He is currently the Director of Terrorism and Security and the the Leader of the Cognate Research Group on Policing and Security at the International Centre for Policing and Security at the University of South Wales and hold the current Jean Monnet Chair in Policing and Counter-Terrorism in Europe.

Previously, he served as an Academic Director and Professor at the Institute for European Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a Professor of International Politics, Head of Discipline in Politics, and the Director of the European Institute for Security and Justice, a Jean Monnet Centre for Excellence, at the University of Dundee.

Professor Kaunert has researched and taught in many international universities. His research has a clear focus on Policing and International Security, especially in the area of European Union (EU) Counter-Terrorism, including its external dimension.

His experience as supervisor is directly reflected by the organization of numerous PhD Summer Schools, twelve international conferences, a member of fourteen conference panels, participation in ninety two conferences as a guest speaker, supervision of about eighty Master theses, supervisor of twelve completed PhD theses and several ongoing PhD theses.