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Dear friends,
It has been a difficult few months in the UK, with four terrorist attacks and the Grenfell Tower disaster. On behalf of all of us at RUSI, I would like to offer my condolences to the victims, the families and the friends of those affected by these terrible tragedies. It is extremely sad to be writing these words again, but it is also an important reminder of RUSI’s purpose. As ever, we have been sharing our analysis on these events. Earlier in June, I wrote a piece for Prospect about terrorism and the security services.
The heated debate around the Grenfell tragedy also includes discussion on the state of the UK’s infrastructure. RUSI's forthcoming Resilience Conference in September will highlight the importance of investment in infrastructure and communities, and the challenges for local authorities, which are under constant pressure to do more with less.
This week we hosted our 18th annual RUSI Land Warfare Conference, organised in partnership with the British Army. The conference brought together army leaders from around the world, as well as representatives from industry and academia. This year, for the first time, we featured a panel of Chiefs of Staff from the UK, US, Germany and France.
Last week, we hosted Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai from the Nigerian Army, who briefed us on the army’s progress against Boko Haram.
We were also privileged to welcome HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, who visited RUSI in mid-May for a private event organised by the Cormorant Club. Lord Arbuthnot, who is on our Advisory Board, delivered an excellent lecture on cyber security.
Next month, as part of our programme of activities to mark the centenary of the First World War, RUSI will be hosting a panel discussion to pay respect to the seven RUSI members who were awarded the Victoria Cross for their service during this period.
Karin von Hippel
Director-General, RUSI
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