King’s College London’s Vice-Chancellor Shitij Kapur sits down with former Editor-in-Chief Sam McManus to discuss protests, student satisfaction and his expenses.
This article was first published in print on 22 September 2025.
Sam McManus: We’re at the end of your first term as President. How would you grade your own performance?
Vice-Chancellor: Let’s give an upper second.
SM: Why?
VC: One should start with the question: what is a university for? To me, universities are often seen through the lens of research, but their fundamental duty remains their contribution to students and their journey.
Pre-Covid, about 100,000 students applied to King’s. Today it’s around 135,000. League tables also show progress, now we’re 31st. Perhaps I’m proudest of widening access. Around 38% of our students now come from a widening access background, close to national parity. More importantly, King’s ranks among the top two Russell Group universities on the social mobility index.
Why not a First? Our student experience is not where it should be. The classroom is strong, but our services — admin, support, housekeeping — do not yet function as they should. As Vice Chancellor I take responsibility for that. That’s why I chose a second term: to aim for a First.
SM: And your biggest regret?
VC: How external events — especially after October 7 — created divisions on campus. Universities should be places for difficult conversations held civilly, but across the sector we’ve all struggled with that.
SM: Let’s start there. You chair Universities UK’s advisory group on freedom of speech. King’s UCU passed a consultative ballot on a lack of academic freedom at King’s. Dr Rana Baker has said she felt unsupported by senior management. Why do staff not think that academic freedom is being held up?
VC: There is always more the university could be doing. Incidents around Israel and Gaza have been fractious across the sector. Passions run high and sometimes pit staff or students against each other. Our role is to balance support for all parties while ensuring education and research continue.
But if you’re asking, is there more universities can do? Yes. I think we could have found a way to bring parties with opposing views together on our own campus to talk about it.
Why did that not happen? I think there was just concern whether it could be done without a fracas, that the rival parties within the university, if you brought them together, you might end up instigating a brawl. These are difficult judgments. Complaints have been handled fairly, but this is a contentious issue. I can obviously not go into the individuals and specifics.
SM: You’ve said the right to protest does not supersede the rights of others to go about normal university business. In 2024 & 2025 you and senior management intervened to terminate the Quad Encampments. Where do you draw the line?
VC: Cautiously. We have to protect the right to protest, but also ensure those who disagree can have their voices heard without it becoming a fight. This is first of all a university — not a protest ground. People come here to teach and learn, and we must create an environment where that can continue largely unimpeded.
Clearly, if there’s a demonstration outside and it’s loud for 15 minutes, you can say that’s acceptable. But if it disrupts classes entirely, then you have to rethink. The law and custom give institutions the right to protect their primary function. And then there are straightforward issues of health and safety.
On the encampment, we provided room for people to protest as long as we thought we could manage it. They wanted their voices heard, and it was long enough for that. But there came a time when we could not support it anymore, and that’s when we had to take action. Protesters were informed all along — this wasn’t to catch anyone by surprise.
SM: You spoke about keeping protesters safe. But this year students have faced police aggression on campus, and King’s security were recorded using physical force. Are you comfortable with their behaviour?
VC: I would be a little bit careful, because your question already blames a side. If people are just standing with placards, there is never an altercation. The physical altercation occurs when people try to get into places they are not supposed to go, or they block others from passing.
SM: When I referred to King’s security using physical force, this was against a protester who was standing outside an entrance/exit, not trying to enter. I want to clarify that.
VC: It could be, as you say, that someone was standing outside an entrance and was asked to move. They may have been obstructing the passage, and it is not their right to do that. They have the right to protest, but not to obstruct the natural business of the university, nor the rights of others. That’s where the tension arises.
Our security staff are professionally trained, as are the police. If an incident happens where someone feels it was unfair, there is a complaints process. I cannot go into the specifics of any single one of them, but I would agree that this is a contentious matter. Am I satisfied, after what has happened, that our security personnel are one adequately trained? Yes, I am, because we review that in entirety. Have they discharged their duties honorably and well? Absolutely they have. Have some of them come to harm as a part of this process? Very sadly, yes. But beyond that, could there be instances and lessons to be learned? Absolutely.
Every time there is an incident, it is reviewed. Lessons are learned. Our guards managed to keep people safe in the encampment. They are charged with a very difficult duty — to guard the university and the rights of everyone. If concerns are with the police, those must be addressed directly to the police.
SM: Let’s return to student satisfaction. Our survey found 42% of students have experienced administrative errors in grades, and just 8% described KCL admin as supportive. Why has this persisted for so long?
VC: I don’t separate academics from admin — it’s all part of the student experience. The National Student Survey shows we do well in teaching and resources, but poorly in assessment and organisation.
We found too much assessment, unclear marking criteria, and manual processes prone to error. Marks were being moved manually through Excel sheets and emails — you can imagine mistakes happening. Feedback was also insufficient.
We launched the TASK programme: pruning assessments, clarifying marking criteria, improving communication of exam schedules, automating mark entry and progression.
And each of the departments is looking in and making sure that people get more narrative information rather than just a mark. Is this changing? And I would say yes, it is. So this year in the National Student Survey, we finally saw a 4.1% increase, which is the single biggest increase in student satisfaction at King’s in recent memory. But that is not enough-
SM: Because we are still 126th in the UK-
VC: and that is not enough. It’s a journey of becoming a more data driven organisation. So that’s the journey that we are on. Unfortunately, nowhere does it change overnight. Am I proud of where we are? No. Are we making progress? We definitely are. Are we investing into it? We absolutely are. Now, there is one thing I have to add, we can do all of this, but your students also complained about the attitude of services. And look, that is something that is a collective responsibility of all of us that when things are not working well, that we are not dismissive, but are at least appropriately engaging. I think that’s something that we’re working on.
SM: In ‘Procedures for Staff and Student Travel’, it reads that upgrading “the class of the principal’s travel is permitted when quote this is an appropriate option in the interests of the university.” You’ve spent £18,000 on two return flights to the US. In your first two years, you spent nearly £50,000 on international travel, and £26,000 on decorating the Maughan library flat. Is this responsible use of university funds and if these are in the interests of the university, can you explain how?
VC: King’s receives £400–500 million a year from international student fees. Promoting the university abroad, meeting alumni, and fundraising are fundamental duties. Last year we raised £55 million in philanthropy, much of it linked to these trips. Benchmarked against similar universities, these are reasonable expenses.
SM: I don’t think there’s a problem with the travel itself. £8,000 was spent on flights for a two-day trip to Phoenix, while the same business-class flight cost less than half. Why is the amount so much more than even a business class flight?
VC: I never travel first class — only business. We book through Key Travel, our provider, not web search engines. Costs can vary, but tickets are bought within university policy. These are not pleasure trips; after 16 hours of travel I must represent the university immediately. We get the best available fares through our supplier, with the necessary insurance coverage.
SM: Finally, what would you want your legacy to be in five years?
VC: That students report a better experience. Most importantly, that graduates succeed. Competition for jobs is fiercer than ever. King’s Edge — our programme bringing together extracurriculars, lectures, and skills — will help students stand out.
We must adapt activities, move them online, and make them more accessible. When students leave King’s, I want them to graduate not just with a degree, but with the skills to thrive.
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