NEWS STUDENT NEWS PROFILE FOCUS Olympic Rejuvenating Professor Helen New home for anti-doping indigenous craft McCutcheon School of Law 3 6 8 10 CommentFor staff, students & friends Issue 199 | March 2012 Events The Archbishop of Canterbury’s 11th Building Bridges Seminar 23 April 2012, 09.00 – 17.00, Great Hall, Strand Campus DAVID TETT DAVID Dickensfest chaired by Griff Rhys Jones 28 April 2012, 9.45 – 17.30, Great Hall, Strand Campus DOMINIC TURNER Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh arrive at King’s and are greeted by Chairman of College Council Lord Douro, the Principal Professor Rick Trainor and his wife Professor Marguerite Dupree WESTMINSTER CITY ARCHIVES WESTMINSTER Her Majesty The Queen opens 6th Annual Excellence in Somerset House East Wing Teaching Conference 19 June 2012, 9.00 – 16.00, Edmond J Safra Lecture Theatre, On 29 February Her Majesty The The Queen watched a student Moot over the years, new lifts have been reflecting its 180 year old tradition Strand Campus Queen officially opened Somerset Court in session before meeting installed and the basement floor of excellence. House East Wing, Strand Campus. staff and students from the School. lowered. Original features, such as The Performance Foundation 180 years after King’s was built on She also visited the Inigo Rooms, cornices and fireplaces, have been will also be housed in Somerset the Strand, the College has realised Somerset House East Wing’s refurbished. The interior decoration House East Wing. The Foundation its long-held ambition to move into dedicated cultural space. At the has been carefully conceived to is dedicated to deepening debate the East Wing of Somerset House. end of the visit, The Queen unveiled complement the historic setting about, and directing action towards, King’s has breathed new life into a plaque to formally open the re- of the building. Designers have engagement with public audiences the building which will be restored furbished building. re-introduced colours in keeping who have previously had limited to its original status as a landmark The Principal said: ‘This is an with the Georgian style, whilst access to the arts and education. London public building, refurbished historic moment for the College. creating a fresh and modern interior The King’s Executive Education to the highest standards with its Somerset House East Wing will be suited to a working building for the Centre will be based on the first architectural harmony enhanced a stimulating centre of teaching and 21st century. floor of Somerset House East Wing and public access improved. research, especially for our School Somerset House East Wing will and offers a range of training suites, The Queen, Patron of the College, of Law, a place of debate and public play a key role in King’s continued seminar, meeting and breakout accompanied by The Duke of engagement and a focus for new development as a world-class rooms, lounges and a business Edinburgh, life governor of the collaborations in culture and art.’ university, extending the Strand centre, together with state-of-the-art College, was escorted through the The official launch of Somerset Campus and providing high quality audio visual technology. The facility ED PARK Grade I listed building by Chairman House East Wing comes after 18 accommodation for teaching and is aimed at the executive education of the College Council Lord Douro months of restoration, which began research. In its new home, the market and is also available for and the Principal Professor Rick when King’s secured a 78 year lease School of Law now has premises external hire, meetings, video More information Trainor. The building is the new for the building in 2009. The interior befitting its standing as one of conferencing, launches and events. For more details on these events, home for the School of Law and has been stripped of alterations made Europe’s premier law schools and The King’s Cultural Institute 2 please turn to page 12 News A word from the Principal Largest donation in College’s history creates Lau China Institute Dear colleagues and students We have recently welcomed a number of high profile visitors and witnessed some milestones in the history of the College. The official opening of Somerset House East Wing by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at the end of February was a momentous occasion for the College, the School of Law, King’s Cultural Institute, and our Executive Education operation which have taken up residence there, and for all those who participated on the day. Student Ambassadors helped guide the guests around the building and rows of staff and students waited in the Quad to greet the royal visitors. I am grateful to you all for making it a truly memorable day. ISTOCKPHOTO Only hours later, François The Lau China Institute is aiming to become a