Associate Professor William Hoverd staff profile picture

Contact details +6449793361

Associate Professor William Hoverd BA(Hons), BCA, MA, PhD

Associate Professor

Doctoral Supervisor
School of People, Environment and Planning

Dr William Hoverd is a Associate Professor at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, College of Humanities, and Social Sciences, Massey University. William is the Director of CDSS and coordinates the Centre's outreach initiatives as well as its five qualifications (Border and Biosecurity, Defence Studies, Intelligence Studies, International Security and Security Studies. He teaches Security Concepts and Structures (294.720) the Applied Research Project (294.820) and coteaches Advanced Social Inquiry (176.702).

William has:

a)  A history of delivering & developing objective assessments of a wide range of New Zealand defence, intelligence, policing and security research

b)  A reputation for independent national security thought leadership & relationships across academia, media, think tanks and government

c)  Focused his recent teaching and research on New Zealand security research methodology and critical scholarship 

d)  Between 2014 and 2023 supervised over 30 Masters and PhD students

e) Over 40 academic publications

Between 2015 and 2017, he taught into the New Zealand Defence Force Command and Staff College. In 2012 he was a successful co-recipient of the NZ $231,000 Danish Research Council funded Critical Analysis of Religious Diversity Network.  In 2011/2012, he was a DFAIT Government of Canada Post-Doctoral Fellow, at the Religion and Diversity Project at Ottawa University, Ontario. 

William Hoverd is a social scientist with a specific interest in critical research into New Zealand security issues and religious diversity.

He teaches a variety of research based papers at post-graduate level. 

He has published a variety qualitative and quantitative research publications in security, sociology, religious studies and psychology.

His most recent books include State of Threat (2023), New Zealand National Security (2017) and The Critical Analysis of Religious Diversity (2018)

He supervises PhD & Masters Students involved in applied and critical projects focusing on Defence, Intelligence, Policing, Foreign Affairs, Religion, and, Diversity across the New Zealand Security Sector.

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Professional

Contact details

  • Location: Level D Room 01A, Block 7
    Campus: Wellington

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Victoria University (2004)
  • Bachelor of Commerce and Administration - Victoria University (2004)
  • Master of Arts (Distinction) - Victoria University (2004)
  • Doctor of Philosophy - Victoria University (2012)

Research Expertise

Research Interests

Research Methods

Religious Diversity

New Zealand Society

Social Change

New Zealand Security

Thematics

21st Century Citizenship

Area of Expertise

Field of research codes
Criminology (160200): Defence Studies (160604): Demography (160300): Migration (160303):
Philosophy And Religious Studies (220000):
Police Administration, Procedures and Practice (160205): Political Science (160600): Race and Ethnic Relations (160803):
Religion and Religious Studies (220400): Religion and Society (220405):
Sociological Methodology and Research Methods (160807): Sociology (160800): Studies In Human Society (160000)

Keywords

Research Methods

Religious Diversity

New Zealand Society

Social Change

Human Security

Teaching and Supervision

Teaching Statement

Dr Hoverd is a sociologist of religion by training. He brings a sociological data driven empirical lens to the study of Intelligence, Religion, Defence and Security in New Zealand. He is used to teaching students from a variety of backgrounds. He tends to specialise in Wellington based students working (or aspiring to work) full time in the Defence and Security sector. He also is happy to supervise students by distance and has supervised students living in the UK and Australia.

Graduate Supervision Statement

Dr Hoverd supervises graduate students focused on all aspects of New Zealand National Security. Recent supervisions include topics such as: Special Operations Forces, Small State Militaries, Cybersecurity, Intelligence Oversight, Disinformation, Social Cohesion, White Nationalism, the Christchurch Terror Attack, Online Influence, Open Source Intelligence Gathering, and a variety of Policing related topics, He is also interested in topics addressing the functions of State, national security discourse analysis, online security, sector reform, privacy, and more broadly, 1) critically considering the balance between freedom and security in a state and, 2) sociological questions about religion and diversity. He is always open to discuss potential topics via email. He is always impressed when potential students approach him with topic proposals that evidence a clear logical structure, have an argument and are supported by a depth of reading.


Associate Professor William Hoverd is available for Masters and Doctorial supervision.

Current Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

  • Mati Ullah Tareen Tareen - Doctor of Philosophy
    Rethinking the Problem of Human Security and Militarization in Pakistan: A Case study of Balochistan

Completed Doctoral Supervision

Co-supervisor of:

  • 2021 - Miriam Wharton - Doctor of Philosophy
    "Paradoxical alchemy": An examination of the New Zealand Special Operations Forces’ relationships in key security networks

Media and Links

Media

  • 30 Nov 2016 - Newspaper, Online
    The pragmatism and politics of naval visits
    OP Ed - Dominion Post & Stuff News
  • 29 Oct 2014 - Newspaper
    Terror's New Wave
    Op Ed
  • 26 Feb 2015 - Radio
    No clear reason why New Zealand is going to Iraq
    National Radio Breakfast
  • 25 Feb 2015 - Newspaper
    Unanswered Questions as PM Confirms Iraq Mission
    Newspaper Interview
  • 24 Oct 2014 - Radio
    New Zealand Not to Panic Over Canada Terror Attack
    Radio Expert Commentary NewstalkZB
  • 22 Mar 2019 - Online
    NZ is committed to religious diversity - but do we
    Stuff Online Opinion Peice
  • 21 May 2019 - Radio
    Religious Diversity in New Zealand -
    Interview with Jessie Muligan RNZ
  • 19 Sep 2014 - Radio
    Australia's Anti Terror Raids
    Expert Commentary - NewstalkZB
  • 14 Jul 2018 - Newspaper
    Defence Priorities and Tensions
    Editorial in the Manawatu Standard
  • 05 May 2019 - Television
    Police offer advice to Christchurch's religious co
    Television Interview

Other Links