Lauren Gould is Assistant Professor in Conflict Studies and the project leader of the Intimacies of Remote Warfare (IRW) programme, the Realities of Algorithmic Warfare (RAW) project and 20 years of Interventionism in Afghanistan and Beyond. Gould has conducted fieldwork in Uganda, South Sudan and in Iraq as well as closer to home in the Netherlands, UK, and the US.
From a critical conflict and war studies perspective her aim is to trace and conceptualize the changing character of the Western way of war and increase democratic control and accountability.
To achieve the latter, she leads a consortium of civil society partners (including Amnesty, Pax and Airwars) in a Transparency Road Map process with the Dutch Ministry of Defence.
Gould is a Utrecht University Public Engagement fellow, a co-founder of the IOS Contesting Governance platform, departmental Impact Developer, and sits on the board of the Nuhanovic Foundation Centre for War Reparations. In 2019-2020 she participated in the UU Westerdijk Programme for talented female scholars.
She is a lecturer at the Centre for Conflict Studies and the coordinator of the minor Conflict Studies. She is the founder and coordinator of the UU Summer School Contemporary Conflict Analysis: Actors, Issues & Technologies of 21st Century Warfare, designed for practioners and (international) students.
For a selection of thematic academic publications, see:
Gould L et al. (2023) Innovating Algorithmic Warfare: Experimentation with information manoeuvre beyond the boundaries of the law. Global Society: 1-18.
Gould, L., Stel, N. (2021) Strategic ignorance and the legitimation of remote warfare: The Hawija bombardments. Security Dialogue. (53) 1: 57-74
Demmers, J., Gould, L (2018) An assemblage approach to liquid warfare: AFRICOM and the hunt for Joseph Kony. Security Dialogue 49(5): 364 - 381.
Popular science publications:
Gould, L. et al. (eds.) (2022). Hawija: De verwoestende werkelijkheid van onze langeafstandsoorlog tegen IS. Uitgeverij Aspekt.
Gould L et al. (2022) After the Strike: Exposing the civilian harm effects of the 2015 Dutch airstrike on Hawija. IRW, PAX for Peace & Al-Ghad: 1- 123.
Op-eds:
- Gould, L. & Dort, J. (2022) Bewapende drone is helemaal niet zo’n superwapen. Het Parool.
- Gould, L. & Zoetbrood, I. (2020) Meer Drones Meer Oorlog. NRC.
- Gould, L. & Stel, N. (2020) Onwetenheid is geen excuus in oorlog. NRC.
- Gould, L. & Demmers, J. (2018). Stop de langeafstandsoorlog in Syrië en Irak. Trouw.
And podcasts:
- Gould, L. & Demmers, J. (2023) IRW: 5 years Intimacies of Remote Warfare.
- Gould, L. & Kanetake, M. (2022) Asymmetrical Haircuts episode 68: The Reverberations of Hawija.
- Gould, L. & Demmers, J (2021) Saferworld’s Warpod episode 8: Remote Warfare: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
- Gould, L. & Demmers, J (2020) WarPod Ep #16 | The Remote Warfare Paradox
- Gould, L. & Demmers, J. (2018). An assemblage approach to liquid warfare: AFRICOM and the ‘hunt’ for Joseph Kony. The Security Dialogue Podcast.