Whether it is animal rights terrorists attacking property or far-right and Islamist groups using aliases and front-groups to recruit students to their cause, there is little doubt that universities, schools and colleges have a part to play in combating extremism.
So say the organisers of a conference, titled ‘education and extremism’.
There has been some opposition from universities over the extent of extremism, and whether universities should involve themselves in tackling it.
A workshop by the Royal United Services Institute seeks to examine the extent, examples and causes of education-related extremism, with speakers from the UK and abroad. The workshop – by the Homeland Security and Resilience arm of RUSI – will provide a forum, organisers say, for those concerned with ensuring that university campuses and other centres of education are not being taken advantage of, or being victimised by, extremist groups.
Educational centres offer a viable location for the prevention of terrorism; they are an easily identifiable place where disaffected young people can be engaged and shown there are other ways to air their grievances without resorting to violence, RUSI adds.
Speakers invited include:
Prof Anthony Glees: Brunel Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies – author of the recent report: "When students turn to terror"
Dr Simon Festing: Director of the Research Defence Society; and
Mike Whine: Communications Director of the Community Security Trust.
