King's College London Summer Programmes – Page 12 – Stories from students and staff on King's summer schools

September 22, 2015

Anis Syed: Negotiation, Strategy & Skills

The Kings College Undergraduate Summer School is definitely one of those experiences that I would cherish for a lifetime. From having an exceptionally good tutor to meeting people from all over the globe, the journey has been self fulfilling in all ways.

I took the module Negotiations: Strategy and Skills and I feel the topic couldn’t have been taught in any better way than it was.Learning theories in the first part of the class and then applying those while negotiating our cases through the second half helped us understand the subject in so much more detail. The short course of 3 weeks definitely delivered a lot more than expected.

What made this experience awesome was meeting great friends at the summer school. They were the best co travellers you can have on a journey. With them, I believe the experience was a lot more than just having fun, I learned a lot about life, about different cultures, lifestyles and the main lesson of “adjusting” with different people. And now when I reflect back, I can evidently see a transformation in myself.

Anis Syed

September 7, 2015

King’s Summer School: Memories that will last a lifetime

Being a part of the King’s College London Summer School was a fantastic opportunity to explore the city of London in it’s academic as well as non-academic sphere. It was an incredible experience which comprised of contemporary learning fused with modern thinking based in a multicultural environment.

The course I picked was Negotiations: Strategy and Skills, which to me was a perfect blend of conflict management, cognitive psychology, behavioral economics and strategic thinking. This amalgamation along with the cultural diversity in the classroom, provided the most unique experiential understanding. Every single day, we negotiated, but explored a different aspect ranging from personal conflicts to organizational to political to ideological and many more. At times it grew into strong arguments and led to fierce debates, each one wanting to voice their own opinion, supporting their individuality, reiterating their beliefs and values. However, this is exactly what made me constantly challenge myself, every day of the summer school I could see myself grow, pushing myself to do better than the previous day.

Apart from the academically rich London, King’s College located in the heart of the city, gave me the chance to explore the culturally rich London as well. I had the opportunity to discover a new restaurant for every meal, a new attraction every day and a new getaway spot every weekend. As I walked across the Thames River to the Strand campus every afternoon, the magnificent London Eye and Big Ben with the trademark red telephone booths greeted me. Apart from this, visiting the historic and scenic places stretching from Oxford University to Windsor to Hyde Park to the Museums and the list just goes on, made the complete experience a lot more enriching.

By meeting and interacting with people across the globe, I was able to expand my personal horizons as it made me a lot more perspective based. In every conversation, there was a persistent intellectual stimulation, allowing me to learn from every person in the summer school. Thus, with all the studying and touring, it also led to holistic development. It was just three weeks, but there was so much to take back from the trip.

The overall journey was incredible, from being strangers to becoming the best of friends. From losing your way in London, to being in love with the city. From just having fun to making memories that will last a lifetime.

Sharmi Sheth, India

May 1, 2015

Shakespeare in London

During the reign of Elizabeth I, London was at the centre of a burgeoning literary and theatrical culture whose influence is still felt to this day. William Shakespeare made the journey from Stratford-upon-Avon some time in the 1580s and became a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later the King’s Men; their principal playwright by the time the first Globe Theatre was completed in 1599. Across the river from the main commercial city, the Globe was a centre for entertainment alongside the bear-baiting pits and brothels of the Southwark ‘Liberties,’ but the theatre was also a place for a wide range of contemporary concerns to be disseminated and explored: the power structures of the Tudor and Stuart monarchies, the early forays of colonialism, nascent capitalism, shifting gender politics and the aftershocks of decades of religious conflict.

Today, Shakespeare’s influence is still felt in London: from the genteel Victorian theatres of the West End, where famous actors such as David Garrick, Edmund Kean, Henry Irving and Ellen Terry made their names with iconic interpretations of Shakespeare’s characters, to the National Theatre established in the 1960s where the relationship of Shakespeare to British identity is still being negotiated, to the reconstructed Globe theatre a stone’s throw from the theatre’s original location. At the Globe, modern audiences can encounter Shakespeare in an approximation of its original form. In 2014 the new Sam Wanamaker Theatre opened: a Jacobean-style indoor playhouse where candlelit performances of plays by Shakespeare’s contemporaries take place in conditions similar to those of the earliest indoor playhouses.

