A fifth First for LSE
LSE has, this week, been awarded a First for the fifth year running in this year’s People & Planet Green League, which ranks UK universities on environmental and ethical performance.

From 1 July, staff may be automatically placed into a pension scheme if they have previously not been members.
A series of presentations are being held for staff who want to learn more.

Dr Emilia Knight

Emilia, who manages LSE IDEAS, uised to work for Apple and once had her photo taken with Steve Jobs and also has a small 'rock of peace' from the Berlin Wall.

A fifth First for LSE in 2013 People & Planet Green League

LSE has this week been awarded a First in this year’s People & Planet Green League, which ranks all UK universities on their environmental and ethical performance.

This is the fifth year running that LSE has been awarded a First. The School came 22nd in this year’s league – a rise of 20 places from its 2012 ranking of 42nd.

LSE Cities publication ranked top 10 best architecture books

Living In The Endless City, a publication produced by LSE Cities, has been named one of the Independent’s 10 Best Architecture Books of all time.

Edited by LSE Professor Ricky Burdett and Deyan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum, Living in the Endless City is a close look at the issues that affect cities, and therefore people around the world, in the 21st century. It first published in 2011.

It is commended by the Independent as "a fascinating book filled with writing by architects, urban planners, mayors and policymakers, debating the issues about urban living in the 21st century. It looks in detail at nine of the world's biggest cities, discussing everything from climate change to security."

For more, see here
 

Euro Crisis in the Press - new LSE blog

A new LSE blog has been launched entitled Euro Crisis in the Press. The blog, which is already attracting a wide readership, explores the politics of public discourse surrounding the current crisis in Europe, and is linked to an interdisciplinary and comparative study of the way the crisis is reported in the European press.

The project is affiliated with LSE IDEAS and the Department of Media and Communications. The blog is curated by an editorial team from across LSE, and welcomes contributions from within the School and beyond.

If you would like to become a contributor, email LSEEurocrisisBlog@gmail.com.

Professors Tony Barnett, Department of Social Policy, and Sylvia Chant, Department of Geography and Environment and the Gender Institute (pictured), gave expert evidence at a High Court Country Guidance Case on Female Genital Mutilation in The Gambia in November 2012 (K and others (FGM) The Gambia CG [2013] UKUT 00062(IAC)), which has recently been published on the web.

Upper Tribunal Judges Macleman and Coker mentioned in their report (para 107): ‘We were impressed by the evidence from both Professor Barnett and Professor Chant. They did not seek to exaggerate their knowledge, and were careful in their evaluation. They readily agreed with points put by Mr Parkinson where those were supported by evidence, but were also careful to identify exhortation, reportage and information without proper scientifically backed research. Both experts gave considerable credit to GAMCOTRAP for the very difficult work they are doing in attempting to change embedded practices’. Read more here. 

From 1 July, LSE will have to comply with new pension rules. These mean that staff may be placed into a pension scheme automatically, if they have previously not been members.

The Pensions Team will be holding presentations for staff who would like to know more, following which there will be an opportunity to ask questions. These will be held on:

• Friday 14 June, 1.30-2.30pm, Graham Wallas Room, 5th Floor, Old Building
• Monday 17 June, 10.30-11.30am, Room 32L.LG, 32 Lincoln's Inn Fields
• Tuesday 18 June, 11am-12pm, Room 32L.LG, 32 Lincoln's Inn Fields

Applications are invited from members of the professorial staff to fill the vacancy of the Vice-Chair of Appointments Committee (VCAC) to succeed Professor David Stevenson, who completes his term in office on 31 December 2013.

The role of the VCAC is to act as the independent guardian of academic standards and quality on behalf of the Appointments Committee. The term of office is from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2016.

Expressions of interest should be proposed to Professor George Gaskell by Friday 5 July. Further information, including application deadlines, is available on the HR website here.
 

A new booklet, A Pocket Guide for Employees: balancing work and being a carer, is now available online via the HR website. 

The booklet, published this week to coincide with Carers Week 2013 by Working Families, has been designed to help carers of adults to balance a caring role with work. It contains an overview of employment rights as well as practical tips and techniques.

Good posture is the foundation of good health. When the body is in good alignment, the muscles are relaxed and the joints free. Whatever stage your body is at, treatment can improve your posture and mobility. Massage, manipulation, mobilisation and exercise therapy can help improve posture right into old age.

