The University of Portsmouth is bringing together experts and the public for an evening event, tackling two huge threats to safety and security as part of the Life Solved Live: Inaugural Lectures series.
As violence from extremists continues to spread in West Africa and the identities of those who commit violence against women remain unexplored, Portsmouth academics will host an insightful, eye-opening event, diving into what we're getting wrong about these serious, unsolved societal challenges.
On Wednesday 6 May 2026, community members, staff and students are invited to attend Life Solved Live: Getting Violence Wrong: From Extremists to Incels , an event that brings researchers together to explore the factors driving violence, whether perpetrated by armed extremists in West Africa or by the rise of harmful misogynistic ideologies.
Professor Ed Stoddard from the School of Area Studies, Sociology, History, Politics and Literature within the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences will delve into why armed extremist groups in West Africa continue to grow in strength and intensify despite extensive military intervention.
Professor Stoddard said: "I will identify five recurring errors: treating complex insurgencies as 'terrorism'; overlooking the political nature of insurgent activity; prioritising military force over governance competition and civilian protection; underestimating militant strategic and tactical sophistication; and failing to learn and adapt at the same rate as globally-connected insurgents.
"My core claim is that an understanding of militant strategy allows us to reverse engineer a blueprint for how to tackle those errors."
Professor Stoddard invites people to ask, what has gone wrong during more than a decade of 'counter-terrorism' in the region in his lecture, Deadly Errors and Unlearned Lessons: What We Still Get Wrong About 'Counter-terrorism' in West Africa.
Professor Lisa Sugiura from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences and Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime, will explore the deeply troubling topic of global violence against women and why the public has focused on one group of men known as 'incels.'
In her lecture, What We Get Wrong About Online Misogyny, Incels, and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), Professor Sugiura will unmask who these men are, what shapes the ideologies associated with them, and what cultural and digital environments have been overlooked to allow gender-based hostility to advance.
Professor Sugiura added: "Seeking to understand these dynamics does not mean excusing harm or minimising its impact. Instead, it calls for a more careful and humane conversation. One that approaches difficult questions about gender, relationships and life online with curiosity and care.
"At the same time, technology platforms must be held to account for the ways their design, moderation practices, and algorithms can amplify misogynistic ideas and reward harmful behaviour. This is not a case of "online versus real life". Rather, online is real life.
"In this talk, I draw on a decade of research in the field to explain the incel phenomena and how online misogyny and VAWG have evolved. I will also consider the impact of new and emerging technologies such as AI and Virtual Reality. Finally, I will discuss what can be done to tackle the problem and why a whole societal approach is necessary."
The event will take place at the University of Portsmouth's Portland Building on Wednesday, 6 May between 6:00pm-8:45pm.
