Happy New Year from the Summer Programmes Team

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Happy New Year from everyone in the Summer Programmes team. We hope you have all had a relaxing holiday and are ready to begin the new school and university term.

For those of you who are already thinking about your plans for this summer we have a lot of exciting programmes on offer for you. If you are considering staying in London for the summer months, you may wish to take part in our Undergraduate or Pre-University Summer School, as well as our Pre-University Taster programme.

Choose to study one or two sessions with us on our Undergraduate Summer School. Session One will run from 26 June- 14 July 2017 and Session Two will run from 17 July- 4 August 2017. For each session you can study a module from a range of subjects areas. These include: Culture, Governances, Health & Science, Maths & Engineering, Law, Business and Ancient Languages.

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The Pre-University Summer School will run from Sunday 23 July to Saturday 5 August 2017. High school students who are in their final two years of study will have the opportunity to take part in this unique academic and social experience, whilst living and studying in the heart of London. Students studying on the Pre-University Summer School can choose from five exciting courses; Business Management, Law, Medicine, Politics and Psychology.

We are also excited to announce that applications are now open for our Pre-University Taster. This programme will run from 21-24 August 2017 and students can study in one of the following areas of study: Cultural History, Business Management, Law or Science. Use this experience to make the most of your summer and build your confidence ahead of university applications.

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Alternatively if you want to spend your summer living and studying in another country, we are also running a number of programmes for you too.

New to 2017 are our Summer Study Visits to World Cities. Students will have the opportunity to study in Mumbai and Berlin, where they will be able to delve intellectually and culturally into their city of choice. Details on fees and dates are yet to be confirmed, but please email us to register your interest.

We also have our two week India Summer School, which will be running from 29 May- 9 June 2017. The summer school will be held in Delhi and you will be able to study either International Relations or Marketing Management with International Marketing.

If you have any questions about any of the programmes mentioned in the blog please do contact us. Don’t forget to also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates from the Summer Programmes Team.

Undergraduate Summer School 2017

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The King’s College London Undergraduate Summer School is back for 2017. We have a number of exciting university-level modules for students to study in both London and Delhi. Whether you study in India or in the UK, you will have access to King’s College London’s world-renowned, research-led teaching, whilst also immersing yourself in a culture different to your own.

The Undergraduate Summer School in London will run in two sessions and you can choose to study one or both during the summer. Session One will take place from 26 June to 14 July 2017 and Session Two will run from 17 July to 4 August 2017. There will be a number of different modules on offer, in the areas of Health & Science, Business, Culture, Governance, Law and Ancient Languages. To see the full list of modules on offer in London please see this webpage.

The India Summer School will be taught by King’s College London in partnership with Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi. This summer school will run from 29 May to 9 June 2017 and you will have the option to study either International Relations or Marketing Management with International Marketing.

Our applications are now open and you will have until 1st May 2017 (Delhi) or 31st May 2017 (London). If you have any questions about the Undergraduate Summer School, please send us an email, talk to us on live chat or send us a message on Facebook or Twitter. We also have an Instagram account where you can enjoy latest photos of the Summer Programmes Team, King’s and London itself. We hope to see you in the summer.

Pre-University Summer School 2017

Untitled design 3The King’s College London Pre-University Summer School is back for 2017. High school students who are in their final two years of study will have the opportunity to take part in this unique academic and social experience, whilst living and studying in the heart of London.

The Pre-University Summer School will run from Sunday 23 July to Saturday 5 August 2017. The summer school is designed as a two-week residential experience, with students living in King’s College London accommodation. But non-residential place are also available if accommodation is not needed. The dates for the non-residential programme are Monday 24 July to Friday 4 August 2017 (Mon-Fri only).

Students studying on the Pre-University Summer School can choose from five exciting courses; Business Management, Law, Medicine, Politics and Psychology. For more information on each of these courses please see our website. The courses have an interactive approach and may include discussion groups, seminars, simulation games and Q&A sessions. Students will also enjoy at least one excursion, which is designed to complement classroom study.

