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War Studies — Education
War Studies

Welcome to the War Studies podcast. We bring you world-leading research from the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, the largest community of scholars in the world dedicated to the study of all aspects of security, defence and international relations. We aim to explore the complex realm of conflict and uncover the challenges at the heart of navigating world affairs and diplomatic relations, because we believe the study of war is fundamental to understanding the world we live in and the world we want to live in.

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The School of Security Studies harnesses the depth and breadth of expertise across War Studies and Defence Studies to produce world-leading research and teaching on issues of global security that develops new empirical knowledge, employs innovative theory, and addresses vital policy issues.

Visit our website: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/security-studies

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DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in these podcasts are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King’s College London.

Latest Episodes:

The Brazillian Marine Corps Today Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the War Studies Podcast, PhD student Charlotte Bascaule speaks with Admiral Carlos Chagas Viana Braga, Commandant of the Brazilian Marine Corps. They discuss changes to the Brazilian Marine Corps, new technologies, maritime operations, peacekeeping and the challenges facing Brazil’s armed forces today.

War Stories, Episode 6: A British Infantry Commander in Urban Combat, Iraq, 2007 Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

In the sixth edition of the King’s College London War Studies War Stories podcast miniseries, hosted by King’s alumni Rupert Lane and Nick Denning (BA War Studies, 2002–2005), Nick hosts and Rupert takes to the guest seat to speak about his own experience of war. As a young officer with 4th Battalion The Rifles, Rupert deployed to Basra, Iraq, in 2007, where he commanded a platoon given the task of defending the Provincial Joint Coordination Centre (PJCC), an isolated position in the centre of the city. One night in April, Rupert and 24 soldiers found themselves defending the PJCC against an attack by around 200 militia fighters. Over four hours, the defenders fought to prevent the position being overrun, for which the platoon was recognised with three gallantry awards, including two Military Crosses. Expect to learn: - What it means to command a mechanised rifle platoon in an urban counter-insurgency. - How 24 soldiers defended an isolated position against a much larger force during four hours of intense urban combat. - How leadership, training and individual initiative manifest in the pressure cooker of a defensive battle.

The Divided Brain with Dr Iain McGilchrist Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the Breaking Cycles of Conflict mini-series, XCEPT's Dr Nafees Hamid talks to Dr Iain McGilchrist – psychiatrist, philosopher, neuroscientist and author of The Master and His Emissary and The Matter with Things – about how the brain's left and right hemispheres attend to the world in fundamentally different ways. They explore how shifts in hemispheric dominance have shaped trust, institutions and the rise and fall of civilisations throughout history, and what this means for how governments, mediators and practitioners build, and lose, legitimacy in fragile and conflict-affected settings today. This research is part of XCEPT (Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends), a UK aid-funded programme. King's College London's contribution to XCEPT focuses on the factors that shape violent and peaceful behaviour in conflict-affected populations. Find out more about XCEPT at xcept-research.org.

War Stories, Episode 5: An Indian Army officer in counter-insurgency operations, Assam, 2010-2012 Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

In the fifth edition of the King's College London War Studies War Stories podcast miniseries, hosted by King's alumni Rupert Lane and Nick Denning (BA War Studies, 2002–2005), Ru and Nick speak with Aravind Rajendran (MA Conflict, Security & Development, 2020–2021). A former commissioned officer in the Indian Army (2009 to 2020), Aravind served with the 3rd Battalion The Mahar Regiment, during counter-insurgency operations in Assam between 2010 and 2012, before later serving in Jharkhand and spending four years with Indian Special Forces. Expect to learn: • What it means to be a young officer commander operating in a second language with his troops, while engaging with local communities speaking a range of additional languages and dialects • What it is to navigate a complex insurgency in a remarkable cultural landscape, using leadership, trust-building and operational adaptability

A Journalist on the frontline of the 'War on Terror', Iraq and Afghanistan, 2001-2010 Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

In the fourth edition of the King’s College London War Studies War Stories podcast miniseries, hosted by King’s alumni Rupert Lane and Nick Denning (BA War Studies, 2002-2005), Ru and Nick speak to Dr. Tiania Stevens (MA War Studies, 2007-2008), who was embedded as an Australian journalist with both US and British forces in Iraq, as well as US forces in Afghanistan through the 2000s, with various news agencies. They dig into the challenges of being a non-combatant on the frontlines, a firsthand witness to combat, from explosive devices to small arms fire, where you are being protected by the teams you live with, retaining as independent a view as you can, against a reporting chain that needs stories for headlines. Tiania is now a lecturer on Journalism at the University of Sydney.

