King's College London

What does it mean to be part of a faculty shaping the future of social science and public policy? At the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy’s Secure Futures celebration event, I had the opportunity to see this brought to life – and to play a small part in it.

The evening brought together King’s senior leadership, internal guests, alumni and key external stakeholders to celebrate the breadth of work taking place across the Faculty. The event opened with contributions from Lord David Willetts, President of the Resolution Foundation and former Minister of State for Universities and Science, and Dr Marta Welander, a conflict resolution professional and alumna of King’s Department of War Studies.

Marta’s words particularly resonated with me:

It was a powerful message for students preparing to work in security and international affairs.

Each of SSPP’s four Schools, as well as the Policy Institute, was invited to create a stand showcasing its work. For the School of Security Studies, students helped bring the School’s expertise to life through an interactive wargaming experience.

Designed for NATO by Dr David Banks, Senior Lecturer in the Department of War Studies, the wargame simulated a real-world international crisis, with students taking on the roles of the US, China, the EU, NATO and Russia. Aidan Long, MA War Studies student led the game throughout the two-hour session and event guests were invited to join in, rolling the dice and influencing the course of events.

For me, one of the most enjoyable aspects of the event was being able to take something we use in the classroom and share it with an audience beyond King's. We also had the opportunity to meet and interact with key academics including Dr Banks and Professor Wyn Bowen, Head of the School of Security Studies, and see our contribution become part of a much larger Faculty celebration.

The wargaming activity offered the kay interactive feature of the Security Studies stand, alongside an art gallery of work from the Arts & Conflict hub led by Professor Rachel Kerr. One particularly striking piece was Manna, a tulip sculpture by artist Anna Dumitriu, inspired by research into the Dutch Hunger Winter of 1944–45, when people were driven to eat tulip bulbs to survive towards the end of the Second World War. The sculpture reflects on the lasting biological and emotional legacies of conflict.

The evening ended with music from students in the KCL Jazz Society. Having been involved in communications and events for the School over the past year, moments like this make life at King’s memorable. It is exciting to be a small part of something much bigger – and to contribute by representing our School.