War Studies

Date of publication: 26/10/2018 Description: Since the year 2000, the UN Security Council has adopted 8 resolutions which make up what is known as the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda. These resolutions work to promote gender equality and strengthen women’s rights, protections, and participation in mending conflict-torn societies. The first of these historic UNSC resolutions, 1325, provides a political framework that outlines how women and gender perspectives are crucial for negotiating sustainable peace, planning refugee camps, implementing peacekeeping operations, and recovering conflict-torn societies. The advent of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda has been followed by a growing emphasis on the need to ‘mainstream’ gender into the institutions that govern and practice war and conflict management. Additionally, universities are seen to be increasingly incorporating more feminist teaching, courses and programmes on gender and Int’l relations in response to student demand. As the need for gender educ

Date of recording: 24/09/2018 Description: On the 24th of September, the Department of War Studies and the Conflict, Security and Development Research Group welcomed Jeff Colgan, Associate Professor at Brown University, for his talk titled, 'Should the US withdraw from the Middle East.' According to Prof. Colgan, ‘over the past 25 years, US foreign policy outcomes in the Middle East have gone from more or less acceptable to downright awful.’ Arguably, the most notable US foreign policy failure in the region was the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, but to this day, US success in the Middle East is further challenged by complex conflicts, including those in Afghanistan and Syria, and is also impacted by the presence of terrorist organizations within Middle Eastern states faced with instability. Due to undesirable and costly outcomes in the past, many in Washington DC have contemplated whether the US should withdraw from the Middle East. However, if the US were to withdraw, this decision could not only impact US

Date of publication: 21/09/2018 Description: On 4-6 Sept, the Connections UK wargaming conference, hosted by King’s College London, once again succeeded in bringing together wargaming users, practitioners and academics "to advance and sustain the art, science and application of wargaming." In light of this event, we are once again going to talk wargaming. Despite how it sounds, Wargaming is not necessarily a leisure activity. Although war games are interesting and thrilling to play, many of these games are played in order to simulate and model armed conflict without the actual use of force. Through these wargames practitioners in the armed forces and academics alike often seek to better understand the dynamics of past and even future conflicts. In this edition of the War Studies Podcast, we are going hear from three of this year’s Connections UK organisers and participants broadly about wargaming in the academic and professional contexts as well as wargame design. Interviewees: - Prof Philip Sabin, Pro

Date of recording: 13/06/2018 Description: On the 13th of June, the School of Security Studies hosted its annual Understanding Complex Conflicts research conference, which showcased some of the research currently underway in the Departments of War Studies and Defence Studies. As the centenary of the First World War is nearing a close, the first panel of this research conference was dedicated to the exploration of the complexities of the Great War. This panel covered topics such as military innovation and politics in the British Army and the resolution and commemoration of the First World War. Let's listen in on this fascinating panel, starting with an introduction of our panelists by panel chair and Director of the First World War Centenary Cultural Programme, Jenny Waldman. _____________________ Panel: The First World War Chair: Jenny Waldman, Director of the First World War Centenary Cultural Programme. Panelists: Aimee Fox: ‘Military Innovation and the Politics of Command in the British Ar

Event recording from 28/02/2018 Since 2015 NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence has developed a successful and long-lasting partnership with the King's Centre for Strategic Communications(KCSC) at King's College London. Based on this rewarding experience, the KCSC and the NATO StratCom COE have been developing new ways to put their cooperation into practice. The book “Fake News: A Roadmap’ is one of them. In this project, a group young talented students from the Strategic Communications Masters at King’s College London were encouraged to try and bring some clarity to the ongoing discussion on fake news. Introductory remarks by Dr Neville Bolt, Director of the KCSC and Jānis Sārts, Director of the NATO StratComms COE. Discussion with Jente Althuis and Leonie Haiden (editors of the book "Fake News: A Roadmap"), moderated by Alex Aiken, Executive Director, UK Government Communications. The book's authors are Iona Allan, Jente Althuis, Alexander Averin, Giulia Conci, Sarah Dooley, Erin Duffy, Dou

Here at the Department of War Studies, we are particularly concerned with contemporary and historical security challenges – all kinds of war, terrorism and more. What these security challenges have in common is that at the heart of each is some aspect of conflict. So, it is not surprising that international organisations and governments have invested billions of dollars in funding projects in post-conflict settings. These projects are supposed to help war-torn and divided societies to reconcile. But what is reconciliation? How can it be achieved and measured? And what role do art projects play in the process of so-called ‘reconciliation’? In this podcast, we hear from Dr Milena Michalski and Professor James Gow, discussing the Art & Reconciliation project. This is a pioneering, multi-disciplinary research initiative, funded by the AHRC, which brings together King’s College London, University of the Arts London and the London School of Economics, in order to explore these issues. To find out more about the

