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14 January 2010 |
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 News
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• Pay award for staff
The 2009-10 national pay negotiations have now concluded and, as a result,
all staff on the LSE pay spine will receive a pay rise of 0.5 per cent.
The rise is applicable to pay from 1 August 2009 and the new rate of pay and
arrears will be implemented by LSE in this month's salaries. Normal
incremental increases and employer contributions to pension have already
been applied as appropriate.
For more information, please refer to the all staff email sent yesterday
from LSE Director Howard Davies.
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• Department
of Finance lecturer and former student take top two prizes at annual
awards
A senior finance lecturer at LSE and a former PhD student have won prizes
for outstanding academic papers published in the internationally-renowned
Journal of Finance.
Dr Ulf Axelson's (pictured) article was awarded the Brattle Group Prize for best
corporate finance paper, while Dr Peter Kondor, who wrote his paper at LSE
as part of his thesis, won the Smith Breeden Prize, an award for best paper
in any area other than corporate finance.
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• Fruit
flies and lab mice make the case for re-thinking social science case
studies suggests award-winning professor
Just as biologists study fruit flies and laboratory mice so social
scientists have good reasons for putting case studies at the heart of their
research, argues an LSE academic who has won a British Academy award to
develop her analysis.
Professor Mary S Morgan, who is Professor of History and Philosophy of
Economics at LSE, has been appointed to one of the Academy’s Wolfson
Professorships, funded with £150,000 over three years. Hers is just one of
four major research studies to win the award, designed to recognise the most
outstanding scholars in the UK and allow them to concentrate on their
research.
Her project, entitled Re-Thinking Case Studies Across the Social
Sciences, aims to transform these disciplines’ understanding of the
value and function of case studies.
More
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• LSE students join world leaders to propose global economic and
financial reforms
A group of staff and students from LSE are participating in an
international conference together with world leaders and Nobel Prize
winners to propose global economic, financial and political reforms.
The New World, New Capitalism symposium in Paris, which began last
week, will also examine the progress made so far in tackling the global
economic disaster. As an academic partner in the conference, LSE has sent 30
graduate students from a variety of subject areas, along with Maurice
Fraser, senior fellow in European politics, and Razeen Sally, senior
lecturer in international political economy.
Mohammad Vesal, a PhD economics student, presented a summary of one of
the student roundtable discussions.
He said: ‘The topic was whether we should change our view of the world and
we discussed whether we should change our values, related to the idea of
global governance. The conference was very useful. It gave an interesting insight into how
policy is formed.’
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• News
from CARR
Bridget Hutter, director of CARR, has had a chapter published in a
book entitled Learning from Catastrophes: strategies for reaction and
response. In the book, twenty-two of the world’s leading experts in
risk management and disaster recovery identify the factors that can
trigger low-probability, high-consequence events, and specify the
operating principles that can reduce severe risk and enhance readiness
and resilience in the face of catastrophes.
Sharon Gilad, ESRC research officer at CARR, gave a talk entitled ‘New
Forms of Regulating Retail Finance’ in Israel on 28 December.
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• Goodbye from LSE
We are very sad to announce the deaths of two former LSE staff
members.
Victor McNaught-Davis (pictured) died on 21
December 2009. Victor was Director of Estates at LSE for some ten years
until 1983.
Brian Whitworth, former LSE sports ground groundsman, passed away on Boxing
Day. Brian worked at the LSE sports ground for around 40 years.
Our thoughts are with both of their families and friends.
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 Notices
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• Photo Prize Exhibition 2010 - last chance reminder
The deadline is almost upon us, but there is just enough time for you to
submit your photos. Photos must be received by LSE Arts by 5pm this
Friday (15 January).
The theme of the competition is ‘risk’, and it is open to all LSE staff
and students. Selected entries will be professionally printed, mounted and
exhibited in LSE’s Atrium Gallery in the Old Building during March - April
2010.
As well as the selected photos, prizes will be awarded for the best
photos at a reception in the Atrium Gallery once the exhibition is
installed. Last year’s exhibition attracted some excellent entries and the
exhibition and reception were well attended by staff and students, as well
as members of the public. Don’t miss this great opportunity to participate
in the arts programmes within the school, and to showcase your artistic
talents.
For more information on how to submit your photos, click
here.
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• Get in shape for the new year
LA Fitness will be back at LSE promoting the gym membership deal on
18 and 25 January on Houghton Street and outside the New Academic
Building.
LA Fitness will be offering an exclusive membership deal to staff and
students at a rate of only £35.95 a month. In addition to this, LA Fitness
will also be holding free health checks in Tower Three for anyone who is
interested, bookings are to be made through Amy Mamawag at
a.mamawag@lse.ac.uk or ext 5223.
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• See the new online recruitment system
HR would like to invite you to come and see the School’s new online
recruitment system ‘live’, meet WCN the supplier, and ask any questions.
The events will take place at 12.30pm on the following dates:
- Tuesday 19 January
- Wednesday 27 January
These events are open to all staff, particularly those with an interest
in recruiting. If you would like to come contact Sarah Pedder at
s.pedder@lse.ac.uk and she will
confirm the venue.
