Michele Brunelli
Michele Brunelli is an Associate Professor of International History and Area Studies (academic sector GSPS-04/D – History and Institutions of Asia) at the University of Bergamo, where he directs the Second-Level Master’s Programme in "Prevention and Countering of Radicalisation, Terrorism, and Policies for Integration and International Security" (MaRTe). He also serves as Deputy Director of the Centre for Economic, Social and Cooperative Dynamics (CESC), and is a member of the Doctoral Board in "History, Cultural Heritage and International Studies" at the University of Cagliari, as well as of the Disciplinary Board of the University of Brescia.
A specialist in geopolitics, radicalisation, international security, and Middle Eastern, Persian Gulf, Central Asian and Caucasian studies, he brings over 25 years of academic, policy and advisory experience in both national and international institutional contexts. His research spans from the analysis of power structures in Iran—a country in which he has worked and conducted research for over two decades—to the MENA region, religiously motivated terrorism, Euro-African cooperation, energy diplomacy, and transnational security.
As an expert in preventing violent extremism and radicalisation phenomena, he has designed and led numerous training initiatives for law enforcement officers, social workers and institutional actors—including the Carabinieri Provincial Commands of Brescia and Bergamo (2017–18)—and has taught university-level courses on intelligence, conflict management, and deradicalisation. He is editor and author of academic volumes such as Il fenomeno del terrorismo di matrice islamica ed i processi di radicalizzazione (Rubbettino, 2021), and co-author of numerous academic contributions on contemporary jihadism, militant activism, and digital propaganda.
Internationally, he has taken part—either as scientific coordinator or expert consultant—in several European and multilateral projects. More recently, his work on countering extremism and radicalisation has focused on the Maghreb and Sahel regions, particularly Burkina Faso and Niger.
Since 2020, he has been a member of the Integrated Technology Group of the Italian Ministry of Defence – 5th Department for Technological Innovation, working on R&T activities within NATO and non-European contexts. Previously, he collaborated with the Military Centre for Strategic Studies (CeMiSS), served as a member of the UNESCO Chair on Human Rights at the University of Bergamo. He also participated in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on transatlantic relations.
He has published numerous essays, monographs, and articles in both national and international scholarly journals, including Jane’s Intelligence Review, Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs, GeoPolitica, and Storia Urbana. He is also a regular columnist for Giornale di Brescia, writing on geopolitical current affairs, security, and international relations.
Among his most recent works are:
• Il 1979. L’anno del Medio Oriente, Le Monnier, Mondadori, Milan (2023);
• “L’attivismo iraniano nel Caucaso meridionale: tra soft power e hard power”, in La questione del Nagorno-Karabakh e la geopolitica del Caucaso, Osservatorio di Politica Internazionale (OPI), Working Paper no. 209, Italian Senate, Chamber of Deputies, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Rome, pp. 49–56.
Address: University of Bergamo
Via Pignolo 123
24121 Bergamo ITALY
A specialist in geopolitics, radicalisation, international security, and Middle Eastern, Persian Gulf, Central Asian and Caucasian studies, he brings over 25 years of academic, policy and advisory experience in both national and international institutional contexts. His research spans from the analysis of power structures in Iran—a country in which he has worked and conducted research for over two decades—to the MENA region, religiously motivated terrorism, Euro-African cooperation, energy diplomacy, and transnational security.
As an expert in preventing violent extremism and radicalisation phenomena, he has designed and led numerous training initiatives for law enforcement officers, social workers and institutional actors—including the Carabinieri Provincial Commands of Brescia and Bergamo (2017–18)—and has taught university-level courses on intelligence, conflict management, and deradicalisation. He is editor and author of academic volumes such as Il fenomeno del terrorismo di matrice islamica ed i processi di radicalizzazione (Rubbettino, 2021), and co-author of numerous academic contributions on contemporary jihadism, militant activism, and digital propaganda.
Internationally, he has taken part—either as scientific coordinator or expert consultant—in several European and multilateral projects. More recently, his work on countering extremism and radicalisation has focused on the Maghreb and Sahel regions, particularly Burkina Faso and Niger.
Since 2020, he has been a member of the Integrated Technology Group of the Italian Ministry of Defence – 5th Department for Technological Innovation, working on R&T activities within NATO and non-European contexts. Previously, he collaborated with the Military Centre for Strategic Studies (CeMiSS), served as a member of the UNESCO Chair on Human Rights at the University of Bergamo. He also participated in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on transatlantic relations.
He has published numerous essays, monographs, and articles in both national and international scholarly journals, including Jane’s Intelligence Review, Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs, GeoPolitica, and Storia Urbana. He is also a regular columnist for Giornale di Brescia, writing on geopolitical current affairs, security, and international relations.
Among his most recent works are:
• Il 1979. L’anno del Medio Oriente, Le Monnier, Mondadori, Milan (2023);
• “L’attivismo iraniano nel Caucaso meridionale: tra soft power e hard power”, in La questione del Nagorno-Karabakh e la geopolitica del Caucaso, Osservatorio di Politica Internazionale (OPI), Working Paper no. 209, Italian Senate, Chamber of Deputies, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Rome, pp. 49–56.
Address: University of Bergamo
Via Pignolo 123
24121 Bergamo ITALY
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