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21 April 2011 |
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 News
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• LSE
ranked fourth in latest university league table
The latest university guide and league table sees LSE rated as the fourth
best university in the UK and second best in London.
The Complete University Guide sees LSE rise from fifth in its 2011
rankings to fourth for 2012.
The guide also rates LSE as the top university in the country for the study
of law
and social policy and in the top 10 in all of its disciplines. It was also
rated as the third best university overall for research quality.
Professor Janet Hartley, pro-director for teaching and learning, said: 'We
are pleased that LSE is so highly rated. We pride ourselves on academic
excellence and have invested significant resources to improve the student
experience. As reflected in this table and elsewhere, our graduates have
excellent job prospects and some of the highest average starting salaries
compared with other UK universities.'
The Complete University Guide 2012 league table is available to view at
www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk.
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• LSE academic launches new movement for a happier society
On Tuesday 12 April Lord Richard Layard (pictured), emeritus professor of
economics at LSE, launched Action for Happiness - a new mass movement to
create a happier society. The initiative is calling for people to pledge to
create more happiness in the world and take positive action to promote
happiness in whatever way they can.
Action for Happiness was founded by Lord Layard, Geoff Mulgan and Anthony
Seldon and already has over 4,500 individual members from 68 countries.
The movement is based on the new science of happiness and the evidence
that we can affect our happiness. Despite massive material progress, people
in Britain and the US are no happier than they were fifty years ago. This
paradox requires a radical shift in values. There are many societies in
which people are much happier than in Britain. For example, if we could
increase our levels of happiness to those in Denmark, Britain would have 2.5
million fewer people suffering from unhappiness and 5 million more people
who are very happy.
Lord Layard said: ‘Our movement is based on a simple idea - if we want a
happier society, individuals have got to create more happiness in the world
around them. We want millions of people around the world to form Action for
Happiness groups to do just that - using the tools which we are able to
provide. This is a movement for radical cultural change which can provide
the basis for a better culture in the 21st century’.
For more information, visit
www.actionforhappiness.org.
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• LSE
professor elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Professor Timothy Besley (pictured), director of STICERD, director of the
MPA Programme, and Kuwait Professor of Economics and Political Science,
has been elected to the 2011 class of new Fellows and Foreign Honorary
Members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
In response to his election this week, Professor Besley stated: 'It is an
honour to be recognised by this distinguished body whose membership includes
so many people whose work and achievements I admire.'
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an international
learned society with a dual function: to elect to membership men and women
of exceptional achievement, drawn from science, scholarship, business,
public affairs, and the arts, and to conduct a varied programme of projects
and studies responsive to the needs and problems of society.
More
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• LSE
academic elected to prestigious Danish Academy
Nikolas Rose (pictured),
Martin White Professor of Sociology and director of BIOS at LSE, has
been elected a foreign member of the
Royal Danish Academy of
Sciences and Letters.
The Academy was founded in 1742 and has approximately 250 national and
260 foreign members. Professor Rose has been elected in the humanities class
and invited to deliver a lecture at the Academy in the future.
New members of the Academy are nominated and then elected by current
members.
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• New LSE fellowship programme provides insight into the
‘quality’ of Asian economies
LSE’s Asia Research Centre has established the ‘Subir Chowdhury
Fellowship on Quality and Economics’, a new post-doctoral visiting
fellowship programme - the first of its kind in the field of ‘quality and
economics’.
Funded by the Subir and Malini Chowdhury Foundation and the UK
government, the fellowship support scholars with experience of research on
Bangladesh, India, and other nations of Asia. The programme aims to increase
public understanding of the concept of ‘quality’, and to improve business
and society at large by making people aware that quality is not something
related to just manufacturing processes or products.
Subir Chowdhury (pictured
above) is chairman
and CEO of ASI Consulting Group LLC, the world leader on Six Sigma and
Quality Leadership implementation, consulting and training. He is also the
founder of Global Quality Awareness,
an initiative of the Subir and Malini Chowdhury Foundation.
Mr Chowdhury said: ‘The fellowship focuses on revealing substantive and
indisputable data that identifies the positive and negative effects a nation
experiences due to ‘quality’ and its role in society. The quality levels of
a nation’s leaders, policies and practices determine the outcomes of their
effect on society and ‘quality’ necessitates itself as perhaps the most
important key element in the health, safety and sustainability of a nation.’
The programme supports one fellow for a period of three months annually.
