Dr. Lauren Gould

Gould work explores how remote warfare by advanced militaries is legitimized, practiced, and contested, as well as how it impacts civilian harm and causes blowback effects.  

For the past 5 years she has conducted research on these dynamics in relation to the US African Military Command’s remote interventions in East Africa and the US led remote war against ISIS across Iraq and Syria. For this she has conducted field research in Uganda, South Sudan and in Iraq. Her most recent work - under the Realities of Algorithmic Warfare programme - investigates how autonomous weapon systems are facilitating the next level of remoteness in 21st century warfare. From a conflict and critical security studies perspective her aim is to conceptualise the changing character and nature of warfare in the 21st century.

Gould publishes her research findings widely across not only academic journals and books, but also in op-eds, in-depth reports, podcasts, and across media outlets. See below for a selection.

Finally, she leads a consortium of civil society partners that engage with the Dutch Ministry of Defence to improve their civilian harm transparency and accountability policies and she sits on the board of the Nuhanovic Foundation: Centre for War Reparations.

Gould studied Social Psychology (BA Cum Laude, 2006) and Conflict Studies and Human Rights (MA Cum Laude, 2007) at Utrecht University. In March 2016 she completed her PhD on international criminal law enforcement and the governing of the northern Ugandan conflict. She has taught in the Conflict Studies programme at Utrecht University and the University College of Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam.