I think it is significant to spread results of academic researches on topics connected with (counter-)terrorism and real facts. At first, it promotes popular myths deflation; secondly, it encourages listeners to create and can conduce new openings. The most insightful lessnos for me was the ones about modern groups in Syria, assumptions on T and CT and also about problems of terrorism definition consensus.

It is also sad that there are almost no duscussions on the forum (excluding the first weeks).

Thanks to this course lecturer, professor Bakker, for the scope of information and easily understandable English!

Very interesting course. I found the reading material sources particularly relevant without exceeding unnecessary in quantity and issues. Professor Edwin Bakker didactic approach is especially suitable to my ideal concept of how a teacher should communicate with his/her audience. Together with Moral Foundations of Politics held by Professor Ian Shapiro, I would rate these two the most attractive and expectations matching courses I've ever come across online.

Thanks to Coursera, Leiden University and all the people who makes this miracle of quality online teaching for free ever possible.

Stefano

I am enjoying this course very much, it is informative and very well organized and presented. I highly recommend it to anyone with an internet in the topic as it provides an excellent overview and includes current academic and non academic (mass media, world leaders. etc). perspectives. The video lectures are exciting and I look forward to the time I spend viewing them, the core readings are relevant and there are good suggestions for those wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the material. Dr Edwin Bakker the professor for this course is an excellent educator.

Excelente curso. Creo que es una muy buena manera de aprender sobre uno de los temas más importantes en las agendas políticas del mundo. Lecciones que se caracterizan por su claridad y concisión, y que brindan la posibilidad de acceder a una amplia bibliografía sobre terrorismo y contraterrorismo. En mi opinión, es un curso que debería ser tomado por todos aquellos que trabajan en relación con los medios de comunicación, ya que ayuda a conocer mejor este fenómeno y dejar de lado muchos mitos que distorsionan la visión que las sociedades tienen del mismo.

The course "Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Comparing Theory and Practice" provides important subsidies for those who would like to better understand these phenomena, with a strong theoretical background and excellent didactics. I was interested in the course because I am finishing my degree in International Relations and my monograph required me to understand better about it.

I can say that this goal has been achieved. I read the articles suggested by Professor Bakker and attest to the great quality of the course.

Thank you and until next time!

The course is extremely well organized. Theoretical part is presented in a comprehensible way. Mainstream views, their flaws and possible solutions are given, the author always mentions counteragruments and does not try to impose his personal thoughts. Individual tasks allow to get deeper into the studied cases. I also admire external invited partisipants of the lectures, as it provides more diverse perspectives. And last, but not least, it`s great that the course evolves with current agenda.

Thank You for this wonderful work!

An extremely informative and well designed course, I had a wonderful experience learning from Prof. dr. Bakker, his team and colleagues and all the guest scholars who gave their valuable time to this course. I think this curse is a shining example of the wonderful novelty of coursera in providing quality education to people literally across the globe!

It's been a pleasure doing this course and I recommend it to all my friends interested in this field and look forward to working on many other courses in the future!

I found this course to be very interesting. In the US you hear many things from our politicians and media but very little of it has to do with actual numbers and statistics. Now understandably some of those numbers have changed since this course was put together but I think the general idea that terrorism is a constantly evolving entity was presented well. Although I had several distractions tugging at me during this course the information presented has motivated me to continue my study in this area. Thank you.

Dear sirs and madams! Thank you very much for this interesting and useful course. It contains a lot of information and reading materials which help to get deeper understanding of phenomenon of terrorism. It helps to aproach to different acts of violence from different perspectives. Also for for those course participant whoes country is ivolved in some armed conflict it helps to get deeper and more attantive aproach to classification of people being involved in conflict and deal respectively with them.

It is an excellent course which provides basic understanding about terrorism and counterterrorism studies. The teaching method of the teacher is also convincing and illuminate about many theories. if someone wants to understand the phenomenon of terrorism, he/she must take this course. This course has also removed my confusions about theories of terrorism and counterterrorism. I would like to request Dr Edwin Bakker and his team to introduce more advance level course on the issue.

Regards

You MUST take this course, if:

If you want to know the Academic approach of the modern counterterrorism

If you need to have a concentrated knowledge about the historical facts

If you want to know about the best bibliography and know about modern scholars

if you are working in counterterrorism

etc.

or if you are curious to know what is terrorism according to scientists and experts.