Event recording from 4/12/2017; introductory remarks by Dr Natasha Kuhrt. Professor Sakwa explores how the tension between Russia and the Atlantic community mirrored a fundamental realignment of the international system from the late 1980s onwards. He provides a new analysis of the end of the Cold War and the subsequent failure to create a comprehensive and inclusive peace order in Europe. The end of the Cold War did not create a sustainable peace system. Instead, for a quarter of a century a 'cold peace' reflected the tension between cooperative and competitive behaviour. None of the fundamental problems of European security were resolved, and tensions accumulated. Speaker biography: Richard Sakwa is Professor of Russian and European Politics at the University of Kent. Prof. Sakwa is an Associate Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies (CREES) at the

What made the transition of hegemonic power from British to American dominance uniquely cooperative and nonviolent? In this podcast, Dr Kori Schake analyses the so-called “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom. One of her main argument is that the transition of hegemonic power between the United Kingdom and the United States was peaceful primarily because both countries shared similar domestic ideologies. But how will this special relationship continue under the Trump administration? Dr Kori Schake is a distinguished research fellow at the Hoover Institute. She is the editor, with Jim Mattis, of the book Warriors and Citizens: American Views of Our Military. She teaches "Thinking About War" at Stanford University, is a contributing editor at the Atlantic, and also writes for War on the Rocks and Foreign Policy. The KCL Centre for Grand Strategy hosted a public lecture by Dr. Kori Schake on the subject of her most recent book, Safe Passage: The Transition from British to A

In this week’s episode, we are bringing you interviews with Professor Vivienne Jabri and Amanda Faber, founder of the Soldiers and Arts Academy, talking about the interface between arts and academia and how the arts can support war veterans. If you would like to watch the live-streamed video of the Remember Dance performance, you can find it here: http://bit.ly/2AjjVAK. UPCOMING EVENTS AT KING’S COLLEGE LONDON THE MARJAN MARSH LECTURE 14th November 2017 (18:00-20:00) War Studies Meeting Room (K6.07) Registration URL: http://bit.ly/2xCU4BY Join Adrian Garside to learn about the interface between politicised violence and natural resources in South Sudan's ongoing civil war. (DE)VILIFICATION OF THE FARC AND THE LINGUISTIC CEASE-FIRE 27th November 2017 (12:30-14:00) FWB (Franklin Wilkins Building), FWB 1.10 Registration: http://bit.ly/2zK1IQD Villains need to be de-villainised for talking to begin; this is a cornerstone of negotiation literature. But what happens when villains are proscribed, or listed

In light of the recent attacks in the UK, Dr Shiraz Maher and Dr Nina Musgrave comment on the issues of radicalisation and counterterrorism. Dr Maher is a lecturer in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London and Deputy Director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence. Dr Nina Musgrave acts as Assistant Director at the Centre for Defence Studies. She is also the course tutor for the MA module on National Security in the Department of War Studies.

Event recording from 6th of June 2017 Inaugural Annual Lecture with Guest Speaker Professor Joseph Nye, with introduction by Dr Neville Bolt, Director of the King's Centre for Strategic Communications. Joseph S. Nye Jr., University Distinguished Service Professor, and former Dean of the Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Event recording from 19th of May 2017 Dr Patricia M Lewis is the Research Director, International Security at Chatham House. Her former posts include Deputy Director and Scientist-in-Residence at the Center for Non-proliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies; Director of UNIDIR; and Director of VERTIC in London. Dr Lewis served on the 2004-6 WMD Commission chaired by Dr Hans Blix; the 2010-2011 Advisory Panel on Future Priorities of the OPCW chaired by Ambassador Rolf Ekeus; and was an adviser to the 2008-10 International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) chaired by Gareth Evans and Yoriko Kawaguchi. She holds a BSc (Hons) in physics from Manchester University and a PhD in nuclear physics from the Birmingham University. She is a dual national of the UK and Ireland. Dr Lewis is the recipient of the American Physical Society’s 2009 Joseph A Burton Forum Award recognizing 'outstanding contributions to the public understanding or resolution of issues inv

Event recording from 18th of May 2017 Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman has been Professor of War Studies at King's College London since 1982, and Vice-Principal since 2003. He was educated at Whitley Bay Grammar School and the Universities of Manchester, York and Oxford. Before joining King's he held research appointments at Nuffield College Oxford, IISS and the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1995. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 1996 and was appointed Official Historian of the Falklands Campaign in 1997. He was awarded the KCMG (Knight Commander of St Michael and St George) in 2003. He was appointed in June 2009 to serve as a member of the official inquiry into Britain and the 2003 Iraq War.