LSE Garrick
8am–6pm, Mon-Fri

4th Floor Restaurant
11am-3pm, Mon-Fri
CLOSED: 17, 18 and 19 July for Presentation Ceremonies
CLOSED: 19 August to 27 September inclusive

Plaza Café
10am–6pm, Mon-Fri

Cafe 54
8.30am–4.30pm, Mon-Fri

The Bean Counter
10am–3.30pm, Mon-Fri

Staff Dining Room and Café Bar (members only)
Café Bar: 10am–4.30pm, Mon-Fri
Dining Room: 12.30pm-2.15pm, Mon-Fri
CLOSED: 29 July to 30 August inclusive

George IV
12 noon–11pm, Mon-Fri

4th Floor Café Bar
CLOSED
Re-opens 30 September 

More for less - take advantage of special offers for LSE staff

Three bedroom house to let in East Finchley

A lovely three bedroom house located in East Finchley. The house, which is in good decorative order, has two large double bedrooms and one single bedroom, with lots of storage/wardrobe space. It also has a big through living room/dining room, and a good size kitchen/dining. The kitchen is fitted with a gas hob, electric oven and grill, fridge-freezer, washing machine and tumble dryer.

The house has a lovely well-kept garden to front, side and rear, which is maintained. Based is in a great location – minutes from East Finchley tube station (Northern Line, zone three) and minutes from shops, supermarket, restaurants and pubs, the house is for let at £500 per week and is unfurnished. It is available now.

One bedroom flat to rent in Crouch End

A one bedroom apartment on the top floor of an attractive, gardened 19th century house in the Crouch End/Highgate area of North London. It is located within blocks of numerous shops and restaurants with easy access to Central London and LSE via the 91 bus or the Highgate / Finsbury Park tubes. The flat is available from 9 June through to 15 September.

The flat is light, recently decorated, fully equipped, pleasantly furnished and partly carpeted; it and has views over attractive, green gardens and an open perspective towards Alexandra Palace. Includes dishwasher, fridge/freezer, washing machine, microwave, TV, Sony music centre, DVD, etc. Free house internet as available but Virgin wireless internet/cable-TV/telephone package also available, for subscription. Cutlery and crockery, bed linens and towels, vacuum cleaner, etc. also included. Effective central heating. Free parking on street in front.

Last week a portrait of former LSE Director Professor Judith Rees painted by Mark Roscoe (both pictured) was unveiled at a reception hosted by chairman of the Court of Governors of LSE, Sir Peter Sutherland. It joins the portraits of other former LSE Directors on the walls of the Shaw Library.

For more images like this, visit the Photography Unit.

How to be happy with less money? – try thinking about your friends instead

Money makes you happier – but only if you really think about it, according to research from LSE. 

Until recently, most economists and policy-makers subscribed to the view that individual well-being increases as we earn more money. This new research, published in a recent volume of the British Journal of Social Psychology, strongly suggests that earnings only affect happiness when financial matters are on your mind.

The findings are based on two tests which measured how a person’s earnings and social ties influence their sense of well-being in different circumstances.

Dr Ilka Gleibs, lecturer at LSE and co-author of the research, commented: “Earning more money can make people feel better but only under the right circumstances. Strong friendships and family are much more consistent in providing people with feelings of well-being than higher earnings.

Other forthcoming LSE events include....

When the Money Runs Out: The End of Western Affluence
Date: Wednesday 19 June at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Stephen King (pictured)

Against the Consensus: reflections on the great recession
Date: Monday 24 June at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Justin Lin

LSESU Visual Arts Society Exhibition - final week

The LSESU Visual Arts Society’s annual year-end exhibition of student work is in its last week.

Be sure to take a break and stop by the Atrium Gallery, Old Building to see the artistic talents of LSE’s students.

For more information, click here.
 

An Inappropriate Design?

Duncan Connors, University of Buckingham, will give a Business History Unit seminar on Monday 17 June.

Centre for the Study of Human Rights events

Sri Lanka and the Culture of Impunity: human rights challenges in a post-war and post-conflict environment

Thursday 20 June at 6.30-8pm in the Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building
Speakers: Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu (pictured), executive director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, Asanga Welikala, ESRC Teaching Fellow in Public Law in the School of Law, University of Edinburgh, and Uvindu Kurukulasuriya, a visiting fellow in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE

Four years since active military hostilities in Sri Lanka ended, there has been no progress towards constitutional and political reforms addressing the problems of pluralism and democracy that lay at the heart of the conflict, nor a legitimate process of truth and accountability for war-time abuses. Instead, Sri Lanka is steadily moving in the direction of becoming an authoritarian state, with the rule of law and governance under attack, the ascendance of majoritarian ethno-religious tolerance, and an overall decline in democratic and human rights standards. This event will explore the pervasive culture of impunity in Sri Lanka, both with regards to past abuses as well as post-war governance. More