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• Calling all musicians - LSE talent concert auditions
The LSE Talent Classical Concert for students and staff takes place on
11 March in the Shaw Library as part of the prestigious LSE Lunchtime
Music series. This is a popular and well attended annual event.
If you play or sing to a high standard, or know someone who does and
would like to perform as a soloist or in a group, please contact
n.rogers@lse.ac.uk or
conferences@lse.ac.uk
without delay with some details on what you could offer and any
performing experience you have. We are looking for performances of eight
minutes max. Auditions will take place in January.
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• Have a green new year
The Sustainability Team has issued the following advice for your return
to LSE in 2010:
- The Sustainability Team is organising a New Year Relove event on 15
January from 12–2pm in New Court. It's a great chance to make sure any
unwanted gifts find a deserving home. Either bring your unwanted items
on the day or contact the Sustainability Team for drop off
- Bring any Christmas cards you are not going to recycle as next
year's gift tags to the paper and card recycling bins
- Visit www.recyclenow.com/
to find out where your nearest Christmas tree recycling point is. Most
local authorities offer this free service
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• Reprographics
Department price review
The Reprographics Department has recently reviewed its charging structure
for the first time since 2007.
Whilst most prices will remain the same, due to market conditions and
material costs, some of the finishing costs and stationery charges will
change.
Revised prices will come in to effect on 1 February and will be available
to view on the
Reprographics web page from that date.
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• A big thanks from the Planning and Corporate Policy Division
The Planning and Corporate Policy Division would like to thank
everyone who responded to the recent customer survey. The results were
very positive, but also illuminated a few areas for improvement.
The lucky winner of £50 in Amazon vouchers was Mike Warriner, Front of
House Manager at Northumberland House.
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 Research
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• Discussion papers from CARR
CARR has recently published two discussion papers. The first is by
Noel Whitty, Professor of Human Rights Law at the University of
Nottingham, and is entitled Rights as Risk: managing human rights and
risk in the UK prison sector. The paper explores the co-existing
demands of organisational risk management and Human Rights Act
compliance.
The second paper is by David Demortain, ESRC research officer at CARR,
and is entitled The Many Meanings of ‘Standard’: the politics of the
international standard for food risk analysis. The paper examines the
case of the international standard for risk analysis in food safety.
Both papers can be downloaded
here.
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• Research
opportunities
Candidates interested in applying for any research opportunities should
contact Michael Oliver in the
Research and Project Development Division at
m.oliver@lse.ac.uk or call ext 7962.
The Research and Project Development Division maintains a regularly
updated list of
research funding opportunities for academic colleagues on their website.
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• RPDD
Research e-Briefing
Click
here
to read the December edition of the RPDD newsletter. To sign up
for research news, recent research funding opportunities, research awards
that are about to start, and examples of research outcomes, click
here. The next issue is out
at the end of January 2010.
More
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 Events
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• LSE Space for Thought Literary Festival 2010: off the edge
11-13 February 2010
LSE's second Literary Festival will push the boundaries of social
science, exploring what can be learnt in the borderlands between
disciplines.
Speakers include AS Byatt, Colin Thubron, Ben Okri, Giles Foden, Lionel
Shriver, Professor Marina Warner, Mark Lawson and Susie Orbach.
Free and open to all, events for all the family. Tickets are available
online and at the SU reception from Monday 25 January. A PDF of the
programme is now available online
here.
• Other upcoming events include....
Getting fiscal consolidation right: lessons from Sweden
Thursday 14 January at 6pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Anders Borg and George Osborne MP
The War on Drugs: an upper or downer for development?
Monday 18 January at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic
Building
Speakers: Misha Glenny and Michael Hartmann
Beyond the 'Berlusconi Common Sense'. A New Model of Politics for the 21st
Century
Tuesday 19 January at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic
Building
Speaker: Professor Paolo Mancini
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• Intimate portrait of contemporary Britain and economic migration
revealed in new exhibit at LSE
The Golden Road is a major new commission by Birmingham-based
photographer Andrew Jackson, which takes as its starting point the
perennial and often contentious issue of immigration.
The exhibition has now opened in the Atrium Gallery. A reception will be
held there on Monday 18 January at 7pm, in which LSE pro-director Sarah
Worthington and Peter Sutherland, Chairman of the LSE Court of Governors,
will introduce and open the exhibition.
In addition to the reception, Andrew Jackson will be speaking as part of
LSE’s Talking Pictures series in the Shaw Library, Old Building on Wednesday
20 January at 6.30pm. In this talk, Andrew will discuss the development of
his practice over the past decade leading to the production of The Golden
Road. For more information on this talk, click
here.
These events are free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is
on a first come, first served basis. For more information, email
arts@lse.ac.uk
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• Alexandra Dariescu, piano
Thursday 21 January at 1.05-2pm in the Shaw Library, Old Building
Winner of Prix Maurice Ravel 2008 at the International Academy in France,
she has recently appeared at the Barbican and Wigmore Hall.
