Stategic Research Institute
Pillar 3 of AILCT is the Institute of Strategic Research (IRS). Affiliated with the International Association for Counter-Terrorism, it is dedicated to enriching the pedagogical models of the academy and expanding knowledge through elaborate studies on the transnational evolution of the terrorist threat in West Africa. This cutting-edge research institution, in perfect synergy with the protagonists of counter-terrorism in West Africa, ensures the academy’s quality pedagogy and wide dissemination of its work.
An innovative model
In a resolutely transdisciplinary approach to the terrorist threat, the IRS will explore the genealogy of these phenomena related to economics, development, governance, sociology of the affected societies, theology, and history. Thus, in 2022 and 2023, IRS activities expanded through the organization of regular seminars and symposiums, as well as the publication of studies and articles.
On April 22, 2021, the first symposium of the Institute of Strategic Research (IRS) of AILCT was held. This event, under the high patronage of the Minister of State, Minister of Defense of Côte d’Ivoire, brought together more than 200 participants on the theme ‘Terrorism in the Sahel and in Côte d’Ivoire: Between Convergences and Specificities’.
This event provided an opportunity to present the first two studies carried out within the framework of the IRS. These studies, conducted by CERAP and Thinking Africa, focused on two different themes: ‘the causes and factors of jihadist terrorism in Côte d’Ivoire and on the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso’ and ‘the comparative characterization of jihadist terrorist threats in Côte d’Ivoire and the Sahel’.
On June 16, 2023, a seminar was held at the Radisson Blue in Abidjan to present the findings of an IRS study (conducted by researchers from the Timbuktu Institute) entitled ‘Islam and Islamism in West Africa’. This event, also under the high patronage of the Minister of Defense of Côte d’Ivoire, brought together more than 150 people, including senior officials in the field of counterterrorism.
A diverse program of activities
The Institute of Strategic Research will also organize an international symposium every two years in partnership with the member institutions of its scientific council. Five in-depth studies will be conducted each year. They will be presented during study days, symposiums, or seminars.
Student Scholarships
The IRS operates on the principle of student and research scholarships. You can contact us for more information on these scholarships.