Elana has completed a Bachelor of Science in Security Studies at Leiden University, including a minor in International Relations and Political Science at the National Taiwan University and the UNISCA summer course at the University of Amsterdam. She completed her bachelor's with a thesis on the different methods of violence used by Islamic and far-right violent extremists and their representation in Dutch CVE policies, after which she joined the Drive project. Currently, she is completing an MSc in Crisis and Security Management Intelligence and National Security at Leiden University, of which she is a student mentor as well. She is fluent in both Dutch and English and will continue studying Mandarin after starting when she was living in Taipei, Taiwan.
Paul Ducaat has currently completed his bachelor's in security studies and a minor in cultural anthropology and development sociology, extending his graduation in order to pursue an extra minor in psychology. Paul conducted his bachelor's thesis on the role of the media in counterterrorism policy formation in the Netherlands. Topics such as the definitional debate on terrorism and its possible effects in and outside of policy, counterterrorism, and radicalism and extremism are topics that he hopes to explore further in his career. Paul was born and raised in the Netherlands and is currently fluent in both Dutch and English, though he hopes to learn more languages in the future. With the DRIVE internship, he hopes to further explore his research interests and knowledge.
In the spring of 2022, Rachel earned MA degrees in English and Political Science with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies from Drury University. She is now completing her Advanced MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy at the Institute of Global Affairs, Leiden University, located in The Hague. Much of Rachel’s research has examined the role of social and political inclusion of Islamist organisations in Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, and Palestine. Additionally, she has spent considerable time investigating the role of third-party mediation in longstanding MENA conflicts, especially where negotiation has proven unsuccessful. Rachel is also an intermediate-level Arabic speaker, having taken four years of courses taught by native speakers.