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21 January 2010 |
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 News
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• Students
get a grounding in the big issues as LSE’s innovative new course
launches
A pioneering academic course that asks every undergraduate to grapple with
the some of the world’s most important problems has launched at LSE.
The course, LSE 100, will help students from all disciplines to sharpen
their skills in the fundamentals of social science - how to find and weigh
evidence, how to interpret and explain competing theories and how to present
arguments persuasively. It should therefore deepen their understanding of
their own subject, while giving them the ability to analyse society’s most
urgent questions.
The first group of 400 students began the course on 11 January 2010 and
will be taught by some of LSE’s leading experts, including the Director,
Howard Davies, and Professor Lord Nicholas Stern. Topics will range from 'Is
punishment a waste of time, suffering and money?' to 'Does culture matter?'
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• What’s
in store for IBSS
The International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), which has been
owned by the Library since 1989, has now been sold to ProQuest, a company
with a long history in academic library and information provision.
The move came after the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) decided
to end its funding of the service, leading to the IBSS management team and
LSE senior managers working to establish a sustainable future for the
database and negotiating a deal for the sale of IBSS to ProQuest.
With funding from JISC and ESRC, IBSS has been a free service to all UK HE
institutions. JISC funding was reduced and eventually withdrawn from 2002,
and IBSS worked to build up overseas commercial subscriptions to replace
this. ProQuest is one of the companies that sold subscriptions to the
database. The withdrawal of ESRC funding too, however, meant that the
database faced an uncertain future.
LSE is pleased to have found a new home for the database. As part of the deal, IBSS will remain free to LSE users for an initial
period of five years.
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• Statement on Mr Reza Pankhurst
There have been articles in the press over the last week concerning Mr
Reza Pankhurst which comment in particular on his political views, his
position at the School and his participation in Friday prayers.
Mr Pankhurst is a PhD student in the Department of Government, in the
third year of registration. He began as a Graduate Teaching Assistant this
year on the undergraduate course 'States, Nations and Empire' and teaches
two classes a week of second/third year students.
We are not aware that Mr Pankhurst is a member of a proscribed
organisation or has broken any laws or LSE regulations. He did not disguise
his past when he applied to the School (see
Guardian 18 January). The School has not received any complaints
from students who have been taught by Mr Pankhurst.
Senior officers of the School are in regular contact with the Islamic
Society, to which most of its Muslim students belong. Our understanding is
that a range of views are expressed at Friday prayers by speakers who are
restricted almost always to members of the School community. The LSE's Code
of Practice on Free Speech seeks to ensure freedom of thought, conscience,
religion and expression within the law. We have not had complaints that Mr
Pankhurst, or any other speaker, has said anything unlawful during sermons
at Friday prayers which would breach our code of practice.
We have procedures for handling complaints under our 'Disciplinary
Regulations for Students' and if we were to receive such complaints about
any speaker in the School then we would take them very seriously.
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• Complexity theories in Beijing
Professor Eve Mitleton-Kelly, director of the Complexity Group, has
just returned from Beijing where she gave a series of lectures on
organisational learning and complexity theory to 40 senior civil
servants, who will in turn introduce the ideas to their organisations.
Although the seminar participants were familiar with organisational
learning, very few knew much about complexity theory, yet all responded
readily and successfully applied the theory to their practical experience.
It was a highly successful and rewarding trip for all concerned.
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• LSE:
a history in pictures - picture of the month
LSE sports day, Malden Sports Ground, 1920s: long jump
For more pictures like this, visit
www.flickr.com/photos/lselibrary/ |
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 Notices
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• Helping Haiti
Students and staff are keen to offer support to the victims of the Haiti
earthquake.
The School is collecting donations at LSE public events. This started
on Monday and will continue for two weeks. From just four events so far, we
have raised over £400. A totaliser - showing the amount raised to date - is
on the Events
homepage.
The LSESU African Caribbean Society have also organised ‘Party for a
Cause’ on Friday 22 January with all the proceeds going to the victims of the
earthquake. The party will take place at Bar 242, 242 Blackfriars
Road, SE1 9UF, from 8pm onwards.
All are welcome, so please go along and help this worthy cause, or
alternatively make a contribution directly to the African Caribbean Society.
For more information contact Ines Uwiteto,
president of the African Caribbean Society, at i.j.uwiteto@lse.ac.uk
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• InterFaith Holocaust Memorial
Tuesday 26 January, 5.30pm, Shaw Library
To mark the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwiz, religious
societies at LSE have been invited to read from their respective Scriptures,
which will then be followed by a performance from the School choir and an
address by the Reverend John Scott.
This is not an act of worship but of solidarity and therefore open to
all. No ticket is required, just turn up on the day. For more information,
email David Peebles at
d.peebles@lse.ac.uk
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• Are you an expert on the general election?
LSE is producing a media guide to this year's general election, listing
some of our academic experts willing to be interviewed by journalists on
major topics likely to be debated in the run-up to polling day. Topics
include: the economy, foreign policy, crime, education, health and social
care.
If you would like to be included in the booklet, please email Jo Bale at
j.m.bale@lse.ac.uk as soon as
possible.
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• Bright
ideas
Do you have suggestions about how the School might improve the staff or
student experience; save money; or take forward objectives in Service and
Departmental Development plans?
If so, let us know about your bright idea. Click
here
for more information.
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• IT Services User Survey 2010 - tell us what you think
Complete the IT Services annual user survey for a chance to win an Apple
iPod Touch.
