US Counter terrorism expert to deliver KPS Gill Memorial Lecture

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Punjab Police is organising the 2nd KPS Gill Memorial Lecture, to be delivered by leading US expert on Internal Security and Counter Terrorism, on Wednesday at the Indian School of Business, Mohali.

Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, Punjab will preside over the programme and deliver the keynote address, a statement quoting DGP Dinkar Gupta, said.

Dr. Peter Chalk, working with Rand Corporation, USA, will speak on “Digitized Hate: Online Radicalism, Violent Extremism and Terrorism”, according to Gupta.

The talk will try to address contemporary issues and questions such as: how Internet and online social media platforms impact the processes of extremist radicalization; how virtual platforms have been used by terrorists and violent extremists, and what remedial measure can the governments, the private sector and civil society bring to bear to best counter this growing threat.

A Senior Analyst and a renowned authority on transnational security threats, with a particular emphasis on insurgency, terrorism, violent extremism and illicit trafficking of people, drugs and weapons, Dr Chalk has addressed these issues on a global basis, though most of his research and study has been centered on South Asia. Dr. Chalk is closely associated with capacity building for the Institute for Security Governance (ISG) in Monterey, California.

He earned his doctorate from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver Canada, writing his thesis on the evolving dynamic of terrorism and counter-terrorism. He served as a senior Professor of International Relations at the University of Queensland, Brisbane Australia, where he also taught for four years.

The importance of internet and associated social media platforms on the processes of radicalisation and the consequent spread of terrorism cannot be over-emphasised, said Dinkar Gupta. Police Forces should study these dynamic social processes, which are impacting policing and its response to terrorism.

The DGP said that Punjab Police was committed to holding of the annual KPS Gill Memorial Lecture to honour the late KPS Gill, who led the State Police bravely to its comprehensive victory over state-sponsored terrorism.

Daily Pioneer
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