Please introduce yourself and your role at King’s?

I’m Dr. Andrea Ellner and I lecture in the Defence Studies Department.

What’s your role involve?

I’m a joint Director of the Global Security MA programme, alongside Dr. David Easter. We’ve managed the creation of the MA programme and the development of its foundational and advanced optional modules. We oversee its development and ensure it makes up a cohesive whole.

Personally, I’m contributing to the content of several modules. I’ll be teaching in the foundational phase of Global Security and also in the Department of Defence Studies, including for International Affairs MA (online).

In addition to my teaching, I lead the Society, Culture & Law Research Group in the School of Security Studies.

What’s your particular area of interest/expertise?

My areas of expertise are gender, violent conflict, armed forces and military ethics, particularly moral injury and civil-military relations. I have also worked on defence and security with a focus on nuclear proliferation, European security, and the Royal Navy.

At King’s, we offer two online security master’s – what’s the main difference between the two courses? How can our students decide which is best for them and their career aspirations and interests?

That’s right, in addition to the Global Security MA, we offer the International Affairs MA which has been running with increasing success for several years. The courses differ in scope, focus and approach, a difference that is reflected in the name.

Global Security takes an international view when it examines today’s challenges to security, such as threats to the ecosystem or pandemics. It asks what security means for people in the Global North and South by looking at the many other dimensions of and threats to human security, such as violent conflict, human rights and justice, but it also looks at the state, for example, when it explores policy-making, global power competitions or new forms of war. In other words, the Global Security MA aims to give students a deep understanding of global contemporary security issues, exploring a wide range of topics and using theoretical and conceptual insights as well as practical case studies.

The International Affairs MA looks at international politics with a focus on states and the historical development of the discipline. If candidates are more interested in diplomacy, strategy, regional security and the role of specific countries in international politics, they are more likely to be interested in International Affairs.

Why is it vital to understand today’s security challenges?

It’s vital to understand today’s security challenges because they directly affect all of us, pose threats to everyone’s security and are exceedingly difficult to address. Contemporary issues such as climate change, pandemics and cyberattacks cross national borders, challenge the safety and security of the whole world and require cooperative responses which can be difficult to achieve. Significant technological developments pose new opportunities and risks at a global level, for societies and individuals. Sustainably addressing the complexities of contemporary conflicts and global injustices, which can find their expressions in violence, requires deep appreciation and inclusion of truly global perspectives.

Can you tell us more about the departments involved in our Global Security programme?

The institutional home of the Global Security MA is the King’s Institute for Applied Security Studies (KIASS). It’s part of the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, which consists of the Department of Defence Studies and the Department of War Studies. Defence Studies has been delivering professional military education for over two decades. Its research is interdisciplinary, combining military history and various subfields of Political Science & International Relations. War Studies has a large community of specialists in International Relations theory and policy fields from war to gender studies. They are both large, interdisciplinary departments, and together they offer an unrivalled range of research interests and expertise in security issues.

What sets the Global Security MA apart from other university offerings?

The Global Security MA is being developed from scratch as a dedicated offering and is designed to engage with the multiplicity of global security challenges including and going well beyond the perspective of national security. It seeks to encourage deep understanding and critical self-reflection on the perspective of the Global North and engage meaningfully with views, experiences and aims of the Global South.

Apart from the wide range of department expertise, the great advantage of this programme is its unique flexibility. Unlike the International Affairs MA, Global Security has no study pathways, where students select a specialisation at the beginning. So, students can choose to evolve their specialist areas of expertise as they go through the programme. Students can start the MA at several points through the year and build their studies around their other commitments, such as job requirements or caring responsibilities. They can work with other students but also have time to study at their own pace.

Who else is involved in the course and what attributes do they bring?

The course benefits hugely from the wide range of academic subject matter experts assembled in both the Department of War Studies and the Department of Security Studies. The content of modules has been developed by individuals or teams of specifically selected specialists. Each contribute their unique insights, expertise in their particular specialist fields, such as science and security, geopolitics or security, human rights and justice, studies theories, and professional experience in bringing to life the practical relevance of their research. Specialists in security studies will guide you through the modules and assessments with the aim of facilitating a rich and varied learning experience.

What career prospects can our students expect once they complete the master’s?

This MA gives students a conceptual and practical understanding of the real-life security challenges facing the world today. It opens the doors for working in organisations and industries that are involved with security, in the broadest sense. For example, career paths might be roles in NGOs, policy think tanks, government bodies, the armed forces, journalism or the private sector, for example, risk assessment or insurance companies. For students already working in these areas, it enables them to deepen their knowledge and contextualise their experiences, leading to wider opportunities within and beyond their chosen field or profession.

Can you tell us about a project or research you’re currently working on?

At present, I’m researching moral and gender aspects of the US and British campaigns in Germany, 1944-45 and the occupation until the mid-1950s. I’m interested in the moral complexities of the campaigns, especially urban warfare, perceptions of German civilian women and men, interactions between allied military personnel and Germans (civilians and military personnel) and their long-term effects on individuals and society. I’ll be exploring the multiple tensions between the inhumane moral code of Nazi Germany, feelings of guilt and fear of retribution as the allies advanced and the moral debate about allied military ethics. And also how we should approach moral injury if it results from upsetting an inhumane moral compass or if that upsetting is deemed necessary in order to recover a concept of dignity in human relations. The aim of the project is to generate insights for today about intersections of gender and morality in war, violent conflict transformation and prevention.

What’s your proudest career achievement?

I have some proud memories of very well-received conference presentations and particularly constructive engagement of civilian and military practitioners with my research, but helping students to achieve the best they can and seeing them graduate is especially rewarding.

And finally, how will our prospective students make their mark on the everyday issues faced by the security sector?

Hopefully, they can work towards solving some of the pressing global security challenges and help people around the world to maximise their potential and live with dignity and in security.