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6 October 2011 |
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 News
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LSE rises sharply in world university rankings LSE has jumped
39 places in the ranking of world universities published today by Times
Higher Education (THE).
It places LSE 47th in the global league table - a dramatic improvement
from its 86th position last year.
The change is partly explained by improvements to the methodology made by
the compilers, THE and Thomson Reuters. They have adjusted some of the
measures that penalise universities which do not teach and research science
subjects.
As a result LSE's research score has markedly improved. LSE's scores for
reputation and international outlook have also improved.
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LSE produces new Twitter guide for academics
How can Twitter, which limits users to 140 characters per tweet, have any
relevance to universities and academia, where journal articles are between
3,000-8,000 words long? Can anything of academic value ever be said in just
140 characters?
A new Twitter guide published by the LSE Public Policy Group seeks to answer
this question, and show academics and researchers how to get the most out of
the micro-blogging site. The Guide is designed to lead the novice through
the basics of Twitter but also provide tips on how it can aid the teaching
and research of the more experienced academic tweeter.
Professor Patrick Dunleavy, chair of the LSE Public Policy Group and
co-author of the Guide said: 'I know that some people in academia will think
that going on Twitter is not for them. But I hope that this new Guide may
help many other colleagues who are interested in this new development but
don’t know how it works to get started themselves on Twitter. They can then
see if it is useful for expanding their access to people, networks and up to
date materials. And for those who are already far more experienced and
expert in Twitter than us, we would be grateful for any ideas for
improvements to the Guide.'
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OECD well placed to steer global recovery, says secretary general
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is well
placed to help steer recovery from the global economic crisis, but to be
effective it must become more inclusive and ensure that policy dialogue
between non-member countries is a genuine two-way street.
So writes OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria in the latest issue of
Global Policy published today, which marks the 50th anniversary of the
OECD with three articles on the organisation. Angel Gurria examines the
organisation, its achievements and the challenges it faces, and what the
OECD must do to strengthen its legitimacy.
'The recent financial and economic crisis has shown that, in a globalised
economy, no single country has all the answers,' writes Gurria. However,
as countries face complex challenges and different national political
and economic conditions, there is a risk of divergence and conflict that
should not be overlooked.
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LSE Enterprise in Spain blog LSE Enterprise has been working in
Spain for over a decade, and has now launched a blog for LSE staff,
students, alumni, clients, and others with an interest in Spanish culture
and current affairs. Contributions are welcomed, visit
blogs.lse.ac.uk/lseeinspain.
LSE Enterprise undertakes many projects for the national and local
governments of Spain and in the private sector. Director of Spanish
projects, Adam Austerfield, is based in Madrid and is the president of the
LSE Alumni in Spain group.
As the commercial arm of LSE, LSE Enterprise offers paid consulting and
executive education opportunities for LSE faculty. Visit
lse.ac.uk/enterprise to find out more.
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LSE hosts Economics Network workshop
On Wednesday 28 September, LSE hosted an Economics Network workshop for
economics graduate teaching assistants/tutors.
The workshop was run by Iain Long, a current LSE PhD student, and Dr
Michael McMahon from the University of Warwick. Half of the 34 participants were
LSE teachers.
The aim of the workshop was to discuss and evaluate what makes a good
small-group session including: managing student expectations; students'
learning styles; different seminar types; dealing with diversity; and
marking and feedback.
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Academics abroad
While in Argentina conducting research for a new book,
Dr Ken Shadlen gave a seminar at the Universidad di Tella in Buenos
Aires, entitled 'The
Politics of Patents and Innovation in Latin America: responses to TRIPS in
Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico'.
On Tuesday 4 October,
Dr Clare Hemmings gave a lecture at the University of California Santa
Cruz entitled 'Techniques for Reimagining Feminist Theory: starting from how
we feel'.
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 Notices
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Searching for Santa The Conference and Events Office is looking
for a member of staff to volunteer to be Santa at this year's LSE Director’s
Christmas Party for the children of staff.
There's not that much to it except to be jolly and hand out presents to
the children at the end of the party. A Santa suit, beard, bell, sack and
padded belly (if required) will be supplied.
