Leoni Heyn
PhD Candidate and Researcher, Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University, Germany; Department for Research on Terrorism and Radicalization
2025
Leoni Heyn is a PhD Candidate and Researcher at both the Institute for Security Policy (ISPK) and the Department of Political Science at Kiel University. At the ISPK, she works in the Department for Research on Terrorism and Radicalization with a specific focus on the impact of social media and disinformation on radicalization. In her dissertation, she explores the formation and interconnectedness of German anti-government extremist networks (namely Reichsbürger, Querdenken and QAnon) across different social media platforms.
She is also a member of the Working Group of Terrorism and Domestic Security of the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, Women in International Security (WIIS) and the European Expert Network on Terrorism Issues (EENeT).
The Summit offers a unique opportunity to confront the corrosive influence of bigotry and hatred in our society. In order for us to address these challenges, we first must acknowledge their painful and destructive impact in our communities and in our country. I am grateful to serve as a Global Advisor to this timely and powerful initiative.
