A Mind Ready for War? Ancient and Modern - Call for Attendees: One‑day workshop - 17 July 2025 at King’s College London
How do we prepare minds for conflict? And how do those preparations ripple outwards, shaping the society that supports – or questions – military service? On Thursday 17 July 2025 in London, we will bring historians, health researchers, serving personnel, veterans and policy specialists together to explore these questions from both ancient and contemporary perspectives.
Hosted by the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) and University of Bristol, this workshop forms part of the interdisciplinary impact project "Preparing the Body and Mind for War in the Ancient and Modern Armed Forces".
Why attend?
- Fresh perspectives: hear how classical sources on warfare foster modern debates about recruitment, training and societal attitudes to those who serve.
- Cross‑disciplinary dialogue: mix with scholars of history, psychology, public health and defence studies, as well as practitioners and veterans.
- Policy relevance: discuss how historical insights can inform today’s approaches to supporting military personnel before, during and after service.
Programme outline
- 10:30 – Arrival & coffee (Bush House, King’s College London)
- 11:00 – Welcome and opening reflections
- 11:15 – The ancient roots of military mindset – lightning talks (5–7 mins) and round‑table discussion
- 12:30 – Sandwich‑platter lunch & networking
- 13:00 – Modern contexts and societal influence – discussion with Q&A
- 15:15 – Synthesis: bridging past and present
- 16:00 – Prompt close
Who should join?
Anyone with an interest in the interface between military service and wider society can attend this free event. This includes:
- Academics in history, classics, psychology, public health and defence studies.
- Serving personnel and veterans.
- Health professionals and charity representatives.
- Policymakers shaping Armed Forces welfare and public engagement.
Registration
Places are free but limited. To reserve a seat (in person) please email Dr Daniel Leightley (KCMHR and Department of Population Sciences) at [email protected] AND Dr Hannah‑Marie Chidwick (University of Bristol) at [email protected] by Monday 30 June 2025.