Comment 203 - June 2013

News

student news

US Secretary of Defense visits King’s

Student blog: Life in Professor the Arts & Humanities Evelyn Welch

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profile

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focus

King’s Ipsos Mori partnership

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Comment For staff, students & friends

Issue 203 | June 2013

Events

Byron: the poetry of politics & the politics of poetry 1 – 6 July 2013, Strand Campus

Child Studies Conference 2013: Participation into practice

Paul Grundy

13 June 2013, 09.30 – 16.15 Room B5, Franklin-Wilkins Building, Waterloo Campus

The new Virginia Woolf building at 22 Kingsway pays tribute to one of the College’s most famous and revered alumni

King’s honours famous alumna King’s has announced that its new building on Kingsway is to be named after alumna Virginia Woolf.

The Virginia Woolf Building will be open fully from Autumn term 2013. Arts & Sciences will be the main occupants of the building which will provide Central London accommodation and facilities for academic staff and postgraduate research students.

The writer, novelist and critic, Virginia Woolf (then Virginia Stephen) 1882-1941, was a student at the King’s Ladies’ Department in Kensington from 1897 to 1902, where she took classes in Greek, Latin, German and history. Her sister Vanessa (later the

artist Vanessa Bell) also attended.

Professor Evelyn Welch, VicePrincipal (Arts & Sciences), said: ‘Our decision to name the building after one of the College’s most famous female students is one that celebrates a great writer whose work is meaningful to the many staff who will come together on Kingsway.’

While the College has long been aware of Woolf’s attendance, findings in 2009 uncovered the broad extent of her studies at King’s. The discovery, made by Dr Anna Snaith, Reader in Twentieth-Century Literature in the Department of English, and Dr Christine Kenyon-Jones, Research Fellow in the Department of English,

was made in the King’s Archives and revealed that Woolf had much more experience of higher education than both she and her biographers had depicted.

Dr Snaith said: ‘These startling findings have given us a much more detailed understanding of Woolf’s education: what and with whom she studied and who taught her. Her Greek studies, in particular, are in evidence throughout her oeuvre in novels, essays and short stories.

‘Naming the new building after Woolf also foregrounds the College’s progressive history of women’s education. Woolf would return again and again in her writing to

the causes and effects of excluding women from education. Finally, it is fitting that this building will be the new home for staff working in the arts and humanities, subjects of enquiry Woolf placed at the heart of democratic society.’

King’s is marking its move into the new Virginia Woolf Building at 22 Kingsway by installing a window display similar to the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the Strand. The Kingsway display is a temporary one, re-using artwork and photographs from the Strand display and it is intended that it will be replaced in due course by a new display as part of the College’s re-branding exercise.

48th Maudsley Debate: ‘This House believes that psychiatric diagnosis has advanced the care of people with mental health problems’

4 June 2013, 18.00 Wolfson Lecture Theatre, Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill Campus

More information

For more details on these events, please turn to page 12

News Dear Colleagues, Since the last edition of Comment, I have announced my plans to retire from my position as Principal in 2014. In the interim my focus remains very firmly on further progress towards our goal of recognition as a leading world university. This edition of Comment is full of outstanding achievements that take us closer to that goal.

Of special note this term is the College’s successful bid for a Diamond Jubilee Regius Professorship. This prestigious designation was made by the Queen on the recommendation of ministers and an expert academic panel. King’s has succeeded in Psychiatry, the first Regius chair ever awarded either in that field or in any associated with mental health.

This is a tribute to the Institute of Psychiatry’s reputation.

Deadlines for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 are fast approaching. A huge amount of income and prestige is at stake. Difficult decisions are having to be made about whose work will be submitted, but the final decision will be taken by the College in order to achieve the best reputational and financial result for the institution as a whole. This will be done while ensuring all colleagues are treated fairly. All relevant colleagues will receive a letter about the College’s intentions regarding REF submission.

I am delighted that our new building at 22 Kingsway now has an identity. It has been named after alumna Virginia Woolf, the distinguished novelist and critic, who was a student at King’s between 1897 and 1902. The Virginia Woolf Building will be open fully from the autumn term.

Applications for undergraduate entry at King’s in September 2013 are up by more than six per cent.

We want to ensure we have as much flexibility as our rigorous academic and admissions policies allow, in order to secure the best students.

It’s still early in the postgraduate applications cycle, but we have seen a small increase on this time last year.

We are holding a series of events to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the famous edition of Nature, which revealed the secrets of DNA and detailed the physical and chemical basis of how characteristics are passed down through generations.

Two of the three historic papers about the structure of DNA published in Nature were written by scientists from the Randall Institute at King’s. This Institute was the first to apply physical techniques to the solution of biological problems – a tradition of collaboration that we continue today.

I hope that everyone has a great term and summer break.

Rick Trainor, Principal

Shakespeare400 partnership confirmed Leading cultural organisations have signed a letter of intent to confirm their partnership with King’s in a co-ordinated season of events for the Shakespeare quatercentenary in 2016.

The letter of intent was signed at an event held at King’s and confirmed the collaborative partnership between King’s and leading cultural organisations. The ceremony represented the beginning of Shakespeare400, a consortium of some of the UK’s leading cultural, creative and educational institutions, co-ordinated by King’s, which will celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in 2016.

Through a connected series of public performances, programmes, exhibitions and creative activities in the capital and beyond, partner institutions will celebrate the

legacy of Shakespeare during the quatercentenary year.

The signing event was introduced by the Principal, Professor Rick Trainor, with addresses by Professor Gordon McMullan, London Shakespeare Centre, and Deborah Bull, Executive Director, King’s Cultural Institute. Artistic Directors, CEOs and many representatives from the partner cultural organisations gathered to mark the occasion.

Professor McMullan said: ‘We are delighted to be working with worldclass cultural partners to celebrate the profound impact of 400 years of Shakespeare.’

Underpinned by the research and expertise of the London Shakespeare Centre at King’s and facilitated

by King’s Cultural Institute, the Shakespeare400 season will run from April to September 2016.

Deborah Bull, Professor Rick Trainor and Professor Gordan McMullan with cultural partners

Global activity map launched International Centre for University Policy Research A new interactive digital map showing the College’s activity across the globe has been launched by King’s Worldwide.

The map acts as a comprehensive showcase of everything that the College is doing overseas, allowing users to browse by continent, country and category.

Categories of activities on the map include international partnerships, research collaborations, global health initiatives, study abroad opportunities and information about international alumni branches.

The map has almost 500 activities listed in more than 100 countries – many more are expected to be added as new initiatives come to light.

Professor Keith Hoggart, VicePrincipal (International), said: ‘King’s has a strong reputation as a world-

leading institution with a global reach.

The map allows us to showcase our involvement in key regions across the globe and helps promote the impact that we are having worldwide.

‘As the College embarks on the next phase of our international strategy, it is key that we have a joined-up approach to international activities. The global activity map, along with other initiatives, will help us to achieve this.’

The King’s Worldwide office oversees the development and implementation of the College’s international strategy and acts as a central hub for the co-ordination of King’s international activity.

