Martin Kahl

Martin Kahl serves as Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH) affiliated with the University of Hamburg's Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences. He coordinates the BMBF-funded project network "Configurations of Social and Political Practices in Dealing with Radical Islam" (KURI) and holds a teaching license as private lecturer in political science.

His academic background includes:

• Studies in political science, sociology, and philosophy at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster
• Doctorate research on US nuclear strategy and arms control
• 2018 habilitation at University of Hamburg with thesis on preventive counter-terrorism

Kahl's research examines terrorism/counter-terrorism, radicalization, and internal security dynamics with specific focus on conditions generating politically motivated violence and societal responses across Europe and the USA. His current work critically analyzes state surveillance practices, advance criminalization mechanisms, and develops freedom-preserving alternatives to conventional security policies. This research trajectory spans multiple funded projects examining how security authorities balance civil liberties with threat mitigation.

His publication record from 2012-2018 reveals concentrated scholarship in security governance, counter-terrorism frameworks, and surveillance legitimacy. Key thematic threads include the impact of drone warfare on radicalization, normative challenges in security policy justification, and post-Snowden debates about intelligence oversight. His work consistently bridges theoretical security studies with practical policy implications, particularly regarding civil liberties preservation in counter-terrorism contexts.

Dr. Kahl leads research initiatives funded by the European Union, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and German Research Foundation (DFG). While specific student supervision isn't documented, his private lecturer role involves political science instruction at Hamburg University. Current projects like KURI demonstrate his applied focus on radical Islam counter-strategies through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Based at IFSH in Hamburg, he contributes to the institute's security policy research ecosystem through project coordination and scholarly output. His work environment fosters collaboration between academic researchers and security practitioners, particularly within the KURI network examining radical Islam responses across institutional contexts.