I recommend this course.

My congratulations to Professor Edwin Bakker and to his team for this excellent work.

When i started this course i did not know what to expect but as i progress i became very impress with the materials provided and the dept of information available on the subject. Terrorism has now moved from an item on the news to me to an intimate subject worth exploring further. I became intimately connected with this subject and vowed to continue exploring the phenomenon deeper. Thank you very much for the wealth of knowledge presented.

Vannie Curwen

I really like the professor, all the material given, and of course the topic. It's a very interesting course and I love that the professor provides names of important authors in the field, books, films and also schools specialized in studies on terrorism and counterterrorism. I started considering counterterrorism as a career path after my Law degree, we will see how the course will go, but so far (week threem, about to start week four) so good!

I liked very much the course and I would like to get enrolled in others courses related. It helped me a lot to much better develop my work of inter-faith's dialogue and i think important my institution to include the theme of counterterrorism and foreign fighters at our magazine as prevention to avoid conflicts and wrong decision by youngers. As christian, to better understand the muslim and islam world to promote peace is fundamental.

J'ai vraiment adoré cette formation. Ce cours m'a permis d'apprendre beaucoup des choses et m'a permis de mieux comprendre les dessous des conflits et les motivations des Groupes terroristes dans le monde. Vraiment un magnifique contenu!!!!. je remercie beaucoup les responsables de ce cours bien élaboré. Et J'ai hâte de suivre une autre formation sur ce sujet si passionnant qu'est le terrorisme. Merci encore.

This was my first course on Coursera. After completing the START course from the University of Maryland, I can say with confidence that this course is a much deeper look at the concepts of terrorism and counter-terrorism (vs analysis of data and statics from the GTD). The exams were harder but the level of understanding is also deeper than the START course. Also, Dr. Bakker is very engaging and interesting.

Very good Introductory course to get familiar with the academic research and main authors towards Terrorism and Counterterrorism. The course is well organized and the content is very punctual and was well selected and prepared. I recommend it for students of International Relations, Political Science, Public Policy and Governance, Law and most related in Social Sciences but not limited only to them.

This course was perfect; I took so long to finish it, because as it happens with a good book, I feared turning the last page and never seeing it again. This course has been as close as I have been to coming into contact with the incredibly enticing and perennial issue of international security and I cannot thank Coursera and the University of Leiden enough for this wonderful opportunity.

Thank you.

An extraordinary course !! with key foundations, historical and current information on the subject, masterfully explained by Mr. Edwin Bakker.

A course full of relevant and valuable information to understand the phenomena and changes that are occurring in our world.

A course that we should all take to know the role we play in this world so changing and so scourged by wars and misunderstandings.

It's good see an excellent teacher who shows us to look at the terrorism not via his perspective but wants us to use our own. Techniques he is using is also nice and not boring. As a student, i would take this course(and Edwin Bakker if could be possible) if this could be a lesson in my university. I have learned many things and he aroused my interest about the terrorism subject more than ever.

Fantastic MOOC! This course is great for the ones who want to learn more about Terrorism studies and Terrorism History. It's not a easy one, if you are commited to read all the sugested readings, However it does give you a solid backgorund in this area of study, and it's a nice beggining for the ones, like me, that intend to continue to study Terrorism & Counterterrorism at a University level.

The quality and quantity of the material provided are simply outstanding. “Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Comparing Theory and Practice” is first and foremost a well-structured course built upon solid academic standards. I would recommend it even to those who already have knowledge in this field because most certainly there will be something that you did not know.

Excellent course!

I did this course as an introduction to something I was becoming increasingly interested in. With a background in law and neuropsychology, I was able to wear either or both hats at various points throughout the course. It really made me think and has served me in good stead for further more advanced study in the same field. The presentation is clear and well-referenced.

Its been a great journey learning with experts and interacting with fellow peers. Those who want to deepen their knowledge in Terrorism and counter terrorism must take this course, you wont regret it. All of the faculty members are experts in their respective field. Thanks coursera and thanks Leiden University. And thanks to every one involved in creating this course.

Very high standard and very well prepared course. It incorporates uptodate topics as in week 6 and also is refreshingly academically focused rather than having a political approach. The analysis behind the myths is outstanding and the data-driven analysis by the lecturers is more effective than so much fud that you see in the media. The professor is a great educator.