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Julie Chernov Hwang

Julie Chernov Hwang is an associate professor of political science and international relations at Goucher College and a Senior Research Fellow at the Soufan Center. She is a recipient of the Harry Frank Guggenheim Distinguished Scholar Award (2023-2024) for which she will examine the role of social networks and strong social ties in terror cell construction. She is an expert on terrorist behavior in Southeast Asia—from motivations for joining extremist groups, to the pathways into such groups, to commitment, role assignment, disengagement, reintegration, and deradicalization.  She is the author of Becoming Jihadis: Radicalization and Commitment in Southeast Asia (Oxford University Press, 2023); Why Terrorists Quit: The Disengagement of Indonesian Jihadists (Cornell University Press, 2018); Peaceful Islamist Mobilization in the Muslim World: What Went Right, (Palgrave Press, 2009); and the co-editor of Islamist Parties and Political Normalization in the Muslim World (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014).  Her articles have been published in Political Psychology, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Terrorism and Political Violence, Asian Survey, Asian Security, Contemporary Southeast Asia, Soufan Center IntelBriefs, Asia-Pacific Issues, Southeast Asia Research, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, Foreign Policy, The Washington Post, RSIS Commentaries, CTC Sentinel, the Middle East-Asia Project, and Lawfare. 

Dr. Chernov Hwang is also a member of AVERT and a Senior Research Associate at the Graduate School for Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh.  She serves on the board of 4 leading terrorism studies journals--Terrorism and Political Violence, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Journal of Asymmetric Conflict and Deradicalization. She has briefed officials from the UN Office of Counter Terrorism, the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, US Embassy in Jakarta, the Department of State, the Joint Improvised Threat Defeat Organization, the US Army Civil Affairs Division, and the Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point.  She has given public lectures at leading universities and think tanks in the United States, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the UK.

Name
Julie Chernov Hwang
Expertise

Deportees/criminal deportees, Ethnic discrimination or persecution, Ex-combatant reintegration, Gang-related violence/non-state actors, Gender-based violence/domestic violence, Political persecution, Prison conditions, Religious discrimination or persecution, Torture, Rehabilitation, Reintegration, Deradicalization, Repatriation

Publications

Chernov Hwang, J. (2023) Becoming Jihadis: Radicalization and Commitment in Southeast Asia. Oxford: Oxford University Press 

Chernov Hwang, J (2018) Why Terrorists Quit: The Disengagement of Indonesian Jihadists. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. 

Mecham, Q and Chernov Hwang, J. (2014).  Islamist Parties and Political Normalization in the Muslim World. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 

Chernov Hwang, J. (2009), Peaceful Islamist Mobilization in the Muslim World: What Went Right.  New York:   Palgrave Press.  Paperback December 2011 with new epilogue.

Articles:

Kirsten E. Schulze and Chernov Hwang, J, “Poso’s Second Jihad: The Local, the National and the Global.” Asian Security. Published Online, October 15, 2024. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14799855.2024.2413044

Chernov Hwang, J. and Schulze, K. (2024) “Indonesian Jihadi Training Camps: Home and Away.”  Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. Published Online, January 8, 2024. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1057610X.2023.2296235

Chernov Hwang, J. (2022) “Why Jihadists Switch: Social Ties, Ideological Affinity and Opportunity.” Studies in Conflict and Terrorism.   Published Online: September 21, 2022 https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2022.2124583

Kenney M, and Chernov Hwang, J. (2021) “Should I Stay or Should I Go: Understanding How Indonesian and British Extremists Disengage and Why They Don’t.” Political Psychology 42:4 p537-553

Fair, C., Chernov Hwang, J., and Majid, M. (2020) “Lineaments of Support for Suicide Terrorism among Indonesians: A Replication Study.” Asian Security. 16:3 p281-303

Chernov Hwang, J. (2019) “Dakwah before Jihad: Understanding the Behavior of Jemaah Islamiyah,” Contemporary Southeast Asia. 41:1 p14-34

Chernov Hwang, J. and Schulze, K. (2018), “Why They Join: Pathways to Entry among Indonesian Jihadists.” in Pathways into Terrorism, a Special Issue of Terrorism and Political Violence. First published online July 6, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2018.1481309

Chernov Hwang, J. (2017), “The Disengagement of Jihadists in Indonesia: Understanding the Pathways.” Terrorism and Political Violence. 29:2 p277-295. 

Chernov Hwang, J., Panggabean, R., and Ali Fauzi, I. (2013), “The Disengagement of Jihadis in Poso, Indonesia,” Asian Survey. 53:4 p754-777

Chernov Hwang, J.  (2010) “When Parties Swing: Islamist Parties and Institutional Moderation in Malaysia and Indonesia,” Southeast Asia Research, 18:4. P635-674

Chernov Hwang, J. and Sadiq, K. (2010). “Legislating Separation and Solidarity in Plural Societies:  The Chinese in Indonesia and Malaysia,” Nationalism and Ethnic Politics. 16:2. p192-215

Other Publications:

Chernov Hwang, J. “Jemaah Islamiyah Disbands Itself: How, Why and What Comes Next?” The Soufan Center Intel Brief. September 24, 2024. https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-2024-september-26/

Chernov Hwang, J. “Failure is not an Option: Indonesia’s Repatriation Program.” The Soufan Center Intel Brief. August 22, 2024. https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-2024-august-22/

Chernov Hwang, J. “Terrorism Trends in Southeast Asia.” The Soufan Center Intel Brief. July 18, 2024. https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-2024-july-18/

Chernov Hwang, J.  “The US and the Philippines Strengthen Ties as a Bulwark to Counter China.” The Soufan Center Intel Brief. May 30, 2024. https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-2024-may-30/

Chernov Hwang, J.  “As Thousands Remain in Detention Camps in Syria, Repatriation Must be Prioritized.” The Soufan Center Intel Brief. May 24, 2024. https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-2024-may-23/

Chernov Hwang, J. and Colin Clarke, “20 Years After the Bali Bombing: What are the Lessons Learned for Counterterrorism?” Foreign Policy. October 12, 2022

Chernov Hwang, J. “Relatives, Redemption and Rice: Motivations for Joining the Maute Group.” CTC Sentinel. September 10, 2019

Chernov Hwang, J. “New Research Shows Why Terrorists Quit Terrorism.” Monkey Cage at the Washington Post. July 12, 2018

Chernov Hwang, J. “The Unintended Consequences of Amending Indonesia’s Anti-Terrorism Law,” Lawfare, October 1, 2017

Chernov Hwang, J. “Why Banning Extremist Groups is Dangerous for Indonesia,” Monkey Cage at the Washington Post. July 19, 2017

Languages
English, Bahasa Indonesia
Ethnic groups expertise
Indonesian ethnic groups on Java, Sumatra, Eastern Indonesia. In Philippines, Maranao, Maguindanao & Tausug populations.
Religious groups expertise
Sunni Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Shia, Ahmadi
Other social groups expertise
former combatants
Contact email
Phone
[Private to EIN members]
Address
[Private to EIN members]