The Women’s Library @ LSE launched online

The timeline presentation includes 155 items relating to women’s history, as well as digital access to rare books, print and archival material.

Rooms available to let

LSE Staff Accommodation currently has rooms, studios and apartments available to let throughout Michaelmas Term for staff and visitors to LSE.

Nick Deyes

Nick, Director of IMT, lives in Brighton, can't resist expensive sunglasses, and has a degree in zoology having been inspired by David Attenborough.

LSE academic named as a finalist in the 2013 Asia Society Bernard Schwartz Book Award

Professor Arne Westad (pictured), Professor of International History and Co-Director of LSE IDEAS, has been chosen as one of five finalists for the 2013 Asia Society Bernard Schwartz Book Award, for his book Restless Empire: China and the world since 1750.

The books, which are recognised for their outstanding contributions to the understanding of Asia, were selected from over 100 nominations submitted by US and Asia-based publishers for books published in 2012.

The finalists were selected by a jury co-chaired by Carol Gluck, George Sansom Professor of History at Columbia University, and Tommy TB Koh, Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large, and composed of leading experts and figures in policy, academia, journalism and publishing from Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and the United States.

Library launches The Women’s Library @ LSE online

The Library at LSE has launched The Women’s Library @ LSE online, providing a timeline presentation of 155 items relating to women’s history, as well as digital access to rare books, print and archival material, dating from the 16th century to the present day.

The Women’s Library @ LSE timeline allows users to take an historical journey through the personal, political and economic struggles that have symbolised women’s battle for equality through the ages, presenting a representative sample of the broad range of unique materials contained within the collection.

The timeline is optimised so that users can easily find items of interest¸ with each entry featuring a description from the Library’s experts. Highlights include A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft, Emily Wilding Davison’s return railway ticket on the day of her famous protest at the 1913 Epsom Derby, and Women’s Liberation’s Four Demands from the National Women's Liberation Movement.

Elizabeth Chapman, Director of LSE Library Services, said: "The Women’s Library @ LSE timeline is an excellent platform to showcase a selection of important materials from the Library’s collection. The project continues the Library’s commitment to bring our collection to the wider public as we strive to engage with audiences and support research in new and innovative ways."
 

LSE access programmes help open the doors to success

A record number of students who attended LSE access programmes in 2012-13 will be enrolling at the School in October.

LSE's two flagship Widening Participation programmes, LSE CHOICE and Pathways to Law, are proving a success, with 30 sixth form students who attended one of the programmes last year set to join in October.

Both programmes aim to provide students from disadvantaged backgrounds with the tools and confidence needed to successfully apply to a top university.

LSE CHOICE is an enrichment programme aimed at the most talented young people from London state schools who have no parental history of higher education. Participants are able to study economics, government and politics, history, maths or sociology, and attend both a week-long Summer School as well as 16 Saturday morning sessions.

LSE has been running Pathways to Law, the Sutton Trust's flagship access programme, since 2006, with the aim of widening access to the legal profession. LSE delivers a varied programme of lectures, seminars and university advice sessions to students on the scheme. It also runs careers information events, mock trials and students are offered a work placement at a leading law firm, all of which are designed to inform them about a law career as well as equip them with the skills they need in order to successfully apply to, and thrive at, university. More
 

'A new government - a changing China?' ask experts at this year's LSE China Conference

LSE held its third annual LSE China Conference, and its fourth Beijing-based LSE graduation ceremony, on Thursday 15 August in Beijing, China.

The 2013 LSE China Conference, entitled 'A New Government - A New China?' was attended by over 300 LSE alumni, academics and experts in the field.

Professor Paul Kelly, Pro-Director for Teaching and Learning, chaired the keynote sessions with LSE academics Professor Danny Quah and Professor Arne Westad asking the difficult questions on the possibilities for economic and political reforms in China since its change of leadership and government from October 2012 to March 2013. The keynote sessions were followed by an expert panel on China's foreign policy.

The annual Conference was preceded by LSE's fourth overseas graduation ceremony in China. Over 270 LSE graduands and their families and guests attended the graduation ceremony presided over by LSE Pro-Director Professor Paul Kelly.

LSE faculty in Beijing teaching on the LSE-Peking University Summer School were also present, including Professor Arne Westad, Professor Mick Cox, Professor Danny Quah, Dr Mayling Birney, Dr Fei Qin, Dr Meng Bingchun, Dr Xu Moqi and Dr Tan Sri Munir Majid. LSE alumnus Dr Dong Ming (PhD, 1986) also addressed the new graduates. The graduation ended with a traditional tea-party for the new LSE alumni and their guests. More
 

The School has now received a narrative report for the LSE Staff Survey 2012 from ORC International, our external provider, which is available on the HR website.

This report shows their interpretation of the staff survey data based on their own model of employee engagement.

