About us

BCISS was officially established in November 2003 amidst the very public controversy and furores about intelligence that followed from the invasion of Iraq earlier that year.  At a time when the academic study of intelligence in the UK was dominated by historical scholarship, the BCISS team consciously positioned the Centre as a policy-oriented social science enterprise, based in Brunel’s Politics and History Division, that could speak with authority to current and emerging intelligence issues as well as their background and origins. BCISS was established with a four-fold mandate to:

• Provide a centre of excellence in research and publication in intelligence and security issues;
• Develop and deliver a world-class graduate training programme in intelligence and security studies;
• Pursue and engage in consultancy for the public and private sectors on intelligence-related matters; and
• Contribute to public education and advise on intelligence issues through the news media and other public outreach media.

The BCISS core team is an interdisciplinary group of political scientists, sociologists and historians based in the Politics and History Division. In 2011, the Centre was reorganised as an Interdisciplinary Research Centre in order to accommodate participation from other Divisions and Colleges.  BCISS has since included associate members from the Brunel Law School, Economics and Finance and Engineering and continues to engage on research and teaching activity in collaboration with all of these divisions.  One of BCISS’ strengths is its team of Honourary Research Fellows who are current and former intelligence practitioners who advise on and participate in the Centre’s research and publishing, impact, teaching and overall academic community.  

BCISS emphasises impact-oriented research and engagement.  Members of the team have contributed to the development of intelligence doctrine and professional practice in the UK, European Union, in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia.  The Centre has also provided two Impact Case Studies for each of the last two iterations of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) audit, submitted evidence to Parliamentary committees, advised on the recent Integrated Review of of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy and continues to engage with the intelligence profession in key areas.