Affiliations
King's College London War Studies Society
King's College London International Relations Society
King's College London Diplomacy Society
Alumni
Ojasvi Goel
Strategic Communications / FTI Consulting
"The crisis simulation attracts practitioners and students from across the world, creating a realistic atmosphere to study and learn the tensions the emerge in times of great geopolitical stress and crisis. While the outcomes may not always be true to life, the dynamics of decision making and information that the simulation uncovers are close to life, and the experience is both edifying and enjoyable."
Capucine Guillet
Ambassador / Transatlantic Association
"As a participant to the 2019 Eastern Europe crisis and an organiser of the 2020 Arctic crisis, I have come to see how essential simulations are to grasp the complexity of political and military decision-making in times of crisis. Delegates from a myriad of universities have the opportunity to learn about specific strategic regions of the world and the importance of natural resources as drivers of conflicts in depth. I'd recommend the simulation to anyone interested in active learning of real-life, contemporary geopolitical challenges."
Tomass Pildegovičs
PhD Candidate / University of Cambridge
"The Crisis Simulation was certainly one of the highlights of my undergraduate experience at the Department of War Studies. It was unlike any other competition I had ever been part of, due to its creative structure, immersive nature, and unpredictability. By presenting students with a rare opportunity to engage in strategic decision-making, this event is "a must" for anyone interested in international relations, strategic studies, or war-gaming."
Lincoln Pigman
Research Fellow / Foreign Policy Centre
"Over four years, including one as director, I found Crisis Simulation to be a fantastic opportunity to apply lessons on strategy learned in the classroom and surprisingly accurate in how it captured civil-military and interstate dynamics in crisis conditions. Equally valuable is Crisis Simulation's capacity for bringing together bright students of international affairs, whose willingness to travel to London year after year from a range of countries around the world speaks to the reputation the simulation has developed since its inception in 2014."
Quintin Van Zyl
Consultant / Willis Towers Watson
"I completed a PhD at the War Studies Department, my research question being 'How are Perceptions of Defeat Shaped'. I specifically sought out demanding roles in two consecutive crises to observe the applicability of my propositions. Thus, the crises were used as an informal test-bed for PhD research on human behaviour."
Saga Jaubert
Postgraduate / Sciences Po
"After having both organised and participated in the KCL Crisis, I would warmly recommend it to anyone interested in international conflicts and politics. It is a highly enriching experience that allows you to apply what you've learnt in class and meet a lot of great people who are interested in similar topics as you are. Definitely a highlight of my undergraduate years!"
Riccardo Cociani
Defence Analyst / Janes
"The KCL Crisis Simulation (KCLCS) is a unique and immersive student-led initiative designed to provide students with a 'hands-on' experience in the wargaming and crisis simulations worlds. Whether you're interested in policymaking, advisory, research, leadership, or otherwise, this opportunity is for you: a multidisciplinary experience enabling you a seat at the table. By bridging the gap between in-class education, research, and work experience; the KCLCS will enhance your understanding of crisis management, leadership, effective and strategic communication, the role and power of narratives and the media, teamwork, emotional intelligence, and much more. It is an event like no other that brings together today's students and tomorrow's leaders."
Alexia Keller
Content Creator / Apolitical
"My experience of three KCL Crisis simulations didn't just prove to be great fun but very valuable practice of skills I'd use later on working in tech startups. Thanks to the roles I got to play, I improved my leadership skills, learning to better embrace teamwork and recognise the importance of making everyone feel heard and on board with decisions made. Anything but dull, these simulations are also great to practice making decisions under pressure and being adaptable in the face of unforeseen circumstances. I highly recommend participating in one if you can!"
Tom Golding
Senior Engineer - Operational Analysis / MBDA
"The high level interaction between players really gives you a sense of why failures and successes happen at the highest level. Innocuous simple mistakes can have wide ranging consequences! You don't get that sense of perspective with traditional wargames."
Miranda Melcher
PhD Candidate / King's College London
"KCL crisis simulation is a great opportunity for students to practice dealing with the complexities of real-world situations where the combination of military knowledge, diplomatic skill, and grace under pressure are trained and tested. As one of the organisers of the 2017 simulation, I saw and enjoyed first-hand the quality and utility of this exercise for all involved."
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