With drought continuing to hit London and the South East, Year 12 geographers braved soaring temperatures to hear from academics at University College London who specialise in disasters.
Their trip to UCL’s Department for Risk and Disaster Reduction was hosted by Dr Mohammad Shamsudduha, Professor of Water Crisis and Risk Reduction, who sent the sixth-formers on their way with a stark warning and a resounding appeal: “The world is facing multiple crises and needs people who can work across disciplines and in varied contexts, and who can think in new ways to help solve those problems. Business as usual cannot continue.”
The group also heard a taster lecture from Dr Ting Sun, Associate Professor in Climate and Meteorological Hazard Risks, while other members of the department each shared their own expertise on topics that included Middle Eastern migration and natural hazards across South Asia.
Deputy Head (Academic) Anne Macdonald said: “Dr Sun’s research interests include the impacts of climate extremes in cities – especially appropriate at the moment!”
Reflecting on the visit as a whole, she said: “The themes that were covered are central to our A-level Geography curriculum, particularly in the topics of Water Cycle and Water Insecurity, Carbon Cycle and Energy Security, and Health, Human Rights and Intervention, as well as through our enrichment programme.
“It is essential that students consider questions such as: ‘How do my actions impact the world? How will societies of the future function in the face of challenges such as climate change and inequality? How can I prepare to make a positive contribution?’”
“Experiences like this encourage our students to develop the confidence, ability and responsibility to shape a more sustainable future.”
The visit began with a tour of UCL’s main campus, led by a postgraduate Architecture student. The 13 sixth-formers were also joined by Old Elizabethan Hamza Mohamed (OE 2018–2025), who has just completed his first year studying Medicine at UCL. Hamza spoke to the QE boys about university applications, student life and his experiences at UCL, offering advice and encouragement as they begin considering their own higher education.
The group received a warm welcome at the Department for Risk and Disaster Reduction. (“The risk of heat stroke was averted due to their generosity in providing a full spread of afternoon refreshments!” said Mrs Macdonald.) They heard from:
- Dr Shamsudduha, whose research focuses on hydrogeology, water security, public health, sustainable development and climate resilience, particularly in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa;
- Dr Estella Carpi, Associate Professor in Humanitarian Studies, a social anthropologist specialising in conflict, migration and humanitarian responses in the Middle East;
- Dr Dan Haines, Associate Professor in Disaster and Crisis Response, an environmental historian whose work explores the politics and culture of natural hazards across South Asia;
- Dr Sun, whose research investigates the impacts of weather and climate extremes in urban environments.
“Dr Sun delivered a fascinating taster lecture on urban heat islands, explaining how artificial intelligence and climate modelling can be used to evaluate strategies for reducing heat in cities,” said Mrs Macdonald. “Students also saw a demonstration of the Surface Urban Energy and Water Balance Scheme (SUEWS), an urban climate model that Dr Sun helped to develop.”
Dr Shamsudduha then introduced the boys to one of today’s most pressing global challenges: freshwater salinisation. Using Bangladesh as a case study, he explained how a country with abundant monsoon rainfall can still experience severe water insecurity due to drought, flooding and climate change-induced sea level rise.
The Year 12s also took part in a practical demonstration, using conductivity meters to compare the salinity of a bottle of drinking water with seawater collected from Brighton earlier that day.
Throughout the afternoon, staff highlighted UCL’s BSc in Global Humanitarian Studies, an interdisciplinary degree launched in 2021. The course equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to address complex global challenges. Graduates progress to careers in organisations including the United Nations, governments, NGOs and international charities.
On their trip, members of QE’s Organ Club not only played the historic four-manual organ at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, but also heard an internationally acclaimed organist perform in the City of London in what is believed to be the world’s longest-running organ recital series.
QE’s professionals in The Queen’s Library worked alongside the pupil librarians to whittle down the long list of more than 300 books nominated by students and staff to the final 100.
Here are just a few of the authors who feature: Shakespeare; C S Lewis; Jules Verne; Michael Morpurgo; Harper Lee; J R R Tolkien; Robert Harris; Ray Bradbury; Charles Dickens; Yuval Noah Harari; Marcus Aurelius; Barack Obama; Jordan Peterson; Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky; Marcus Rashford; Homer (with The Iliad available both in Rosemary Sutcliffe’s retelling and in unabridged form); Suzanne Collins; Seamus Heaney & Ted Hughes; Antoine De Saint-Exupéry; Mark Haddon; and Rory Stewart.
The Archimedes Awards are inspired by Archimedes of Syracuse – the most famous mathematician and inventor in ancient Greece.
Aaryan’s Honourable Mention for his essay comes just weeks after 