Over the summer, Departments and Divisions throughout the School have been working closely with their HR Partner to draft local action plans. This has seen many Departments/Divisions engage their staff in the process through team events.

Many areas have already implemented actions. The School is also creating a School level action plan. A full progress update about all this activity will be published during October 2013. The key findings from the survey have also been fed into the Strategic Review and have helped to inform the next steps of this activity.

Institute of Social Psychology now a Department

The Institute of Social Psychology is now to be known as the Department of Social Psychology. All contact details stay the same.

Founded by Professor Hilde Himmelweit in 1965, the Department comprises the largest concentration of social psychologists in Europe.

Professor Catherine Campbell, Head of the Department, focuses on an exciting time for the Department in the next two years: "In 2015 we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary. A key moment in this celebration will be an international conference that will highlight the contribution of our particular brand of 'societal psychology’."

For more information, email Daniel Linehan at d.p.linehan@lse.ac.uk.
 

LSE Staff Accommodation currently has rooms, studios and apartments available to let throughout Michaelmas Term for staff and visitors to LSE.

These are suitable for short or long term lets from £45 per night. Book now to avoid disappointment.

LSE Perspectives is a monthly online gallery that features photographs taken by LSE students and staff, and LSE Arts is looking for submissions for upcoming galleries.

So if you have taken any artistic images on your travels, in your home town or even just here in London, why not submit them for LSE Perspectives so that they can be shared with the LSE community.

Salsa is back

Salsa has made a comeback to LSE. Samantha, a salsa teacher of 10 years, and her team, will return with four lunchtime master classes for the month of September.

No experience is necessary and you do not require a partner as we rotate you through each move. This helps in turning you into confident and versatile dancers. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes that support your ankles. Classes are open to all and cost just £3.

Classes will be every Wednesday, starting on 4 September, from 12-1pm and 1-2pm in the Parish Hall, next to the Peacock Theatre.

For more information, email Samantha at s.e.da-costa@lse.ac.uk.
 

Skip fit lessons

Security officer and former boxer Daniel Beckley is running skip fit lessons for all staff and students at LSE. Build up your fitness, burn calories and increase your stamina, all within an hour.

The next lessons will take place from 1-2pm at the Badminton Court, Old Building, on Tuesday 3 September and Tuesday 17 September.

Just turn up on any of these dates with your own skipping rope. All lessons are free.

For more information, email Daniel at d.beckley@lse.ac.uk.
 

Kingsway Hall Hotel is offering LSE staff members a 25 per cent discount on afternoon tea in their Harlequin Restaurant.

The hotel’s traditional afternoon tea includes a selection of finger sandwiches, warm homemade scones served with strawberry preserve and clotted cream, as well as an array of cakes and pastries.

With the discount, afternoon tea costs just £13.50 and champagne afternoon tea costs £21.20.

To take up this offer, please contact the restaurant on 020 7309 0909 or email restaurant@kingswayhall.co.uk.

If you know of any deals that you think may be of interest to Staff News readers, please email purchasing@lse.ac.uk.
 

Join the London Medical Orchestra

The London Medical Orchestra, a well established and friendly amateur orchestra, invites LSE staff to join. It is seeking new string players (especially violin and double bass players), and would also be glad to hear from brass players.

The orchestra rehearses on Tuesday evenings during term time at the Walter Sickert Community Centre, Islington, N1 2FB. The orchestra was founded by doctors but players do not need to have any connection with the medical profession. Good orchestral experience is welcome but don’t worry if you have not played for a while - just go along and see how you get on.

This week's picture features the London Eye and Shell Centre on the South Bank.

For more images like this, visit the Photography Unit.

Child experts warn of internet risks facing very young children

Clear parental guidelines are necessary to protect very young children from the risks of internet use as toddlers and pre-school aged children gain greater access to tablets and smartphones, according to a new report released by EU Kids Online.

The report, prepared at LSE, recommends a number of measures to ensure children under eight years of age can use the internet safely.

These include the development of internet safety education packages for parents, carers and childcare centres, and the integration of default privacy protections on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.

Zero to Eight - young children and their internet use reviews a range of recent studies showing that children across Europe are going online at a younger and younger age, and argues that their lack of technical, critical and social skills may pose a greater risk than for older children. More
 

Up to 160,000 older people in England will be left vulnerable in the next two decades as the country faces a huge shortfall in unpaid care, according to new LSE research.

As the proportion of older people rises, traditional caregivers - mid-life women - will be placed under increasing pressure to juggle work and care for their parents, creating inequality in the workplace and potentially at a big cost to the labour market.

The shortfall between demand and supply for unpaid carers will be evident by 2017 and then grow rapidly, says Dr Linda Pickard, a Senior Research Fellow from LSE Health and Social Care at LSE.

