Slim MasmoudiPH.D.
Professor of Cognitive Psychology

SlimMasmoudiPh.D.

Advancing the science of Cognition, Emotion and Motivation, from the classroom in Tunis to crime-prevention policy in Riyadh.

27+

Years in higher education

366

Citations across 3 decades of research

3

International CEM congresses chaired

3

Excellence awards, 2023 to 2025

NAUSSUnited Nations Office on Drugs and CrimeInternational Organization for MigrationUN Office of Counter-TerrorismUniversity of TunisUniversité Lumière Lyon 2Tunisian Order of EngineersSpringer NatureRoutledgeDe Boeck SupérieurNAUSSUnited Nations Office on Drugs and CrimeInternational Organization for MigrationUN Office of Counter-TerrorismUniversity of TunisUniversité Lumière Lyon 2Tunisian Order of EngineersSpringer NatureRoutledgeDe Boeck Supérieur

Two decades of teaching. Twelve years leading policy.

1998

Ph.D., Cognitive Psychology

Université Lumière Lyon 2, highest distinction.

2002

Associate Professor, University of Tunis

Eighteen years of teaching, research, and doctoral supervision.

2007

Founds the CEM Congress

International congress on Cognition, Emotion and Motivation, Hammamet.

2020

Joins NAUSS, Riyadh

Advisor for Scientific Research at the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences.

2022

President, Crime Prevention Department

Shapes postgraduate curricula across 22 Arab League states.

2025

Scientific Excellence Award

Most-published researcher in Humanities Research, NAUSS.

Full timeline

Research

One framework, thirty years of questions

The CEM Framework

A research paradigm integrating Cognition, Emotion, and Motivation to explain and improve human behavior. The throughline of his career, from doctoral work on debugging expertise to present-day work on crime victimization.

The full research programme

The Human Factor in Cybercrime

A Springer Nature chapter examining motivations, behaviors, and vulnerabilities behind cyber-offending and victimization. Human psychology, not just technology, is the pivotal variable.

AI for Crime Prevention

Machine learning models that predict victimization risk before a crime occurs, published in the International Journal of Digital Crime and Forensics. Future work: an AI-powered smart companion that protects individuals and communities.

“It's time for psychologists to once again become the pioneers of the next revolution: a humane, ethical, and responsibly intelligent AI.” 

Slim Masmoudi, writing on the future of AI

Writing and ideas

All insights

June 2026

We are all potential victims

When we think about crime prevention, we often focus on policing, security systems, or offender psychology. But what role do our own daily routines, personal characteristics, and psychological frameworks play in shaping our vulnerability? Our new paper merges situational criminology with behavioral psychology through the CEM lens. Future work: an AI-powered smart companion that protects individuals and communities.

Read on LinkedIn

June 2026

The human factor is the most important line of code in cybersecurity

We talk about cybersecurity in terms of firewalls, MFA, and AI-driven threat detection. But the most critical vulnerability remains consistent: the human element. This research moves beyond the 'weakest link' myth, framing people as an essential, proactive part of the defense chain if properly empowered.

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June 2026

Who should shape the future of AI? Psychologists.

The discipline and the first AI program were initiated at the Dartmouth Conference by pioneers like McCarthy and Minsky alongside psychologists Newell, Simon, Miller, and Bruner. It is time for psychologists to once again become the pioneers of the next revolution: a humane, ethical, and responsibly intelligent AI.

Read on LinkedIn

April 2026

Appointed to the Tunisian Engineer Label Committee

A national responsibility and a strategic opportunity to shape a new generation of engineers capable of navigating digital transformation, the knowledge economy, and sustainable development. Investing in the quality of engineering education is an investment in the future.

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January 2026

Scientific Excellence Award for 2025

This award reflects years of curiosity, persistence, late nights, revisions, rejections, learning, and growth. Research is rarely a straight path, but the pursuit of knowledge, impact, and meaningful contribution has always made the journey worthwhile. Science is never a solo effort.

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the human mind.

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