Applications are now open for this intensive two-week programme, where students will enjoy combining academic classes, excursions, university preparation advice and wider skills sessions. You will have until 31 May 2017 to submit an application, although we do advise students to apply early.

If you have any questions about the Pre-University Summer School please do get in touch. You can send us an email or speak to someone from the team on live chat (you can find this function on our website). Or if you’re on social media send us a message on either Facebook or Twitter.

Summer 2017- Applications Now Open

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We are pleased to announce that applications for our 2017 Undergraduate and Pre-University Summer Schools are now open.

Our Undergraduate Summer School in London runs in two sessions. Session One will run from 26 June to 14 July 2017 and Session Two will begin on 17 July and end 4 August 2017. You can choose to study with us for three weeks in either session one or two, or study for six weeks in both sessions. Choose from a range of Business, Law, Health, Governance and Culture modules, take a look at our What Can I Study page for a list of modules.

Or if you’re looking to gain a summer school experience in India, we are offering you the chance to study International Relations and Marketing Management in Delhi. The course will run from 29 May to 9 June 2017.

The Pre-University Summer School programme will run from 24 July to 4 August 2017. Students can choose to study Medicine, Law, Politics, Business Management or Psychology for two weeks. This experience will deepen your subject knowledge and give you the opportunity to test out a new discipline.

Applications are open now and you will have until 31 May 2016 to submit an application. If you have any questions please take a look at our programme specific FAQ pages on our website. Or if you would like to speak to someone from the Summer Programmes team you can send us an email or talk to us on Live Chat.

My Summer At King’s- Lucie Škopková

Lucie

This year marked the second time that I have attended the King’s Pre-University Summer School. After last year being such a wonderful experience I could not resist to come back.

During this year’s programme I have been studying Politics. I have never before engaged myself in this subject, and so I was hoping that by the end I would gain a detailed insight and overview of the subject. My expectations regarding the subject were exceeded throughout the programme and I have left feeling confident about the course and with plenty of information I would be able to use when deciding about my future studies at university. The Politics course was based on interactive lectures with student-led discussions and various small in-class projects and presentations. These activities allowed us to develop in terms of teamwork, presentation skills, but most importantly made us feel as if we were studying the subject under university conditions. In addition to our lectures and in-class activities we have visited the Houses of Parliament and the Imperial War Museum. Both of these trips were interesting and very enjoyable additions to our chosen subject. Overall, the course has been very well balanced, which encouraged our enthusiasm to participate and enjoy the academic experience.

The Pre-University Summer Programme also comprised of a social side. The ambassadors have organised a few icebreaker events for us to be able to interact with students we may have not yet been able to come across.  Then there was the day trip to Leeds Castle and the closing boat party, which were both very relaxing and pleasant activities where we could have fun and spend more time together before the two weeks came to an end. During the two weeks we have lived in flats with assigned pastoral ambassadors. It was amazing to see that by the end of the programme the flats were more like small families who would gather every evening to discuss the day and just chat around. It was lovely to meet so many new and unique people from all around the world and get particularly close with the students from my flat who will remain very close friends, as the plans for our reunions are on the way and being constantly discussed.

King’s has opened its arms and welcomed me for the second time and allowed me to gain such an unforgettable experience one more time. Studying a university subject, receiving additional talks on ethics and university related aspects, meeting amazing people and being able to live in a vibrant city like London for two weeks has made me a more confident, open-minded and enthusiastic person for which I am overly thankful. The Pre-University Summer School has been an authentic, dynamic and memorable experience full of engaging events and extraordinary people. It has been a privilege to be able to spend these two weeks in such a special way.

My Summer At King’s- Nicolás Bertoni

Nicolas and friends

This summer I had the pleasure of spending two weeks at King’s College London for their Pre-University Summer School programme. A perfect combination of stimulating academics, engaging activities and great geographical location, truly made this one of the best experiences of my life. I enrolled in the Business Management course and found it to be both engaging and informative. The academic experience was enhanced by the interactive teaching methods and expertise of our tutor, Michael Bedward, whom I’d like to thank for a truly enriching two weeks.

