Catherine Charrett

Catherine Charrett is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of International Relations at the University of Westminster, a position held since 2019 following prior roles at Queen Mary University of London. She actively shapes academic discourse as co-convener of the BISA Colonial Postcolonial and Decolonial Working Group and chair of the ISA LGBTQA Caucus.

Her educational foundation includes:

• PhD in International Relations from Aberystwyth University (2010-2014), focusing on EU-Hamas diplomacy
• MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics
• BA in International Relations and Political Science from the University of British Columbia

Charrett's research interrogates sovereignty through anti-colonial and indigenous struggles, particularly Palestinian liberation movements. She investigates how transnational policing technologies sustain colonial power, employing transdisciplinary methods rooted in queer, feminist, and abolitionist traditions. Current work examines spatial resistance—from prisoners' movements to urban design—while her Routledge monograph The EU, Hamas and the 2006 Palestinian Elections established performance theory in diplomatic analysis. Her distinctive approach integrates political drag performances like 'Sipping Toffee with Hamas in Brussels' to materialize theoretical critiques.

Recent publications reveal intensifying focus on security's racialized foundations and queer critiques of capitalism, with 2021-2024 works analyzing 'whiteness in security' and 'homocapitalism.' This trajectory demonstrates consistent innovation at the intersection of performance studies, decolonial theory, and critical security.

Recognition includes:

• Independent Social Research Foundation Early Career Fellowship (2018-2019) for 'Performing Technologies in European, Israeli and Palestinian Security Cooperation'

Charrett supervises five doctoral candidates on transnational resistance topics and maintains active research collaborations through BISA and ISA networks. Her supervision emphasizes methodological pluralism, supporting students developing non-traditional research outputs alongside conventional dissertations. Current projects continue exploring how spatial practices challenge imperial power structures globally.