The Shakespeare in London course at King’s is an opportunity to explore both: the historic context of Shakespeare’s work in early modern London and the long shadow of his continuing influence on the modern city. We will attend a variety of performances: Elizabethan-style performance at the Globe and contemporary adaptations, taking advantage of the varied theatrical landscape that London has to offer. We will trace the remnants of Shakespeare’s city in contemporary Southwark and the evidence of his later influence elsewhere in the city. Lectures will provide background and explore three of his plays in some detail, both in their original context and in subsequent adaptations, and interactive seminar discussions will explore issues related to these texts, including gender, genre, politics and religion. We will discuss the ways that these plays communicate the major political and social concerns of their era, and consider the ways that their meanings have been deployed, inverted or appropriated in four hundred years of performance. This year, the plays we focus on will be Twelfth Night, As You Like It and Macbeth.

Join us in London for an in-depth engagement with Shakespeare in the city that made him famous. For more information visit http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/summer/programmes/undergraduatesummerschool/modules/kingsculturallondon/Shakespeare-in-London.aspx

Please feel free to contact us with any questions at sarah.barnden@kcl.ac.uk and miranda.thomas@kcl.ac.uk

We look forward to working with you in July.

Sally Barnden and Miranda Fay Thomas

Tutors

April 17, 2015

Global Energy Politics

The course provides insights into international politics in general (main mechanisms, theories and concepts) and into the field of international energy politics in particular. We will study a wide variety of actors involved in energy policy-making: states (energy importers, energy exporters and transit states), intergovernmental organisations, industry, NGOs; the formal and informal connections between these actors and the outcome of their interaction on the global stage. We will engage with issues such as energy security, the geopolitics of energy, conflict over natural resources, the curse of natural resources in resource rich developing countries, as well as the politics of climate change and their implications for global energy policy.

Renewable Energy Solar Panels in Tokelau; Copyright: United Nations Photo/ Ariane Rummery

The course includes lectures on cutting-edge topics and interactive seminars. During this course, learning will take place in a very direct and hands on manner. You will meet with representatives of the corporate, non-profit and governmental energy sector and get the chance to ask them questions about their work and their expertise areas. The schedule includes a visit to an energy production facility, as well as a dynamic two-day simulation of political climate change negotiations. This will allow you to place yourselves in the shoes of top policy makers and attempt to solve some of the biggest challenges of our time: increasing pollution, energy resources scarcity and climate change.

UN Climate Change Conference in Doha; Copyright: United Nations Photo/ Mark Garten

You can find more information about the course at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/summer/programmes/undergraduatesummerschool/modules/Kingslegallondon/Global-Energy-Politics.aspx

Do drop me a line if you have any questions at amb225@cam.ac.uk. I would love to hear from you.

I am looking forward to meeting you and working with you in July.

Alexandra M Bocse, Course Tutor

March 31, 2015

Secrets & Spies: Modern Espionage and Intelligence

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London has been at the centre of a web of global espionage for over 100 years. The work of British officers and agents in every corner of the globe helped build the British Empire, and later supported the soldiers, sailors and airmen who fought in the World Wars. Throughout the last century the secret services struggled against terrorists at home, and international competitors abroad. This mission continues today.

Most of those who risked life and limb in the spying game did so in secret, but on this course we will cast a light on their activities. Driven by a variety of lectures, seminars, and exercises, students on this course will be immersed in the secret world.

Based a short walk alongside the river Thames from the iconic headquarters of MI6, King’s College is a world leader in the study of intelligence in war and peace. Its scholars have pushed the boundaries of the subject, writing ground-breaking books on British, US, and Chinese spy agencies, on intelligence and terror, on cyber-spying and cyber-war, and on privacy in the digital age.

Together, on this course, we will observe how intelligence and spying has developed globally over the past century and beyond; we will examine how it is used and abused by politicians, from Churchill to Obama; we will question how it is used in combating the terrorist threat; and we will discuss the implication of developments in spying and intelligence for each of us in the future.

We will open locked-doors, and gaze inside the top-secret world. Doing so, and asking the difficult questions, has never been more important; be part of the debate at King’s College London Summer School 2015.

Dr Huw Dylan

March 5, 2015

Wonderland: 100 Years of Children’s Literature

“Harry had never been to London before.

Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going,

he was obviously not used to getting there in the ordinary way.

He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground

and complained loudly that the seats were too small

and the trains too slow.”

– Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Platform harry potter — Platform 9 3/4 Kings Cross Station

From Peter Pan to Harry Potter, Rudyard Kipling to Roald Dahl, children’s literature continues to enchant us with enduring magic. But only Wonderland: 100 Years of Children’s Literature gives you the opportunity to study your favourite childhood tales in the vibrant heart of modern-day London.

