Willemijn Born

Willemijn Born is a Lecturer and PhD Candidate at the Criminal Law and Criminology Department of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's Faculty of Law. She is affiliated with A-LAB and Empirical and Normative Studies. Her research focuses on nonviolent resistance in post-Soviet regimes, with particular attention to repression dynamics and authoritarian governance. Born holds a BA in Criminology from the University at Buffalo and a cum laude Master's in International Crimes, Conflict and Criminology from VU Amsterdam.

Her teaching portfolio includes courses such as 'Political Violence and the Human Condition' and 'Criminology,' emphasizing practical skills like qualitative research methods. She has worked with Amnesty International as an independent protest observer and previously served at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her research spans case studies in Central Asia, Russia, and Belarus, analyzing state responses to dissent through frameworks like multilevel repression and resistance strategies.

Key contributions include examining Turkmenistan's isolation tactics against nonviolent movements and Kirgizstan's revolutionary trajectories. Media engagements include expert commentary on protest dynamics and de-escalation strategies for NPO Radio 1 and other platforms. Her work bridges criminological theory with real-world political conflict analysis.