Throughout the course we were exposed to some of the material which would be covered in an undergraduate management course, and therefore took a peek at what awaits us after high school. It was therefore a useful experience for those who still need to decide what course to take at university, for it allowed the students to have first hand experience at what an academic lecture at university would entail and what sort of material would be covered.

This was also true for the non-academic aspects of university life. In fact, we were all based on one of King’s five campuses, and therefore got a taste of what university life at an urban campus would be like. King’s location in Southbank (central London) was also a determining factor in making these two weeks truly wonderful. In fact, all five campuses find themselves in the heart of London, therefore allowing the students to truly live and appreciate the city. Since London offers a plethora of activities and sites to appreciate, King’s location was perfect and it allowed us to truly enjoy our stay. Finally, the best aspect of my experience at King’s was being around students who share the same passions as I, and who strive to become contributing members of future society.

The fact that many different countries and cultures were represented at the summer school further allowed me to broaden my cultural horizons and gain new understandings about people and communities that are different from mine.

Overall, my time on the 2016 King’s Pre-University Summer School was a once in a lifetime experience!

My Summer At King’s- Ivana Skenderska

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Attending the Pre-University Summer School was an opportunity for me to get an early insight about the degree I would like to pursue at university as well as the industry I consider for my future career path. During the course I was able to explore not only numerous aspects of Business Management in the heart of London which is just a stone’s throw away from the City (one of the biggest financial centre’s worldwide) but also to improve my “soft” skills in terms of presenting or conflict management.

Moreover, at King’s I had the chance to interact with various people coming from truly international backgrounds. This collaboration let me build strong friendships for the future and get to know students from all over the globe. It helped me also to understand how to work in diverse teams and how to overcome the individual or cultural differences between the members in order to complete successfully and on time our group assignments. In my opinion this skill is really significant if an individual is considering making a career in business or any other related sphere and I am happy that the course offered me the opportunity to further develop it.

As a student at King’s I could explore as well first-hand the stories of two young entrepreneurs which for me was one of the highlights of the program. These were guest speakers who explained what it takes to be successful in terms of star-up companies in the real world judging by their own experience. Therefore, the meeting helped me to get a clearer image of how I can set up my own business or deal with the difficulties on the way to success. I also learned the importance of networking in the business world as a tool for building contacts and connections to people that might be useful for my professional development.

To sum up, being a student at the Summer School for two weeks gave me a taste of what is like to be at university and to live in London. The time at King’s passed quickly, but during the program my perspective changed thoroughly. Now thanks to the Pre-University course I am sure which degree to choose at undergraduate level and what kind of career will suit me the best.

I am looking forward to coming back to King’s and putting in practice everything that I learned from this action-packed as well as fun Summer School experience.

 

An Interview With Instagram Competition Winner Adrian Moftakhari

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Adrian Moftakhari was a student at this year’s Undergraduate Summer School and was the winner of our ‘Summer at King’s’ Instagram competition.

So please tell us a little bit about yourself.

How could I define myself… ? mmh well that’s a good way to start this interview! I would simply say that I’m Adrian, a Swiss/Iranian bloke studying law, dancing tango and painting soon to be masterpieces when my nose isn’t buried deep into textbooks… I’m also a big fan of beers and coffees (especially when the company’s good!) astronomy and theatre. As a Swiss guy, I love skiing, cheese, chocolate and great watches (how typical…), but I can only afford the first ones haha!

This year I’ll be turning 22 and should have the first part of my studies in the pocket: the Bachelor’s degree. I’ve done all my studies in Switzerland so far, except for a couple of months Down Under to learn English when I was 17 (if you haven’t been there yet… you’re really missing on something pretty sweet!); I do hope I’ll be studying abroad again soon, it’s always a great adventure.

You’ve studied at King’s College London on the Undergraduate Summer School. What made you decide to pick King’s and the module you studied?

