Dr. Richard Nielsen

Biography

Richard Nielsen is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He holds a PhD in Government from Harvard University and a BA from Brigham Young University. His research primarily focuses on understanding the dynamics of radicalization, particularly in relation to jihadist clerics in the Arab world. His book, 'Deadly Clerics: Blocked Ambition Paths to Jihad', published by Cambridge University Press in 2017, employs statistical text analysis and fieldwork in Cairo mosques to explore clerical radicalization. Recently, he has been investigating how the Egyptian government responds to security threats, emphasizing the role of conspiracy theories in state-owned media. Nielsen's work spans international law, political economy, human rights, political violence, and political methodology, with publications in reputable journals such as the American Journal of Political Science and Political Analysis. His scholarly contributions have been supported by the Andrew Carnegie fellowship, the National Science Foundation, and other prestigious organizations.

Research Interests

Experience