FoDOCS latest news

King's College London retains top ten position for Dentistry [1]

King’s College London holds steady its position as the 9th top university for dentistry according to the 2023 instalment of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, indeed the only University from the UK to feature in the top 10.

As the top British University for dentistry, the data provides students, policymakers, academic administrators, faculty, and employers with insight into institutional performance.

Using dinosaur teeth to widen access to higher education [2]

A new FoDOCS-led project, launched in January, uses investigation of dinosaur teeth and evolution to inform and inspire awareness of studying STEM and healthcare subjects at university.

The new project, ‘Raising Oral/STEM Awareness Reaching low participation areas through investigation of dinosaur teeth and evolution’ (ROAR), is a collaboration between the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences and the King's Social Mobility & Widening Participation team to create an early-school intervention intended to widen access to higher education.

The target population for ROAR is school children living in specific areas of England that have been identified as having low participation in HEI and STEM subjects, together with high levels of oral health need and lower numbers of oral health professionals.

The project held its first workshop with Year 6 children at Chattenden Primary School, Rochester at the end of January 2023. Undergraduate student volunteers travelled to the school with a range of replica dinosaur fossils, including a Tyrannosaurus rex jaw, Megalosaurus jaw, and Tyrannosaurus rex tooth. Further workshops will be taking place throughout 2023 across Medway, South East England.

Driving forward climate and sustainability action at King's [3]

Key deliverables include:

At least a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, across energy use, business travel, our supply chain, commuting and waste

Ensuring sustainability and climate education is embedded into all King’s degree programmes by 2026

A four-fold increase in climate and sustainability research activity by 2029

Increasing investments with socially responsible benefits to 40% by 2025

Development of guidance on internal carbon pricing, to ensure we can better align financial decisionmaking criteria with King’s climate action goals

Delivering the plan will require commitments across multiple areas, including capital investment on our estate, some targeted injections of dedicated resources, policy decisions and changes to ways of working.

Bringing the Human to the Artificial, a new exhibition presented by the King’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence, showcases cutting-edge research from across the university exploring the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on different aspects of our lives.

Presented in collaboration with King’s Culture, the exhibition runs from 2 May to 30 June at the Arcade, Bush House. It showcases emerging applications for AI that shape our everyday lives. Research featured in the exhibition will include work exploring possibilities for the use of AI in the NHS and the justice system, driverless cars, facial recognition, national intelligence and security, and the creative industries

As well as providing an introduction to AI and the range of technologies that underpin AI applications, Bringing the Human to the Artificial will present the future potential of augmented intelligence: for machines to work inextricably with humans, to support them, to interact with them, and to relate to them

Featuring work from a range of disciplines and from different perspectives across King’s – including social sciences, law, arts, humanities, security, science, engineering, and health – the exhibition encourages visitors to consider a society enriched by these technologies but also the concerns and challenges they inevitably present.

Accompanying the exhibition, the Institute will present a scheduled series of demonstrations and interactive exhibits during the two-month period, allowing researchers and visitors to explore AI in its various forms at King’s.