About
Matthew Francis is a Professor of Practice (Security and Resilience) affiliated with the Research Centre for Peace and Security. He holds expertise in religious literacy, radicalization dynamics, and security studies. Previously, he served as Executive Director (2019–2023) and Communications Director (2015–2019) at the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats (CREST). His education includes a Doctorate in Sociology of Religion from the University of Leeds (2007–2011), an MA in Sociology of Religion (2003–2004), and a degree in Philosophy and Theology (2000–2003).
His research focuses on religious minorities' responses to uncertainty, the role of 'sacred' concepts in terrorism analysis, and religious literacy frameworks in educational and policy contexts. He co-edited Minority Religions and Uncertainty (2020) and contributed to influential works like Terrorism and Political Violence. Current projects include the IMITATE3 initiative (2024–2027) addressing adversarial information threats and the 'Protecting Councillors' study (2023–2025).
