King's College London

King’s College London welcomed a full house of students, academics, alumni and partners for an eve of conference event ahead of the main London Defence Conference.

Led by Professor John Gearson, Director of the Centre for Defence Studies at King’s, the event set the tone for two days of high-level discussion on global security and ‘readiness’ in central London. While the main conference, now in its fourth edition, takes place off-site, this opening event reinforced King’s role as a central convening space for critical debate and defence dialogue.

A key theme of the evening was the importance of involving the next generation in shaping defence and security conversations. Senior Vice President (Academic), Professor Rachel Mills, highlighted that readiness is not only about military capability, but also about “strategic understanding, institutional resilience, and informed public debate” - areas where universities play a vital role. She emphasised that students are “the next generation who are going to study, advise and lead”, making their inclusion essential rather than symbolic. Professor Mills also gave a welcome at the main conference the following day alongside Lord Salisbury

Speakers stressed that this inclusion is both necessary and overdue. As Dr Hillary Briffa, Assistant Director of the Centre for Defence Studies noted, defence discussions have too often remained confined to “familiar generations with familiar backgrounds”. By contrast, King’s is seeking to open up these spaces, recognising that those who will live with the consequences of today’s decisions must have a voice in shaping them.

The panel discussion that followed, convened by Baroness Dr Sophy Antrobus, Co-Director of the Freeman Air and Space Institute, explored readiness from a “whole-of-society” perspective. Bringing together voices from defence, academia and public services, the panel highlighted the complexity of contemporary threats, from geopolitical instability and hybrid warfare to climate-related crises and infrastructure vulnerability.

Panellists argued that preparedness must extend across all sectors of society, requiring stronger coordination between services and a more informed and engaged public. Several speakers emphasised the need for a broader national conversation about risk, warning that public awareness in the UK lags behind that of comparable countries. The importance of trust, communication and inclusivity was also stressed, with particular emphasis on engaging younger generations and diverse voices as a foundation for resilience.

Following the panel discussion, the evening shifted from a societal lens to a more geopolitical focus in a session on ‘Strategy, the Gulf Crisis and Global Security Challenges’. Professor John Gearson was joined in conversation with Will Jessett, SC Strategy, former Director of Strategy at the MOD, and Emily Harding, Center for Strategic and International Studies, former Director for Iran at the US National Security Council.

The discussion examined the pressures reshaping international strategy at the state level. Speakers explored how global security is increasingly defined by volatility, transactional alliances and rapid shifts in state behaviour, challenging traditional models of long-term planning.

Drawing on their experience in government and policy, the speakers reflected on the implications of instability in the Gulf and beyond, highlighting the difficulty of navigating complex alliances and the growing importance of adaptability in strategic decision-making. The discussion also underscored how regional crises can have far-reaching global consequences.

King’s prelude to the main conference reinforced the broader theme of readiness from a geopolitical perspective - not only as the capacity to respond to immediate threats, but as the ability to anticipate change and operate effectively in an increasingly uncertain international environment.

The event set a clear agenda for the days ahead: readiness is not just about preparing institutions, but about empowering people. As John Gearson concluded, “security is a matter of not just national resilience, but national harmony”.

King’s Senior Vice President (Academic), Professor Rachel Mills, also delivered a welcome address on Day 1 of the conference the following day, alongside Lord Salisbury, Chairman of the conference.