I’ve known King’s College London for a couple of years already, a friend of mine was studying there at The Dickson Poon School of Law and I have to say that it was really tempting. At the time I didn’t have the grades to get into King’s, I didn’t work hard enough in college. So I’ve always wanted to give it a try later on. My current school, the University of Geneva, offered its students scholarships for a couple of summer schools around the world; this included King’s, so what better way to finally try it?

What brought me to King’s in the first place is its marvellous reputation around the globe as a Law School as well as its location- the heart of London,  a city I’ve been fascinated with for a long time. So this Summer School gave me the chance to 1) study at King’s for a while, 2) live in London for three weeks and be able to see what it’s like (oh and it’s awesome by the way), 3) acquire some valuable knowledge on a specific subject.

This subject was “International Commercial Law”, as for now I haven’t had any class on the subject back in Geneva, so it was a great way to discover that branch of law. I wanted to know how international commerce was legally covered and I think that this class gave me a pretty wide and complete overview on the matter. I’ve broaden up my legal knowledge a little bit and I now know that it might just be something I’m interested in for my future. Those kind of classes let you discover things you might just not have the possibility to back home or back to your university, so it really was something good for me I think as I’ve always been interested in the matter.

What have been the best parts of studying at King’s this summer?

There was no BEST PART, I can’t choose anything as everything had value in its own intricate way. Of course I met great people there, made heaps of new friends and some of which I’m still in contact with every day. Sad thing is they all live pretty far, but it’s not that bad as I have a place to crash wherever I go now. I think meeting people is one of the core aspect of a summer school, if you don’t do so you’re definitely missing something, because they are what is left when you go back home and will always give you a big heart-warming feeling linked to your souvenirs.

But it has also been a time for me to walk around by myself, to take the time to get lost in London, immerse myself in the different cultures of the city and breathe in all it had to offer. Actually, definitely not all, there’s so much to do all the time, this city is alive and moving fast, very fast. Coffee shops have been a daily routine, check out the Fleet Street Press Coffee (on your right to the way to the Maughan Library) as I’m a big fan of flat whites, always a sweet way to start the day.

London is a town of culture, which means that you have to go see some shows and visit a couple of museums at least, so I’ve done that. But if you know some locals they’ll bring you to the “tourist free” spots of town and that’s where you finally get to see some real London, from the little bagel places to the hidden parks and the best spot for a sunset over the Thames… there’s plenty of things to do outside of the official guide. So yeah… so many great parts came with this summer school, and that’s without mentioning the actual studying and all the partying.

What will you take from your experience here at King’s back to your home institution?

This class has given me an opportunity to get a little extra experience in my curriculum vitae as well as general knowledge on the matter of commercial law. It was not easy even if we did not go too far in the subject, so much had to be covered. But now I know what it is about and will be able to continue my studies with a better understanding of what I want to do in the future. There is so much fields of law you can specialize into, and it’s all very broad, so you’d better know what you want early because studying it will take you a couple of years. So now I know a little bit more, my choices will be taken a little bit more enlightened.

What have you been up to since leaving King’s?

Since I’m back I’ve taken a week off with a visiting friend, but otherwise I was doing an internship in a law office in Lausanne. It’s now over and I have about a month left until the classes start again so I think I’ll allow myself some time away from the studies as I think I’ve done enough for one summer!

For those students considering studying at King’s for the summer in the future what advice would you give them?

Choose a course that suits you and that will actually bring you something in your future, all classes seem interesting but do some research before on who is teaching you and what it really is all about. But in the end, you’d better take some extra days before and especially after the classes so that you can have more time to spend for a last party or museum tour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instagram Competition Shortlist

A few weeks back we announced the winner to this year’s Instagram competition. Adrian’s photograph was snapped whilst cruising the River Thames and was chosen as the winner, by the Summer Programmes Team, from 335 entries.

As promised we wanted to share with you the other amazing photos from the competition that made the shortlist. And here they are..

