On 1 June 2020, Monica den Boer started as full Professor of Military Policing Operations at the Netherlands Defence Academy. Prior to that, she held a Parliamentary seat for the social-liberal party D66, with portfolio’s in Justice and Security as well as in Interior Affairs. Other positions include Director of Research and Knowledge Development at the Police Academy in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands (2003-2016), in combination with a Chair of Comparative Public Administration, in particular the international police function, at the VU University Amsterdam. Her academic career started with a PhD in 1990 from the European University Institute (EUI, Florence), after which she successively held research and teaching positions at Edinburgh University, the Netherlands Study Centre for Crime and Law Enforcement, the European Institute of Public Administration, Tilburg University, and the European Institute of Law Enforcement Co-operation.
Meanwhile, she occupied several co-positions, including the vice-chairmanship of the Clingendael Institute of International Affairs (2006-2009), as well as membership of the Dutch Iraq Investigation Committee (2009-2010), of the Defence Future Survey Group (2009-2010), and of the Committee on European Integration of the Advisory Council on International Affairs (2002-2016). She worked as Director of SeQure Research and Consultancy (2015-2017) and as Visiting Professor at the Department of Security &; Criminology at Macquarie University, Sydney.
She has published widely on European home affairs and police co-operation and has strongly engaged in research, teaching, coaching as well as supervision. One of her most recent publications includes an edited collection, entitled “Comparative Policing from a Legal Perspective”, published by Edward Elgar.