From the CIA to the Classroom: John Kiriakou on the History of Terrorism
A first-hand view of global security and ethics in intelligence
At the University of Salamanca’s Master in Global and International Studies (MGIS), students of intelligence and security have the rare opportunity to learn directly from one of the most consequential figures in modern intelligence history.
John Kiriakou, Academic Advisor and former CIA counterterrorism officer, brings decades of frontline experience and moral reflection into the classroom. His course, History of Terrorism, traces the evolution of terrorism from its earliest recorded forms — as far back as biblical times — through the revolutionary movements of the twentieth century, the ideological confrontations of the Cold War, and the rise of modern extremist networks.
“What I enjoy most,” Kiriakou explains, “is teaching what I have learned over a long career at the CIA and later as chief investigator for the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Students come away with a clearer understanding of the causes and roots of terrorism — and what governments and individuals can do to combat it.”
Beyond his academic work, Kiriakou is internationally recognized as the whistleblower who exposed the CIA’s post-9/11 torture program — a revelation that profoundly changed global debates on ethics and accountability within intelligence operations. For his courage, he received multiple honors, including the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage, the PEN First Amendment Award, and the Sam Adams Award for Integrity in Intelligence.
An author of eight books, including The Reluctant Spy and Doing Time Like a Spy, Kiriakou’s career represents a rare synthesis of experience, conscience, and education. His presence at Salamanca reflects the MGIS program’s distinctive mission: to unite academic rigor with lived expertise and to foster a new generation of professionals grounded not only in knowledge, but in integrity.
Where experience meets integrity
Through courses such as History of Terrorism, MGIS students engage directly with the strategic, historical, and ethical dimensions of global security — learning from those who have not only studied history but shaped it.
Learn more about the Intelligence and Security Track at MGIS