Cake

portobello

oxford street

Bus

Pose

Blackfriars Bridge

Somerset House

KCL

KCL View

Regent Street

St Pauls

carosel 1

Bridge 2

Kelly BlogJumpBridge

Life Lessons From London

When Jullian and I parted ways in the Heathrow Airport that morning, she was in tears. We were the last two of the 2015 Fulbright five to fly out of London. As I hugged my best friend goodbye, unaware of when I would see either her or London again, I wondered why the tears did not come. To my surprise, both my return to London and the tears came a year later.

Since receiving the Fulbright Summer Institute Fellowship to study at King’s College London, I have successfully completed my sophomore year at Washington and Lee University and worked as a human rights intern at the Equality and Human Rights Action Centre in Cluj-Napoca, Romania this past summer. My experience as a Fulbright Summer Institute Recipient allowed me to realize both goals.

At the beginning of my sophomore year, having just returned from an amazing summer abroad, I found myself experiencing reverse culture shock. I wondered how I could be homesick for London after visiting for only three short weeks. I was yearning for the freedom and creativity London offered and the sense of purpose with which I was filled as a Fulbright Summer Institute Fellowship Recipient.  I came to realize that I could still embrace these newfound parts of my identity on Washington and Lee’s campus; and perhaps this is what the Fulbright Commission meant by having “a plan to give back to your home country upon returning.”

I was able to give back to my home country upon my return by keeping in mind three key life lessons I learned while in London.

Lesson 1: London showed me that so many beautiful things have already been created, and there are so many beautiful things I have yet to create.

Able to call myself a Fulbright Fellowship Recipient and King’s College London alumna, I found myself empowered upon my return home. After witnessing all the world had to offer, I finally decided to shed my self-doubt and embrace my ability to contribute to the world as a global citizen. This desire to contribute manifested itself as an attempt to bridge the gap between students on my campus. With the help of a group of talented individuals, I co-founded and now co-direct Friday Underground, which is the first sober social alternative on Washington and Lee University’s campus since the institution’s founding in 1749. Because of the leadership skills I refined in London, I was able to create something bigger than myself. Friday Underground, a weekly coffeehouse event that offers both a platform for student artists and a space for cross-cultural dialogue, is uniting Washington and Lee’s campus and will continue to do so even after I graduate.

Lesson 2: “The essence of intercultural education,” according to Senator Fulbright, “is the acquisition of empathy – the ability to see the world as others see it, and to allow for the possibility that others may see something we have failed to see, or may see it more accurately.”

Senator Fulbright’s quote, which is meant to be a guiding principle for any individual chosen by the Fulbright Commission, reminds me to prioritize empathy and humility above all else. While at King’s College London, I practiced humility and exercised empathy by prioritizing the voices and opinions of my classmates, many of whom were not native English speakers.

To lead is to listen. This skill I embraced in lectures and class discussions once back at my liberal arts institution in the states. I led in the classroom not by dominating the conversation but by offering an encouraging nod or a kind smile to my fellow classmates.

Lesson 3: Profoundly master the art of human connection and take seriously your role as a cultural ambassador.

Because my experience as a Fulbright Summer Institute Recipient gave me the opportunity to travel abroad for the first time, or dip my toe in the pond if you will, I had the courage and curiosity to take the next leap and travel to Romania as a human rights intern this past summer.

It is crucial to remember that it is not the place but the people who matter most. Last summer, in a city as diverse as London, I furthered perfected my ability to engage with others. And still today, I take seriously my role as a cultural ambassador by making it my goal to profoundly master the art of human connection. For me, this means talking to strangers with genuine interest and finding the value in each human being.

I am grateful for the opportunity I had to return to London, if only for a weekend, while working in Europe this past summer as a human rights advocate. While in London, I explored the city again with Emily, a dear friend and fellow 2015 King’s College London Fulbrighter; I met Hannah, a new friend and 2016 King’s College London Fulbrighter; I visited my old King’s College London classroom and wrote a letter to Victoria Carroll, my brilliant King’s College London Professor; and, finally, that morning before I said goodbye to London again, I held my Caffè Nero coffee cup in hand as tears of gratitude rolled down my face and the memory of strolling down the streets with my best friend Jullian, on my very first night in London, played in my head.

Until next time, London,

Kassie