Provost's Termly Briefings

Provost Stuart Corbridge’s Michaelmas term briefings with all professional services staff will take place on Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 December.

LSE Chill has a new venue

Don't miss the next LSE Chill on Friday 28 November at the new venue - Café 54 in the New Academic Building.

Charlie Haines

If you want to know anything about the International Growth Centre, Star Trek, or Brentford FC, Charlie Haines is your man...

 Research

 LSE in pictures

 News

 Training and jobs

New Gearty Grilling online

A new Gearty Grilling video, part of the series of short video debates between Conor Gearty, director of the IPA and professor of human rights law, and leading researchers at LSE, is now online.

Nicholas Barr remembers Bill Phillips

Bill Phillips - crocodile hunter, World War II radio officer and LSE Professor of Economics - would have been 100 on Tuesday 18 November 2014.

LSE’s Professor Nicholas Barr celebrates Bill Phillips’ extraordinary life and achievements in this LSE History blog post.
 

Academics abroad

Last week Jean-Paul Faguet (pictured), Professor of the Political Economy of Development, presented a paper entitled Does decentralisation strengthen or weaken democracy? Authority and social learning in a supple state at The Consequences of Multilevel Governance conference in Delmenhorst, Germany.

Professor Danny Quah from Economics and International Development spoke at the Koerber Foundation's 157th Bergedorf Roundtable on 'The Responsibility of Global Trading Powers in the Asian Century' in Hamburg from 7-9 November.

Provost Stuart Corbridge’s Michaelmas term briefings with all professional services staff will take place in the Shaw Library, Old Building on Wednesday 3 December at 10.30am and Thursday 4 December at 2.30pm.

The agenda for both days is as follows:

1. Adrian Thomas, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, will give an introduction to the new LSE Communications Division and key priorities for developing our communications.

2. Chris Yates, Director, Advancement, will share his initial sense of the norms and practices required at LSE to advance the School through alumni relations and fundraising.

3. Louisa Green and James Deeley, LSE Mediators, will share their reflections on how mediation works in the School and when/how it can help you. (Shaun Harris will present with Louisa Green at Thursday’s meeting.)

Each presentation will be followed by a 15 minute Q&A.

To round up this busy year in a Festive manner, we will serve mince pies and hot beverages from 10.15am on Wednesday and 2.15pm on Thursday.

The 2015 Lent term meeting will take place in the Shaw Library, Old Building on Wednesday 4 March at 10.30am and Thursday 5 March at 2.30pm.

All staff and governors will shortly be asked to complete our annual Declarations of Interest Survey. You will be asked to confirm that you have read and abide by School’s Ethics Code and to give details of any interests you may have that should be declared.

This is an extremely important annual exercise. To get a complete picture of the many interests in play at LSE we need everyone to complete the survey. You will receive an email with more details about the survey and how to complete it.

Applications are invited from teaching staff for teaching and learning related projects that would benefit from funding of between £500 and £2,000.

Particularly welcome this year are projects built around the two key themes of broadening assessment and the new academic year structure.

There will be three calls for applications this academic year, with the Michaelmas term call closing on Friday 12 December.

The LSE Kuwait Programme on Development, Governance and Globalisation in the Gulf States invites applications from LSE colleagues to conduct systematic and practical enquiry into fundamental questions in the social sciences of relevance to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

In particular, the Kuwait Programme welcomes applications to conduct research on the following research themes with reference to Kuwait and the GCC:

1. Health care and social welfare provision, and health system innovation more generally
2. Urban form, geography and sustainability
3. Massive capital flows, sovereign wealth funds
4. Water and resource management for the longer term

The Research Division are planning a series of workshops for the Lent and Summer terms discussing various topics related to managing a funded research project.

They would like your feedback to help them develop interesting and useful workshops for LSE academics and professional staff, like you.

By completing a short survey, your input will help the Research Division to improve their services. There are only 10 multiple-choice questions and the survey takes no more than 10 minutes to complete. Complete the survey here.

Wednesday 26 November in the Fourth Floor Restaurant

Good for you, good for the planet but still very filling and tasty. Our ‘Feel Good Food’ world cuisine menu will offer reduced meat and increased vegetarian alternatives.

As well as raising awareness and promoting the sustainable aspects of the food we serve, we aim to demonstrate that limiting meat in our diet and using healthier ingredients, seasonal vegetables, fish from sustainable stocks and higher animal welfare produce can benefit your health, the environment and animal welfare.

LSE Photo Prize is back and following the Literary Festival theme Foundations.

Submit your best photos and you might win a trip for two to the View from the Shard.