The first Subhir Chowdhury Fellow, Dr Rahul Hiremath of the Walchand
Institute of Technology, India, will be visiting LSE from April - July
2011.
For more information, visit
Subir Chowdhury Fellowship.
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• LSE staff member MoonWalks in aid of breast cancer
Monica Li (pictured), events, communications and publications officer in
LSE’s Financial Markets Group, will be taking part in this year’s MoonWalk
on Saturday 14 May to raise money for breast cancer.
The MoonWalk, organised by grant making breast cancer charity Walk the
Walk, is a unique event as not only do all the participants power walk a
marathon (26.2 miles), but they all wear decorated bras. This year’s theme
is ‘A Walk on the Wild Side’ so spectators can expect to see decorated bras
in everything from animal prints to rock 'n' roll.
Monica said: ’I have wanted to do a marathon since school but running is
definitely not for me. The MoonWalk is an opportunity to walk a marathon and
also raise money for a very worthy cause. It’s definitely going to be quite
a challenge especially as it takes place overnight. I’ve got my fingers
crossed that it doesn’t rain and that I get to see a beautiful sunrise over
London. I have a feeling that my colleagues may have to wheel me about on my
chair come the Monday though!’
If you would like to sponsor Monica, please visit
www.walkthewalkfundraising.org/monica.
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• First
LSE bake off a great success
Thank you to everyone who entered a cake, acted as a judge or bought
cakes at the Great LSE Staff Bake Off on Monday 11 April.
Many congratulations to the winners of the four cake categories:
- Rachael Elliott - tray bake winner
- Helen Craig - sponge cake winner
- Rachel Power - fruit-inspired cake winner
- Laura Brown - cupcake winner
All cakes entered into the competition were sold outside the Library,
raising £330.47 for Médecins Sans Frontières.
For tips on organising your own office bake off, visit the
Great LSE Staff
Bake Off website.
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• GPPN
and the Global Policy Journal announce Best Article Prize
The Global Policy
Journal and members of the
Global Public Policy
Network (GPPN) has announced the winners of the 2010 Best Article Prize.
The joint winners are Ruti Teitel, Ernst C Stiefel Professor of
comparative law, and Rob Howse, Lloyd C Nelson Professor of international
law, both of the New York University School of Law and authors of
Beyond Compliance: rethinking why international law really matters
(Vol. 1, Issue 2, May 2010), as well as Claude Henry, professor at the
University of Columbia and Sciences Po in Paris, and Joseph Stiglitz,
professor at the University of Columbia and winner of the Nobel Prize in
Economics, authors of
Intellectual Property, Dissemination of Innovation and Sustainable
Development (Vol. 1, Issue 3, October 2010).
The £1,000 prize is awarded by members of Global Policy’s advisory board
and will be shared between the co-winners. The GPPN is a partnership between
LSE, Columbia University, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the
National University of Singapore and Sciences Po. The Global Policy Journal
is an interdisciplinary journal bringing together world class academics and
leading practitioners to analyse both public and private solutions to global
problems and issues.
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• Academics abroad
Tim Besley, Kuwait Professor of Economics and Political Science and
director of STICERD at LSE, gave the
Richard Musgrave Lecture at CESifo in Munich on Friday 8 April. The
lecture was entitled 'Some Principles of Public Organisation'.
On Friday 15 April, Professor Besley also gave the
Edgeworth Lecture at the Irish
Economic Association in Limerick. The lecture was entitled 'Independent
Agencies and Economic Policy'.
On 11-15 April, Professor Eve Mitleton-Kelly, director of LSE's Complexity
Group, gave a set of lectures to senior civil servants during a five day
course in Beijing. The lectures were on organisational learning and
complexity theory. Professor Mitleton-Kelly also met LSE alumni during the
visit.
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 Notices
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• Royal
Mail price increases
On Monday 4 April, Royal Mail increased their prices for mail and Recorded
and Signed For services.
This will not have an impact on the majority of the School but will affect
bulk mail senders and UK Recorded and Overseas Signed For senders.
If you have any queries or would like more information, contact the Post
Room on ext 7989 or email
postal.enquiries@lse.ac.uk.
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• Rewarding
support staff
The next deadline for Academic Support Staff Committee (ASSC)
applications for pay bands eight and nine is Friday 13 May.
The School is committed to recognising and rewarding the exceptional
contribution and outstanding performance of individual members of staff,
with additional rewards for exceptional contribution by support staff being
considered by the ASSC.