Event recording from 04/05/2017 PASSCHENDAELE - A NEW HISTORY Speaker: Dr Nick Lloyd Chair: Professor Bill Philpott Hosted by the Sir Michael Howard Centre The Sir Michael Howard Centre: smhc@kcl.ac.uk Between July and November 1917, in a small corner of Belgium, more than 500,000 men were killed or maimed, gassed or drowned - and many of the bodies were never found. The Ypres offensive represents the modern impression of the First World War: splintered trees, water-filled craters, muddy shell-holes. The climax was one of the worst battles of both world wars: Passchendaele. The village fell eventually, only for the whole offensive to be called off. But, as Nick Lloyd shows, notably through previously unexamined German documents, it put the Allies nearer to a major turning point in the war than we have ever imagined. Dr Nick Lloyd FRHistS is Reader in Military & Imperial History at King's College London, based at the Joint Services Command & Staff College in Shrivenham, Wiltshire. He is the author of thr

In this week’s episode, we’re bringing you a special feature with Dr Lola Frost speaking about the value of studying art in war studies. According to her, studying art is important in war studies because art can convey knowledge in a way that is not accessible to the social sciences. Dr Frost is an artist and a visiting research fellow in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. Her career as an artist spans nearly four decades working and exhibiting in South Africa and in the UK. Currently, she is teaching a 20-credit MA module on Art and War at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. For more information about Dr Frost, visit http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/warstudies/people/lolafrost/index.aspx. UPCOMING EVENTS STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP AT NORMANDY: LESSONS ON INTELLECTUAL COURAGE Location: Anatomy Museum (6th Floor) King's Building Strand Campus Category: Conference/Seminar When: 09/05/2017 (16:00-18:00) Registration URL: http://bit.ly/2p4IKeo This event will bu

In this week’s episode, we explore how the public should understand and respond to risk. Dr Brooke Rogers explains how risk is understood from a practitioners point of view and how the public’s understanding may differ. In addition, Dr Rogers elaborates on the rationale behind public transport campaigns, such as ‘Run! Hide! Tell!’ and ‘See it! Say it! Sorted.’, and how these campaigns contribute to protecting public spaces. Dr Brooke Rogers is a Reader in Risk and Terror in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London and co-directer of the MA programme in Terrorism, Security and Society. She is a social psychologist interested in risk and crisis communication, perceptions of risk, and health outcomes in response to extreme event. The majority of her projects investigate public and practitioner responses to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) terrorist incidents (i.e. Home Office, PIRATE, CIE Toolkit, PRACTICE and Deloitte). UPCOMING EVENTS AT KING’S COLLEGE LONDON THE WAR IS

In this Weeks War Studies Podcast Xenia Zubova interviews Ricardo Soares de Oliveira about on the subject of his latest publication, 'Magnificent and Beggar Land: Angola Since the Civil War'. The author is an Associate Professor in Comparative Politics (African Politics) at the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford. His research interests include African politics (particularly West and Central Africa), the geopolitics of energy and international political economy, especially in the fields of natural resource extraction, state decay and post-conflict reconstruction. He is the author of Oil and Politics in the Gulf of Guinea (2007), co-editor of China Returns to Africa: A Rising Power and a Continent Embrace (with Chris Alden and Daniel Large, 2008) and The New Protectorates: International Tutelage and the Making of Liberal States (with James Mayall, 2011). His latest book is Magnificent and Beggar Land: Angola Since the Civil War (2015). Soares de Oliveira has worked in the

In this week's War Studies Podcast recorded on the 30th of October, we spoke to War Studies Society President, Adam Holub about the events that they have planned for November and how you can get more involved with the society. This week's podcast is presented by Bradley Murray and Xenia Zubova. DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in this podcast are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London.

Dr Médéric Martin-Mazé, Research Associate in the Department of War Studies, gives an assessment of the new report by the Intelligence & Security Committee of the British Parliament on mass surveillance. Dr Lauren Wilcox, Deputy Director of the Cambridge University of Cambridge Centre for Gender Studies, talks about her new book: Bodies of Violence: Theorizing Embodied Subjects in International Relations (OUP 2015). Jayne Peake provides details of next week's events. Presented by Dr Peter Busch DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in this podcast are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London.

Sarah Covington is the lead analyst on the Central African Republic for the Country Risk Team at IHS Country Risk, a specialist intelligence unit that forecasts political and violent risks worldwide. Albert Caramés is an associate researcher at the Groupe de Rechercheet Information pour la Paix (GRIP). He has worked for for the United Nations and for Médecins Sans Frontières in their head offices as well as on location in Côte d’Ivoire, Congo-Brazzaville and the Central African Republic. On 18 February Sarah and Albert came to the Department of War Studies to give a talk about ‘War & Peace in the Central African Republic'. The event was hosted by the Africa Research Group. DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in this podcast are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London.