Celtic Football Club chairman John Reid is to head up a new body of academics and practitioners addressing security solutions facing the world in the 21st century.
The former home secretary, who was also Northern Ireland minister, will chair the groundbreaking Institute of Security and Resilience Studies (ISRS), which is being set up by University College London. He will also be installed as an honorary professor of the university.
The ISRS aims to offer opportunities for students and academics to join experts and practitioners from commerce, industry and government, to help developed democracies and established nation-states find solutions to the many new security challenges being faced by the world today.
The proposed institute will also critically evaluate the capacity and resilience of states and societies to withstand, and respond to, threats of conflict and terror.
Dr Reid said: "I believe the ISRS can play a vital role in developing innovative thinking and producing new solutions to help us all be better prepared for the demanding challenges of today's world.
"The resilience to withstand, recover and move on from crisis is now an issue requiring both academic study and wider understanding at all levels of society.
"Peoples and nations are now being put to the test, not only by the more traditional issues of conflict, wars, and inter-state threats, but also a range of new security issues.
"I am delighted to be able to use my experience in this new academic endeavour."
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