It was an immense honour and an incredible experience. Though there were challenges, we are really proud of the work we were able to put out as a team. It was especially rewarding to see what began as a slightly crazy idea grow into the finals, and to meet so many incredible people along the way."
Rafael Moreno, BA War Studies student
08 June 2026
King's students among top teams at Entente Cordiale finals in Paris
Three King’s College London students reached the finals of the 2026 Entente Cordiale University Challenge, representing the university in Paris and presenting their research on global security issues alongside students from leading universities across the UK and France.
Rafael Moreno Lopez (BA War Studies, Second Year), Ariel Giovannetti (BA War Studies and History, Second Year) and Raphaël Maurer (BA International Relations, Second Year) reached the final stage of the competition after being selected among the top teams from over 700 participants to present their research on the theme “Conflicts, Technologies, and World Security.” The team described the finals as a rewarding experience, offering a valuable platform to share their research and engage with peers from around the world.
The final stage of the challenge took place in Paris in April as part of the wider Entente Cordiale Day programme, held under the joint high patronage of King Charles III and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron. The event began with the opening ceremonies at the Hôtel national des Invalides, before the final presentations were held at the Sorbonne the following day.
The programme brought together students from leading universities across the UK and France and included official addresses, networking events and a concert celebrating Franco-British friendship.
For the King’s team, competing as undergraduates against teams that included master’s and PhD students was a particular point of pride. They said the experience highlighted both the dedication that went into the project and the quality of teaching in the Department of War Studies at King’s.
Reaching the finals as undergraduate students among teams of master’s and PhD students really reflected the time and effort we put into this project, as well as the quality of education in the Department of War Studies. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet other exceptionally bright students from other universities, which was the greatest reward of all."
Rafael Moreno, BA War Studies student
Dr Hillary Briffa, Senior Lecturer in National Security Studies and King’s Academic Lead for the Challenge, said she was delighted to see the students reach the finals.
I was absolutely delighted to see Rafael, Ariel and Raphaël reach the finals of the Entente Cordiale University Challenge. Their project was ambitious, original and highly relevant to contemporary debates on technology and global security. Competing as undergraduates in such a strong field, they represented King’s and the Department of War Studies with real distinction, and reflected our mission to ‘make the world a better place’ by putting knowledge in service of society."
Dr Hillary Briffa
The Entente Cordiale University Challenge forms part of the wider Entente Cordiale Day initiative and invites student teams to respond to a global theme through a 5,000-word report. King’s joined four other British universities in the 2026 final, alongside the London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London, the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford.
The students’ project addressed the growing threat to healthcare infrastructure across Europe, with Electronic Health Records (EHRs) particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks. They proposed a three-layered solution using frontier technologies, including blockchain, zero-knowledge proofs, and soul-bound tokens – non-transferable digital assets used for representing identity or credentials – to enhance security. The challenge closely reflected King’s strengths in international relations, war studies and global security, giving students the opportunity to apply rigorous academic research to pressing international issues.