What happens when your child comes out to you? My Child is about a courageous and inspiring group of people in Turkey who are parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. Each story is an intimate journey of transformation as they redefine what it means to be parents, family and activists in a conservative, homophobic and transphobic society. More
 

The Centre for the Study of Human Rights will host an open seminar on Wednesday 26 June to discuss The Emergence and Future of the Uprising in Turkey. Dr Özlem Köksal, Dr Ayça Çubukçu (pictured) and Professor Chetan Bhatt will be speaking. We also hope to include Dr Zenep Gambetti via a live satellite connection to Istanbul.

More details at www.lse.ac.uk/humanrights  
 

Tuesday 2 July at 6.45-8pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House
Speakers: Professor Tim Newburn, LSE, Professor Fiona Devine, University of Manchester, and Dr Sam Friedman, City University.

This event that will look at the opportunities and challenges of undertaking large-scale public social science projects. The session will look at the ways in ways in which academics are seeking to make their research and disciplines more public, and for their research to be part of public debate on key societal issues. We will also look at how these projects fit within the impact agenda and their challenges to traditional academic dissemination.

It will include discussion about the Reading the Riots project, which was run with Professor Tim Newburn jointly with the Guardian. Professor Devine and Dr Friedman will then discuss the Great British Class Survey, which was run jointly with BBC Labs.

Podcasts of public lectures and events

The Future of Capitalism
Speaker: Professor John Kay
Recorded: Tuesday 4 June 2013, approx. 90 minutes

France's place in Europe - One year into the Socialist Presidency
Speaker: Jean-François Copé
Recorded: Wednesday 5 June 2013, approx. 91 minutes

Representing Europeans: a pragmatic approach
Speaker: Professor Richard Rose
Recorded: Thursday 6 June 2013, approx. 81 minutes

Monday 24 June, 12.30-4pm

This interactive session will explore effective strategies to assist disabled students. The focus will be learning, teaching and assessment, and will include a discussion about reasonable adjustments with particular reference to marking.

Training and development opportunities for staff

Courses scheduled for next week include:

• Google and beyond: using the internet for your research
• Mindfulness and Stress Workshop
• Evacuation Chair volunteer training
• Apple Hour
• Developing as an academic writer
• Introduction to Government, Intergovernmental and Archival sources

These are just some of the events running next week. To receive a monthly list of all events, subscribe to the Staff training and development email by clicking here. To find out more about training and development across the School and for links to booking pages, see lse.ac.uk/training.
 

Recruitment and Selection for Managers 

HR Organisational and Lifelong Learning is running a course,  Recruitment and Selection for Managers, on Wednesday 10 July at9.30am-5pm. 

The course provides an overview of the School's recruitment processes and will give participants a broad understanding of various recruitment techniques and how to get the best from them. It will help you become more effective when recruiting and ensure that the people you select are the best fit for the jobs you need to fill. The course will also help you to develop your interview and selection skills.

Below are some of the vacancies currently being advertised to internal candidates only, as well as those being advertised externally.

• Research officer - CELSIUS project, Centre for Analysis of Time Series
• Learning technologist: media specialist, Centre for Learning Technology
• Facilities management team secretary and PA to the financial management director, Estates: facilities and projects
• Administrator LSEE research on South Eastern Europe, European Institute
• LSE fellow in finance, Finance
• LSE (post-doctoral) fellowship in political science (May 2013), Government
• Head of learning technology and innovation, Information Management and Technology
• Service desk analyst, Information Management and Technology
• LSE fellow - international development, International Development
• IGC finance administrator, International Growth Centre
• ICG hub coordinator, International Growth Centre
• Lectureship in labour law, Law
• Personal administrative assistant, LSE Housing
• Marie Curie research officer (doctoral scholarship), PSSRU
• Research impact officer, Research Division
• LSE fellow in sociology, Sociology

Nicole wants to hear from you!

Do you have some news, an achievement, or an aspect of LSE life that you would like to share? If so, then I would love to hear from you, contact me at n.gallivan@lse.ac.uk or on ext 7582.

The next edition of Staff News is on Thursday 20 June. Articles for this should be emailed to me by Tuesday 18 June. Staff News is emailed every Thursday during term time and fortnightly during the holidays.