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Old Elizabethan Dr James Johnson’s forthcoming book will complete a trilogy on AI and the future of conflict.

James (OE 1987-1994), a leading academic, regularly advises the US, UK, and EU governments on AI and nuclear policy.

Although he has risen to become Senior Lecturer and Director of Strategic Studies at the University of Aberdeen, he spent 20 years working in the financial sector before moving into academia – an experience he says shaped his understanding of global affairs and the importance of adaptability.

“If there’s one thing I’d say to current QE pupils,” he said, “it’s that careers rarely follow a straight line. Be curious, take risks, and don’t be afraid to change direction when something new captures your interest.”

James looks back fondly on his time at QE, where “a few great teachers” sparked his interest in history and world politics. “Those lessons in critical thinking and debate have stayed with me ever since.”

At Aberdeen, James leads research on the intersection of artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons, and international security.

He is also the founding Director of the Strategic Studies Network (SSN), an Honorary Fellow at the University of Leicester, and works with several international projects and advisory groups — including the European Research Council’s Towards a Third Nuclear Age project, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, and the Global Commission on Responsible AI in the Military Domain at the Hague.

Public sector organisations he advises include the UK Office for AI, the US Department of Defense, and NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group.

His research has appeared in leading journals and policy outlets. The three books he has written on AI and future warfare are published by Oxford University Press and Manchester University Press. The final volume in the trilogy is called Machines at the Brink, published by OUP.

• Find out more about James’s work at jamesjohnsonphd.com and his University of Aberdeen profile.

The Forty Society’s biannual luncheon filled the clubhouse at the Memorial Playing Fields, where there was a special welcome for long-time former Head of Games David Maughan.

Some members sported the society’s new blazer (modelled here by OEs Ian Louis-Fernand and Giles Pratt), the design of which is based upon that used for the award of cricket colours in the 1930s. Giles has been significant in encouraging more alumni to come along to the Forty Society (open to any who left the School 40 or more years ago).

He visited the School this month, together with Jonathan Gould, who is over from Australia, while another Forty Society stalwart, David Leake (OE 1966–1971) came for a visit in June. David, who was Global Brand Director of Zurich, went to art college after QE. He attends the Forty Society, despite not living locally.

During the luncheon, rugby devotees and their friends paid tribute to the hugely popular David Maughan, who was attending the luncheon as a special guest.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “It was a great pleasure to welcome visiting OEs this term, most recently Giles and Jonathan. Whilst Jonathan had travelled all the way from Sydney, Giles didn’t have quite so far to come, given he is now one of the School’s closest neighbours here in High Barnet!

“There was much laughter as they shared their happy memories of their school days in the 1970s and early 1980s, when Jonathan’s father, Martin, was our longstanding Head of Design Technology, having joined the School in 1959.”

As well as continuing his support for the Forty Society, Giles also plans to put together a group for the OE Annual Reunion Dinner on Friday 21st November this year, starting at 7pm.

The Class of 2024 returned in numbers this week for the University Convention, giving the current Year 12 up-to-the minute information from their universities and courses.

Assistant Head (Pupil Destinations) James Kane said: “The main point was that they share their experiences and pass on advice to current students who will be making choices as to where to apply. But it was also a wonderful opportunity to catch up with them and hear how they are getting on in ‘the real world’. They seemed to enjoy the opportunity to see each other and to catch up with their ‘old’ teachers over lunch. We’re keen that they stay connected with us and each other.”

• Click on the thumbnails below to view the images.

Thanks to the richly varied careers being pursued by our alumni, the School was able to serve up an inspiring new series of talks as part of our QE Futures programme.

The speakers were drawn from people who attended QE during each of the previous four decades who have distinguished themselves in fields including sports entertainment, design & architecture, music and finance. The line-up even included an illustrious former QE mum, who serves on the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee.

Among those welcome by the Futures team – Assistant Head (Pupil Destinations) James Kane and QE Futures Co-ordinator Nathan Lawson – were:

Nathan Kosky (OE 1984–1990). Nathan works in sports and entertainment and is creator & producer of cricket podcast Middle Please, Umpire hosted by England’s World Cup-winning bowler Mark Wood and comedian Miles Jupp. After his visit, Nathan reflected on his reception from the boys: “The brilliant questions they fired at me showed just how incredibly switched on they are, and going back to a place which set me up for my own journey was a real pleasure.”

Liz Oakes, mother of OE James Oakes (2010–2017). An External Member of the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee, she was previously Executive Vice President for Mastercard and is a sought-after financial expert, holding several company directorships.

Alex Gilbert (OE 1990–1995). A committed environmentalist, Alex is Head of Energy and Electrification for Transport for London and is also Chair of the Advisory Group at the University of Sussex Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand (CIED). Alex also took part in the Year 11 Careers Convention and is pictured with some of the boys in QE Connect.

Gabriel Gendler (OE 2007–2014). Gabriel is a mathematician and rabbi, who has studied and taught at the Fuchsberg Center in Jerusalem and Yeshivat Hadar in New York. Gabriel represented the UK in the International Mathematical Olympiad while at School and was an accomplished musician.

