Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy

Leadership

Head of School for the School of Security Studies: Professor John Gearson

John Gearson is the Head of the School of Security Studies, King's College London. A Professor of National Security Studies, he is also Director of the Centre for Defence Studies in the Department of War Studies, and previously served as Director of the Freeman Air & Space Institute between 2020-2022.

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Head of the Department of War Studies: Professor Michael Goodman

Michael Goodman is Professor of Intelligence and International Affairs and Head of the Department of War Studies. He is also a Visiting Professor at the Norwegian Defence Intelligence School and at Sciences Po in Paris.

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Head of the Defence Studies Department: Professor Niall Barr

Professor Niall Barr is Head of the Defence Studies Department. He joined the Staff College in 2000, where he teaches on a wide range of military courses, including the Higher Command and Staff Course, and conducts numerous battlefield tours and staff rides.

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Director of the King's Institute for Applied Security Studies (KIASS): Professor Christopher Hobbs

Professor Christopher Hobbs is Professor in Science and International Security within the Department of War Studies and Director of the King’s Institute for Applied Security Studies (KIASS). A scientist by training, he has served as Programme Director for the UK’s Nuclear Security Culture Programme (NSCP) since its inception in 2014.

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Head of School Administration: Mr Ralph Parfect

Ralph joined Security Studies as HoSA (Operations) in March 2020 after three years as Business Manager in the School of Global Affairs.

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Lead on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Dr Amanda Chisholm

Dr Amanda Chisholm is a Senior Lecturer researching and teaching on gender and security across both War Studies and Defence Studies. Her research focuses on the privatisation and decentring of global war-making. Amanda's work is concerned with how gendered and racial logics sustain difference, assign value and reproduce hierarchies amongst these workforces and the ways in which these security market relations involve household labour.