You will be sent an email inviting you to participate, along with a link
to the online questionnaire which takes about ten minutes to complete, and
as a further incentive, everyone who submits a completed survey will be
entered into a prize draw to win a iPod Touch.
Look out for our email announcing the survey and don’t miss out on your
chance to shape the way your IT services are provided at LSE.
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• Get in shape for the new year
LA Fitness will be back at LSE promoting the gym membership deal on
Monday 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 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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 Research
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• Unmarried
fathers are granted parental responsibility to make them ‘feel good’,
finds LSE academic
Unmarried fathers are being granted legal parental responsibility based on
whether it makes them ‘feel good’ rather than the role they play in their
child’s life, an academic from LSE has found.
Helen Reece says a development in case law means that judges are now
basing decisions on whether to grant the order on the feelings and emotions
of the father, rather than the effect it would have in practice.
In her article Parental Responsibility as Therapy, recently
published in the Family Law Journal, Helen Reece, a reader in law,
writes that there is a danger that the increased focus on emotions rather than
actions ‘implies a downgrading of what the father might do with his parental
responsibility and an upgrading of how he might feel about having parental
responsibility.’
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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.
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 Events
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• Don't miss out....
Tickets for the LSE Space for Thought Literary Festival 2010 will be
released on Monday 25 January. Speakers include Mark Lawson, Susie Orbach, Giles Foden, Lionel Shriver, AS Byatt, Ben Okri, and Colin
Thubron.
More
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Other upcoming events include....
Time for a New Policy Paradigm: resources, technology and human well-being
On: Thursday 21 January at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New
Academic Building
Speaker: Professor Sir David King
Baroness Hale: in conversation with Mr Justice Cranston
On: Tuesday 26 January at 6.30pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement
House
Speaker: Baroness Hale
Risk, ethics and public sensitivities
On: Thursday 28 January at 1.05pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement
House
Speaker: Professor George Gaskell
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• Global Governance lunchtime seminar series
The Copenhagen Accord: what next for international climate policy?
Tuesday 26 January, 1-2pm, room M10
Speaker: Dr Robert Falkner
Dr Robert Falkner is Senior Lecturer in International Relations at LSE.
He is an associate of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and
the Environment and an associate fellow of Chatham House’s Energy,
Environment and Development Programme. His most recent book, Business
Power and Conflict in International Environmental Politics (Palgrave
Macmillan), was published in paperback in 2009.
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• Spanish in motion
The Language Centre invites you to the first Spanish in Motion session of
this term.
On Tuesday 26 January, the centre will be screening Prototype for a
good emigration by the visual artist Josep-María Martín (Prototipo para
una buena emigración, 25”, 2005). The film will be in Spanish.
After the film, there will be a Q&A session with Josep-María Martín.
More
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• Global
Governance public seminar
Operational UN Security Analysis with Satellite imagery: Case studies of
Gaza, Sri Lanka and Georgia
Thursday 28 January, 6.30-8pm, NABLG03, New Academic Building
Speaker: Josh Lyons,
UNOSAT
The recent availability of very high resolution satellite imagery has
transformed the ability of the UN and human rights community to remotely
assess complex humanitarian and security environments. During the recent
conflicts in Gaza, Sri Lanka and Georgia, satellite-based analysis provided
critical information on the spatial extent, chronology and political context
of armed attacks directed against civilians, with direct evidential value to
potential war crimes trials at the ICC.
This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Guests are
asked to strictly observe Chatham House rules throughout this event. |
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 60
Second Interview
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• with..... Alan Revel
Alan is events manager at LSE and
has worked at the School since 2000.
Alan has recently starred in a
'Stories from LSE' film which
provides a taster of the exciting
events programme that he and his
team organise and which has brought
luminaries such as Nelson Mandela,
Chancellor Angela Merkel, Alan
Greenspan, George Soros and
President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia
to LSE. To watch the film, click
here.
Where is your favourite place
on the LSE campus and why?
The eighth floor of the NAB, it
has great views of London.
What are you most afraid of?
Heights
With which famous person would
you most like to have dinner and why?
Don Bradman, because I love
cricket.
What is your most treasured
possession?
A DVD of England winning the
Ashes in 2005, perhaps that will be
replaced by the new DVD of them
winning them last year.
What are the best and worst
presents you have ever received?
A personalised calendar, which
had pictures of my family and
friends on their birthdays. It was
really nice, and meant that for one
year I actually remembered to send
birthday/anniversary cards.
The worst present was a jar of
marmite, which I got this last year,
and which I hate.
What would you do if you were
LSE director for a day?
Visit the LSE alumni in
Mauritius.
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 Media
bites
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• Guardian.co.uk
(19 January)
Bill of rights: what's in a name?
'Cameron's pledge to repeal the Human Rights Act is put under the
spotlight in a new series giving context to current debates'.
Francesca Klug writes about Cameron's pledge to repeal the Human Rights
Act in the first instalment of her series of comment pieces.
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• Evening
Standard (18 January)
90 per cent rise in women claiming dole as recession takes toll in
suburbs
Woman in London have been hardest hit by the recession with a 90 per
cent increase in the number claiming the dole since the credit crisis
hit, the Standard has found. Employment expert Professor Ian Gordon,
from LSE, said the fact that manufacturing, which is predominantly a
male sector, had been hard hit partly explained why men in London, which
has little such industry, had been less affected than those in other
regions.
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