Together we will read and analyse a diverse variety of novels, plays, poetry, fairytales, fables, and nonsense rhymes, as well as comics, film, and fan fiction, from the naff to the nostalgic, the obscure to the absurd, and the safe to the scandalous.

Driven by lectures, seminars, and excursions students will engage in debates, craft their own short stories, discuss the historical, political, and moral infrastructures contouring the production of children’s literature and survey the landscape of this exciting and challenging canon through the optics of Marxism, psychoanalysis, gender theory, and critical race discourse.

Peter pan kensington gardens — Peter Pan statue, Kennsington Gardens

Moving beyond the classroom, we will visit some of the capital’s most spectacular museums, delve into the archives, enjoy a West End extravaganza, and roam the streets of London on the hunt for Harry Potter’s magical world.

So venture down the rabbit hole, board the Hogwarts Express, aim for the second star to the right and join us in London for King’s College Summer School 2015.

Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

Dr Victoria Carroll

February 17, 2015

Pre-University Summer School

Hello I’m Zoe, one of the summer programmes managers here at King’s and I want to inform students about our Pre-University programme.

The King’s College London Pre-University Summer School is a unique academic and social two week residential programme based in the very heart of London. It is open to independent high-achieving students who are enrolled within their final two years at high school and therefore are normally between the ages of 16 and 18.

The programme offers students the chance to experience university life at a world class institution, to focus on plans for university and to build new friendships with students from around the world. It also provides the opportunity for students to explore London and to use it as a classroom, with course specific excursions making the most of our central location.

In 2015 the Pre-University Summer School will offer five academic courses: Global Health, Global Politics, International Management, International Law and World History: London & The British Empire. All courses are taught by King’s College London Summer School academic staff and you can find out more about each individual course on our website.

The programme fee includes a number of exciting excursions and activities to take advantage of King’s College’s central location. In previous years students have enjoyed a trip to a West End theatre, unique walking tours, a live cabaret and circus evening and a boat party on the Thames. These excursions allow students to explore all that the capital has to offer but also provide opportunities to socialise with their fellow students outside of the classroom.

The social programme also includes a weekend spent outside of London, giving students the chance to experience another part of the country and to build relationships with their peers. In 2015 we will be heading to the ‘heart of England’ and visiting Stratford upon Avon (Shakespeare’s birthplace) and the historic cities of Bath, Oxford and Windsor.

Accommodation for the programme is guaranteed at the College’s Stamford Street Apartments. Located in the heart of Waterloo, these apartments are within short walking distance to our Strand and Waterloo campuses, where Pre-University teaching takes place, and minutes away from London’s top attractions. More information about accommodation can be found on our website. All meals are provided for students on the residential programme and are included in the programme fee.

Throughout their time on the programme, students will be fully supported by a team of trained and experienced Pre-University Summer School staff including a team of Pre-University Student Ambassadors. Ambassadors are current King’s students specially selected to support the students and help them make their stay as comfortable and safe as possible.

Guidelines for the application process can be found on our website.

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/summer/programmes/Pre-University/Application,-Admission–Fees.aspx

If you have any questions please contact me at pre-university@kcl.ac.uk

I look forward to receiving your applications and will hopefully see you in summer 2015.

January 26, 2015

Applications for our Undergraduate Summer School are now open!

2015 is an exciting year for our summer school here at King’s, we will be offering a varied selection of university level modules under the headings King’s & Business London, King’s & Cultural London, King’s & Health London, King’s & Governance London and King’s & Health London. You can visit our website to see a full list of modules that will be on offer.

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/summer/oursummerprogrammes/Undergraduate-Summer-School/Modules/Undergraduate-Summer-School.aspx

I’m Fahema, the Summer Programmes Officer here at King’s and I’m here to help you with any admission and application enquires you may have.

Admission
Before you make your application for our undergraduate summer school it is important that you take a look at our admission requirements which can be found on our website.

If your qualifications are not listed on our website then please contact summerschool@kcl.ac.uk and we will be happy to offer advice.

Applying
This year, students will be applying through ‘MyApplication’ and we have some handy guidance notes available on our website that will help students through the application process. http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/summer/MyApplication-guidelines–UG-SS.pdf

If you are a King’s student or a student from one of our partner institutions please read the following guidelines. http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/summer/MyApplicationguidelinesUGKCP.pdf

The Summer School team is happy to help with any enquires students have regarding the application process.

After you apply
After you submit your online application you will need to keep logging into ‘MyApplication’ to check the status. Once we have received your completed application it will be processed by our admission staff and a decision will usually be made within 7 working days. More details can be found on our website.