Current staff and students can enter up to three photos - submissions open Monday 1 December. A selection of submitted photos will be displayed around the LSE campus during the Literary Festival in February 2015.

You can enjoy a traditional Christmas lunch at your favourite LSE Catering outlet on the following dates:

• Fourth Floor Restaurant - Tuesday 2 December
• LSE Garrick - Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 December
• Staff Dining Room (members only, bookings essential) - Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 December

Special Christmas Receptions

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 2015 and side two for 2016. At the end of 2015, you simply turn it over to display 2016.

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 (2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17)

Please click here to view it.

Taken some impressive snaps while out and about in London? Send them in to Perspectives and they could be featured in the December edition of LSE Perspectives.

Each month 12 photos taken by the LSE community are chosen to appear in LSE Arts online gallery. Submit your photos by Monday 24 November.

If you need to learn how to do something on your computer, often the quickest way is to search the internet for solutions, ensuring you include the version of the software you are using. So how do you find out which version of MS Office you have? The way you check depends upon the version you have.

If you have tabs at the top of your screen, including a File tab that is a different colour from the rest, then you are using Office 2007, 2010 or 2013. Click the File tab > Help. The panel on the right side of the screen will tell you the exact version and more.

If, instead, you see a row of words (known as the Menu bar) starting with File, you are using Office 2003 or an earlier version. To find the exact version, open the Help menu and select the ‘About…’ option. A dialog box opens, displaying details of the version you are using.

LSE staff members are welcome to join Lee Carter’s Hatha Yoga class from 1-2pm every Thursday in the Badminton Court, basement of the Old Building.

All levels welcome and mats are provided, just wear stretchy, comfortable clothes for practice. With a combination of movement, relaxation, stretching, twisting and breathing, yoga is the perfect antidote to sitting at a desk all day.

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 2 December and Tuesday 9 December. Just turn up on any of these dates with your own skipping rope. All lessons are free.

This week's picture features Professor Saw Swee Hock at the official opening of the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre on Friday 24 October.

For more images like this, visit the Photography Unit.

New analysis from LSE and the University of Essex shows that the poorest groups lost the biggest share of their incomes on average, and those in the bottom half of incomes lost overall, following benefit and direct tax changes since the 2010 election.

The analysis also shows:

• The outcome for those in the bottom half of incomes is in contrast to those in the top half of incomes, who gained from direct tax cuts, with the exception of most of the top five per cent - although within this five percent group those at the very top gained, because of the cut in the top rate of income tax.
• In total, the changes have not contributed to cutting the deficit. Rather, the savings from reducing benefits and tax credits have been spent on raising the tax-free income tax allowance.
• The analysis challenges the idea that those with incomes in the top tenth have lost as great a share of their incomes as those with the lowest incomes.

The number of traders in some areas of Sierra Leone affected by Ebola has fallen by almost 70 per cent, warns a new bulletin on the economic impact of Ebola from the International Growth Centre (IGC), based at LSE.

According to the November edition of the IGC’s Economic Impact of Ebola bulletin, based on research by the IGC and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), there are 69 per cent fewer domestic rice traders in Kailahun and Kenema - the first districts to be cordoned - than when these areas were surveyed in 2012. The decline of traders in more recently cordoned areas is 29 per cent. These reductions suggest that economic activity is declining, which has the potential to reduce the income of farmers and the country as a whole.

Prices of food remain broadly stable across the country, but there a few areas where prices are much higher than in previous years.

A new book by Professor John Hills (pictured) challenges the 'strivers versus skivers' myths that underpin current political debate around welfare benefits.

Extensive research presented in Good Times, Bad Times: the welfare myth of them and us contests the common perception that what most of the welfare state does is fund hand-outs to a minority of unemployed, feckless 'spongers' who are content to live long-term on benefits.

In reality, research shows that people's lives are constantly changing as their income fluctuates from birth to old age. Most of us benefit from the welfare state at different points in our lives, getting back roughly what we paid in.

NEW EVENT - Foreign Policy in a time of turmoil

On: Tuesday 25 November from 3-4pm in the Shaw Library, 6th floor, Old Building
Speaker: Børge Brende (pictured), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway.

We live in a world of unprecedented progress and unexpected crises. We have to adapt to a changing security landscape, while at the same time maintaining the pillars of peace and prosperity: democracy, cooperation and respect for international law. Following agreed rules of behaviour brings benefits to all nations - a win-win situation. But we must take into account that not all leaders have taken this on board yet.

This event is free and open to all with no ticket or pre-registration required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. More
 

Other upcoming LSE events include....

