New Year Honours

Congratulations are in order for all those at LSE whose work has been recognised in 2014's New Year Honours.

Fitness Classes

If your New Year's resolution is to get fit, we've got exactly what you need, and all in your lunchtimes...

Rhys Cadman

Rhys, a Graduate Admissions Assistant in the Department of Finance, tells us about his close encounters of the elk kind and his love of the toasties from Wright's Bar. 

 Notices

 LSE in pictures

 Events

 Training and jobs

Best wishes,
Maddy

The Saw Swee Hock Student Centre (SAW) was officially handed over to LSE on Wednesday 18 December 2013.

As snagging and building fit-out continues, the new occupants moved in this Monday.

Inside SAW you will now find:

• LSE SU
• Activities Resource Centre (ARC)
• Three Tuns
• The Denning Learning Café
• The Weston Café
• Media Centre
• Advice and counselling
• Gym
• Dance and exercise studio
• Reception and offices
• Venue and events space

As well as:

• LSE Careers
• LSE Residential Services – Accommodation Office
• LSE Faith Centre

The Three Tuns is due to open its doors on Monday 13 January and both Cafés should be ready for business by week commencing 20 January. The gym is already up and running so feel free to drop by!

For further information about the building features and services, please see the Occupants’ Guide.

Work began today on the final stage of the development with the pedestrianisation of Sheffield Street and public realm enhancement which includes the installation of 819m² brick and yorkstone paving, feature lights and street furniture as well as some planting.

The planned completion date is April 2014.

Professor Bose's new book celebrated

Transforming India: challenges to the world's largest democracy (Harvard University Press), the new book from Professor Sumantra Bose, Department of Government, has been picked by Foreign Affairs magazine as one of the three most important books on Asia published in 2013.

The books were selected by Andrew Nathan, Class of 1919 Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, who writes that "Bose lucidly analyses 'decentred democracy', in which power lies increasingly with the state governments."

The other titles are David Shambaugh's China Goes Global: the partial power, and Sheila Miyoshi Jager's Brothers at War: the unending conflict in Korea.  More

As part of the 2012 staff survey we were all asked: “Have you experienced stress in the last 12 months?” The formal definition of work related stress from the Health and Safety Executive is: “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them at work”.

Fifty one per cent of respondents answered yes, which means that 1,032 staff felt stressed in the 12 months from Nov- Dec 2011 to Nov- Dec 2012.

Human Resources wants to understand what’s behind the stress and look at ways to help people deal with it and its causes so will be running a series of focus groups next month.

The focus groups will cover all LSE staff and will run on the following dates:

• Wednesday 5 February 10am-12pm, Academic Support Staff (Bands 1 to 5)
• Wednesday 5 February 2-4pm, Academic Support Staff (Bands 6-7)
• Thursday 6 February 10am-12pm, Academic Support Staff (Bands 8-10)
• Thursday 6 February 2-4pm, Academic Staff
• Monday 10 February 10am-12pm, Research Staff

Timed for two hours, the sessions are likely to run for 90 minutes and each focus group will have eight staff members. The spaces will be filled on a first come first served basis, though we want the whole School to be represented.

To volunteer, or if you have any questions, please email Chris Watt at c.watt@lse.ac.uk

HEIF5 Bid Fund: Lent Term 2013-14 call for bids

LSE has invested £3.5 million of its Higher Education Innovation Fund into the “HEIF5 Bid Fund,” a competitive source of funding to support knowledge exchange activities and outputs based on School research.

The final call for applications to the HEIF5 Bid Fund is now open. The total amount of funding available is just over £500K. Awarded projects must end by 30 June 2015.

Applications with outcomes that may be included in REF2020 case studies would be particularly welcome.

The deadline for submission of applications is 19 February 2014.

If you are interested in applying, please contact Marie Yau, Research Division, m.yau1@lse.ac.uk for application forms and guidance.

LSE 2014-15 Calendars now available

The School’s two-year leave planner/calendar is now available to order.

It comes in two parts: Jan-Jun and Jul-Dec, and is double sided. Side one is for 2014 and side two for 2015. At the end of 2014, you simply turn it over to display 2015.

Planner/calendar features:

• it is laminated so you can use highlighters on it so that text can be later erased if need be

• School closure dates indicated

• comes in A5, A4 or A3 sizes, for either team use or individual use

• each of the two parts is either A5, A4 or A3 depending on size ordered

• term periods shaded so you can immediately differentiate between term time and non-term time

• term dates stated (2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16)

Please click here to view it.

To place your order, click here and then scroll down to 'Year Planners 2014-15' and follow the instructions provided. Please note that you will need to provide a valid budget code in order to place your order, and remember that each of the two parts for the planner/calendar is sized as A3, A4 or A5.

Toning and Boxfit classes

Over-indulged this festive season? Fear not - Mandy Li, who is a personal trainer when she's not working as Deputy Timetables Manager, has the answer with her toning and boxfit lunchtime classes. 

