Katarzyna Maniszewska is a  graduate of the University of Warsaw (MA in Journalism and MA German Philology). She received her Ph.D. degree from the University of Warsaw. Her research focuses on the history and development of political extremism and terrorism with particular emphasis on media coverage of terrorism. She completed postgraduate studies in Issues Relating to Organized Crime and Counterterrorism through the Faculty of Law as well as Postgraduates Studies in Management (Faculty of Management) at the University of Warsaw.

She is a member of the Scientific Board of the Terrorism Research Centre and lecturer at Collegium Civitas where she teaches courses on: Geography of Terrorism, Terrorism and Other Security Threats, Introduction to Security Studies, Colonialism and Decolonization. She co-designed the master’s degree program in International Security Studies.

As visiting scholar she held lectures, among other institutions, at West Virginia University (USA), Politeknik Negeri Malang (Indonesia), Philippine Public Safety College and UNJANI – Indonesia Military University. She was awarded the Kosciuszko Foundation research fellowship for the academic year 2024/25, her research project devoted to countering radicalization (“Radicalization at High Speed. Terrorism and the Media in the Age of AI”) is held at Program on Extremism, George Washington University.

Dr. Maniszewska authored two academic books in Polish: “Terroryzm a media” (Wrocław, 2006; “Terrorism and the media”) and “Pionierzy terroryzmu europejskiego: Frakcja Czerwonej Armii” (Kraków, 2014; “Forerunners of the European terrorism: Red Army Faction”), one in English:  „Towards a New Definition of Terrorism” (2024, Springer) and was the academic editor of several volumes, incl. “Society and Security in the Information Age” and “International Security Studies. Graduate Research Projects”. She is on the reviewers’ team of the journal “Terrorism – studies, prevention, analyses” (published by the Polish Internal Security Agency).

Her academic publications include numerous papers and book chapters devoted – among other issues – to the role of the media (incl. Internet and social media) in the strategies of terrorist organizations. In her papers she points out the significance of media-literacy and public education in enhancing the traditional counterterrorism measures.

Katarzyna Maniszewska worked as an advisor and program manager at Polish and foreign NGOs, incl. the position of Program Director at the Polish-American Freedom Foundation. Dr. Maniszewska has an in-depth knowledge of the European Institutions gained during her work at the European Parliament in Brussels (2006-2009). Currently she holds the position of Vice-Rector for International Relations at Collegium Civitas. She is the Director of the Summer School and Study Abroad Program “Security and Society in the Information Age”.

Dr. Maniszewska is a member of professional associations: Women in International Security, Women in International Security Poland, Polish Association for National Security (Polskie Towarzystwo Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego). She also is a member of the Board of the Educational Enterprise Foundation (Fundacja Edukacyjnej Przedsiębiorczości).

She speaks Polish, English, German, French, Portuguese, and has a basic knowledge of Russian and Spanish. She dedicates her free time to backpacking and travel writing.