The party is on Saturday 3 December and Santa will be needed for just
over two hours from 2.45-5pm. Sandwiches, mince pies and lots of little
smiling faces will be provided on the day.
If you are interested in being Santa, email
conferences@lse.ac.uk by Friday
14 October.
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Mental health support group One in four of us will experience
mental health difficulties sometime in our working lives. The mutual support
group for staff meets once a term, and is an opportunity for staff who are
experiencing mental health difficulties or have experienced mental health
difficulties in the past to get together and have a chat over a cup of
coffee.
It is not a therapy group, it is an informal group of staff sharing their
experiences of what helped them or hindered them at work. The next meeting
of the group is on Wednesday 19 October from 1-2pm. If you would like to join
the group or would like more information, email Ann O’Brien at
Health.And.Safety@lse.ac.uk.
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LSE Perspectives The LSE Perspectives October 2011 gallery is
now live. You can view this month's selection of photos
here.
The gallery features 12 striking images submitted by members of the LSE
community. Each image reflects a unique perspective on a particular scene.
LSE Perspectives is an online gallery featuring photographs taken by LSE
students and staff. If you have taken any artistic images on your travels,
from your home town or even just here in London why not submit them to LSE
Perspectives so that they can be shared with the LSE community.
For more information and to submit your images visit
LSE Perspectives Submissions. Every month the Arts team selects 12 images
and publishes them online. Previous galleries can be
found here.
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More for less - take advantage of special offers for LSE staff
This week's offer is for a Leticia Haute Coiffure hair and beauty experience
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LSE employees and their family members can get an amazing 80 per
cent discount on hair and beauty treatments.
To activate your discount, contact Marc and his team on 020 8208 3132 or
email marc@ineedpampering.com
(weekdays, 9am-9pm or weekends, 10am-6pm). More information can
be
found here.
If you know of any deals that you think may be of interest to Staff
News readers, email Margaret Newson, purchasing manager, at
m.newson@lse.ac.uk. |
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 LSE
in pictures
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This week's picture features the artwork Bluerain, designed by San
Francisco based sculptor Michael Brown, which can be found on the
southwest-facing wall of LSE's Lionel Robbins Building. Made up of
23,520 blue light emitting diodes, it reflects the searches being
carried out in the LSE Library.
For more images like this, visit the
Photography Unit.
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 Research
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Private renters need more secure tenures, says new research If
the private rental market is to provide an attractive alternative to home
ownership in the UK then a full range of tenancy agreements must be
available, according to new research published by LSE London.
Towards a sustainable private rented sector compares the UK
private rental market with those in fifteen other industrialised nations. It
found that security of tenure is a key factor in countries - such as Germany
- where private renting is seen as a practical choice, even for
middle-income families.
Kath Scanlon, research fellow at LSE London, explains: 'Households are
unlikely to choose a privately-rented house or flat as a long-term family
home or a place to live in retirement if they are faced with the uncertainty
of a short-term lease and aware they could be asked to leave at short
notice, at any time.'
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 Events
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Tickets still available - A More Secure World: from neighbourhood to
globe On: Tuesday 11 October at 6.30-8pm in the Old Theatre,
Old Building
Speaker: William J Bratton (pictured)
From Tottenham to global terrorism, developing policies and implementing
schemes that work across the range of fighting neighbourhood violence to
combating international terrorism share common themes. Bill Bratton, CBE,
will discuss his ideas about policing with purpose and collaborating to
create a more secure future.
William J Bratton is the chairman of Kroll, the world's leading risk
consulting company. He is known as one of America's premier police chiefs,
the only person to have led the two largest police forces in the United
States, the New York City Police Department and the Los Angeles Police
Department, and was named by Security Magazine as one of 2010's most
influential people in the security industry.
This event is free and open to all but a ticket is required. One ticket
per person can now be requested
here.
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Upcoming events include....
Why is Macroeconomics Such a Mess?
On: Monday 10 October at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building.
Speaker: Professor Lord Eatwell, president of Queens' College,
University of Cambridge, and a member of the House of Lords.
