Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Joana Cook holds a PhD from the Department of War Studies, which examined women in relation to post-9/11 U.S. counterterrorism responses in Yemen and the wider MENA region. Her research more broadly focuses on women in violent extremism, countering violent extremism, and counter-terrorism practices in Yemen and the wider MENA region.
Joana is also a Research Affiliate with the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society (TSAS); and a Teaching Fellow in the department where she leads the MA Homegrown Radicalisation course. She has previously worked with Public Safety Canada’s Research Affiliate Program (Kanishka); as Editor-in-Chief of Strife based out of the Department; and as a journalist in Canada and southern Africa.
She has presented her research to senior government and security audiences in a number of countries, and at institutions such as Cambridge, Oxford, the London School of Economics, and IISS (amongst others). She has also been featured in media such as Time, the Telegraph, the Huffington Post, the Washington Post and on BBC World News, Sky News, BBC Radio, the National Post and CBC.
She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Regina, and a MA in Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London. In 2016 she was a recipient of the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund (CCSF).
Selection of major publications and presentations:
- Cook, Joana. ‘We’re just at the beginning of this process’: Women and counterterrorism since 9/11. Single-authored monograph. Hurst Publishers-Oxford University Press. Expected 2019.
- Cook, Joana. “Women, Peace and Security.” Book chapter in The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Global Security. Edited by Scott Romaniuk, et al. Palgrave MacMillan. Expected 2018.
- Cook, Joana. “Gender and Terrorism.” Book chapter in The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Global Security. Edited by Scott Romaniuk, et al. Palgrave MacMillan. Expected 2018.
- Cook, Joana. “Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)” Book chapter in The Palgrave Handbook of Homeland Security. Edited by Scott Romaniuk, et al. Palgrave MacMillan. Expected 2018.
- Cook, Joana. “Human Security: A contribution to countering violent extremism.” Book chapter in Women and Human Security. (currently under review). Forthcoming 2018.
- Cook, Joana. “Avoiding the Pitfalls of Prevent. Bridging Theory and Practice: Countering Violent Extremism.” Georgetown Institute for Women Peace and Security (GIWPS), Georgetown University. Occasional paper series. December 2017. Available here.
- Cook, Joana. “Shifting Priorities: How International Terrorism and the ‘War on Terror’ Reconstitute Security Agendas – Women, Counterterrorism and the Case of Yemen.” Book Chapter in The Palgrave Handbook of Global Counterterrorism Policy, edited by Scott Romaniuk, et al. Palgrave MacMillan. June 2017.
- Cook, Joana. “Analyzing the formal and informal roles of women in security and justice in Yemen: Reflections for future considerations.” Canadian Network for the Study of Terrorism, Security and Society, Working paper series. No. 16-08. May 2016. Available here.
- Cook, Joana. “Our main concern is security.” Women’s political participation, engagement in the security sector, and public safety in Yemen.” Book Chapter in Rebuilding Yemen: Political, economic and social challenges edited by Dr. Noel Brehony and Dr. Saud al Sarhan. Gurlach Press (Germany). September 2015.
- Cook, Joana. “Recruiters, mediators, allies, fighters? A critical examination of the roles of women in both countering and perpetrating violent extremism in Canada and the UK.” Internal report for Public Safety Canada, Government of Canada. 96 pg. March 2015.
- Cook, Joana. “Women’s role in Yemen’s Police Force.” Background information prepared for Saferworld Gender, Peace and Security workshop series. December 2014. Available here.