Jacob A. Zenn

Jacob A. Zenn is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program (SSP) and a Fellow/Editor at The Jamestown Foundation, focusing on African armed movements and violent non-state actors. He holds affiliations with Georgetown’s Center for Security Studies (CSS) and has authored influential works on Boko Haram, Central Asian Jihadists, and global terrorism.

Education:

• Global Law Scholar, Georgetown University Law Center
• Johns Hopkins SAIS Nanjing Center
• Studies in Uighur/Persian (Xinjiang University, Samarkand State University) and Bahasa Indonesia (Universitas Negeri Malang) under U.S. State Department scholarships.

Research emphasizes African and Eurasian security issues, including jihadist groups, international law, and counterterrorism. His work spans academic journals (e.g., Studies in Conflict and Terrorism) and think tanks like Jamestown Foundation and West Point Combating Terrorism Center.

Key publications include the 2020 book Unmasking Boko Haram and co-authored analyses on Central Asian foreign fighters in Syria. His 2022 study on Boko Haram’s origins uses Guantanamo detainee records.

No scientific awards explicitly listed, though his contributions are widely recognized in terrorism studies. Advising/Grants: No formal advisees listed, but collaborates on research teams. Affiliated with Georgetown CSS, Jamestown Foundation, and academic networks in Eurasia/Africa.