Join us for the book launch of Humanitarian Futures: Challenges and Opportunities, the latest book by Dr Randolph Kent, a globally respected expert in humanitarian policy and disaster preparedness. The format will be conversational, with audience questions encouraged throughout the event.

The launch is organised jointly by the CSD Research Group and the African Leadership Centre (ALC) at King’s College London.

Humanitarian Futures: Challenges and Opportunities explores the increasing types, dimensions and dynamics of crises threatening the world in the twenty-first century, and argues that those with humanitarian roles and responsibilities can only meet such challenges if their approaches to strategic and operational planning undergo fundamental paradigmatic shifts. Strategically and operationally, such shifts must begin by planning from the future for the future.

Drawing from his experience as the UN’s first Humanitarian Coordinator, with involvement in complex crises such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kosovo, Sudan, and Somalia, Dr Kent provides a groundbreaking blueprint for dealing with ever greater complexity on Earth and beyond. His book does not advocate for simply upgrading existing tools or relying on historical precedent but instead calls for a new paradigm of crisis management. It begins by examining the evolving nature of humanness and governance, explores plausible future crises based on these changes, and concludes with practical steps for managing increasingly complex humanitarian threats in the years ahead.

This book launch offers a vital opportunity for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars in humanitarian and global studies to explore innovative strategies for crisis preparedness in an unpredictable world.

About the Author

Randolph Kent is a Visiting Professor at the African Leadership Centre, King’s College London, Honorary Professor at the Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction at University College London, Senior Associate Fellow, Royal United Services Institute and Director of the Humanitarian Futures Programme.

Chair

The discussion will be chaired by Dr Mats Berdal, Professor of Security and Development at King’s College London. A leading scholar in the field of conflict studies, Dr Berdal specialises in post-conflict reconstruction, the political economy of war, and the role of the United Nations in peace operations.

About the CSD Speaker Series

The Conflict, Security, and Development (CSD) Speaker Series, organised by the Conflict, Security & Development Research Group in the Department of War Studies, provides a platform for critical discussions with influential voices in the fields of conflict, security, and development.

This event will take place in S-1.06 Lecture Theatre, located on level -1 of the Strand Building. A member of the organising team will be present at the Strand Building reception to register attendees and direct them to the venue.

We look forward to seeing you there!