Accommodation
This year students will be booking accommodation through our e-store. Our students can book accommodation with us at two of our central London residences, both located very close to classes with London on your doorstep. Details of our accommodation can be found on our website.
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/summer/oursummerprogrammes/Undergraduate-Summer-School/Accommodation.aspx

If you have any specific questions then please contact summerschool@kcl.ac.uk.

Good luck with your application and we will hopefully see you in the summer.

October 15, 2014

From India to London – Kudrat Dutta Chaudhary

A new chapter in my life began on the day when the results of the “Summer Scholarships” were declared and I was notified about winning the 100% scholarship for King’s College London Summer School.

I opted for the ‘Criminology and Criminal Justice’ module and chose to stay at Moonraker Point, which happened to be a complete delight. It was extremely refreshing to see the absolutely remarkable treatment scholars and students are given at Kings. The three weeks I spent at Kings are still so fresh in my mind especially because there wasn’t a single day I didn’t feel that I was not growing as a person.

My course gave me impetus to think holistically and made me realise how important it is for a law student to develop a knack of taking into account the psychological aspect of a legal situation. The best parts were the continuous discussions and field trips that helped me dig deep into every subject that we studied.

My favourite part of the program was a reception that Kings organised in honour of the Indian Scholarship students where I was asked to share my experience of Kings Summer Program in Delhi and the Kings Summer School in London.

What was great about the Summer School was its central location which meant I got to visit lots of places and landmarks which included a trip to Oxford, Madame Tassauds, The Shard and The Victoria Albert Museum. Being an avid shopper, I honestly never stopped discovering potential markets from where I could shop magnificently, so from Oxford Street to Covent Garden to Camden Town to Harrods, I made it a point to visit maximum number of markets especially for the vibe they had to offer and also for satisfying the shopaholic in me.

All in all, my experience at Kings and London was absolutely fantastic and I would love to return to such a fulfilling institution and a prospering environment.

Kudrat Dutta Chaudhary, Indian Scholarship Student

September 2, 2014

My King’s Summer by Evelyn Chew

I first heard of King’s college summer school through my university’s website and the idea of studying abroad at a well-known academic institution for a couple of weeks led me to apply to King’s. One of the reasons why I chose King’s was because this summer school allows you to select a module of your interest from a variety of different courses without the need to have any prior knowledge or background for it. Coming from an Economics background, I decided to pursue something I am interested in and opted for International Business.

10590645_10152303017523601_980945482363751256_n — Working on a group project

The lessons were conducted differently from my regular classes back at NUS (National University of Singapore) and it was indeed an eye-opener. The duration of only three weeks resulted in the module being intensive yet intellectually stimulating. Our professors encouraged us to discuss and immerse ourselves in the various case studies to enhance our learning of the concepts. This allowed me to build my confidence in sharing about my viewpoints and to understand others from a different cultural background as well.

We also got a chance to embark on a field trip to the museum of brands to learn more about how branding affect consumer’s taste and preferences.

10458349_931603360186921_8606201334343822176_n — Outside The Museum of Brands

Apart from being academically enriched, I have also learnt so much about the culturally rich London. King’s college is located at the heart of London and this location could not have been better. As I walked to school every morning, the beautiful view of the London Eye, Big Ben along with the trademark red telephone booths greeted me.

10409425_10152303018068601_6332043330515985100_n — View as I walk to School

With just a couple of stations away from the numerous museums, musical theaters and shopping districts, there is always something to do after school. From having tea to shopping at the huge Primark store located around Oxford circus, I got to experience the London way of life.

10479077_10152277802773601_7145915160663635121_n — Visiting Mayfield Lavender Farm

And if you are a huge football fan, you could pop by the stadiums around London for a stadium tour!

Most of the students on summer school will take the opportunity to travel to places slightly far away from central London over the weekend for sightseeing. In these three weeks, I’ve visited Brighton, Cambridge, Bath and Stonehenge with my summer school friends.

10559814_10152262170938601_4055035328266290713_n — Stonehenge

The knowledge that I’ve gained from King’s summer school will be beneficial to my future career and this summer school made me consider King’s and London as a potential place for me to pursue my Masters upon graduation.

In my opinion, this summer school allows you to be both academically challenged and at the same time gives you the flexibility to explore London and what it has to offer. I would highly recommend anyone who wants a fulfilling summer activity to join King’s summer school. Looking back, I can say that it has been the best summer experience so far. I felt that I have grown so much through this three weeks and I can’t wait to be back here at King’s again in the future!

By Evelyn Chew