Jules Swinkels holds a Master of Arts in Military Strategic Studies from the Royal Dutch Defence Academy (The Netherlands) and a Bachelor of Arts in Political History and International Relations, with a minor in Islamic Studies from Utrecht University (The Netherlands).
Previously, he served as research lead for an advocacy campaign in Nairobi, Kenya, conducting interviews and focus group discussions on abuse of power in Kenya’s counter-terrorism strategies. Additionally, he did research on the role of narratives and counter-narratives on identity in Kenya, and how proper narratives can serve as defence against human rights violations in counter-terrorism operations.
Swinkels also co-founded ‘De Focus’, a Dutch non-profit foundation aimed at strengthening the relationship between society and scholars by transforming academic articles into challenging short stories.
His specialties include Framing and Influencing; Conflict; War; Strategy; and International Relations. He currently serves as a Research Fellow at the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies.
