Luise Gisa Domina

My research examines non-state armed actors in International Relations through a relational lens. Rather than treating paramilitaries, armed organisations and criminal groups as separate phenomena, it explores their interconnectedness and growing influence on contemporary geopolitical dynamics.

My expertise is in International Relations, terrorism, organised crime, conflict, and political violence, with a particular interest in constructivist, critical, and relationist approaches. I examine how identities, ideologies, and behaviours develop through interaction and how these insights can improve our understanding of (political) violence. My PhD research builds on my MA research at the University of Jena on paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland. Additionally, I have worked professionally on surveillance and digital rights and contributed to refugee, youth, and press freedom initiatives.