Geography

Elena
Bulgaria/USA
Geography MPhil/PhD, or option of joint PhD with HKU/Humboldt/NUS
After studying in Bulgaria and the United States for my bachelor and master's degrees, I chose King's for my doctoral studies. The outstanding research programme in Geography thoroughly satisfies my scientific curiosity in using geospatial sciences to alleviate the socio-economic impact of global ecosystem changes. I am committed to bridging the gap between remote sensing and environmental modelling to study desertification processes in North Africa and the faculty here at King's are highly supportive, internationally recognised experts who have been engaged in many multinational research projects. The geography programme completely stands up to its prestige and I am confident that the skills developed here will help me to undertake a role as research scientist.
During my first year, I have attended several project meetings, conferences, a summer school, and a number of training courses, with topics ranging from grant proposal writing to applied scientific consulting. Some meetings or conferences have involved travel abroad, while others were offered through King's in London, and all have tremendously enhanced my overall learning experiences. The department and graduate students organise frequent seminars as well as social events, and the excellent Modern Languages Centre is indispensable to those interested in foreign languages and travel.
As a geographer, it is particularly exciting to study at King's and live in cosmopolitan London, close to Greenwich and the numerous libraries and museums that the city offers. The unique opportunity to work among colleagues from a variety of backgrounds not only provokes and inspires ideas, but also sustains excellent prospects for collaboration with internal and external researchers.

Gareth
UK
Geography MPhil/PhD, or option of joint PhD with HKU/Humboldt/NUS
I chose to study for my PhD at King's for a number of reasons; firstly that I have maintained a good relationship with my supervisor stretching back to my undergraduate days and secondly because King's remains one of the few places to perform research in the areas of remote sensing and computational geography which interest me most.

I find the Department of Geography a generally friendly place to work and the lecturers are very accessible and willing to lend advice and observations, as well as buy the odd pint on a Tuesday night.

I am funded fully by NERC and this has proven more than adequate for survival and the essential relaxation that must accompany a PhD! During my PhD I have been closely involved with the Mountaineering Club (serving as the webmaster for http://www.kclmc.org ). This led to an unexpected meeting with the Head of College Administration on the Snowdon Horseshoe, and my old Club the Rifle Club, where I undertook some extra coaching during my second year.

Jennifer
UK
Geography MPhil/PhD, or option of joint PhD with HKU/Humboldt/NUS
During my time at King's I've taken advantage of research training opportunities within and outside the department, along with teaching opportunities. I hope to stay in academia after completing my thesis and the skills I've gained at King's will stand me in good stead for this or other career paths. Highlights of my time at King's include experiences during field research and attending conferences both in the UK and abroad. I recently won an award for a presentation I gave at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly.

Myung
Korean (South)
Geography MPhil/PhD, or option of joint PhD with HKU/Humboldt/NUS

For my PhD journey, I thought of no other university but King's, not only because of its world-renowned reputation but also of my personal experience here studying for my MSc. King's is an institution not made from grey academics and brick buildings, but from well established academic knowledge, curiosity for the unknown world, and a search for a better alternative; not to mention brilliant students and inspiring academics from all over the world.

 

I learned from aptly prepared classes as well as from fellow students sharing experiences and enthusiasm over a cup of coffee after classes. I was particularly impressed by my dear lecturers and professors who always paid keen attention to my murmuring about other cultures and societies.

 

On the completion of the MSc programme in Geography, I felt assured that King's had deepened and broadened my scope of the world. With the support of King's Alumni Bursaries, I am grateful to continue my research to contribute to a better world, which King's has taught me to do so.

Qing
Chinese
Geography MPhil/PhD, or option of joint PhD with HKU/Humboldt/NUS

I'm Qing Huang, from People's Republic of China. I'm a full time first year PhD student in the Department of Geography. Sitting right at the heart of London, King's is a place filled with academic opportunities and exiting socializing occasions.

King's enjoys a superb reputation for excellence in advanced learning and academic research. It also attracted me for its strong academic culture that engages and challenges students and staff in their pursuit of learning.

For research students particularly, King's abundant funding resources and its clear competition system are really valuable. I'm a holder of KCL- China Scholarship Council joint scholarship. As an international student, this scholarship gives me the precious opportunity to go abroad and pursue a PhD in London, supporting me with both tuition fees and living expenses.

For any prospective students who are interested in applying for a postgraduate research place in King's, my advice is please prepare well and apply early, as the competition is strong - you will never regret choosing King's!

David Green
Geography MPhil/PhD, or option of joint PhD with HKU/Humboldt/NUS
Academics do more than teach and undertake research and I am no exception. Within the Geography Department my main role is to act as one of the master's programme admissions tutors, and the aim is simple - to attract the best and brightest students from across the world to come and study one of the many geography master's programmes at King's. Each year we regularly have over a hundred students from a wide variety of countries as far apart as Colombia and Korea, not to mention from across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the UK. Having this diversity, in addition to the high quality of our graduate students, makes for an interesting and challenging learning environment in which we can all learn from each other. This is what makes that aspect of my job so exciting! Recent master's students now work for national and local governments, NGOs, consultancies as well as in private industries. Our internship programmes help bridge the gap between study and work, and many of our students have found their way into employment through these programmes. We feel that we can make a difference for our students and that once they graduate they make a difference to their own communities.
Discussion and seminars form the backbone of our master's teaching programmes and staff ensure that they incorporate their own research into their teaching. Each of the master's degrees therefore links to a research specific group. This means that our master's degrees are research led, which opens up great opportunities for those who wish to explore their subject in more depth.
My own research focus is on various approaches to understanding welfare in a historical context. I am interested both in the kinds of provision made for the poor, as well as by those with greater amounts of wealth. People often ask me how this kind of work fits into a geography department but the answer is really quite simple: geography plays an important part because where people live makes a real difference to the way that wealth is accumulated and welfare is distributed. I have published research not just on the English poor law and other aspects of poverty but also on the kinds of investments made by the middle class and the way those were used to distribute wealth to members of the family. Although this work is historical it also has a very contemporary feel, as all societies seek to find ways of ensuring that welfare is provided for all members of their community.

Mark Pelling
Geography MPhil/PhD, or option of joint PhD with HKU/Humboldt/NUS
The Department of Geography hosts one of the largest master's programmes in the UK, with around 100 students joining us each year. We have high academic standards but also aim to create a supportive and exciting learning environment though our selection process, which acknowledges professional and voluntary experience. For degrees related to international development, overseas experience is also an asset. We believe that students should be able to learn as much from each other as from our staff.
Teaching and learning is research led. Courses are taught by leading international academics with experience of consultancy as well as research, teaching includes small group work, presentations and seminars. Opportunities for career development and specialisation will include your thesis and also internships with London based organisations. For example, my own research on policy to reduce risk and loss from natural disasters has led to collaboration between MA students and the British Red Cross.