To find out more about the College’s international strategy, visit the King’s Worldwide webpages: www.kcl.ac.uk/worldwide.

Alison Wolf CBE, Sir Roy Griffiths Professor of Public Sector Management, Department of Management, has launched the International Centre for University Policy Research (ICUPR).

Launched in January, the Centre forms part of King’s Policy Institute (KPI) which provides a base for centres and institutes working in the field of public policy. The ICUPR is primarily concerned with higher education as a global system and will focus on major policy issues, such as the rising real cost of higher education

and the appropriate role of governments in a period of mixed public and private funding.

Professor Wolf said: ‘Higher education is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing sectors and comprises many of the world’s longest-lived institutions.

Yet academic research on universities is limited in scope compared to that on schools or most other public services and largely directed to national issues.

The new Centre will help redress the balance and address a number of pressing and international policy issues.’

Annual Report published

The King’s Worldwide interactive digital map showcases College activities overseas

2 | Issue 203 | June 2013

greg goodale

A word from the Principal

The new King’s Report is now available. This illustrated magazine-style publication features a sample of the immense range of research, teaching and innovation undertaken at King’s in 2011-12.

Topics include: the options for a written constitution for the UK; the causes of visual hallucinations; financial management and the LIBOR and West Coast rail franchise crises; great King’s physicists James Clerk Maxwell and Peter Higgs and their theories unifying the forces of nature; ‘what matters most’ to patients and how the NHS must respond; the urgent ethical, social and legal debates around the new, brain-altering technologies; the remarkable tradition of creative

writing at King’s, from Keats to contemporary; and the College’s response to the agenda for widening student participation.

The Report also features an introduction by the Principal; College and student news, and facts and figures about King’s.

It is the Principal’s report to the College’s Council and is widely distributed to opinion-formers, funding councils and bodies, NHS contacts, national and local politicians, fellows, friends and staff of the College, visitors and VIPs. Copies are available from pr@kcl.ac.uk and the new edition of Report can be viewed online at ww.kcl.ac.uk/ newsevents/publications /report.aspx.

Injection-free vaccination Page 5

US Secretary of Defense gives final speech in Europe

News in brief Bloomberg Terminals Room

Project aims to find innovative ways to prevent HIV

King’s has been awarded €5.8 million by the European Commission to coordinate a project aimed at developing new ways to prevent the spread of HIV. A team of researchers from the Dental Institute and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences will join forces to work on developing gels that will optimise microbicides against the virus. Professor Charles Kelly, Dental Institute, said: ‘Results of a clinical trial published in 2010 showed that microbicides could be effective but the level of protection needs to be improved.

We hope that more effective delivery of microbicides at the sites of infection will achieve this.’

David Tett

David Tett

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta made his farewell speech to Europe at King’s. At an event hosted by the War Studies Department in January, Secretary Panetta spoke on the themes of transatlantic relationships and the future of US defence.

He said: ‘Today we face a whole new set of challenges in the security of the world.’ In particular he referred to the threat of cyber attacks and said he had long been concerned by the theft of intellectual property and the continued probing of infrastructures by malign forces.

Touching on the economic crisis, he argued that it should not be about cost-cutting, but rather about investing. He said he did not believe we should have to choose between fiscal responsibility and national security.

Speaking directly to audience members, including more than one hundred postgraduate students from the War Studies Department, he said the future security of the world was the responsibility of the upcoming generation.

King’s is one of only a few universities in the UK to offer direct use of Bloomberg data, information and analytics. Bloomberg is one of the financial services’ leading providers of market data, news and analytical functions used globally in bank dealing rooms and investment houses. The Bloomberg Terminals Room was officially opened in November 2012 and will be used by the Financial Mathematics Research Group.

Principal Professor Rick Trainor greets Secretary Panetta at the Strand Campus

24 new genes for short-sightedness identified An international team of scientists led by King’s has discovered 24 new genes that cause refractive errors and myopia (short-sightedness).

Myopia is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment worldwide and at present there is no cure. These findings, published in the journal Nature Genetics, reveal genetic causes of the trait, which could lead to finding better treatments or ways of preventing the

condition in the future.

Professor Chris Hammond, Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, and lead author of the paper, said: ‘We already knew that myopia – or shortsightedness – tends to run in families, but until now we knew little about the genetic causes. This study reveals for the first time a group of new genes that are associated with myopia and that carriers of some of these genes

Gene discovery could lead to better treatments

have a ten-fold increased risk of developing the condition.

‘Currently myopia is corrected with glasses or contact lenses, but now we understand more about the genetic triggers for the condition we can begin to explore other ways to correct it or prevent progression. It is an extremely exciting step forward which could potentially lead to better treatments or prevention in the future for millions around the world.’

The Queen awards Regius Professorship of Psychiatry King’s is to be bestowed the prestigious Regius Professorship of Psychiatry by Her Majesty the Queen to mark the Diamond Jubilee.

The Regius Professorship of Psychiatry will be the first Regius Chair to be associated with mental health and was awarded to King’s as a reflection of the exceptionally high

quality of teaching and research at the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP).

In partnership with the Maudsley, the IoP has redefined mental illness, its treatment and place in society.

Since its foundation, the IoP has led pioneering research into mental health and its continued association with the South London and

Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust enables research findings to be translated into novel treatments.

Professor Sir Robert Lechler, VicePrincipal (Health), said: ‘A Regius Professorship is a rare privilege. It represents a mark of distinction for King’s and is a tribute to the IoP’s outstanding academic achievements.’

Professor Shitij Kapur, Dean and Head of School at the IoP, said: ‘The Regius Professorship is a wonderful recognition of all that we have stood for, and done, for nearly a hundred years. The Chair acknowledges our pioneering work and the vital tasks that still lie ahead in tackling mental illness.’

Gels will optimise microbicides against HIV

King’s Health Partners funds innovative patient care

Research teams are developing innovative ideas to improve patient care with funding from the King’s Health Partners Research and Development Challenge Fund.

The Fund supports researchers from across partner organisations – King’s, Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital, and South London and Maudsley – to develop ideas that may lead to new discoveries to transform human health.

Since the Fund was launched in February 2012, 18 research projects by clinical academics across King’s Health Partners have been awarded funding grants of more than £1 million.

June 2013 | Issue 203 | 3

News A new injection-free vaccination technique could address the global vaccine challenge for diseases such as HIV and malaria. Dr Linda Klavinskis and Professor Frederic Geissmann from the Division of Immunology Infection & Inflammatory Diseases at King’s have demonstrated the ability to deliver a dried live vaccine to the skin without a traditional needle and shown, for the first time, that this technique is powerful enough to enable specialised immune cells in the skin to kick-start the immunising properties of the vaccine.

Researchers say although it is an early study this important technical advance offers a potential solution to the challenges of delivering live vaccines in resource-limited countries globally, without the need for refrigeration. A cheaper alternative to hypodermic needles, it would also remove safety risks from needle contamination and the pain-free administration could lead to more people having a vaccination.

Dr Klavinskis said: ‘This new technique represents a huge leap forward in overcoming the challenges of delivering a vaccination programme for diseases such as HIV and malaria. But these findings may also have wider implications for other infectious disease vaccination programmes, such as infant vaccinations.’

