Welcome to this inaugural King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI) Insights post! The KCSI team is thrilled to launch our blog dedicated to exploring the rich tapestry of subjects which make up the study of intelligence and security.
Why KCSI Insights?
The international world order is “under threat in a way we haven’t seen since the Cold War”, the Chiefs of MI6 and the CIA recently warned. Whilst the secret services involved in state intelligence work behind closed doors, it is the responsibility of the academic community to analyse the open records which reveal how this work has been done in the past, is conducted today, and consider what the future holds. As intelligence chiefs have been stepping out more regularly into the public sphere, it has never been more important for the academic community to join the discussion in a more real-time way, through the Insights blog.
KCSI is home to an exceptional group of academics, former practitioners and industry experts, who will contribute to the blog alongside invited contributors on a variety of topics within the field. KCSI Insights will be an integral part of the Centre itself. As the largest platform for intelligence studies in the world, KCSI was set up in 2023 to enhance our knowledge of intelligence from an international perspective, and to build new networks interested in the future of global intelligence and international security. The Centre brings together a diverse group of leading scholars, Visiting Fellows, and doctoral researchers from four continents, to generate research and insight that can help future leaders, governments, NGOs, businesses and the public better understand and navigate the challenges and opportunities of the evolving global security environment. KCSI Insights will be a platform for sharing pieces of interest to those audiences and others.
As the largest platform for intelligence studies in the world, KCSI was set up in 2023 to enhance our knowledge of intelligence from an international perspective, and to build new networks interested in the future of global intelligence and international security.
What to expect from KCSI Insights
As the home of leading voices from academic and ex-practitioner communities, KCSI Insights will publish the most relevant, authoritative and experienced voices on intelligence and international security. From the KCSI staff alone you can expect Insights posts about intelligence collection, analysis, covert action, secret diplomacy, and deception in the 20th as well as 21st century. Insights contributions will focus on the past and present of Five Eyes as well as European intelligence. Moreover, they will include a variety of interdisciplinary approaches to the study of intelligence and security. We remain committed to exploring the secret state outside the Anglosphere, with a growing number of members, associates and doctoral researchers focusing on the study of intelligence elsewhere.
KCSI Insights will engage with the Centre’s more than a thousand members and its readership will continue to grow in the coming months and years, bringing to life for its readers intelligence history and contemporary analysis. Insights will be reviewed by the KCSI Editorial Board made up of core members of the Centre, ensuring its content meets the standards of the Centre itself.
The start of our journey
The study of intelligence is ever-expanding and has never been more relevant to governments, international organisations, NGOs, thinktanks and businesses. And the public’s appetite for understanding more about the work of intelligence agencies is as strong as it’s ever been, as demonstrated by the recent Emmy victory of Slow Horses. Whilst we cannot promise all the contributions to Insights will feature quite as much drama as such productions, they will satisfy some of that appetite for unique perspectives on intelligence. Our first contributor is Professor Sir David Omand, a titan in the field of intelligence studies. As a former Director of GCHQ and Intelligence and Security Coordinator for Tony Blair, Sir David’s assessment of the evolution and future of transatlantic intelligence studies and the important role of KCSI within the field will be a fascinating read. Shortly after we will hear from Dr Paul McGarr, who has recently published the widely anticipated first comprehensive history of India’s secret Cold War.
We invite you to join us as we explore the broad range of subjects studied by KCSI members, which will be written about in this blog. If you like our content, we also encourage you to share it on other platforms including LinkedIn, X and Bluesky and send feedback to us. If you’re interested in knowing more about KCSI events, publications and other updates, then sign up to our newsletter.
Warmest regards and happy reading,
Celia Parker-Vincent (Insights Editor-in-Chief) and the KCSI Editorial Board
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