King's recruits more than 60 academics
26 Jan 2005, PR 06/05 King's College London is taking out three full pages in The Times Higher on 28 January to advertise 63 posts. These positions are a mix of new – 32 – and existing – 31 – jobs. All ten of the College's schools of study are included in this recruitment initiative.Nineteen chairs, 11 of which are new posts, will be advertised along with 44 readerships and lectureships.
Professor Rick Trainor, Principal of King's College London, comments. ‘The recruitment of this considerable number of new staff – not only in science and medicine but across the full range of subjects offered at King's including the humanities and social sciences – clearly demonstrates the College's commitment to providing outstanding research and teaching. I have every expectation that recruitment to these posts will make King's a truly global player.'
The adverts follow a thorough strategic review of King's research profile. A £4.5 million strategic investment fund is being used to build upon areas of strength and comparative advantage. Particular emphasis is being placed on reinforcing King's ability to work across traditional academic boundaries and exploit the practical applications of research.
The College is attaching particular importance to Bioinformatics and Chemical Biology as areas which provide vital links between the physical and bio-sciences.
The College is also demonstrating its commitment to public policy, by establishing three new chairs in this area, with a special emphasis on health and the environment.
Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, Vice-Principal for Research at King's College London, says, ‘This new investment is the latest stage in a process of restructuring in the College that began four years ago. We expect to be continuing to invest in key areas over the coming years. We are not thinking just of the next Research Assessment Exercise but are seeking to ensure that we sustain and improve our strong research performance over the long-term.'
King's has an annual research income of £100 million and is one of the UK's top universities. It is a member of the Russell Group – a coalition of the country's major research-based universities.
Notes to editors King's College London
King's is one of the oldest and largest colleges of the University of London with 13,800 undergraduate students and some 5,300 postgraduates in ten schools of study.
The College has had 24 of its subject-areas awarded the highest rating of 5* and 5 for research quality, demonstrating excellence at an international level. The recent Institutional Audit, carried out by the Quality Assurance Agency, received an excellent result.
King's is in the top group of universities for research earnings with income from grants and contracts of £100 million and has an annual turnover of £348 million. In 2004 the College was once again awarded a AA- credit rating from Standard & Poors.
Further informationMelanie Gardner, Senior Public Relation Officer, King's College London Tel: 0207-848 3073;
melanie.gardner@kcl.ac.uk
This information is provided by the
Public Relations Department
Tel: 020-7848 3202 Fax: 020-7848 3739 Email:
pr@kcl.ac.uk
