King's College London

From the various talks and workshops, to taking my favourite class on Anglo-American foreign policy with Dr Flavia Gasbarri to cheering on some of my best friends playing in the Tolstoy Cup, I’m truly happy with the choice I made to study in the Department of War Studies. There would rarely be a week without at least one event being put on by the Department and the regular social events kept us well integrated between the degree programmes. We were a really strong cohort of diverse and talented students, many of whom are still my closest friends today.

Studying International Relations at King’s gave me the strong research and writing skills to be able to compose clear and concise reports on complex topics, and the ability to quickly identify and synthesise key information from multiple reliable sources, all very important skills when working in government. Additionally, I’ve learnt how to effectively integrate networking and diversifying experiences to every aspect of my life. The oratory and interpersonal skills I developed helped me land internships and post-grad jobs, including on Biden’s presidential campaign amongst others.

 

I now work as a Political Officer at the British Embassy in Washington DC, part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). My work primarily involves reporting on US political developments to the FCDO in London and other embassies in the diplomatic network. I also help prepare briefings for the Ambassador, assist with planning for ministerial visits and administer the Honours system of OBE and MBE awards across the US diplomatic network of consulates.

With the rise of technological warfare, the aftermath of Brexit, the changing international order and living through a pandemic, there’s hardly been a more salient time to study world affairs, security and conflict. Through interning and living in Washington DC, I’ve come across countless people who have either studied in the Department, done a semester/ year abroad there, or pursued their masters or PhD within War Studies. There’s six War Studies alums in the Embassy alone!

War Studies at King’s holds a very prestigious name within the government, defence and consulting sectors in DC and beyond. It can be difficult to get hired abroad after having done your degree elsewhere but I have no doubt that the prestige of the Department name helped me get to where I am today.