Pablo Becker, Senior research fellow, department of Immunobiology

Injection-free vaccination

This important technical advance offers a potential solution to the challenges of delivering live vaccines in resource-limited countries

Feed your mind The King’s Festival of Food & Ideas was a feast of free public events designed to showcase the latest research from across the sciences, arts and the humanities, exploring themes as diverse as the science of chocolate, the taste of whisky, food and war, the medicinal properties of Chinese cuisine, and much more.

Running from Thursday 7 – Friday 22 March, the Festival included speakers from King’s and

King’s Cultural Challenge beyond. More than two thousand tickets were allocated to members of the public for events at the Strand, Guy’s, Shrivenham and Denmark Hill campuses, with some events attracting waiting lists of more than one hundred people.

Each of King’s nine Schools and the International Institutes were represented at the Festival which included more than 25 events showcasing a variety of

Students from across King’s have been given the opportunity to win a paid internship with a leading national cultural organisation.

King’s Cultural Challenge is a collaboration between King’s Cultural Institute and the Southbank Centre, the V&A, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. The aim of the Challenge is to stimulate innovative responses to urgent, real-world questions identified by the cultural sector related to the areas of Access and Diversity, Curation and Programming for the 21st Century,

research and expertise.

Chris Coe, Director of Public Engagement, commented: ‘It was extremely gratifying to see such large numbers of external visitors coming to King’s – many of them for the first time – to learn from our academics, who responded enthusiastically.

The subjects covered ranged from the science of chocolate to the effects of food on mental health. There was something for everybody.’

Arts and the Digital and Cultural Encounters.

The Challenge is open to students at all levels from across the College who can win a paid internship with a leading national cultural organisation, an individual cash prize of £400, or a prize for the ‘Best Pitch’ of £400.

Deborah Bull, Executive Director, King’s Cultural Institute, said: ‘We are delighted to be launching King’s Cultural Challenge which offers King’s students a unique opportunity to put ideas developed at the College into practice with some of the country’s leading arts organisations.’

Dominic Turner

Specialist maths school for sixth-formers

‘The Science of Chocolate’, part of the King’s Festival of Food & Ideas

4 | Issue 203 | June 2013

King’s is planning a specialist school for talented young mathematicians. The College has received a development grant from the Department for Education and the Collegesponsored school is expected to open in September 2014.

The plans are part of the Government’s aims to improve Mathematics education in the state sector and increase the number of mathematically talented young people to study STEM subjects at top-rated universities.

The school will be one of a number of university-sponsored Mathematics schools, funded by the Government. It will aim to

cater for students who have both exceptional ability in Mathematics and an intense interest in the subject and to allow them to study with a critical mass of students with a similar passion.

The Principal, Professor Rick Trainor, said: ‘Our new Maths specialist school will provide vital support for sixth-formers in London to enable them to achieve their aspirations of studying STEM subjects at leading universities.

We believe that we can make an important contribution to improving the levels of attainment of young people, who will go on to become the mathematicians, scientists and engineers of the future.’

Medical students provide healthcare in Bangladesh Page 6

New MRI unit helps brain damaged babies

News in brief Professor Higgs returns to King’s

Centre for Developing Brain at King’s

The School of Natural & Mathematical Sciences has welcomed King’s alumnus Professor Peter Higgs (Physics, 1950) back to the College as the inaugural speaker for the Annual Higgs Lectures series.

Professor Higgs’ lecture, ‘Putting Maxwell in his place’, saw staff, students and esteemed professionals and academics in attendance.

Peter Higgs graduated with First Class Honours in Physics from King’s in 1950 and was awarded a PhD in 1954. Professor Higgs is particularly well known for his prediction of a particle of fundamental importance to physics – the Higgs Boson, or as it is sometimes called, The God Particle.

A new state-of-the-art MRI imaging facility has been launched which will improve care for the smallest and sickest babies, and enable scientists to understand brain development and test new treatments for brain damage.

The new Evelina Newborn Imaging Centre is part of the Centre for the Developing Brain at King’s, and is based in the Evelina Children’s Hospital, as part of King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre.

Professor David Edwards, Director of the Centre for the Developing Brain, said: ‘This new unit is world-leading, providing a Clinical Research Facility with a state of the art MRI scanner in the safe environment of the neonatal

intensive care unit. The most vulnerable babies will have access to these facilities, and it’s these infants that we need to know the most about in order to develop new treatments for brain damage.’

Biomedical research at King’s is to benefit from a £1.7m award to fund innovation in the field of microscopy.

The Medical Research Council (MRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have invested £24.5m to establish microscopy platforms, and King’s will lead one of 17 initiatives that are recipients of the fund.

The award represents a significant strategic investment in Biophysics and optics development and further highlights King’s as a world-leading force in this area.

Go Green Week 2013 King’s and KCLSU have celebrated Go Green Week, an exciting programme of activity that inspired students and staff to take action to help prevent climate change.

Monday 11 February was ‘Meat-free Monday’, a day which encouraged staff and students to consider the benefits of eating less meat and cheese. Food outlets across the College offered meat-free options and the Ethical Food Society visited restaurants to provide information on meat-free alternatives.

The following day was ‘TravelLight Tuesday’, which was all about encouraging the College community to find travel alternatives for daily journeys. Information about cycling and walking was distributed to staff and students: the Strand and

Guy’s campuses received visits from ‘Dr Bike’, free bike mechanics from the London Cycling Campaign.

‘Switch-off Thursday’ was a College-wide campaign that encouraged staff and students to switch off any non-essential equipment to conserve energy.

2,570 kWh was saved during one night – that is enough electricity to power 4,395 washing machine cycles!

Another highlight was the series of screenings of award-winning film, ‘Chasing Ice’, a documentary in which photographer James Balog deploys revolutionary time-lapse cameras to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers. Screenings took place across several campuses and were attended by staff and students.

First MSc in Early Intervention in Psychosis

‘Meat-free Monday’ encouraged staff and students to consider the benefits of eating less meat

National Nursing Research Unit responds to Francis Report The final report by Robert Francis into the care given by Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust was published in February, and contained 18 recommendations for both the Trust and the Government.

Professor Jill Maben, Director of the National Nursing Research Unit (NNRU) at the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery, responds: ‘Nothing can or will make up for the losses and distress that Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation

Trust caused to the community it served – serious failings in care that led to indignity, suffering and at least 400 deaths that should never have happened. It is incumbent on us all to learn lessons from the Inquiry led

by Robert Francis, and champion the cultural change needed to allow all healthcare staff to deliver care with kindness and compassion.

‘The majority of healthcare professionals are motivated by the ideal of making a difference to people’s lives. However, in

£1.7m award to fund innovation in microscopy

certain noxious environments a transformation occurs, so that over time these same people are forced to abandon their ideals and protect themselves against a system that erodes humanity and caring.

‘While Francis is right to emphasise the centrality of the patient experience, research by the NNRU suggests that staff experiences at work have an important influence on patient experiences of care. Positive practice environments are well led, help nurses care well, show kindness

and compassion to patients and to staff, and allow nurses to make a positive difference to people’s lives.