leading international centre for understanding contemporary China Hollande, the French Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party, King’s has received a gift of £6 contribute to a growing understanding two new lecturers. generations: ‘I spent many enjoyable chose to speak at King’s as part million from a Hong Kong-based of specific nations and regions that The Principal Professor Rick years at King’s, and now want to of his campaign visit to London, alumnus, the largest donation of its will be 21st century cultural, political Trainor commented: ‘We are offer – as a symbol of my gratitude amid great media interest. Hosted kind in the College’s history, which and economic powers. extremely grateful to our alumnus – financial support to the China by King’s Policy Institute, he will be invested in the King’s China Dr Lau Ming-Wai has an LLB Dr Lau Ming-Wai for this very Institute, as a way of supporting addressed a packed Great Hall Institute. The Institute, already and a PhD in Law from King’s and generous donation. We are excited Hong Kong and China’s next in the King’s Building, where a leading international centre for is a respected and active member of about the future of the new Lau generation of academics, leaders and supporters, staff and students heard the study of contemporary China, the China and Hong Kong business China Institute at King’s and what entrepreneurs. I believe in what the his vision for the future of Europe. has been re-named the Lau China worlds. Thanks to the Lau family’s we can achieve in terms of global King’s China Institute is trying to In February we celebrated Institute, in gratitude to the family of generosity and vision, the Lau China understanding of China.’ achieve; promoting an exchange of receiving the largest single Dr Lau Ming-Wai, who have a long Institute is now set to become a The Lau family are well known ideas between the West and China, philanthropic gift to the College, association with the College. world leader on China in the 21st for their philanthropy – Dr Lau as well as supporting research into from a Hong Kong based alumnus The Lau China Institute is part of century. Their donation will fund Ming-Wai said their gift to King’s the economic, political and cultural – £6 million to the China Institute. a wider initiative at King’s to establish the appointment of senior academic was motivated by a desire to help ideology behind China’s current Already a leading international a network of Global Institutes that will staff, including one new Chair and Hong Kong and China’s future prominence on the world stage.’ centre for study of contemporary China, it has been re-named the Lau China Institute in gratitude to the family of Dr Lau Ming-Wai, Somerset House East Wing royal visit (continued) who have a long association with the College. Last summer the King’s Health Partners (KHP) Board commissioned a review to look at how best to achieve our ambitious vision for our Academic Health Sciences Centre. Ian Creagh, Head of Administration and College Secretary, and I, as the College’s representatives on the KHP Board, have been proposing the strengthening of its academic ethos. The KHP Board undertook to carry out a feasibility study into a number of options, up to and including bringing together the three NHS Trusts alongside closer integration with the College. All four partner organisations have endorsed a recommendation from the Board to prepare a Strategic Outline Case over the next few months to assess the benefits, costs and risks of such a set of changes. This will be led by Professor Robert TURNER DOMINIC FUNNELL GREG Lechler, Vice-Principal (Health) The Lord Lieutenant of Greater London bids farewell to The Queen as she leaves Somerset House East Wing The Duke of Edinburgh meets KCLSU President Hannah Barlow and Vice President Fran Allfrey and Executive Director of King’s Health Partners, on behalf of the 1 will also be housed in Somerset at its heart. The ground floor, open facilitating new forms of engagement We are very proud to be writing the Partners Board, with of course House East Wing. Led by Director to the public for the first time, will with artists, writers, historians and latest chapter of the distinguished the involvement of colleagues from Deborah Bull, the Institute is a house dedicated space for cultural other cultural practitioners. history of this landmark building. the Health Schools. cross-disciplinary teaching and activities. The Inigo Rooms will be a The Principal added: ‘This is the Somerset House East Wing will Rick Trainor, Principal research initiative with innovative focal point and a showcase for many fulfilment of a dream that King’s has enrich the lives of our current students collaboration across the cultural sector of the cultural aspects of the College, nurtured ever since its foundation.