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Yannick Veilleux-Lepage

PhD Candidate, Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, University of St Andrews

Yannick Veilleux-Lepage is a PhD Candidate, at the University of St Andrews. His doctoral thesis provides a framework to facilitate the study of the emergence of techniques of political violence associated with terrorism by means of an evolutionary theory, in order to redress gaps in the current literature and provide a contextually appropriate view of the historical treatment of terrorism. It is postulated that, employed as a useful metaphor, evolutionary theory can allow for the derivation of useful causal explanations as to how and why new techniques of political violence emerge or are innovated upon, spread across various times and places, endure, and sometimes disappear altogether.

Yannick is also undertaking research on the creation of narratives and climates which foster terrorism, with a particular focus on the Islamic State’s use of social media. Yannick holds a Masters of Arts in International Affairs (Conflict Analysis) from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) and a Bachelor of Arts in Directed Interdisciplinary Studies (Security Studies) from Carleton University, Canada. Yannick is also an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Junior Research Affiliate of the Canadian Network for Research of Terrorism, Security and Society.

Experience

  • –present
    PhD Candidate, Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, University of St Andrews