Simon Cottee

Dr. Simon Cottee is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Kent's School of Social Sciences. He previously held roles at Bangor University and the University of the West Indies in Trinidad. Educated at Cambridge University, LSE, and Keele University (PhD in Criminology), his research focuses on apostasy, political violence, terrorism, and the sociology of religion. He led an ESRC-funded study on ex-Muslims in Britain and Canada and authored books like Black Flags of the Caribbean and The Apostates. His work examines phenomena such as ISIS recruitment in Trinidad and radicalization dynamics. Cottee teaches modules on war, terrorism, and criminological theory and currently supervises PhD students from Saudi Arabia studying counter-terrorism strategies.

• Education: PhD in Criminology (Keele University), MSc/LSE, BA/Cambridge
• Professional Affiliations: Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Association for the Sociology of Religion, Editorial Board of Studies in Conflict & Terrorism
• Recent Work: Over 98 publications, including studies on ISIS propaganda, incel motivations, and the sociology of apostasy.

His research often bridges criminology with socio-political issues, emphasizing the intersection of religion, violence, and extremism. Cottee’s global perspective is reflected in projects analyzing Caribbean ISIS recruitment and counter-terrorism strategies in Saudi Arabia.