| 3 Home Secretary launches ISCR | 4 Profile: Professor Nairn Wilson | 6 Student’s South Pole adventure | 9 January Graduation Ceremonies CommentThe College newsletter Issue no 179 | February 2008 PM speaks at King’s GreG fuNNell PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN chose King’s as the setting for his first major speech on health last month. Health Secretary Alan Johnson was also in attendance for this important keynote speech on the future of the NHS. Welcoming the Prime Minister to King’s, the Principal, Professor Rick Trainor, commented: ‘It is fitting that the Prime Minister chose King’s as the location for his keynote speech on the Future of our NHS: Personal and Preventative, given our reputation for medical excellence.’ ‘A modern reputation for outstanding professionalism’ Mr Brown also opened his speech by congratulating staff at the College for their outstanding professionalism and dedication to health and education. Referring to the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery, Mr Brown said: ‘Almost one hundred and fifty years old, yours is one of the oldest colleges of nursing and midwifery in Britain with a modern reputation for outstanding professionalism, excellence in research and world leadership in the training of nurses and there is nowhere more appropriate for me to talk about how we can work together The Prime Minister, Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, presented his first major speech on the NHS in the Great Hall at the College last month. He is continued on page 2 pictured here with the Secretary of State for Health Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP. News PM speaks at King’s Principal’s Column GreG fuNNell continued from page 1 King’s, with its unique academic GreG fuNNell record and geographical position, should attract such influential policy makers. On another note, I would like to apologise on behalf of the College for the two recent disruptions that have caused much inconvenience recently. Firstly, the loss of the email service between 3-6 January 2008 was an unfortunate start Dear Colleagues to the New Year and was due It is immensely gratifying to a hardware failure. The that the Prime Minister took College has committed £8 the highly significant step of million to a significant three-year The Principal, Professor Rick Trainor, greeting Gordon Brown at the Strand Campus. announcing his new plan for ‘Connected Campus’ capital the NHS at King’s, underlining investment programme aimed GreG fuNNell the College’s growing at modernising our IT and importance in the field of information infrastructure. healthcare (lead story). The replacement of old There have been an electronic communication unprecedented number of systems from April, in a phased distinguished visitors to the implementation scheduled for College in recent months, and completion by September 2008, more are expected in the spring. will deliver a far more robust By the time that this issue of system. We will be acquiring Comment is published, King’s will new hardware in the interim to have been visited again by the minimise the potential of further Prime Minister and by Minister major disruptions of this kind of State Margaret Hodge, and until the new service is launched. the Home Secretary will have ISS colleagues worked heroically addressed a major conference during the loss of service and from left: Nursing students Angelina Kennedy, Claire Pearson, Georgina Marks, Louise organised by the College (see are working very hard both Reynolds, Eleanor Dallman. opposite) which will be attended on interim and longer term by two former Presidents, and improvements. to renew Britain’s NHS for the had the opportunity to meet the former Prime Ministers of The loss of electrical power future.’ nursing students from the four nations. We also hope that in parts of the Strand Campus Some of the new plans Florence Nightingale School of Kofi Annan will give a major in December was also the cause announced included extending Nursing & Midwifery Angelina speech here in the near future. of considerable inconvenience. the availability of diagnostic Kennedy, Claire Pearson, Besides the Prime Minister, The power outage was caused procedures in the GP surgery, Georgina Marks, Louise Reynolds, over the last year King’s has by the failure of a major electrical and making ECGs, blood tests Eleanor Dallman. welcomed a number of important distribution component which and ultrasounds available when Professor Anne Marie Rafferty, visitors including Ed Balls, carried the power supply for key and where patients want them. Head of the Florence Nightingale Secretary of State for Children building systems. Unfortunately, Recognising the care and School of Nursing & Midwifery, and Families; Des Browne, replacement of the component dedication of