Hemang Hirani (OE 2008–2015). He works for Barclays Investment Bank, entering the finance sector after gaining his first-class degree in Geography and Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Ramesh Pari (Paripooranananthan) (OE 1997–2004) is an architect who is now Head of Design & BIM Engineering at Ocado. After speaking to Year 12s in a special assembly, Ramesh wrote: “What was my message? That life is full of weird and wonderful opportunities we can’t always plan for—but we can prepare. That careers are ‘squiggly’, and we should embrace the pivot, prioritising interest over rigid plans.”

The School paid warm tribute last month to QE teacher and Old Elizabethan James Clarke, who died suddenly in January.

A memorial service in Barnet parish church drew many dozens of OEs and former staff, while there was a very good attendance for a School concert given in his honour on the same day, where the audience included James’ mother and other family members. In the congregation for the service at St John the Baptist were senior current QE leaders; former staff; James’ former PE & Games department colleagues; and the 2025 School Captain, Simardeep Sahota, and current First XV, representing the student body.

After 12 years in the PE department, James (OE 1999–2004) had left his position as Head of Rugby last summer to take up a role in Bermudan rugby.

In his tribute, the Headmaster said: “James meant much to so many Elizabethans.

“Talk to anyone who taught him from 1999 and they will refer to an enthusiastic, committed spirit. He saw the world as a QE boy, from Normandy to ski trips, and when the ‘end of week awards’ took place on those trips, he was a persistent winner.  Why? Because he was involved and he was fun, embracing every opportunity, and working fantastically with others.

“James was an inspiring and supportive teacher, whose work in the classroom and on the sports field left an indelible mark on generations of pupils. A brilliant and respected Head of Rugby, he shared his plain enthusiasm for the game and the opportunities it presents to young people and their development.

“James wasn’t just a member of staff, of course, but an Old Elizabethan – a much loved and admired member of our alumni community.

“He was at home at Queen Elizabeth’s and his intuitive understanding and deep sense of connection helped make the School a more welcoming place to those following in his footsteps. Today, we are united in thankfulness for his life, and in sorrow at his loss.”

The scheduled Choral and Chamber Charity Concert, which was dedicated to James upon news of his death and was also held at the church, raised money for the RFU’s Rugby United initiative. It featured a performance of World in Union, the Rugby Union World Cup anthem, by the Chamber Choir and Chamber Orchestra. Click below to watch an impromptu recording of the performance. The concert alone raised £696, with others donating several hundred pounds through a dedicated JustGiving page. The Barbershop group also sang The Road Home by Stephen Paulus (as they had done earlier at the memorial service) and the Chamber Choir and musicians combined again for Fauré’s Requiem.

At the memorial service, the Junior String Quartet played as the opening music Beethoven’s String Quartet Op.18 No.4 in C minor, movement I, Allegro ma no tanto. This was the piece that won them the Junior category of the National Pro Corda Chamber Music competition this term.

In another great example of OEs working together, Ross McKenzie (1995–2002) and Jerome Singh (OE 2004–2011) have jointly founded a digital A-level platform called Politics Online.

“Since June 2024, we have effectively written a full course textbook from scratch, with integrated and regularly updated current affairs examples, but we didn’t actually make the QE connection until we were having lunch during the winter!” says Jerome. They are now looking forward to putting MS Teams to the test at their Easter revision session, which has some 2,000 students booked in.

Ross is formerly Head of Politics and currently Digital Lead at St Columba’s College, St Albans, while Jerome is currently working at Forest School, and will be heading to Japan as a founding Assistant Principal at North London Collegiate School (Kobe).

Jerome takes up the story: “The idea was originally Ross’s – a common problem for Politics teachers is the manner in which physical textbooks very quickly go out of date. An online textbook with weekly updates would definitely plug that gap.

“I came on board with particular responsibility for global politics, with Ross running the US politics section, and two other non-OE teachers covering the UK material.”

With everything initially built online, it was only when they had their first in-person meeting in December that they discovered their QE connection.

“When discussing where we had grown up, Ross mentioned that he lived in Barnet – I asked which school he went to… and we made the connection! Although we did not overlap at QE, we shared a lot of common experiences of teachers, memories of quirks and traditions, and an appreciation of how the School has shaped us as students and teachers.”

The Politics Online ecosystem has evolved over the months and now includes:

• Weekly newsletters pitched at Key Stage 5, KS4 and KS3 going out to schools nationally;
• A national current affairs quiz league;
• Revision sessions at schools;
• Online sessions, such as that at Easter.

Ross has done the bulk of the work with website, legal and financial infrastructure, while Jerome’s focus has been website design, branding and logos, as well as outreach to schools.

The platform is currently self-funded and is already turning a profit.

The plan is to launch the online textbook in April after the Easter revision session on a yearly subscription model. “That should significantly boost revenue,” says Jerome. “From there, we hope to add a lot more video content to the website, and to build a platform which teachers and students can use for tests, revision, and everyday lessons. We have a few hundred schools and a few thousand students engaging with our products in some form, and the feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive!”