War Stories, Episode 3: A Humanitarian in a conflict zone, Afghanistan and Ukraine, 2009-2021 Jun 25, 2026

Show notes

In the third edition of the King’s College London War Studies War Stories podcast miniseries, hosted by King’s alumni Rupert Lane and Nick Denning (War Studies, 2002-2005), Ru and Nick speak to Rory Moylan (War Studies, 2002-2005), who worked as a humanitarian in Afghanistan, in Mazar-i-Sharif, with first ACTED and then the International Committee of the Red Cross through 2009-2013, and Sloviansk in the Ukraine, amongst others. They delve into the complexity of operating across conflict lines as an independent humanitarian during an ongoing conflict, where risk is almost as high as that of a soldier in the same environment, yet protection depends on neutrality being respected by all sides. Rory, who is fluent in Farsi and Dari, focussed on dialogue between state, non-state actors and civilians, as well as detention centres. Further Reading: Kabul Disco, by Nicolas Wild: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26155829 Key Locations Described: Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan; Sloviansk, Donbas, Ukraine

The Helsinki Brief, Episode 3: Finland's Comprehensive Security Model Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

In this third episode of The Helsinki Brief: Inside Finnish Intelligence and Security, Dr Paul McGarr (King’s College London) is joined again by Hannamiina Tanninen of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (SUPO) to explore Finland’s 'comprehensive security' model — a point of reference in international debates on resilience. They unpack what “comprehensive security” means in practice: an all-of-society approach designed to keep Finland functioning as normally as possible during crises, from major disruptions and natural disasters to heightened security threats. The conversation looks at how the model is embedded across government, the private sector and civil society — and why joint exercises, consultation and coordination are central to making it work. The episode also looks at the foundations that make this approach work in Finland — including high public trust, the welfare state, a broad-based education system and mandatory conscription — as well as the role of the National Emergency Supply Agency. Finally, the discussion considers which elements of the Finnish model might be transferable elsewhere — and which are rooted in Finland’s specific history, size and social cohesion. Hannamiina Tanninen is a doctoral researcher at the National Defence University in Finland, researching on modelling the strategic environment of the Finnish security of supply system with emphasis on defining economic intelligence and economic security in intelligence studies. She is also a visiting researcher at Imperial College London.

Afghanistan: 25 Years After 9/11. On the Brink of Another Crisis? May 27, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Colin Smith, co-ordinator of the UN Security Council’s 1267/1988 Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, joins Tim Willasey-Wilsey, King’s Visiting Professor, Graham Aikin, PhD researcher at King’s, and Dr Paul McGarr, Lecturer in Intelligence Studies, to examine Afghanistan nearly 25 years after 9/11 and assess whether it is again becoming a base for international terrorism under Taliban rule. The discussion explores the presence of groups such as al-Qaeda, ISIL-K and regional militants, the Taliban’s internal dynamics, and how the global terrorist threat has become more fragmented and decentralised. It also considers evolving radicalisation pathways, the role of new technologies and the challenges facing Western counterterrorism policy. Further reading: 1. UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Monitoring Team Reports: https://bit.ly/4fAnGs3 2. UN Security Council 1988 Sanctions Monitoring Team Reports: https://bit.ly/4dzibc5 3. The British and 9/11: So Near and Yet So Far by Tim Willasey-Wilsey: https://bit.ly/3RGzmzH 4. 'Not your fathers Afghanistan': Has the West taken its eye off the al-Qaeda ball? by Graham Aikin: https://bit.ly/49Jgk1O 5. Operation Enduring Sentinel and Other U.S. Government Activities Related to Afghanistan: https://bit.ly/49Azp6v

Nostalgia - Shared Histories, Divided Futures May 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Dr Nafees Hamid speaks with Dr Craig Larkin (Research Lead on Memory and Conflict for the XCEPT research programme), Dr Clara Voyvodic (Lecturer in Peace Studies at the University of Bradford), and Maria El Sammak (XCEPT Research Assistant and King's College London MA student in the War Studies department) about the powerful and often divisive role of nostalgia in global politics. As populist leaders from the United States to Turkey increasingly harness nostalgic sentiment to mobilise political support, this episode explores whether this longing for the past is a harmless comfort or a driver of division. Drawing on research on “The Golden Age" of Lebanon, rebel governance in Colombia, The Troubles in Northern Ireland and beyond, the conversation reveals how collective nostalgia can foster intolerance and nativism. Together, they examine why the future can feel so precarious and whether art can help us imagine a more inclusive path forward. This episode is produced as part of the XCEPT programme, which seeks to understand the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour in conflict-affected populations and to support practical solutions for peace. Learn more at www.xcept-research.org. Image credit: RORY NUGENT.com / Shutterstock.com. British Army patrol with neighbourhood kids in West Belfast, Northern Ireland (February 25th 1994)

War Stories, Episode 2: A British Armoured Commander in Afghanistan, 2011 Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

In the second edition of the King’s College London War Studies War Stories podcast miniseries, hosted by King’s alumni Rupert Lane and Nick Denning (War Studies, 2002-2005), Ru and Nick speak to Jamie Irwin (War Studies, 2000-2003), who served with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in Afghanistan on HERRICK 14, with the British Army, having previously served in Iraq on TELIC 12. Ru and Nick take a deep dive into the high intensity counter-insurgency conflict in Helmand, Afghanistan, 2011, through the eyes of an armoured commander (Warthog Group). They delve into the challenges Jamie’s unit faced fighting the Taliban in the Afghan summer covering the experience ofarmoured warfare, through tactics, morale and combat, working in a hostile environment with a civilian population just trying to survive. Further Reading: 1. BBC Documentary: Fighting on the Frontline: War Wagons https://bit.ly/48uJdhG Key Locations Described: · Zumbalay, Adin Za’i, FOB Price (Gereshk), Lashkar Gah, Nad E’Ali

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