Max Abrahms

Max Abrahms is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Northeastern University, specializing in international security, with a focus on terrorism, U.S. foreign policy, war, and the international relations of the Middle East. After publishing his seminal article ‘Why Terrorism Does Not Work’ in International Security in 2006, Max Abrahms went on to earn his PhD in Political Science from the University of California-Los Angeles in 2010. He further contributed to academic discourse with ‘What Terrorists Really Want: Terrorist Motives and Counterterrorism Strategy,’ also published in International Security in 2008.

These include the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University, the Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College, and the Belfer Center at Harvard University. He also held positions at the Department of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington University, the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, the Human Security Centre in London, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy. In 2018, he authored ‘Rules for Rebels: The Science of Victory in Militant History,’ published by Oxford University Press, which further solidified his expertise. A sought-after authority on extremism, Abrahms advises government intelligence agencies and companies on the subject.

His ongoing commitments include serving as the faculty advisor for Huskies for Israel, and as a board member at Hillel at Northeastern University, demonstrating his continued engagement with academic and community initiatives.