627 Million Chinese Brought Out of Poverty: where did it all go wrong?
On: Tuesday 11 October at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New
Academic Building.
Speaker: Professor Danny Quah, professor of economics at LSE and
senior fellow at LSE IDEAS.
What Should We Do About Google?
On: Wednesday 12 October at 6.30pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement
House.
Speaker: Professor Martin Cave, BP Centennial Professor at LSE.
The Mountain Within: leadership lessons from Kilimanjaro
On: Thursday 13 October at 6.30pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement
House.
Speaker: Herta von Stiegel (pictured), founder of Ariya Capital.
NEW EVENT -
The Future of Economic Convergence
On: Saturday 29 October from 2-3.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building.
Speaker: Professor Dani Rodrik, Rafiq Hariri Professor of
International Political Economy at John F Kennedy School of Government,
Harvard University.
This event is free and open to all but a ticket is required. One ticket per
person can be requested on Monday 24 October.
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Different Face of Serbia - new exhibition On: Tuesday 4 -
Friday 14 October in the Atrium Gallery, Old Building
This double-header exhibition is part of the 'Different Face of Serbia'
programme, presented at LSE by the Serbian LSE Alumni Society.
The exhibition displays an independent non-governmental image of Serbia,
through scientific and cultural output by LSE alumni and other world class
authors of 21st century Serbia.
The main part of this exhibition consists of still photos by the eminent
British photographer of Serbian origin, Brian Rasic (1954), who made a
career in the music industry. The second part of the exhibition consists of
archive materials and sources used in making the documentary film
Cinema Komunisto, written and directed by LSE alumni Mila Turajlic
(1979).
The exhibition is free and open to all with no ticket required. Visitors
are welcome from Monday to Friday between 10am and 8pm (excluding bank holidays
or unless otherwise stated).
Other events complementing this exhibition include:
For more information on the exhibition, visit
www.lse.ac.uk/arts.
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What were black people doing in World War One?
On: Wednesday 12 October at 5.30-8pm in the Graham Wallas Room,
Old Building
Speaker: Tony Warner of 'Black History Tours'
Embrace at LSE is hosting a Black History Month presentation, which is
open to all staff members. Tony Warner will give an explanation of the
crucial role Africa, Asia and the Caribbean played in WWI.
Refreshments will be provided. Spaces are limited so if you would like
to attend or would like more information, email
embrace@lse.ac.uk.
Embrace at LSE is a great way for staff members to interact with other
like-minded people and this event gives staff an opportunity to meet current
members.
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SIPRI Yearbook Seminar on Corruption in the Arms Trade On:
Wednesday 19 October at 6.30-8pm in the Alumni Theatre, New Academic
Building
Speakers: Dr Bates Gill, director of the Stockholm International
Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Andrew Feinstein, former South
African politician, and Dr Deborah Allen, corporate social
responsibility manager for BAE Systems.
Studies suggest that corruption in the arms trade makes up roughly 40 per
cent of all corruption worldwide. Enormous amounts of money help facilitate
and steer arms deals. For example, during the selection process leading up
to South Africa's purchase of Hawk trainer aircraft from BAE Systems, £115
million was paid to key decision makers. How are such payments possible? And
why is there such a lack of oversight and accountability?
Join the discussion with arms trade corruption expert Andrew Feinstein,
author of the SIPRI Yearbook 2011 lead chapter on corruption and the
arms trade, and representatives of the arms industry and SIPRI. Copies of
the SIPRI Yearbook 2011 (including online access) will be available
to buy at a discount price at the event.
This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a
first come, first served basis. For more information, email
e.j.may@lse.ac.uk.
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Podcasts of public lectures and events
Cities and Economic Development
Speakers: Sergio Cabral, N K Singh and Professor Tony
Venables
Recorded: Wednesday 21 September, approx 100 minutes
Click here to listen
Entrepreneurs, Innovation and Growth
Speaker: Luke Johnson
Recorded: Monday 3 October, approx 64 minutes
Click here to listen
Changing Fortunes: income mobility and poverty dynamics in Britain
Speakers: Professor Simon Burgess, Professor John Hills and
Professor Stephen Jenkins
Recorded: Monday 3 October, approx 82 minutes
Click here to listen |
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 60
second interview
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with..... Dr Hans Steinmüller
My name is Hans Steinmüller or
石汉Shi Han. I’m a lecturer in
anthropology and will be the
convenor of the MSc programme China
in Comparative Perspective starting
this term.
