Hinsley Memorial Lecture to be given by General Sir Mike Jackson

The 15th Hinsley Memorial Lecture, held at St John’s College, will focus on the refugee crisis and UK defence.

The annual lecture will take place on 4 November at the Old Divinity School, St John’s College, and will be given by General Sir Mike Jackson GCB, CBE, DSO, DL. Entitled ‘General Reflections’, the lecture will examine UK defence in an era of Middle East turmoil, an adventurist Russia, and a burgeoning refugee crisis in Europe.

General Sir Mike Jackson served for almost 45 years in the British Army, and from 2003-2006 he was Chief of the General Staff (CGS), the professional head of and the highest post in the British Army. His previous positions were Commander in Chief, Land Command from 2000 – the second most senior position – Commander Kosovo Force in 1999, Commander ACE Rapid Reaction Corps from 1997, and Director General Development and Doctrine at the MOD. His active service included command at company and brigade level in Northern Ireland, divisional command in Bosnia, and corps commander in Macedonia and Kosovo. Sir Mike retired from the Army in 2006, and is currently a Senior Advisor at PA Consulting Group, a non-executive director on the board of ForceSelect, and he continues to speak on military matters.

The Hinsley Memorial Lecture honours Sir Harry Hinsley, a former student and later Master of St John’s and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. Originally a medieval historian, Hinsley worked as a cryptanalyst at Bletchley Park during World War II, where he contributed to the analysis of intercepted German wireless traffic. He returned to St John’s after the conflict, and lectured in History, specialising in the History of International Relations. St John's College hosts the Hinsley Memorial Lecture on an international relations topic every year.

The lecture will take place at 6pm on Wednesday 4 November in the Main Lecture Theatre at the Old Divinity School, St John’s College, and will be preceded by tea at 5.15pm. Parking will be available in the Playing Fields car park. All University members are welcome to attend.