Museum Madness
Date: Monday 24 November at 6.30pm in the New Theatre, East Building
Speaker: Fiammetta Rocco (pictured)

More Women Can Run: why women remain underrepresented in politics
On: Monday 24 November at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Susan J Carroll

In Conversation with the Lord Chief Justice
On: Tuesday 25 November at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd (pictured)

Power Politics and the Humanitarian Impulse: the United Nations in the post-Cold War era
On: Wednesday 26 November at 6.30pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House
Speaker: Professor Mats Berdal

The Languages of Migration
On: Wednesday 26 November at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Professor Michael Rosen (pictured)
 

The Uprising of the Marginalised: a socio-economic perspective into the collapse of the Ba'ath Rule in Syria

On: Monday 24 November from 6.30-8pm in the Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Dr Shamel Azmeh (pictured), LSE

Contrary to some 'Arab Spring' countries, the Syrian uprising has been an uprising of the marginalised with a strong role of poorer segments in society, especially in rural areas and in areas with a high concentration of rural-to-urban migrants.

In this lecture, Shamel Azmeh aims at contributing to a better understanding of this through examining the socio-economic formula that underlined the rule of the Ba’ath party in Syria for four decades, as well as how a combination of internal and external shifts that started in the 1990s and intensified in the 2000s led to the erosion of this compromise, providing the background of the events that began in 2011.

This event is free and open to all on a first come, first served basis. Our events are very well attended, please make sure to arrive early. We cannot guarantee entry. More
 

On: Tuesday 25 November from 2.15-3.45pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Bradley Franks, Department of Social Psychology

Are there cultural differences in how we think? Are there differences between how we see ourselves and how others see us - and is this influenced by culture?

This session will examine the ways in which we make attributions - explanations of causality - for our own and others’ behaviour. This is at the heart of how we apportion responsibility for action, how we praise and blame other people, groups and ourselves. It also drives how we form impressions of other people.

Banal, Benign or Pernicious? The Relationship Between Religion and National Identity from the Perspective of Religious Minorities in Greece

On: Tuesday 25 November from 6-7.30pm in room COW 1.11, Cowdray House
Speaker: Effie Fokas, Research Fellow, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), Athens, and Research Associate, Hellenic Observatory, LSE

This event examines repercussions of the religion-national identity link for religious minorities in particular, and in doing so assesses ways in which this link can form a significant barrier to religious freedom for individuals who fall outside its scope. The discussion draws on results from the Greek case study conducted as part of a broader empirical research project on pluralism and religious freedom in majority Orthodox contexts (PLUREL).

This event is free and open to all with no ticket or pre-registration required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. More
 

On: Tuesday 25 November from 6.30-8pm in the Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building
Speakers: Professor Damian Chalmers, Professor in the Department of Law at LSE, Professor Simon Hix, Professor in the Department of Law at LSE, and Professor Catherine de Vries, Professor at the University of Oxford.

Marking the launch of Democratic Politics in a European Union Under Stress (OUP), the panel discusses some of the biggest challenges facing Europe: what legitimacy for the EU after the crisis? How will national politics respond? What future for European democracy?

On: Tuesday 25 November from 6.30-8.30pm in the Thai Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Dr Mzukisi Qobo (pictured), teacher of international political economy at the University of Pretoria and deputy director at the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation.

Widely considered to be Africa’s oldest liberation movement, the African National Congress (ANC) played a historic role in ending apartheid in South Africa and has been the country’s ruling political party since 1994. More recently, however, the ANC's legacy has been tarnished by allegations of corruption and inefficiency.

Dr Mzukisi Qobo will discuss his view that political governance in South Africa has collapsed, and explore the possibilities of the country’s political future.

Barcelona, from Textiles to Technology: the development of a great city III

On: Wednesday 26 November at 5pm in Cañada Blanch Seminar Room, Cowdray House

The Catalan Observatory invites you to their upcoming conference. This is the third of a series of events on the history of Barcelona from the nineteenth century to the present day.

The main speakers will include:

• Dr Olivia Muñoz-Rojas, University of Westminster
• Dr Michael Richards, University of the West of England

There will also be a screening of the documentary The Long Journey towards Anger (El largo viaje hacia la ira, dir. Lorenzo Soler. Spain, 1969, 26 minutes), in Spanish with English subtitles.

On: Wednesday 26 November from 6.30-8pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Dr Ingrid Volkmer, Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the University of Melbourne.
Discussant: Professor Mary Kaldor (pictured), Professor of Global Governance and Programme Director, Civil Society and Human Security Research Unit, LSE.