In a report published in Ageing and Society, Dr Pickard says a projected 1.1 million older people in England will require care from their children by 2032, placing enormous pressure on their families who won’t be able to meet the demand.

A report launched by LSE and Release shows that drug policing is dominating stop and search, that much of this activity is focused on low level drug possession offences, and that black and Asian people are being disproportionately targeted.

Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director of Release and co-author of the report, states: "This research shows that stop and search is not about finding guns or knives but about the police going out and actively looking for people who are in possession of a small amount of drugs, mainly cannabis".

A proposed new scheme for flood insurance in the UK may not be sustainable because the impacts of climate change have not been taken into account, according to a policy paper published by the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy and the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at LSE.

Responding to a consultation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on ‘Securing the future availability and affordability of home insurance in areas of flood risk’, which was launched in June 2013, Dr Swenja Surminski and co-authors warn that "flood risk is expected to increase due to climate change and continued development of floodplains for residential and commercial property, which increases the exposure of homes and businesses".

Renewable energy programmes, particularly solar, may provide part of the answer to Greece’s debt crisis if the public can be won over, according to new research from LSE and Durham University.

Solar energy could lower both crippling domestic energy costs in Greece and also provide the debt-ridden country with a valuable export commodity to help ameliorate its financial crisis, says Dr Daniel Knight from LSE.

What Has the European Convention on Human Rights Ever Done for Us?
On: Tuesday 1 October at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speakers: Martin Howe QC, a member of the coalition government’s Commission on a Bill of Rights, Professor Philip Leach, Director of the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre, Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, Emily Thornberry MP, Shadow Attorney General, and Professor Alan Sked, Professor of International History at LSE.

Tracking the Gender Politics of the Millennium Development Goals: from the Millennium Declaration to the post-MDG consultations
On: Wednesday 2 October from 6.30-8pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Naila Kabeer (pictured), joins LSE's Gender Institute in October 2013 as Professor of Gender and Development.

On: Monday 2 September - Friday 4 October (Monday - Friday, 10am-8pm) in the Atrium Gallery, Old Building

'The World, So Rich', a solo exhibition from Pakistani British-born artist Lubna Ashraf, portrays faces from Pakistan, Afghanistan, The Kingdom of Lesotho and The Gambia.

The large oil paintings are all tied together by ideas which are fundamental to life and this world - diversity, colour, attitude, culture and age. They reflect on how beautiful and rich world heritage is.

Bright colours, distinct expressions and a signature striped-painted effect resonate through all of Lubna's paintings.

Podcasts of public lectures and events

Top three downloaded podcasts in July and August 2013:

1. The Great Crash of 2008: causes, consequences and the future of the world economic system
Speaker: Lord Meghnad Desai
Recorded: Thursday 1 August, approx. 60 minutes
Click here to listen

2. Gridlock: why global cooperation is failing when we need it most
Speakers: Thomas Hale, Professor David Held, and Kevin Young
Recorded: Thursday 11 July, approx. 91 minutes
Click here to listen

3. Europe on the Brink: from crisis to collapse?
Speaker: Professor Robert Cooper
Recorded: Thursday 8 August, approx. 54 minutes
Click here to listen

Research in high risk areas

If you are planning to do research in areas subject to FCO travel warnings or areas within the UK where there are high levels of crime and anti-social behaviour, then the School requires you to do a risk assessment for your trip (this is also a requirement for the School’s insurers).

The Safety in Planning and Management of Fieldwork course can help you with your risk assessment. The one day course will be held on Friday 20 September and is designed for anyone involved in planning or participating in off-campus research.

Visit the Training and Development System for more information and to book a place.
 

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

• Assistant Professor in Political Science and Political Economy, Government
• Assistant Professor in Political Science and Public Policy, Government
• Business Analyst Team Leader, Information Management and Technology
• Departmental Manager, Social Policy
• Deputy Head of Counselling, Disability and Wellbeing (Disability Lead), Teaching and Learning Centre
• Ethics Manager, Planning and Corporate Policy Division
• Head of Learning Technology and Innovation, Information Management and Technology
• Head of TRIUM Recruitment and Admissions, TRIUM
• Help Desk Technician and Furniture Coordinator, Estates Division
• LSE Fellow - Programme for African Leadership, International Development
• Marketing Coordinator, Academic Registrar's Division
• Marketing Coordinator (CRM), Academic Registrar's Division
• Programme Administrator, Management: EROB Group
• Project Coordinator, LSE Health and Social Care
• Research Assistant, Media and Communications
• Research Fellow, LSE Health and Social Care
• Research Officer, PSSRU
• Student Recruitment Coordinator, ARD: student recruitment
• Systems Specialist, Information Management and Technology

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 12 September. Articles for this should be emailed to me by Tuesday 10 September. Staff News is emailed every Thursday during term time and fortnightly during the holidays.