Forget the never-to-be-used gym membership and join Mandy's classes where you can improve muscle strength, lose weight and tone up.

For more information about dates, locations and prices, email Mandy at m.li@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 21 January, Tuesday 28 January, Tuesday 11 February, and Tuesday 18 February.

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.
 

Global competition to find new Schmidt-MacArthur Fellow and Mentor

The Schmidt-MacArthur Fellowship, a joint initiative between the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in the UK and the Schmidt Family Foundation in the United States, offers an innovation platform for postgraduate students together with academics from top international design, engineering and business schools to rethink the economy. Ellen MacArthur and Wendy Schmidt are pictured left.

To take part in the competition, entrants must be registered on a post graduate course in design, engineering or business at an accredited educational institution in 2014. Both the student and academic must be committed to taking part in the full one-year fellowship and be available to attend the summer school in the UK during 23-27 June 2014. The challenge for entrants is to create a one minute 40 second film in response to a challenge statement about the circular economy that can be shared publicly. The shortlisted entries will go through to an online interview phase with a selection team from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, UK.

Applicants must first register their interest at www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/wildcard in order to download the competition brief on 13 January 2014. Entries must be submitted no later than 2 March 2014. The winner will be announced in March.

Technology tip!

It is now time to change your computer password and here's how to do it.

If you are using an on campus PC, press Ctrl|Alt|Delete together then click Change a Password. Enter your current password to prove it is you then enter a new password. Re-enter the new password to confirm it. Other situations, e.g. Mac users, see further information on the link below.

Create a strong password.

A strong password consists of at least eight characters, upper and lower case letters, numbers and at least one punctuation character, e.g. ! or , . Do not use an old password.

Make a secret note of your new password until you remember it. Also, you can create a reminder with a security question, see link below.

Note: You must also update your other logins, e.g. Moodle, with your new password, when you use those services. More

This week's picture shows spiral staircase leading up from the basement of the new Saw Swee Hock Student Centre.

For more images like this, visit the Photography Unit.

Forthcoming events from the Research Division 

Why apply for external funding for your research?
On 22 January 2014, 4-6pm

This debate examines the pros and cons of applying for external funding for your research. Panellists will share their experiences of leading externally-funded projects and views on the impact of research grants on their careers and research. It will also be an opportunity to hear about the Research Division’s integrated support services for research development designed to help colleagues achieve their research funding goals.

The panel, chaired by Professor Julia Black, Pro-Director Research, includes Professor Martin Knapp, Director of the Personal Social Services Research Unit, Professor George Gaskell, Pro-Director of Resources and Planning, Dr Mara Malagodi, British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in the Law Department, Professor Eric Neumayer, recently appointed Vice-Chair of the Appointments Committee and David Coombe, Director of the Research Division.

All staff are welcome and encouraged to attend. This event will be followed by a reception in the Senior Common Room. To book your place click here.

This panel session will discuss what the Research Councils support and how funding decisions are made. It will focus on the AHRC, ESRC and EPSRC. Academic colleagues who have been members of the Councils’ peer review colleges will share their insights on how the peer review panels work and how to maximise your chances of success. Confirmed speakers are Henry Wynn, Emeritus Professor of Statistics and EPSRC Review College Member; Mike Savage, Professor of Sociology and ESRC Review College Member; and Richard Bradley, Professor in Philosophy and AHRC Review College member. The session will be moderated by the Research Division. To book your place, click here.
 

Customer Service Excellence
06 February 2014, 10am-5pm

Working with others - fair treatment and respect for non-Managers
26 February 2014, 9.30am-5pm

For managers:
Developing High Performing Teams
17 January 2014, 10am-4.30pm

Working with others - fair treatment and respect for Managers
30 January 2014, 9.30am-5pm

Managing Change
13 February 2014, 10am-4.30pm

Visit Core Learning and Development Programme to find a comprehensive list of other courses available this academic year.

If you have any queries or require additional information, email hr.learning@lse.ac.uk

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

• Assistant Professor in Law (Evidence), Law
• Assistant Professor in Law (Financial Regulation), Law
• Discovery and Metadata Manager, Library: Collections Services
• Fees Advisor, Finance Division
• Fees Analyst, Finance Division
• Programme Administrator (MSc Management and Exchanges), Management
• MSc Programme Administrator, Government
• Marketing and Recruitment Executive, Summer School and Executive Programmes
• Network Manager, Information Management and Technology
• Programme Administrator (Executive Global MSc Management), Management
• Programmes Co-ordinator, Management
• Project Manager, Information Management and Technology
• Research Officer, Systemic Risk Centre
• SSEP Executive Programme Manager, Summer School and Executive Programmes
• Senior Registry Administrator, ARD: Student Administration
• Web Developer (PHP), Information Management and Technology