For my PhD I spent eighteen
months in a village in the Wuling
Mountains of Hubei Province, central
China. During this time I was mainly
doing farmwork, hanging out, and
gambling Mahjong. I’m half of the
brass section of The Funktionalists,
the LSE Anthropology Department’s
band.
What has been the most
interesting LSE public lecture you
have attended?
Harry Harootunian on the notion
of the Everyday in Modern Japan.
If you could live anywhere in
the world, where would you choose
and why?
Right now, near Galatina in
Salento, because of the sun, the
food, the music and the people. But
most of the time, in Oberaudorf in
Upper Bavaria, for the same reasons,
plus the mountains.
What is your favourite
childhood memory?
Playing badminton with Lü
Yuansheng. He came through an
exchange programme organised by the
Bavarian government and Shandong
Province, China, and spent one year
working on the farm of my parents in
Bavaria when I was eight years old.
He often played hide-and-seek with
me and my siblings and he taught me
to play badminton. He was the first
Chinese person I met in my life and
perhaps he played a part when I
chose to study Chinese at
university.
If you could bring one person
from history back to life, who would
it be and why?
Clifford Brown. He would have
played a lot more great music if he
hadn't died so early. At the same
time I’m sceptical about time
machines and afraid of the cosmic
consequences of Clifford playing his
trumpet in 2011.
Name three things you cannot
do without.
Music, coffee, and cigarettes.
What annoys you?
Mediocrity and arrogance. |
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 Training
and jobs
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Software surgeries The Software Surgery is a new drop-in
service where both staff and students can get training on a range of
software and web applications. We cover:
- Statistical software: SPSS and Stata
- Qualitative analysis: Alceste, Atlas.ti, and Nvivo
- Microsoft Office: Access, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, Word
- Learning technologies: Moodle, lecture capture, electronic voting
systems etc
- Library technologies: Endnote, e-journals and online data sources
Drop in on the day, or book in advance via the
Training and Development System to get priority attention. A member of
our training team will be on hand to help you learn what you need to solve
your particular problem.
The surgeries take place on Tuesdays, 1-2pm in the Library training room
(R08), on the lower ground floor of the Library.
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Training for staff at LSE Courses scheduled for next week
include:
- One-to-one IT training
- Getting to grips with the Office 2010 upgrade
- General manual handling
For a full listing of what is available and further details, including
booking information, see
www.lse.ac.uk/training.
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Jobs at LSE Below are some of the vacancies currently being
advertised to internal candidates only, as well as those being advertised
externally.
- Administrator - Programme for African Leadership,
International Development
- Chair/reader of economics, Economics
- Director of information management technology, IT Services
- Graduate administrator, Geography and Environment
- HR administrator, Human Resources
- Lecturer in management science, Operational Research Group
- Lectureship in finance, Finance
- Lectureship in philosophy, Philosophy
- Montague Burton Chair, International Relations
- Nursery assistant, Nursery
- Part-time library assistant, Library
- Research fellow - economics of climate change, Grantham
Research Institute
- Reshelver (x2), Library
- Senior graduate admissions administrator, Graduate Admissions
- Technical specialist, Graduate Admissions
- Widening participation coordinator, Academic Registrar's
Division
- Widening participation officer, Academic Registrar's Division
For more information, visit
Jobs at LSE and login via the instructions under the 'Internal
vacancies' heading. |
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 LSE
people
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LSE's Student Counselling Service introduces its new
administrator, Stacey Kurn (pictured), who became a permanent
member of staff last week.
Nicola Serle of CASE also wanted to let staff know about the free
Shell Fuelsave Festival on Saturday 15 October - 'It will be a
morning of family fun and celebrity entertainment, plus there will be an
official attempt at setting a Guinness World Record for the largest fuel
efficiency lesson ever!'
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