The award of lump sums and increments for support staff members in bands
eight and nine are considered by a panel of the ASSC on an annual basis.
For more information, visit
Rewarding Support Staff or email Geraldine Sammons, HR advisor, at
g.sammons@lse.ac.uk.
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• Africa Initiative update meeting
Professor Thandika Mkandawire, chair in African development, will be
hosting a briefing for LSE academics with research interests relating to
Africa on Tuesday 10 May from 12pm in the Graham Wallas Room.
The aim is to update staff on elements of the ongoing African Initiative,
including:
- Summer School in Africa
- Scholarship provision
- Leadership programme
- Fellowship provision
- Appointment of the new African Portal editor
- Academic Partnership with UCT
- Participation in the WEF Regional Summit on Africa
Lunch will be provided at the event. If you would like to attend, email
Hilary Weale, external relations executive, at
h.weale@lse.ac.uk.
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• Regional
Champion for India
LSE's newly appointed Regional Champion, Dr Sivaramjani Thambisetty
(pictured), and Professor Stuart Corbridge, pro-director for research and
external relations, will be hosting an event on Thursday 12 May from
12pm in the Graham Wallas Room for all academics with an interest in
promoting the School and its work to non-academic audiences in India.
The event will, like the work of the Regional Champion as a whole, focus
on the School’s external relations, and will be an opportunity to discuss
ideas about this work in India and find out about ongoing activities in
which you may be engaged.
A lecturer in the Department of Law, Dr Thambisetty’s role in broad terms
is to engage with key audiences beyond the academic world and draw greater
attention to LSE’s research and expertise.
Lunch will be provided at the event. If you would like to attend, please
email Hilary Weale, external relations executive, at
h.weale@lse.ac.uk. For more
information about External Relations and the Regional Champions scheme,
click
here.
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• Camden
NWI flat-share
A room is available in a two-storey Edwardian flat, to share with an
LSE academic.
Lovely flat, lots of light, large patio, furnished. Three minute walk to
Regent's Park, Camden Town tube, shops, gym, one bus to the Aldwych/LSE.
Long or medium term possible.
Available from 1 May 2011 at £680 per month (excluding bills). If you are
interested or for more information, call 07909 764563.
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 Research
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• Promotion,
prevention and early intervention dramatically cut the costs of mental
ill health, says government-sponsored research report
Every pound spent on parenting programmes to prevent conduct disorder in
young children saves the UK £8 over a child’s lifetime, according to a
report published by the Department of Health, LSE, Centre for Mental Health
and Institute of Psychiatry. This economic impact is over and above the
positive effects on the child’s wellbeing. And the economic returns from
school-based programmes to deal with bullying and other behavioural problems
are even larger.
Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention: the economic case
also found that early intervention psychosis teams, which work with young
people in their first episode of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, save the
economy a total of £18 for every pound spent on them. Suicide prevention training for
GPs saves £44 for every pound while bridge safety barriers save £54.
Screening and brief intervention in primary care for alcohol misuse saves
nearly £12 for every pound invested and workplace health promotion
programmes save nearly £10.
LSE’s Professor Martin Knapp, who led the research team, said: 'This study
examined 15 forms of mental illness prevention, early intervention and
mental health promotion to gauge their economic value. It shows that many of
these interventions are outstandingly good value for money. Most are low in
cost and many become self financing over time, saving public expenditure as
well as radically improving the quality of people’s lives.'
More
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• Study
reveals the UK's 'under-age' social networking generation
Younger children are increasingly setting up their own pages on social
networking sites such as Facebook, finds a new study published this week.
The report, Social Networking, Age and Privacy, reveals that one in
three of 9-12 year olds in the UK has a profile on Facebook, even though the
network sets a minimum age of 13 to join. In total, 43 per cent of this age
group in Britain has a profile on at least one social networking site,
rising to 88 per cent among 13-16 year olds.
Researchers who carried out the EU Kids Online survey of 25,000 young people
across Europe say it also shows that age restrictions are only partially
effective and that a growing number of children are taking online risks.
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• UK
less effective than Albania in tackling human trafficking
A new index which measures the effectiveness of government policies to
fight human trafficking has found that the UK fares worse than some less
developed countries such as Albania and Vietnam, and is only equal to
Uzbekistan.
Although the UK has robust policies to prevent trafficking and prosecute
traffickers, it is let down by poor policies for the protection of
trafficking victims.
