Moxie Defence has been awarded the 2026 Global Recognition Award, honoring the organization’s world-class contributions to security intelligence research, counter-terrorism consultancy, and applied national security studies. This recognition places Moxie Defence among a select group of global organizations acknowledged for exceptional academic rigor, international collaboration, and real-world security impact.
A Globally Competitive Recognition
The Global Recognition Award is determined through a highly competitive selection process, with only 5.8% of applicants selected annually from over 15,000 global entrants. Applications are assessed by an independent panel of industry experts using the Rasch measurement model, a rigorous evaluation framework that enables objective comparison across disciplines and fields.
Moxie Defence achieved top-tier “world-class” ratings (Level 5) across all evaluated dimensions, including:
- Research originality
- International collaboration
- Interdisciplinary methodology
- Real-world application potential
Leadership Rooted in Academic and Operational Excellence
Under the leadership of Director and Co-Founder, Chris Samuel, Moxie Defence has distinguished itself through a rare integration of academic depth and operational relevance. Samuel’s doctoral research, “Appraising Statecraft: A Comparative Analysis of National Security and Intelligence Cultures of Five African States,” represents original scholarship within comparative intelligence studies, addressing critical gaps in African security research.
This work builds upon a strong academic foundation, including dual MA postgraduate degrees and a BA in Law & Criminology, with earlier research examining the social and security implications of knife crime within Black ethnic minority communities.
From Research to Real-World Security Impact
Beyond academia, Moxie Defence has demonstrated measurable operational impact. Through TGS Intelligence Consultants, Samuel organized the first counter-terrorism conferences focused on online and offline radicalization within African Diaspora communities, hosted in collaboration with the University of East London in 2015 and 2019.
In 2016, Samuel’s counter-terrorism research was presented during NATO counter-terrorism officers’ training in Germany, where the analytical frameworks and solutions developed were subsequently adopted into NATO’s official counter-terrorism training manual. This integration reflects institutional validation of the work’s strategic relevance and operational value.
Bridging Scholarship and Security Practice
Moxie Defence continues to operate at the intersection of research, policy, and security practice. Its work on radicalization, intelligence culture, and national security governance contributes to both academic discourse and international security cooperation.
As noted by Alex Sterling, spokesperson for Global Recognition Awards:
“Moxie Defence exemplifies the kind of world-class research and practical innovation we seek to honor. Chris Samuel’s contributions to NATO training protocols and original work on African security intelligence cultures demonstrate how distinguished scholarship can directly enhance international security cooperation and counter-terrorism effectiveness.”
This recognition reflects not only past achievements, but Moxie Defence’s ongoing commitment to producing research and advisory work that combines analytical rigor with operational relevance in an increasingly complex global security environment.