Professor Volkmer’s new book The Global Public Sphere (Polity, 2014) completely rethinks the 'public sphere' concept for an age of global media.

Pressed for Time: the acceleration of life in digital capitalism

On: Thursday 27 November from 6.30-8pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Judy Wajcman (pictured), Anthony Giddens Professor of Sociology at LSE.
Respondent: Genevieve Bell, Vice President of User Experience Research at Intel Labs.

The technologically tethered, iPhone-addicted figure is an image we can easily conjure. Most of us complain that there aren't enough hours in the day and too many emails in our thumb-accessible inboxes. This widespread perception that life is faster than it used to be is now ingrained in our culture, and smartphones and the Internet are continually being blamed.

But isn't the sole purpose of the smartphone to give us such quick access to people and information that we'll be free to do other things? Isn't technology supposed to make our lives easier?

In her new book Pressed for Time (University of Chicago Press) Judy Wajcman explores why it is that we both blame technology for speeding up everyday life and yet turn to digital devices for the solution.

This event is free and open to all with no ticket or pre-registration required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. More
 

On: Thursday 27 November from 6.30-8pm in room 9.05, Tower 2
Speaker: Dr Andrew N. Buchanan (pictured), Senior Lecturer in Global, U.S., and Military History at the University of Vermont.

In this presentation, Andrew Buchanan will offer a thorough reinterpretation of US engagement with the Mediterranean during World War II. He argues that, far from being a reluctant participant in a 'peripheral' theater, the United States pursued a sustained grand-strategic interest in the region. By the end of the war the Mediterranean was an American lake, and the United States had substantial political and economic interests extending from North Africa, via Italy and the Balkans, to the Middle East.

On: Friday 28 November from 6-8pm at Café 54, New Academic Building

LSE Chill has a new venue - Café 54 in the NAB.

Running since 2011, the monthly performance night will feature performances including the Anthropology band, The Funktionalists, student Hari Chitnavis and friends.

If you are interested in performing at any of next year’s events please email arts@lse.ac.uk with your name and details of your act.

Uncertainty as Competitive Advantage

On: Monday 1 December from 7.15-8.45pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House
Speaker: Mark Phillips (pictured), CEO and thought leader

This highly interactive discussion focuses on the one element in business that remains constant: human decision making. It is unpredictable, complex and wickedly creative. It is the source of all uncertainty. Yet it is the source of competitive advantage. Join us for a ground-breaking discussion on harnessing the power of uncertainty to gain and maintain competitive advantage.

This event is free and open to all with no ticket or pre-registration required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. More
 

On: Tuesday 2 December from 6.30-8pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Matthew Connelly (pictured), Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS for 2014-2015.

Wikileaks and Edward Snowden have brought significant attention to state secrecy in the US. But how did the US national security state emerge? And what shaped the government’s approach to official secrecy?

On: Monday 8 December from 12-1.30pm in room 9.04, Tower 2 followed by a sandwich lunch and book signing.
Speaker: Brian Pinto, Chief Economist, Emerging Markets, at GLG.
Discussants: Willem Buiter (Chief Economist, Citi) and Jonathan Leape (Executive Director, IGC)

On: Thursday 11 December from 6.30-8pm in the Hong Kong Theatre Clement House
Speaker: Yiannis Boutaris (pictured), Mayor of Thessaloniki

Amidst the economic crisis in Greece, something unusual emerged in Thessaloniki, the idiosyncratic 'co-Capital' of the country. Under the mayorship of Yiannis Boutaris, the first non-political figure to be elected as Mayor in the city’s modern history, the city started to re-invent itself, beginning from its very own mode of governance.

In this lecture, Yiannis Boutaris will talk about the challenges of administrative modernisation and the necessary institutional changes Greece needs to accomplish at the level of local administration so as to accommodate the principle of subsidiarity.

Podcasts of public lectures and events

The Need to Censor Our Dreams
Speaker: Slavoj Zizek
Recorded: Tuesday 11 November, approx. 93 minutes

Good Times Bad Times: the welfare myth of them and us
Speaker: Professor Sir John Hills
Recorded: Wednesday 12 November, approx. 96 minutes

War and Moral Stupidity
Speaker: Professor Kimberly Hutchings
Recorded: Wednesday 12 November, approx. 86 minutes

Courses scheduled for next week include:

• Talking about mental health with students
• Outlook 2010: clearing your inbox
• NetworkEd: Technology in Education: What does open data have to do with education? - Marieke Guy

Personal Effectiveness

Fair Treatment and Respect for Staff
Friday 19 December from 10am-5pm

Fair Treatment and Respect for Managers
Friday 12 December from 10am-5pm

Equality and Diversity

Equality and Diversity Awareness
Monday 24 November from 10am-4.30pm

On: Wednesday 26 October at 5pm
Speaker: Marieke Guy (pictured)

Data is very much the flavour of the month, from discussions around data mining and monetisation of data, to privacy issues and monitoring.