staff in the NHS, gave the vote of thanks to the Secretary of State for Defence; required special manufacture Mr Brown also highlighted the Prime Minister following his Ben Bradshaw, Minister of and therefore there was a delay, need for doctors, nurses and speech. She welcomed the State for Health; Bill Rammell, until mid January, in installing other medical professionals to be Government’s commitment Minister of State for Higher a replacement. ‘partners in care’ with patients so to improving the NHS and Education; Malcolm Wicks, My thanks for the under- that they are better informed and emphasised that patients rely on Minister of State for Science standing and patience shown feel more in control: ‘During 2008 superlative nursing care. Echoing and Innovation; Ann Keen, by those affected. I am we will bring forward a patients’ the sentiments of Florence Parliamentary Under-Secretary particularly grateful for their prospectus that sets out how Nightingale, whom she described in the Department of Health; cooperation with the interim we will extend to all 15 million as an exponent of improvement Boris Johnson, Shadow Minister alternative arrangements which patients with a chronic or for health benefits with a relentless for Higher Education; Admiral were in place and to the many long-term condition access to pursuit for reform, Professor Sir Jonathon Band, Chief of the individuals who managed and a choice of ‘active patient’ or Rafferty concluded by saying Naval Staff; and Lord Bingham implemented these arrangements ‘care at home options’. his vision held out the prospect of Cornhill, Senior Lord of under difficult circumstances. Before laying out his plans for of lasting improvement to the Appeal. It is only right that Rick Trainor the future of the NHS, Mr Brown nation’s health. 2 | Comment | February 2008 News Home Secretary launches ICSR david TeTT AT A MajOR CONFERENCE ORgaNISED opened the two-day conference, by King’s, the International Centre held at RIBA, which was attended for the Study of Radicalisation by two former presidents, four and Political Violence (ICSR) former prime ministers and was launched with a keynote over 150 experts, policymakers, speech from Home Secretary journalists and senior practitioners Jacqui Smith, who outlined from 20 countries. They discussed the Government’s policy on some of the most pressing radicalisation in her first speech issues surrounding terrorism, on the subject. radicalisation and political violence. Keynote speakers included HE Mary Robinson, former President ‘The first global centre of Ireland and UN Commissioner for knowledge and on Human Rights, Senator Chuck Hagel, US Senate, Francisco leadership’ Santos Calderon, Vice-President of Colombia and Rt Hon Terry She spoke about plans to target Davis, Secretary-General, Council websites promoting extremism, as of Europe. part of efforts to stop people being Together with the main drawn towards radical groups. speeches there were a number She said that she wants to use of working groups and panel technology to stop ‘vulnerable sessions discussing issues such people’ being ‘groomed for violent as how should states counter extremism’. She pointed out that terrorism; human rights and the Security Service estimated that counterterrorism; why do the number of people in the UK people become radicals; and do believed to be operating terrorists negotiations work? The conference was the Home Secretary’s first major speech on radicalisation. increased in 2007 from 1,600 to Panellists included HE Andrés 2,000. ‘These figures show that the Pastrana, former President of HE Kim Campbell, former ‘Also it is the first initiative threat is real and serious,’ she said. Colombia, HE Garret Fitzgerald, Prime Minister of Canada, HE in this area in which Arab and The Home Secretary’s speech former Prime Minister of Ireland, Kjell Magne Bondevik, former Israeli academic institutions david TeTT Prime Minister of Norway, HE are openly collaborating. ICSR Sadiq Al Mahdi, former Prime is the product of a unique Minister of Sudan, Frank Gardner, partnership which brings together BBC, Professor Olivier Roy, King’s College London, the Centre National de la Recherche Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Scientifique, Paris, Shiraz Maher, the University of Pennsylvania former member of Hizb-ut Tahrir, and the Regional Centre on Peter Burgen, CNN, Sir Richard Conflict Prevention, Amman.’ Dearlove, former Head of MI6, A celebratory dinner to HE Andrés Pastrana, former launch the ICSR was held at President of Colombia, former the Strand during the conference. UK Security and Intelligence Vice-Principal Professor Sir The discussion panel (from left): Sadiq Al Mahdi, Nick Fielding, Sir Richard Dearlove and Co-Ordinator Sir David Omand, Lawrence Freedman welcomed Frank Gardner. former British