Professor Joe Burton
ProfessorProfile
I am Professor of International Security in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion (PPR).
I joined Lancaster University in July 2023 as part of the University's Security and Protection Science initiative. Prior to that I held permanent positions at the University of Nottingham and the University of St Andrews and was a Marie Curie (MSCA-IF) fellow at Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), working on the two-year European Commission-funded project Strategic Cultures of Cyber Warfare (CYBERCULT). Previously I was Senior Lecturer in the New Zealand Institute for Security and Crime Science (NZISCS) at the University of Waikato.
My expertise is in the area of Cyber Conflict and Emerging Technologies. I teach courses on Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, Strategic Studies and International Security and work on an interdisciplinary research agenda on cyber security, terrorism, organised crime, maritime security, norm diffusion, conflict prevention, regional collective security and non-proliferation.
I have worked at the highest levels of professional politics and policy, as a ministerial advisor in New Zealand and the UK, national campaign coordinator, legislative assistant, researcher, and political organiser. I hold a Doctorate in International Relations and a Master of International Studies degree from the University of Otago and an undergraduate degree in International Relations from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
I am recipient of the US Department of State (DoS) SUSI Fellowship (New York, Washington D.C.), the Taiwan Fellowship (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taipei), and have been visiting researcher and lecturer at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) in Tallinn, Estonia.
I have participated in policy development processes in New Zealand (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Intelligence Community) and in the ASEAN Region (ASEAN Regional Forum, ADMM+ Experts Working Group on Cyber Security, bi/trilateral track 1.5 and track 2 dialogues, e.g. Council for Security and Cooperation in the Asia Pacific - CSCAP).
My research has received funding from the US Department of State, the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme (NATO SPS), NATO CCDCOE, and from the European Commission (Marie Curie program).
PhD Supervision Interests
I am interested in supervising students in the following areas: Cyber Security, Cyber Warfare, Cyber Crime, Cyber Terrorism, Cyber Diplomacy/Cyber Statecraft, Disinformation and Information Warfare, NATO and Transatlantic Security, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies. Please contact me if you have an idea for a project.
SL: Countering Malicious Online Security Cultures (CYBER MALCULT)
01/02/2024 → 28/02/2027
Research
SL: Countering Malicious Online Security Cultures (CYBER MALCULT)
01/02/2024 → 28/02/2027
Research
Social Machines
Business Engagement
LASR - AI Security Research Symposium
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
NPSA and RCAT - Trusted Research Briefing
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
AI and Serious Online Crime - Online Webinar
Government
NABS+ workshop - Home Office - Human AI Teaming for Policy Generation
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Akkodis
Business Engagement
Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF)
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (Publisher)
Publication peer-review
Sandpit - Cyber Focus
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Security Lancaster - Workshop - New World Disorder
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
RISCS/NCSC workshop on Principles Based Assurance
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Security, Privacy, Identity, Trust, Engagement NetworkPlus (SPRITE)
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
RUSI Europe Workshop - Grey Zone
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Routledge (Publisher)
Publication peer-review
Briefing on research
Government
APEX cyber education conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Knowledge exchange meeting
Government
Mathemetics for AI in Real-World Systems
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Defence and Security Equipment International UK 2025
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Roundtable - Informing the UK National Cyber Strategy
Government
Review for NATURE - Machine Intelligence
Examination
Nature Machine Intelligence (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Appraisal Panel
Examination
Cyber Policy Engagement Workshop - Industry and Parliament Trust
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Internal Examiner - PhD
Examination
Invited briefing - Senior leadership, National Crime Agency
Government
Research Institute for Sociotechnical Cyber Security (RISCS) - Annual Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Invited briefing
Invited talk
CETaS Showcase - Alan Turing Institute
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Fortinet
Business Engagement
BSides Lancashire
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Cybernetic Culture Workshop
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Invited talk - AI and the Global Politics of Cyberspace
Invited talk
Security Lancaster Away Day
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
SONAC
Business Engagement
WAIST (AI Security Workshop)
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Orange Cyberdefense
Business Engagement
PhD Internal Examiner
Examination
BLUE HAI simulation
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
JHUB - UK Strategic Command
Government
Interviewee for DSIT project on securing converged technology
Government
The Research Institute for Sociotechnical Cyber Security (RISCS) (External organisation)
Member of external research organisation
US Army Futures Capability
Government
JMSC meeting
Government
Adarga
Business Engagement
Rob Black
Hosting an academic visitor
EPSRC visit
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Academic Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security Research - Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Horizon Europe - Expert Reviewer
Examination
PhD Internal Examiner
Examination
Briefings on research
Government
9th Global China Dialogue, Shanghai
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Alan Turing Institute
Consultancy
Lancaster Defence and Security Dialogue
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Joint Maritime Security Centre UK
Government
AI and the Future of Democracy
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Home Office Invited Briefing - Malicious Online Cultures
Government
Systematic
Business Engagement
Keynote Speaker - National University of Singapore
Invited talk
Singapore Cyber Week
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
NWPST Showcase Event
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Defence Transformation Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Cyber Leadership Symposium 2024
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Cockermouth Cafe Scientific
Invited talk
APEX cyber education conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Foreign Office (FCDO) - Cyber Trade Delegation to Singapore Cyber Week
Government
Lancaster University Satellite Event of the First Sea Lord 'Sea Power' Annual Conference 2024
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
NATO CCDCOE - Locked Shields Cyber Defence Exercise
Non-governmental organization
External Examiner - Kings College, War Studies National Security Programme
Examination
- Security Lancaster
- Security Lancaster (Behavioural Science)
- Security Lancaster (Policing)
- Security Lancaster (Policy, Law and Ethics)
- Security Lancaster (Secure Machine Learning and Intelligence)
- Security Lancaster (Societal Threats)
- Security Lancaster (Sociology)