Furthermore, in a positive learning culture which creates a climate of psychological safety, whistleblowers feel more able to highlight failings in care.

‘It is important to listen to staff across the NHS and to champion the real culture change needed to allow healthcare staff to deliver care with the kindness and compassion that first brought them into the profession.’

The Institute of Psychiatry has launched the world’s first post-graduate course on early intervention in psychosis.

Early intervention in psychosis is a clinical approach which focuses on the detection and management of early symptoms. It is now recognised as effective in reducing the long term impact of psychotic disorders and is becoming an integral part of mental health services worldwide.

The course will use a multidisciplinary approach, capitalizing on the most recent findings from a range of clinical and non-clinical disciplines including psychiatry, psychology, genetics, neuroscience, epidemiology and biostatistics.

June 2013 | Issue 203 | 5

Student news Medical students provide healthcare in Bangladesh promoting healthy lifestyle choices for the local Bangladeshi community, and the success of these seminars whetted my appetite for change. I wanted to reach the world’s poorest people and make a difference. As a BritishBangladeshi, I feel a responsibility to help contribute to the development of healthcare in Bangladesh and volunteering through Selfless gives me that chance.’

Other members of the team include medical students, S M Zubair Rahim and Nuzhath Khan. Nuzhath commented: ‘Selfless is an inspiring charity that allows young people to contribute their skills to communities around the world. Volunteering for Selfless has given me a fantastic opportunity to ‘give back’ and apply the skills learnt in medical school in a meaningful way.

‘I would encourage everyone, from both medical and non-medical backgrounds, to get involved in this very worthy cause.’

The team will be working in Bangladesh from 11 – 19 August 2013 and is still looking for volunteers and donations. To support the team, please visit www.justgiving.com/teams/ selflesselectiveaid2013.

Istock

A team of medical students from King’s has launched Elective Aid, a volunteering project under the tutelage of registered charity, Selfless, which aims to tackle the shortage of healthcare facilities in Bangladesh.

According to the World Bank, Bangladesh is the world’s most densely populated country and has some of the highest maternal and child mortality rates. Through the organisation of rural health camps in partnership with local NGOs, the team aims to help with the shortage of healthcare providers and lack of access to healthcare in Bangladesh. Their goal is to serve at least 4,000 villagers in Bangladesh through the provision of primary medical care including immunisations, specialist consultation and minor surgery.

Ghazi Jamal Salam, a medical student at King’s, is the team leader for the project. He said: ‘This is one of the most challenging projects I have ever embarked upon; however I am confident that it will be an incredibly rewarding, beneficial and fulfilling experience.

‘I have always tried to be proactive at university, using my skills as a medical student to run seminars

The Elective Aid team with the Principal and Professor Anne Greenough, Head of the School of Medicine

Student blog: Life in the Arts & Humanities The School of Arts & Humanities has launched a new blog offering a fresh perspective on the day-to-day lives of undergraduates, postgraduates and students who study abroad.

The blog allows prospective students to interact directly with current students studying languages, literature, creative arts and the humanities. It also offers current students a memorable writing experience and the opportunity to expand on social media skills.

Roland Fisher, an undergraduate student studying German & Philosophy, said: ‘Blogging for King’s is a great opportunity because it gives me a platform upon which I can talk about the things that I find interesting.

It provides me with a reason to write something other than academic essays and poetry.’

‘Arts & Humanities Life’ provides a platform for more than 20 student bloggers to talk honestly and openly about their experience in the School 6 | Issue 203 | June 2013

and about university life in general, providing an accurate glimpse into university life for prospective students.

‘I remember that when I applied to King’s, I couldn’t find any firsthand stories about what it is like to be a student here,’ said Stella Toonen, a postgraduate student in the Department of Cultural & Creative Industries. ‘Writing for this blog means that I can tell future students about my experiences.’

The blog is already home to more than two dozen posts covering everything from studying in Spain, to the challenge of a PhD project.

Chris White, School Marketing Officer, created the blog to show what the School of Arts & Humanities was really like. He said: ‘The students in the School are incredibly inspiring, so I wanted to provide a selection of their experiences.

Studying a subject that you love is a great experience that makes going to university all the more fulfilling.’

The blog is run exclusively by students in the School of Arts & Humanities

Introducing the Dean of Law Page 9

King’s welcomes Chevening Scholar from Brunei Norali Ali Yusop, a student in the Department of Education & Professional Studies, has received a Chevening Scholarship to study at King’s. A visually-impaired student, Norali is a unique and inspirational Chevening Scholar whose enthusiasm for London and for his studies has helped him to overcome some of the difficulties related to his disability.

Chevening Scholarships provide funding for students from around the world to study in the UK, and Norali has joined the King’s community from Brunei in South East Asia.

He is working towards an MA in Inclusive Education and Technology, a unique programme which is not offered anywhere else in the UK. The course teaches students about the use of technology by, and for, people with learning disabilities within a broad theoretical framework that acknowledges the social model of inclusion.

Norali commented: ‘So far the course has been insightful. This is exactly why scholars travel abroad; to grow, to learn and to think outside the box.’

PhD student gains expertise in stem cell research Victoria Highland is enjoying a highly unique experience at King’s, as a PhD student working in the Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine. The Centre, led by Professor Fiona Watt, is at the forefront of pioneering research for future medical treatments and Victoria has taken the opportunity to work on her PhD in this groundbreaking environment.

Although her interests always lay in the sciences, it took time for her to discover her passion for biochemistry.

‘At school I was always more interested in chemistry and physics, but during my degree I realized that I was more interested in answering biological questions,’ she said.

As an undergraduate, Victoria developed a keen interest in stem cells. ‘Stem cells are intrinsically interesting,’ she said. ‘They maintain the tissues within an organism.

Studying them can lead to huge

advances in our understanding of biology and disease.

‘I’m now studying skin stem cells, which are the cells responsible for maintaining the skin. I’m trying to understand how the behaviour of these cells is controlled by the signals they receive from their environment. Understanding these processes could lead to advances in regenerative medicine and in our understanding of cancer biology.’

A highlight of her studies, Victoria says, is the hospital environment that King’s provides.

‘Being based in a hospital means that, as well as pursuing basic research, we can have a translational focus to our work. Studying at King’s is the best of both worlds.’

In the future, she plans to continue to pursue her scientific aspirations. She said: ‘I love the idea of one day having my own lab, so there’s a lot of work ahead!’

Victoria works with Professor Watt’s team on world leading stem cell research

Alumnus facilitates partnership for Modern Language Centre Former Mathematics student James Owers has helped the Modern Language Centre (MLC) to receive a contract from BAE Systems Detica to provide in-house language training.

BAE Systems Detica is an international technology consulting firm that offers information intelligence solutions in cyber security and develops innovative software and hardware technologies.

James, who is also an Honorary Life Member of KCLSU, returned to the College to discuss whether the MLC

could provide bespoke language training for the company.

James explained: ‘Any global business appreciates the value of employees that can feel confident in a foreign country. It is not always possible to hire employees with the correct skill set with language skills on top. Learning a language is a great way to display willingness to invest in talent and is also a fun social activity.’