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• AC Grayling to speak at LSE
The LSESU Atheist and Humanist Society presents the philosopher and
author, AC Grayling, who will be giving a talk entitled 'Disbelief' on
Thursday 21 January at 6.30pm in E171, New Theatre.
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• Obama
Nation? Rating the President's First Year in Office
Wednesday 20 January, 6.30pm, Old Theatre
Speakers: Professor Michael Cox, Professor Rob Singh, Dr Robin Niblett, and
Justin Webb
One year on from Barack Obama’s inauguration as President of the United
States, the LSE IDEAS Transatlantic Programme brings together a panel of
experts to discuss the progress his administration has made. Have relations
with Europe and the Muslim World been rebuilt after the discord of the Bush
years? Have the US and its allies now got a strategy to win in Afghanistan?
Will the US-China relationship come to define the age of Obama and can the
United States survive this economic crisis as the preeminent superpower?
This event will launch a major report detailing the Administration’s
successes and failures from its first year in office. Copies will be
available to purchase on the night, priced £5. IDEAS events are free and
open to all unless otherwise stated.
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• The
study of cognition and culture today
Below is a special series of lectures supported by the LSE Annual Fund.
All lectures will be held in the Seligman Library, room A607, Old Building.
For more information, contact Professor Charles Stafford at
c.stafford@lse.ac.uk
Lent term 2010
- Monday 18 January, 6pm
The origin of concepts
Susan Carey (Harvard)
- Tuesday 2 February, 6pm
Reconciling social science and cognitive science views of the self, the
person, the individual etc...
Maurice Bloch (LSE)
- Thursday 18 February, 6pm
How do humans acquire novel cultural skills? The neuronal recycling
model
Stanislas Dehaene (College de France)
- Monday 1 March, 6pm
Hearing God: how American evangelicals learn to experience God as real
Tanya Luhrmann (Stanford)
- Monday 8 March, 6pm
The naturalness of social institutions: evolved cognition as the
foundation of social norms
Pascal Boyer (Washington)
- Thursday 18 March, 6pm
Acting together: How people share actions, tasks, and memories
Natalie Sebanz (Radboud)
Summer term 2010
- Tuesday 27 April, 6pm
To learn is to improvise a movement along a way of life
Tim Ingold (Aberdeen)
- Monday 24 May, 6pm
Culture as an evolutionary phenomenon
Rob Boyd (UCLA)
- Thursday 10 June, 6pm
The early ontogeny of collective intentionality and normativity
Hannes Rakoczy (Gottingen)
- Wednesday 30 June, 6pm
How do the languages we speak shape the way we think?
Lera Boroditsky (Stanford)
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 60
Second Interview
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• with..... Maureen Wade
Maureen joined LSE Library in
1978, as a specialist in government
publications and has done various
jobs since then, ending up as
Director of Library Services. She
will be retiring on 16 January 2010.
She has been involved in several
Library building projects, including
the major Norman Foster-designed
redevelopment in 1999-2001. She is
married with three children - one of
them is currently a student at
another university and keeps Maureen
up-to-date with student concerns,
particularly on library matters.
What has been your biggest
challenge while working at LSE?
Leading the library team in the
big Norman Foster redevelopment
project ten years ago. We had to
move the whole Library twice (just
moving the books took 14 weeks),
then operate in temporary buildings
for 18 months, while working on the
detailed design for the
redevelopment with the architects. I
was really proud of the library
staff - they worked their socks off
and kept the Library open the whole
time. We had a big party afterwards!
In retrospect, is there
anything you would have done
differently?
If I had a superpower I would
move the Library walls outwards, to
make more room for students and the
collections, not to mention library
staff.
What do you love about LSE and
what would make it an even better
and more unique institution?
I think the best thing about LSE
is the students - they give the
School its buzz and intellectual
energy. I love to hear them chatting
in Houghton Street - ranging from
what they did last night to
international politics and obscure
aspects of economics. The Director
likes to quote that LSE students
borrow five times as many books as
the average UK student - and they
really do.
How would you make LSE better?
More lovely new buildings like
the NAB.
How do you plan to spend your
time when you retire?
I am thinking of becoming a
student again and studying something
just for fun - nothing remotely
useful or of any value to the
economy.
What was your best subject at
school?
English literature. In fact one
English teacher tried to make me
teacher's pet, so I had to behave
very badly to retain my street cred.
If you had to choose a theme
tune, what would it be?
Always look on the bright side of
life' - it is my philosophy and
remembering Monty Python's Life of
Brian always makes me smile. |
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 Media
bites
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• Financial
Times (13 January)
Icesave is a classic case for third-party mediation
Letter to the Financial Times from Professor Robert Wade, LSE,
about the 'Icesave issue'.
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• Wall
Street Journal (12 January)
What our spies can learn from Toyota
'We have 16 separate intelligence agencies. No wonder people aren't
connecting the dots'.
Article by Professor Luis Garicano, LSE, and Richard Posner, University
of Chicago Law School.
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