The '3P Anti-trafficking Policy Index', created by Professor Axel Dreher
and Ms Seo-Young Cho from the University of Goettingen, Germany, with
participation from Professor Eric Neumayer of LSE, has evaluated
anti-trafficking policies in 177 Countries from 2000-09.
Commenting on the findings, co-investigator Eric Neumayer, head of LSE's
Department of Geography and Environment, said: 'There have been great
improvements in tackling this horrifying industry, with stricter enforcement
and improved co-operation between countries. However, many countries,
including the UK, are neglecting their duty to adequately protect the
victims of trafficking. These people deserve our full protection and should
never be further victimised by treating them similar to criminals.'
More
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• Research opportunities
Candidates interested in applying for any research opportunities should
contact Michael Oliver in the
Research Division at
m.oliver@lse.ac.uk or call ext 7962.
The Research Division maintains a regularly updated list of
research funding opportunities for academic colleagues on their website.
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• Research e-Briefing
Click
here
to read the April edition of the Research Division
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 May 2011.
More
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• Latest opportunities from LSE Enterprise
LSE Enterprise offers you the opportunity to undertake private teaching
and consultancy work under the LSE brand. We help with bidding, contracts
and other project administration, enabling you to focus on the work itself.
To see the latest opportunities click
here or visit
http://twitter.com/lseenterprise.
If you would like us to look out for consulting opportunities in your
field, email your CV and summary of interests to
lseenterprise.consulting@lse.ac.uk.
Email exec.ed@lse.ac.uk to be
added to our Executive Education database. |
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 Events
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• Upcoming
events include....
Zero Degrees of Empathy: a new theory of human cruelty
On: Tuesday 3 May at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic
Building
Speaker: Professor Simon Baron-Cohen (pictured), professor at
Cambridge University in the fields of psychology and psychiatry.
Pakistan: a hard country
On: Monday 9 May at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Anatol Lieven, chair of international relations
and terrorism studies at King's College London.
A World Without Superpowers: de-centered globalism
On: Tuesday 10 May at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New
Academic Building
Speaker: Professor Barry Buzan, Montague Burton Professor of
International Relations at LSE and senior fellow at LSE IDEAS.
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• How
Not to Keep Bees
Thursday 5 May, 6.30-8pm, Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House
Speaker: Bill Turnbull (pictured),
presenter on BBC Breakfast and a keen beekeeper.
Bill Turnbull's light-hearted introduction to the world of beekeeping
highlights the ups and rather more frequent downs of his ten years
attempting to produce honey and keep his colonies alive. Not a masterclass on the art of apiculture; more a survival guide for beginners
and the casual bystander.
More
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• 'Freedom
is always freedom for the one who thinks differently' - Rosa Luxemburg
for our times
Friday 6 May, 6.30-8pm, Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Jacqueline Rose (pictured), professor of English
at Queen Mary, University of London.
In this lecture Jacqueline Rose will argue that Rosa Luxemburg's legacy
increases in importance by the day, that as a Marxist and woman she can
uniquely teach us about the relationship between political struggle and the
life of the mind, and that the implications of her thought resonate through
the assault on education under the present UK coalition government to the
seemingly interminable conflict in the Middle East.
This lecture marks the launch of The Letters of Rosa Luxemburg and
The Jacqueline Rose Reader. Both books will be available for purchase
at the event. The lecture will be followed by an informal drinks reception
from 8pm.
More
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• Podcasts of public lectures and events
Security: present and future challenges
Speaker: Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope
Recorded: Wednesday 23 March, approx 99 minutes
Click here to listen
US Energy Policy and International Security
Speaker: Senator Lindsey O Graham
Recorded: Thursday 24 March, approx 90 minutes
Click here to listen
The End of Remembering
Speaker: Joshua Foer
Recorded: Tuesday 5 April, approx 64 minutes
Click here to listen |
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 60
Second Interview
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• with..... Irene Huls
I'm a security receptionist at
LSE. I came to work at the School in
March 2005 and loved it. I had heard
about LSE before, when I worked as a
teacher in Holland - all my students
were dreaming of coming here to
study after completing their IB and
IGCSE education at the International
School Eerde (check it out –
www.eerde.nl – a beautiful
place.) So naturally I was thrilled
to get here ahead of them.
What is the best part of your
job at LSE?