The MLC has more than 20 years’ experience of running company-based training and is very

keen to help James set up this new training programme. James said: ‘The MLC’s price was competitive compared with other London Institutions and external companies and provided an excellent and bespoke summary of the services that they could provide. It made it much easier for me to generate a good business case.’

For more information on the MLC Tailor-made language courses, please visit www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/ mlc/study/tuition/index.aspx

Ben Goldacre talks ‘Bad Pharma’ Ben Goldacre (Philosophy, 1998), an award-winning writer, medical doctor and former King’s student, returned to the College to host an event celebrating the launch of his new book, Bad Pharma: How drug c ompanies mislead doctors and harm patients.

In an event exclusive to alumni, staff, students and friends, Ben gave an impassioned talk about the ‘bad science’ of pharmaceutical industries. He explained that results from research and clinical trials run by pharmaceutical companies are withheld from doctors, regulators and patients, with the result that industrysponsored drugs are favoured whether they are found to be the best on the market or not.

Ben commented: ‘Medicine is broken. The evidence we use to make decisions about what drugs to approve and prescribe is hopelessly and systematically distorted.’

Ben Goldacre addressed an enthusiastic audience of staff, students and alumni

His arguments and evidence drew both criticism and praise from the audience, sparking a highly-charged debate.

Ben is the writer of the ‘Bad Science’ column in the Guardian, as well as the author of its

follow up book of the same title.

He currently works as an academic in epidemiology.

The talk was chaired by Professor Shitij Kapur, Dean of the Institute of Psychiatry and Deputy VicePrincipal (Health).

June 2013 | Issue 203 | 7

King’s people Profile

Professor Evelyn Welch Art Historian Professor Evelyn Welch joined King’s this semester as Vice-Principal (Arts & Sciences) and Professor of Renaissance Studies. A leading authority on European Culture and Fashion, she is also the mother of internationally renowned recording artist Florence Welch and company director of the band Florence and the Machine Ltd. How do you feel to be joining King’s as VP (Arts & Sciences)?

David Tett

I am very excited to be joining an institution with such an impressive international reputation, one that is committed to its students’ success, to undertaking world leading research and to solving key issues such as water shortages in the Sahara and establishing stable international relations in Europe and the Middle East.

We need to ensure we come together as a community to look after and support the next generation of students and scholars. We also need to make certain that our audiences hear a coherent and powerful story. My role is to pull together the multiplicity of things that we do and present them as effectively as possible.

What are your own research interests?

What is it like to be the mother of not only a fashion icon but a global superstar?

I close my eyes when she goes on stage – it’s like watching your child doing a piano recital – even though you know she can do it, you hold your breath until it is over.

Do you ever get upset when you read negative press coverage?

I am in the last phase of a major research project, Fashioning the What does your new role as VP involve?

Early Modern: Creativity and I am responsible for four of King’s Innovation in Europe, www.

Schools: Arts & Humanities, Law, fashioningtheearlymodern.ac.uk.

Natural & Mathematical Sciences and This has been very exciting in terms Social Sciences & Public Policy. In of creating new methodologies based addition I work closely with the Vice- on surviving physical evidence for Principal (International) to support fashionable clothing from the early the Global Institutes and alongside modern period in Europe. both the Vice-Principal (Education) How involved are you in Florence and the and Vice-Principal (Research & Machine? Are you musical?

Innovation) to ensure the delivery of the highest quality student experience I can sing but you wouldn’t want to hear me. Florence’s entire family was and research and innovation. very supportive of her early career.

What did you do before?

I am the company director of Florence For the last nine years I have been and the Machine Ltd which means working at Queen Mary, University that I look after the money. After all, of London, where I was Dean of the someone has to.

Faculty of Arts and subsequently Vice-Principal for Research and International. Prior to this I was at University of Sussex for ten years, becoming Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning. I took my PhD at the Warburg Institute, University of London in fifteenthcentury Italian art and culture and then had a precarious decade of temporary teaching posts and postdoctoral positions.

It goes with the territory.

What do you hope to achieve at King’s?

Hilary Mantel’s Bring up the Bodies, amazing history told in an amazing way.

King’s has amazing students and staff with so many tales to tell.

Evelyn with daughters Grace and Florence Welch

How tricky is it to juggle such different worlds?

I have learned a great deal from each world. I can bring the structures of a university to the more relaxed environment of the music business and ask the right questions. I can, in turn, understand the business questions you need to ask before embarking on any new activity in a university environment to ensure that it is sustainable.

Any chance Florence could perform at King’s in the future?

Flo is taking a break from performing this year, but who knows – I know she would love to sing in the King’s chapel.

What is your favourite holiday destination and why?

We had a fantastic family holiday in Sri Lanka this Christmas but anywhere that can hold our large family quickly becomes a favourite destination.

What is the current book on your bedside table?

New staff appointments around the College •

Dr Daniel Glaser has joined King’s as Director, Science Engagement, King’s Cultural Institute.

Dr Glaser will contribute to the College’s efforts to develop projects and partnerships that research and explore the creative interface between science, health and the arts.

He has joined King’s from the Wellcome Trust, 8 | Issue 203

where he was Head of Special Projects.

in International Relations & Middle East Studies.

•

In the Department of English, Dr Lawrence Warner has been appointed Senior Lecturer in Medieval English.

His research interests include Middle English textual studies and Chaucer. Dr Elizabeth Scott-Baumann has also joined as Leverhulme Early Career Fellow.

At the Institute of Psychiatry, child autism expert, Professor Tony Charman (left), has been appointed Chair in Clinical Child Psychology in the Department of Psychology, and cannabis addiction expert, Professor Michael Lynskey (right), has joined the Addictions Department.

Reinous Leenders •hasDrjoined the Department of War Studies as Reader

•

•

Professor Emma Dillon (right) has joined the Department of Music from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on the history of sound and medieval music and culture.

•

Anand Menon has joined King’s as Professor of West European Politics in a joint appointment by the Department of European & International Studies and the Department of War Studies.

•

The Department of Comparative Literature has welcomed Dr Anup Grewal as Lecturer in Chinese Literature.

Flashback: Fougasse Page 11

Phil Sayer

Professor David Caron began his work with The Dickson Poon School of Law in May 2013

King’s experts take part in landmark event for Women Three female academics from King’s were selected to participate in the first ‘Expert Women’s Day’ at the BBC. Dr Rosie Wyles (left), Lecturer in Greek Language & Literature in the Department of Classics; Dr Kylie Reed, Clinical Lecturer in the Department of Addictions at the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP), and Sally Marlow, a PhD student also from the Department of Addictions, were selected from more than 2,000 applicants to take part.

The initiative evolved in response to claims that female experts could not be found to contribute to discussions on a range of academic topics on radio and TV programmes.

The day provided an opportunity for the shortlisted experts to meet leading industry professionals and programme commissioners.

They also received hands on training in presenting, engaging audiences and forging a career in the media.

Dr Reed commented: ‘I applied for the training as I am excited by the possibilities for communicating science and medicine in a fun and palatable way to the public using popular media. It was also a great experience to be surrounded by experts from such a diversity of specialties.’

