

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4099-1382