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About the LSE Festival: Shape the World

LSE Festival 2020 will bring together global leaders, innovators and change makers to investigate how we can learn lessons from the past, tackle the challenges of today and shape the future.

Minouche Shafik, LSE Director

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LSE Director Minouche Shafik 

LSE first opened its doors in 1895 with the founding mission to know the causes of things, for the betterment of society.

Over a hundred years later, in today’s turbulent world, this guiding principle is just as pertinent. The social sciences are needed now more than ever. 

LSE Festival 2020: Shape the World will bring together global leaders, innovators and change makers to investigate how we can learn lessons from the past, tackle the challenges of today and shape the future.

The world we live in is increasingly unstable. Climate change, political tensions, social uncertainty and inequality are some of the biggest threats facing our time. If unopposed, where will these challenges take us? How can we tackle them? And what role can social science play in making the world a better place?

Environmental activism, inclusion initiatives, measuring inequality, combatting fake news and gaining a better understanding of the past so we can implement changes for the future are just some of the actions that will be explored during the Festival.

Please join us as we investigate the challenges facing society and how social science can be harnessed to make a positive difference for generations to come.

Steering group for the LSE Festival: Shape the World

Professor Simon Hix, Chair
Professor Rita Astuti
Dr Sam Friedman
Dr Anna Getmansky
Dr Sumi Madhok
Hayley Reed
Martin Reid
Dimple Purshottam-Bhimji 
Dr Thomas Smith
Dr Jessica Templeton