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King's College London

As a global university community, we know that events happening around the world such as natural disasters, humanitarian crises and conflicts can affect our students and staff in many ways. When distressing news unfolds or situations arise in your home country or where your family and friends are, it is natural to feel anxious and uncertain.

We are here to support you as best we can. We have a wide range of services available where you can get practical advice and emotional support.

Being a diverse community is one of our greatest strengths and we want to ensure that every member of it feels supported during difficult times.

Support for students

  • Our chaplains are available to listen confidentially and without judgment to all students, those of all faiths and none. Contact them at chaplaincy@kcl.ac.uk.
  • Free and confidential wellbeing support services are available by registering with our Counselling & Mental Health Support Service. As well as in person services, this includes King’s Counselling Online delivered in partnership with Spectrum.Life, which provides out of hours support as well as online counselling Monday - Saturday 08.00 - 22.00.
  • Your peers can be a real source of support, connect with them through KCLSU.

Studying and assessment support

If a humanitarian crisis, conflict or world event is affecting you and making it hard to focus on your studies, your department, personal tutor or module leader is here to help.

  • If you need support or adjustments with your studies, let your department, personal tutor or module leader know as soon as you can.
  • Online students should contact their student success team.

If you believe your ability to complete an assessment of any type might be, or has been, adversely affected by mitigating circumstances, you may want to submit a mitigating circumstances request.

For more information, please see the following articles: 

Support for staff

Staying safe on campus

Our campuses and residences have 24/7 security.

  • Contact our Security team directly via the SafeZone app - download it and register with your King’s credentials.
  • Go to a security reception or call +44 (0)207 848 2222.
  • Use the help point by Shepherd’s House on Guy’s campus.

In an emergency, call 999 and request the appropriate service (police, fire, ambulance).

Reporting inappropriate behaviour

Racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, abuse, incitement and harassment have no place at King’s. Any incidents targeted at you or that you witness, should be reported online through Report + Support and can be made anonymously if you feel more comfortable doing so.

All reports made through Report + Support are taken seriously and handled through our well-established protocols. Please contact security if you need immediate assistance.

Travel guidance

Students and staff planning to travel overseas or back to the UK should check and follow the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) guidance for the country you are travelling to and from. Please make sure you follow the university guidance about business or study travel.

Travel Insurance Assistance

For emergency assistance students and staff travelling on University business and University-organised study activities should contact King’s travel insurers:

  • Assistance from LifeLine Plus, +44 (0) 1273 456 463, quote policy number 0010016146. Call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (for your protection calls may be recorded or monitored).
  • You will need to provide:
    • Your name and contact details
    • Your location and planned travel itinerary
    • The nature of the issue (e.g. delays, re-route, cancelled flights, safety concerns, lost baggage).

How the University responds

As set out in the King's Community Charter, our main priority is to create a safe, welcoming and supportive space for all our students and staff, including those affected by humanitarian crises and conflicts.

We are dedicated to upholding academic freedom and freedom of expression, in line with the law.

To support these values, we focus on fostering an inclusive and respectful environment, which means we may not comment on individual crises or events.

Read our Approach to Complex Social and Geopolitical Emergencies.

Freedom of expression and academic freedom

At King’s, we value freedom of expression and academic freedom. We believe that open discussion and debate are important for learning and research. We support all members of the King's community to engage with complex issues and share their views, as long as the conversation remains respectful and lawful.

More information can be found in King’s and KCLSU Joint Statement on Freedom of Expression.

Working with partners

We are proud of our diverse international community, where students and staff from all backgrounds, countries and beliefs come together. As a global university, we build connections with over 300 institutions around the world, reflecting the broad and inclusive nature of our work.

We believe that access to education and research, as well as the freedom to explore ideas, should never be limited by where people or institutions are located. This is something we are committed to supporting in all our academic collaborations.

Aid organisations

Students and staff can support any charity they choose. If you're unsure, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) unites 15 top aid charities to raise funds quickly during overseas crises.

Sanctuary Scholarships

We are proud to offer support to students and academics displaced by conflict through our Sanctuary Programme.

In 2024, we committed to provide up to an additional £500,000 per year for at least three years to support fee waivers and stipends for students at Foundation, Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels, and for Postgraduate researchers and academics seeking support through the Council for At Risk Academics (CARA).