It is not a secret among my
colleagues that my favourite place
on the campus is the Tower Three
reception - I love the surrounding
plants and trees, the beautiful
buildings of the Royal Courts, and
the breathtaking views from the
roof, where you can see the whole of
London - the views are even better
than from the London Eye. It is
heart-warming to mingle with my LSE
colleagues and the people who come
along, and being able to assist
them.
If you could bring one famous
person back to life, who would it be
and why?
Shakespeare. I wonder what sense
he would make of modern life and
politics.
What are you most afraid of?
Security has no fear and never
sleeps! :)
But seriously speaking, I am
afraid of many things, just like
everybody else. Being a twin, I have
one more peculiar fear - the fear of
suddenly finding myself alone and
not being able to share things with
someone - it would deprive life of
all colour and taste.
Where is the most interesting
place you have visited?
I think most places on earth are
interesting, they all have a story.
Presently I live in London and am
completely carried away by it. It is
the whole world compressed in one
city - despite the initial cultural
shock (I came here from rural
Holland), I couldn’t leave it for
anything else. As one fellow bus
passenger described it, 'London
grows on you.'
Which is your favourite LSE
sculpture?
The Penguin - I like seeing its
friendly face. It has character, it
is lovable and already has a history
of its own.
Is there anything you cannot
do and would like to learn?
I would love to know more about
computers and modern technology. The
Internet is fascinating - had I been
a student now, I would definitely
have gone for IT. |
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 Training
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• HR
training and development courses
Effective writing at work
Wednesday 11 May, 10am-5pm
This course is aimed at anyone who has to write reports, proposals, emails
or letters as a part of their job. By the end of the session you will know
how to write with greater impact, make your writing more readable and write
with more confidence.
Career planning and personal development
Thursday 12 May, 9.30am-4pm
Is your career working? This one day course may be just what you need to
find out. Delegates will have an opportunity to reflect on their skills and
achievements to date and develop some strategies for their short and long
term career goals.
*Please note that this course will be held at King’s College.
Equality and diversity for non-managers
Thursday 12 May, 10am-1.30pm
This workshop provides an overview of the key issues so you can recognise
discriminatory practices within the workplace and are better equipped to
promote good practice within the School. You will be able to identify your
own values and prejudices more clearly and work in diverse teams with
greater awareness of the behavioural issues that may arise.
Recruitment and selection
Tuesday 17 May, 9.30am-5.30pm
This one day course run by the HR Division is targeted at managers across
the School, especially those that undertake support staff recruitment.
Whether you are a new manager at the School, or a more experienced manager
looking to brush up your recruitment skills (and you haven't attended a
recruitment course at the School), then please sign up.
Improve your CV
Wednesday 18 May, 10am-1pm
This short course is for staff looking to change roles and progress their
career at the School. The workshop is about making good job
applications at LSE.
Succeed at interviews
Wednesday 18 May, 2-5pm
This workshop is to help you have a greater understanding of the interview
process and how to present yourself well.
Flying start induction
Tuesday 24 May, 9.30am-4.30pm
Do you have a new member of staff? Get their LSE career off to a flying
start with our central induction briefing. These one day sessions provide
new staff with the opportunity to find out more about the School and
training and development opportunities available. Staff will also receive a
tour of the School campus as well as the opportunity to network with other
new starters.
For more information and to book a place, visit the
online training booking
system. |
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 Media
bites
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• Financial
Times (21 April 2011)
Look beyond US and Europe for IMF and World Bank leaders
'Sir, Your editorial “Picking leaders for the top IMF post” (April 20)
takes up the question of whether now is the moment to look beyond Europe
and the US for the headship of the International Monetary Fund and World
Bank. Now is indeed the time to ask the question and the answer is an
emphatic “yes”.'
Letter by Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, LG Patel Professor of Economics
and Government at LSE.
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• Guardian (18 April 2011)
Local Elections: a real-life opinion poll of coalition popularity
Tony Travers,
director of the Greater London Group at LSE, comments on the
popularity of the coalition government - 'It would be impossible not to
see the fate of the three parties as evidence of the state of national
politics.'
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• Financial Times (17 April 2011)
The case against performance-related pay
'Finding fair and efficient ways to pay executives is a big problem, in
both the private and public sectors. Many companies and, increasingly,
governments are devising complex pay packages intended to motivate their
leaders to perform. Some think the answer is pay based on annual
individual performance. But, especially in the public sector, this is
highly questionable.'
Article by Lord Richard Layard, emeritus professor of economics at LSE.
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