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Coventry University experts appointed as Lead Coordinators for national network tackling emerging threats
Coventry University will play a central role in helping participants share knowledge, access academic expertise and develop and share good practice.
Research news
Tuesday 30 September 2025
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Research experts from Coventry University are helping the UK prepare to tackle the “very real challenges” of extremism and violence within communities.
Dr Imogen Bayfield and Professor Joel Busher, from the university’s Centre for Peace and Security, have been appointed as new Lead Coordinators for the Local Government Association’s Special Interest Group on Countering Emerging Threats (SIGCE). They will work to connect experts and council leaders to share good practice and strengthen local responses to extremism-related and extremism-adjacent challenges.
The SIGCE plays a key role in supporting local responses to extremism-related challenges across the country, identifying and sharing good practice, and enhancing policy and practitioner access to leading research insight.
This is an exciting opportunity but also a significant responsibility. At a time when divisions within communities can sometimes escalate into violence and create opportunities for extremist narratives, we are playing a key role in supporting local responses. By connecting frontline practitioners with cutting-edge research and facilitating peer-to-peer learning, we can help councils respond more effectively to the very real challenges they face.
Joel Busher, Professor of Political Sociology at Coventry University
The network brings together hundreds of council officers and elected members from across the UK who are working in areas such as community safety, community cohesion, counter-extremism, the prevention of terrorism and targeted violence, and protecting vulnerable individuals and groups. Coventry University will play a central role in helping participants share knowledge, access academic expertise and develop and share good practice.
Recent examples of the group’s work include linking local authorities concerned about threats to elected officials with researchers specialising in protecting public officials and facilitating information-sharing between councils experiencing protest-related tensions. The network also invites international contributors, such as experts from Public Safety Canada, to provide insights on issues like violence fixation.
This role not only strengthens our existing work in peace and security but also creates new opportunities for impact across the university. Colleagues from different disciplines will be able to contribute their expertise, ensuring local authorities have access to the very best knowledge when they need it most.
Dr Imogen Bayfield
Find out more about Coventry University’s Centre for Peace and Security.
