Edward A. David

They say that while change can happen instantly, transitions can take ages. Moving to King’s was, for me, a big change. Eleven years in Oxford—first as a postgraduate, then as a postdoc—meant that the rhythms of that place had become second nature. I arrived expecting to be there for just nine months, a brief academic sojourn for an MSt in Christian Ethics. Instead, I stayed for nearly a decade more, completing my DPhil and holding two postdoctoral positions.

Oxford was, in many ways, home. I relished the life of a postgraduate researcher, the privilege of deep, unbroken study, the odd hours, the countless seminars where ideas were tested and refined. And then, against the odds in today’s academic job market, I secured a permanent position in my field. A rare stroke of luck—or providence.

Transitioning to King’s will take time. I love the job, the people, the sheer buzz of central London. It’s an extraordinarily walkable part of the city, full of life, energy, and architectural grandeur—unsurpassed, perhaps, except by certain parts of Paris. But learning new ways of working, adjusting to new workplace cultures, teaching new students, finding new routines—all of that takes time. God willing, I’ll have that time.

For now, I’m working towards passing my three-year probation period while aiming to be of service to the King’s community—its students, staff, and alumni—in my dual role as AKC Director and Lecturer in Ethics & Values. It’s an exciting period of transition for me, though it’s a challenging time for higher education more broadly. Yet King’s remains a thriving institution, one of London’s original universities and among the most dynamic in the world, producing world-leading research across disciplines—from the medical sciences and law to the arts and humanities.

My office is in the Strand Building, that modernist intrusion grafted onto the historic King’s Building. But my view makes up for it: the eastern archway of Somerset House, a daily reminder of London’s layered history. Students pass by my first-floor window in waves—on the hour, every hour. New faces, new conversations to overhear. People-watching at its best.

And now, in a small but significant step in this transition, my faculty profile is live on the King’s website. A new chapter begins.