Professor David Caron has been appointed as Dean of The Dickson Poon School of Law. He took up his appointment in May 2013.

The appointment follows a £20m donation by Mr Dickson Poon CBE, which is part of a £40m transformation project to build the School’s reputation as one of the top law schools. It also aims to set new standards in legal education and research.

Professor Caron has joined the College from the University of California, Berkeley. His scholarship covers international law and organisation, focusing on public and private international dispute resolution, international courts and tribunals, the United Nations, the law of the sea, international environmental law, climate change and general theory of international law.

Professor Caron said: ‘I am utterly delighted to join King’s and in particular its outstanding community of scholars and students. Dickson Poon’s gift comes at the right time for a global community that seeks new and effective approaches to numerous challenges facing humanity, each of which transcends the borders of any particular state. I very much look forward to helping to bring the collective excellence of the College and the legal community to bear on the most pressing issues of our day.’

Knighthood for Professor Sir Simon Wessely

Professor Sir Simon Wessely, Director of the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR), ViceDean (Academic Psychiatry) and Head of Psychological Medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) has been awarded a Knight Bachelor for services to military healthcare and psychological medicine.

His research career began with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

With colleagues, Professor Wessely studied all aspects of CFS – from biochemistry, to sociology, and set up the first NHS CFS service at King’s College Hospital, where he continues to see patients.

On first hearing about ‘Gulf War Syndrome’ (GWS), he turned his focus to Dr Wyles: ‘The day was a truly unique experience!’ the Armed Forces.

‘GWS had shared some similarities Dr Wyles said: ‘The day was a with CFS so we set truly unique experience in enabling women from areas including business, up the first large scale study of Gulf War science, history, and politics to learn veterans to understand from industry experts about how to the condition,’ he translate our expertise into media said. Wessely’s content.’

Sally Marlow said: ‘I can’t imagine focus has since been on the I would have been able to pitch my work to commissioners without being mental and physical selected for the day and I’ve already health of made a radio piece about something the Armed really important to me.’

Forces. KCMHR now has access to data from more than 12,000 UK military personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan. Its research has been instrumental in increasing psychological support for the UK Armed Forces.

Professor Wessely has acted as a spokesperson for psychiatry and medicine and is committed to improving psychiatry education.

On being awarded his Knighthood, Professor Sir Simon Wessely said: ‘I know it’s a cliché, but I really do believe that I owe this to all the amazingly talented people I have been fortunate to work with at the IoP and the Maudsley. I have spent a large part of my career trying to improve the health of service men and women and I want to thank them for their fortitude, their inspiration and most of all their patience with our research.’

Professor Shitij Kapur, Dean and Head of School of the IoP, said: ‘Professor Wessely’s remarkable contribution to psychiatry has long been recognised in academic circles but it’s particularly heartening to see his accomplishments recognised publicly.’

Brazilian Foreign Minister visits Brazil Institute

Brazilian Foreign Minister, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, spoke at King’s during a visit to enhance bilateral relations between the UK and Brazil.

Minister Patriota was joined by His Excellency Roberto Jaguaribe, Brazilian Ambassador to the UK, and welcomed by the Principal, Professor Rick Trainor. He gave a lecture on Brazilian foreign policy to students and invited guests then took part in a Q&A session, hosted

by Professor Anthony Pereira, Director of King’s Brazil Institute.

David Tett

Introducing the Dean of Law

News in brief

King’s welcomes Brazilian guests

Honours for Sir Paul Nurse

King’s conferred an honorary doctorate upon Sir Paul Nurse PRS at a degree ceremony earlier this year.

Sir Paul is a highly distinguished geneticist and was joint recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2001. He is President of the Royal Society, a former Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, and Director of the Francis Crick Institute – London’s world-leading biomedical research centre, of which King’s is part.

The Francis Crick Institute is due to open in 2015.

Professor awarded Italian civil honour

Lucy Di Silvio, Professor in Tissue Engineering in the Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering & Imaging Research Group at the Dental Institute, has been awarded the highly prestigious Ordine della Stella d’Italia (The Order of the Star of Italy).

The Order is bestowed by the President of the Italian Republic, head of the order, on the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs ‘to recognise those expatriates who have made an outstanding contribution to the preservation and promotion of national prestige abroad.’

Cavaliere Professor Di Silvio said: ‘It was indeed a surprise and great honour for me to receive this award from my country, having been resident in the UK for a considerable part of my life.’

Professor Di Silvio with the Italian Consul General

June 2013 | Issue 203 | 9

King’s people Focus

The fruits of partnership begin to ripen It is now more than six months since King’s joined forces with Ipsos MORI, one of the country’s longest established research companies.

The partnership brings together researchers from both institutions to develop new opportunities and enhance the impact of the work of each organisation.

Three Ipsos MORI employees have taken up posts at King’s. Bobby Duffy is one of them. He is a Visiting Senior Fellow, based in Social Science & Public Policy.

‘The King’s Ipsos MORI partnership makes the most of existing research and also allows us to develop new research studies together,’ Bobby says. ‘We want to increase our impact on policy and public debate. Doing all this together makes us a powerful combination. Our key aim is to get into policy networks, bringing our mix of evidence and experts to the centre of policy debate.’

Bobby works closely with Professor Denise Lievesley, Head of Social Science & Public Policy. She acknowledges: ‘We’re learning how to make the partnership function effectively. Academics are used to working autonomously so we need to inspire them by creating opportunities that will benefit all of us.’

Both agree that more concrete outputs are essential. They feel the Monarchy Debate that took place in the Chapel at King’s was a successful launch event. ‘As everyone on the panel was a monarchist, in some ways it became a debate with the audience – but in many ways that reflects the very positive public opinion about the monarchy right now,’ says Bobby.

‘And that doesn’t mean we will shy away from controversial subjects.

We are happy to tackle them directly.’

‘However, not everything we do will be in the form of a debate,’ says Professor Lievesley. ‘We plan to host breakfast briefings where we

Da

It’s still early days, but the collaboration between King’s and Ipsos MORI is already being promoted as a match made in ‘academic’ heaven.

Bobby Duffy and Professor Denise Lievesley discuss the future of the dynamic King’s Ipsos MORI partnership

will present research findings to key policy makers. We’ll also hold halfday presentations on chosen topics.

And as this is the International Year of Statistics, we plan to hold some events with the Royal Statistical Society.’

Both sides of the union are committed to growing the partnership.

A key indicator of success will be whether or not there is an increase in the number of people involved.

There will also be a formal report which assesses its worth by looking at outputs and outcomes. ‘We’ll be

looking at how people feel about the partnership and what value they think it has added,’ says Professor Lievesley.

King’s wants to reach out more to the private sector to increase impact and hopes to learn from Ipsos MORI’s success in this area. Bobby thinks in return the partnership will give Ipsos MORI more space for reflection.

There are of course, challenges.

‘Trying to coordinate diaries for the senior team is never easy,’ smiles Professor Lievesley. ‘And we will be able to understand more clearly what

works well for the partnership as it grows older.’