But what exactly is open data and how does it relate to education? What type of data sets are we talking about and how are they being used? How can open data be used to meet educational needs? Is it just about accountability and transparency, or is there more to it? What about learning analytics? What are the implications of tracking our students? Where does the true potential lie?

It clear that open education data sets are of interest to a wide variety of people including educators, learners, institutions, government, parents and the wider public. Marieke Guy will give an overview of the situation as it now stands and prompt us to consider what the implications are for those of us working in Education.

Induction for new professional services staff

The HR Division runs a one day induction 'Flying Start' to give new members of professional services staff the opportunity to learn about the LSE, network with other new starters, tour the School campus and find out more about training and development opportunities as well as School services.

There are still a few places left on the next Flying Start Induction which is on Thursday 27 November from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

If you would like to book a place, or to find out more, email Heena Ahmed on h.ahmed7@lse.ac.uk.
 

Workshop - Developing a Knowledge Exchange strategy: how to build your 'pathways to impact'
Thursday 27 November from 12-2.30pm
Impact is an increasingly important criteria for funders. This session covers the key aspects you need to consider when designing your impact plan: strategies, tools and resources available that will maximise the outreach of your research. It will be delivered by the Knowledge Exchange and Impact Manager from Research Division.

Funding Clinic: UK Research Councils
Thursday 27 November from 2-4pm
Regular funding clinics occur throughout the term where a small number of participants can discuss specific aspects of their research application. Sessions are facilitated by the Research Division's Research Development Managers. This specific event is intended to discuss potential project applications developed for standard route schemes to the UK Research Councils, such as ESRC, AHRC and EPSRC that are open all year round. Those who will have attended the Research Funding Information Session on "Research Project Grants - Open calls" (held on 20 October) are encouraged to attend to this specific meeting if they have any proposal ideas to discuss; however the clinics are open to all academic and research staff.

Information Session: Research impact case studies - a panel discussion with LSE faculty members
Wednesday 3 December from 10.30am-12pm
With just two weeks to go until the announcement of REF2014 results, this session will bring together LSE faculty who submitted impact case studies to the REF to share their experiences of creating and documenting research impact. Confirmed panellists are:

• Sonia Livingstone: Protecting and empowering children in digital environments
• Simon Hix: VoteWatch - Making European Union politics more open, democratic and accountable
• Quwei Yao: Helping Barclays meet the new Basel III regulation rules
• Adelina Comas-Herrera: Improving the provision of mental health services in the UK

Workshop: Fundamentals of Grant Writing
Friday 5 December from 9.30am-5pm
This hands-on workshop focuses on how to start developing a research idea into funding applications, engage with collaborators and identify potential funders. Participants will be expected to attend all day and provide a work-in-progress proposal in advance to share and discuss as part of the exercise.
Aimed at academics and researchers who are relatively new to writing research proposals and those who wish to refresh their grant writing skills. It will be delivered by an external facilitator, Professor John Wakeford from Missenden Centre.
Workshop open to academic staff only. Places are limited and will be confirmed closer to the date.

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

• Assistant Professor, Accounting
• Assistant Professor in Behavioural Science (two posts), Social Policy
• Assistant Professor in Finance, Finance
• Assistant Professor in Health Policy, Social Policy
• Assistant Professor in Law, Law
• Assistant Professor in Law, Law
• Assistant Professor in Social Psychology/Community Psychology, Social Psychology
• Assistant Professor in Social Psychology/Economic Psychology, Social Psychology
• Course Tutor, Sociology and City Design, Sociology
• Governance, Compliance and Implementation Manager - LSE Registration in IGC Countries, GLPD: Governance, Legal and Planning Division
• LSE Fellow in Population Health, Social Policy
• Library Assistant Cataloguing and Metadata, Library: Collections Services
• MSc Programmes, Events and Communications Manager, Gender Institute
• Professor in International Law, Law
• Professor/Associate Professor in Economics, Economics
• Programme Administrator, Executive Global MSc Management (Maternity Cover), Management
• Research Officer, Systemic Risk Centre
• Research Officer (Environment and Development Economics), Grantham Research Institute
• Research Officer (Environmental and Resource Economics), Grantham Research Institute
• Research Officer, Statistics