Seeing these two colleagues working together effectively is one the best examples of the success of the partnership. Professor Lievesley is delighted that other academics are talking about how they might use the partnership to benefit their own work.

‘People are beginning to think in those terms and that’s exciting.’

Optimism about the future of the partnership radiates from these two.

‘We managed to bring PowerPoint

into the Chapel, having done that there’s no limit to what we can do!’

They have clear plans for the future which include joint scholarships and studentships. Students will also benefit by having direct access to data in a research organisation. Several joint applications for funded research are also underway. These are bold ambitions for a young partnership, but if the determination of these two is anything to go by, the King’s Ipsos MORI partnership will be making its impact for many years to come.

the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery, called for all nurses to take responsibility for their own actions to ensure there is a zero tolerance approach to poor practice.

the differences in cancer survival rates between the UK and other high-income countries. The research was reported by Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Independent, Guardian, The Times, Evening Standard, BBC News, BBC China, Xinhua (China) and NPR (USA). Dr Forbes was also interviewed on BBC One, BBC Radio 4, and Sky News.

was interviewed on Newsnight about military intervention in Mali by other countries in Africa. Also commenting on the Mali intervention was Professor Dominique Moïsi, Political Economy, who addressed France’s role in the Financial Times.

Media watch New Law Dean

The appointment of Professor David Caron (below) as Dean of The Dickson Poon School of Law was reported in the Times and in several legal trade titles, including The Lawyer, Global Legal Post and Young Lawyer.

An interview with Professor 10 | Issue 203 | June 2013

Caron was published in the Independent in April.

Robots in the home

Academics from the Department of Informatics, including Professor Maria Fox and Professor Kaspar Althoefer, featured in a series of videos for the technology magazine, T3. The videos explored the potential of robots in the home.

Francis Report

In an opinion piece written for the Nursing Times Anne Marie Rafferty (right), Professor of Nursing Policy at

Stiff upper lip

The traditional British ‘stiff upper lip’ could be preventing people from seeing their doctor, according to a study led by Dr Lindsay Forbes, Institute of Psychiatry (IoP). Feeling embarrassed or not wanting to waste the doctors’ time were factors more frequently reported by British people, which may help explain

Mali intervention

Dr Jonathan Hill, Defence Studies,

Injection-free vaccination

Scientists at King’s, led by Dr Linda Klavinskis, Immunobiology, demonstrated the ability to deliver

Dr Chiara de Franco’s Media Power and the Transformation of War in the Books section Page 12

Flashback

Fougasse

a dried live vaccine to the skin without a traditional needle. The story was reported by Financial Times, Guardian, Al Jazeera, Times of India, O Globo (Brazil) and Xinhua (China), among others.

Short-sightedness genes

King’s scientists, led by Professor Chris Hammond, Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology, discovered 24 new genes that cause shortsightedness. Professor Hammond said: ‘This study reveals for the first time a group of new genes that are associated with myopia

King’s college archive

King’s engineering graduate (Cyril) Kenneth Bird CBE FKC (1887-1965) took the pen name Fougasse as a cartoonist for Punch magazine, of which he became Art Editor and then Editor. His fine, closely-observed drawings include the famous wartime anti-gossip series Careless Talk Costs Lives. Among his gifts to King’s were a series of menus for the annual dinner of the Engineering Society and his stylish portrayals of the College’s mascot Reggie the Lion, still in popular use today.

Bird was born into an upper-middle class London family and aspired from childhood to be an artist. His father was not rich enough to support him, however, and in 1904 he began to study civil engineering at King’s.

He became President of the student union and the Engineering Society, and also boxed and played rugby.

At the same time he studied art at evening classes at the Regent Street Polytechnic and the London School of Photo-Engraving and Lithography.

In a memoir Bird’s nephew Tom Bird describes how his uncle ‘loved King’s and contributed (gratis) numerous cartoons for events and functions, during his time at College and long after.’

Bird graduated with a BSc in civil engineering in 1908 and was employed at the Rosyth naval base outside Edinburgh. In September 1914 he joined the Royal Engineers and in the same month he married Mollie Caldwell, a painter and etcher who worked under the name of Mary Holden Bird. The couple had no children.

At Gallipoli in 1915 Bird’s back was shattered by a shell and he was sent home, apparently permanently disabled. For three years he was unable to walk, so he turned to cartooning, studying through a correspondence course. From 1916 he became a regular contributor to

King’s college archive

The famous cartoonist who named himself after a mine that might (or might not) explode.

Punch, refining and simplifying his style into a modernist shorthand and capturing movement through line and facial expression. He also drew some striking humorous advertisements for Austin Reed, London Underground and others, and alongside HM Bateman he developed the strip

cartoon. In 1924 he was invited to design a miniature book for Queen Mary’s doll’s house.

In 1937 Bird became Art Editor of Punch. He improved and modernized the magazine’s look, injecting a strong American advertising influence.

Captions were shortened and jokes

were sped up: his ideal was a cartoon which did not need a caption at all.

At the same time he established a tradition of encouragement, accessibility and technical expertise for Punch artists.

When war came, he volunteered his artistic services to the government.

and that carriers of some of these genes have a ten-fold increased risk of developing the condition.’

The story received coverage in Independent, Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Times, BBC Radio 5 Live Times of India, Press Trust of India, and China Daily.

population, but that New Delhi was destined to remain aloof.

Quoted by Agence France Presse, Dr Pant’s comments were reported

by Global Post (USA) and Xinhua (China), among other international outlets.

Low Emission Zone, including reference to King’s research by Financial Times and an interview with Professor Frank Kelly (left) on BBC London News.

He said that

PM’s visit to India

Dr Harsh Pant, India Institute and Defence Studies Department, commented on David Cameron’s visit to India, saying that Britain and India are bound by their history and large British-Indian

Air pollution

Research by our Environmental Research Group (ERG) on air pollution in London received extensive coverage in the runup to, and following, Boris Johnson’s announcement on plans for an Ultra

His distinctive, crisp, linear images and gentle if pointed humour produced memorably effective propaganda and information, including the anti-gossip series, Careless Talk Costs Lives, which portrayed Hitler, Goebbels, and Goering listening to indiscreet conversations. In 1950 Princess Elizabeth observed: ‘How carelessly we should have talked during the war but for Fougasse.’

Tom Bird comments: ‘He was enormously generous, particularly of his time. His work for charity was unceasing and free. All his extensive war work – including the Careless Talk Costs Lives series (his title incidentally) – was free. Unfortunately the original artwork for the series was torpedoed in the Atlantic, ironically as it was being sent to the US for safekeeping.’

In 1949 Bird became the seventh editor of Punch: the only artist to hold this position. He restyled the magazine, and supervised two special issues to celebrate the Festival of Britain (1951) and the Coronation (1953), for which he designed delightful covers. He was a genial, mild man, and did not take a political editorial point of view. Tom Bird writes that ‘He was not a man who ‘banged on’, he was not a raconteur, he did not hold forth about politics in which he held moderate views typical of his upper-middle class background.

He was just very amusing. Women were charmed by him. He was an excellent after dinner speaker, and much in demand.’

Bird retired as editor of Punch in 1952 but continued to contribute as a cartoonist. His genteel professionalism and the clarity of his notions about comic art were most effectively laid out in The GoodTempered Pencil (1956), where he wrote that comedy is more effective than tragedy. He became a Fellow of King’s in 1936, and in 1946 was awarded a CBE.

Johnson’s plans could be ‘too little too late’.

Valentine’s romcoms

Davina Quinlivan, Film Studies, explored the charm of offbeat ‘alternative romcoms’ in Times Higher Education. She wrote: ‘Predictable and inauthentic representations have their antidotes, arguably, in interesting examples of what we might call ‘alternative romcoms’: films that go against the grain and offer very different reflections on romance and its more unconventional guises.’

June 2013 | Issue 203 | 11

Books

For more news from around the College, visit King’s intranet INTERNAL.KCL.AC.UK

What’s on ELSEVIER INSIGHTS

BERKOVITZ

12-397190-6

NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH

s a range sciences, , Elsevier eBook or

Byron: the poetry of politics & the politics of poetry 1 – 6 July 2013, Strand Campus

The 39th International Byron Conference will be held at the Strand Campus in July. The conference will examine Byron’s engagement with politics in the widest sense: as a poet, as a member of the House of Lords, as a commentator on his time, and latterly as a would-be revolutionary.

Further details: www.kcl.ac.uk/ artshums/depts/chs/events/ByronConference/index.aspx

NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH A DENTAL ODYSSEY BARRY K.B. BERKOVITZ

971906

Nothing but the Tooth: A Dental Odyssey

Dr Barry Berkovitz, Dental Institute and Department of Anatomy & Human Sciences While most books on dentistry describe the clinical and medical procedures involved, this book expands the field to examine the role of dentistry and teeth in everything from biology to biography. The book describes both the natural history of teeth and the lives of famous people in dentistry. Topics include the wide range of teeth in animals, such as worms, leeches, piranhas and vampire bats, as well as the tusks and ivory of elephants and narwhals.

Elsevier

LEARNING IN DOING:

Media Power and The Transformation of War

End-of-Life Nursing Care: A Guide for Best Practice

Dr Chiara de Franco, Department of War Studies

Joanna De Souza, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery, and Annie Pettifer

Do the news media have any role in the transformation of war and warfare?

This book argues that the news media alter the cognitive and strategic environment of the actors of war and politics, and change the way these interact with one another. Building on a four-dimensional definition of power and focusing on the role of television, this book recognises the importance of interactions upon the understanding of any social phenomenon.

Palgrave Macmillan

Students and newly qualified staff make up much of the workforce delivering end-of-life care but, because it can be both technically challenging and emotionally demanding, it is an aspect of nursing that can cause considerable anxiety.

This very accessible, straightforward book helps to allay those concerns and enables pre-registration students to prepare confidently for the challenges they will face when they are caring for dying patients and supporting their families.

SAGE Publications Ltd

Perceiving Pain in African Literature

Zoe Norridge, Department of English

Why do African writers choose to describe pain in their novels, memoirs and travelogues? What purpose could such descriptions serve? An analysis of literary accounts of suffering from subSaharan Africa, this book examines fiction and life-writing published in English and French over the last 40 years. Drawing on writers from the canonical to the less well-known, this book uses a series of close readings to examine the complex personal, social and political consequences of representing pain in literature.

Palgrave Macmillan

Child Studies Conference 2013: Participation into practice 13 June 2013, 09.30 – 16.15 Room B5, Franklin-Wilkins Building, Waterloo Campus

A one day conference hosted by Child Studies, Department of Education & Professional Studies.

‘Participation into Practice’ will be of interest to all those concerned with the importance of direct research with children and young people in influencing public policy and practice. Speakers include: Sue Berelowitz, Deputy Children’s Commissioner for England and District Judge Nicholas Crichton CBE. Further details: http://www. kcl.ac.uk/sspp/news/eventrecords/

Christian Heath

Social, Cognitive & Computational Perspectives

48th Maudsley Debate: ‘This House believes that psychiatric diagnosis has advanced the care of people with mental health problems.’

4 June 2013, 18.00, Wolfson Lecture Theatre, Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill Campus

THE DYNAMICS OF AUCTION Social Interaction and the Sale of Fine Art and Antiques

The Dynamics of Auction: Social Interaction and the Sale of Fine Art and Antiques

The Future of Foreign Aid: Development Cooperation and the New Geography of Global Poverty

Professor Christian Heath, Department of Management

Andy Sumner, International Development Institute, and Richard Mallett

Each year art and antiques worth many billions of pounds are sold at auction. These auctions consist of numerous, intense episodes of social interaction through which the price of goods rapidly escalates until sold on the strike of a hammer. Professor Christian Heath examines the fine details of interaction that arises at auctions, the talk and visible conduct of the participants and their use of various tools and technologies.

Cambridge University Press

The landscape of foreign aid is changing. New development actors are on the rise, from the ‘emerging’ economies to numerous private foundations and philanthropists.

Most of the world’s poor people no longer live in the poorest countries.

Building on an academic review of research on foreign aid, this book outlines a new vision of the aid system, making a series of policy relevant proposals for global development cooperation in the 21st century.

Palgrave Macmillan

Repudiating Feminism: Young Women in a Neoliberal World

Dr Christina Scharff, Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries

Putting on Panto to Pay for the Pinter: Henry Marshall Pantomimes at Salisbury Playhouse 1955 to 1985

Dr Chris Abbott, Department of Education & Professional Studies

The Institute of Psychiatry is hosting a debate on the issue of psychiatric diagnosis. Some argue that a rigorously standardised system of classification of mental disorders forms an essential role in conceptualising a patient’s problem while others consider psychiatric diagnoses to be no more than labels, which lack scientific and predictive validity and serve only to stigmatise and objectify those who suffer from mental disorders.

More events at King’s

12 | Issue 203 | June 2013

Gender equality is a widely shared value in many western societies and yet, the mention of the term feminism frequently provokes unease, bewilderment or overt hostility.

Grounded in rich empirical research and providing a timely contribution to debates on engagements with feminism, Dr Scharff explores how young German and British women think, talk and feel about feminism.

Ashgate

This book is a fully illustrated history of the pantomimes written by Henry Marshall and performed at Salisbury Playhouse (Wiltshire, England) between 1955 and 1985, including the full text of Marshall’s gagbook, and reminiscences by many of the performers who went on to become famous nationally and internationally.

A hilarious and sometimes moving account of a fondly-remembered 30year run of pantomimes. Forward by Stephanie Cole.

Hobnob Press

Find out about events in and around the College by visiting: kcl.ac.uk/newsevents/events internal.kcl.ac.uk/news-andevents

• •

Comment is the College’s quarterly newsletter, edited by the Internal Communications Department, External Relations Directorate, and designed by Esterson Associates. This issue was edited by Kate Vine.

Comment is printed on paper that contains materials sourced from responsibly managed forests. Articles for Comment are welcomed from staff, students and friends of the College. The Editor reserves the right to amend submissions. Suggestions and copy for the next issue can be sent to the Internal Communications team by emailing internalcommunications@kcl.ac.uk.