This week’s Gearty Grilling

Charlie Bean, Professor of Economics and former Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy at the Bank of England, discusses how the Bank dealt with the economic crisis.

Staff Wellbeing Day

Interested in trying something new and learning more about a healthy lifestyle? Take part in the Staff Wellbeing Day on Tuesday 26 May - a day of wellbeing and physical activity.

Catherine O’Riordan

Catherine has been rowing for over half her life: "I started rowing at school when I was 10 thanks to a combination of a very enthusiastic teacher and the recent discovery of the Wind in the Willows."

 Research

 LSE in pictures

 Events

 Training and jobs

The celebrated economist Thomas Piketty (pictured) has been appointed as Centennial Professor at LSE’s new International Inequalities Institute (III). He will collaborate on research and teach postgraduate students on a part-time basis.

Professor Piketty has a long standing link to LSE, having been a PhD student here, and having recently taken part in the III’s first conference - Inequality in the 21st Century - which included him debating with Tony Atkinson, Wendy Carlin, John Hills, David Soskice, and other leading social scientists.

Professor Piketty’s ground-breaking book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, has been of global significance in shaping debates about inequality across the globe.

The School is sad to announce the death of Professor Derek Diamond (pictured), Emeritus Professor of Geography with Special Reference to Urban and Regional Planning, who passed away on Wednesday 6 May.

Professor Diamond had a long history with the School. During his time at LSE he was Convenor of the Department of Geography on two occasions, Interim Director of the LSE Gender Institute, Academic Governor, Chairman of the Research Committee, Vice-Chairman of Academic Board, Director of Enterprise LSE, Chairman of the Foundation Committee, and Chairman of LSE’s Greater London Group.

He was also awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the School in July 2006 and was closely involved with ODAR (and its successor LSE Advancement) working on projects with the fundraising team and acting as ambassador to staff members on the Legacy Scheme.

LSE’s online coverage of the General Election 2015 - including blog posts from the LSE General Election blog, infographics from the Democratic Dashboard project, and photos from the night of the IPA Election Night Party - made 1.5 million impressions across the School’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Impressions are defined as the number of times a social media update like a tweet or Facebook post is displayed to followers.

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.

This week Charlie Bean (pictured), Professor of Economics and former Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy at the Bank of England, discusses the economic crisis. More
 

Is a peace agreement within sight in Colombia?

For over 50 years Colombia has been affected by political violence. Since October 2012 the Colombian government and the main rebel armed group, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia have been engaged in negotiations in Habana, Cuba, towards a peace agreement with the aim of reaching a final agreement by the end of the year.

In order to better understand the prospects and challenges of the peace process Dr Francisco Panizza, Associate Professor in the Department of Government and Head of the Latin America International Research Programme at LSE IDEAS, organised a one day conference on Tuesday 12 May on "The Colombian Transition: peacemaking and peacebuilding in context".

The event, hosted by LSE IDEAS, brought together UK-based and Colombian scholars in panels that addressed the main questions of the negotiations: transitional justice, illicit drugs in a post-conflict scenario, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration and rural development.

The highlight of the event was a public lecture by Sergio Jaramillo (pictured above), the Colombian Government High Commissioner for Peace and the Colombian Government chief negotiator in Habana. The event was chaired by Professor Michael Cox, Director of LSE IDEAS.
 

On Wednesday 6 May, LSE London’s HEIF-funded knowledge exchange project - Housing in London: Addressing the Supply Crisis - was featured in the Guardian.

The article, which discusses how councils are increasingly looking to alternative housing models to accelerate residential development in their areas, draws on lessons from a recent site visit to three alternative housing sites in Forest Hill as well as a local authority roundtable organised by LSE London.

Nine months into the project, Housing in London has brought together a wide range of stakeholders, housing advocates, local government officials, and researchers through a variety of events arranged around our four project themes (planning and housing; private renting; alternative housing; and the role of foreign money). We have organised a series of thematic workshops and site visits alongside larger events like a project launch and mid-project debate.

Blog posts about these events and multimedia outputs, including podcasts and short films, are available on our project website. We also recently launched an interactive map, a great way to explore the project's findings.

On Thursday 30 April, the breakfast discussion ‘Greece and the Eurozone - Is Reform Possible?’ was held at the Forum of the Hertie School of Governance, organised by LSE Enterprise Germany in cooperation with the Jacques Delors Institut - Berlin.

LSE’s Professor Kevin Featherstone and Hertie School’s Professor Henrik Enderlein discussed outlooks and potential scenarios of Greek reform with moderator Mark Schieritz, LSE alumnus and finance and political economy correspondent for Die Zeit.

Did you know? A chance meeting with George Bernard Shaw changed the life of aviator William Robson. He came to study at LSE, then later as a professor founded the Greater London Group, which had a direct impact on 1960s London government. Read more at the LSE history blog.

Centre Buildings Redevelopment - five weeks to go

Meet the Contractor - Tuesday 2 and Thursday 4 June
LSE's Estates Division invites staff to an information session with Capital Development and Cantillon, the Centre Buildings demolition contractor.

The session will comprise a presentation about the site logistics followed by a Q&A and will include information on dust, noise, traffic, vibration control, communication, and works sequencing.

The meetings will be held between 1-2pm on Tuesday 2 and Thursday 4 June in the Centre Buildings Exhibition Space, which is located the Old Three Tuns on Houghton Street. If you are able to join us, email Phoebe at p.j.dunster@lse.ac.uk to confirm which date you will be attending.

Please also note that the Centre Buildings Exhibition Space will be closed from Wednesday 10 June, ahead of demolition commencing on 15 June. Please make time to visit - the Space is open on Wednesdays between 2-5pm.

Please be advised that, as part of the Centre Buildings Redevelopment decant, the Security Key Office (The Lodge) has been relocated.

Road closures in and around LSE - Monday 25 May

On Monday 25 May, the Bupa London 10,000 running event will be taking place in the City of Westminster and City of London, and will involve closing roads in and around the LSE campus.

From 8am to 2pm, the following roads will close: Whitehall, The Strand, Aldwych, Chancery Lane, Holborn, Holborn Viaduct, Newgate Street, King Edward Street, Angel Street, St Martin’s Le Grand, Cheapside, King Street, Gresham Street, Lothbury, Threadneedle Street, Queen Victoria Street, Cannon Street, New Change, New Fetter Lane.

For more information, visit the Bupa London 10,000 website.
 

Interested in trying something new and learning more about a healthy lifestyle? Take part in Staff Wellbeing Day on Tuesday 26 May for a day of wellbeing and physical activity.

The day will include:

• Interactive 60 minute sessions with experts from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), focusing on physical activity, healthy eating and wellbeing practices. To book a place, email staffwellbeing@lse.ac.uk
• Free 45 minute fitness taster sessions run by staff volunteers, in the Exercise Studio, sixth floor of the SAW Building: Tai Chi - 11.15am; Yoga for Beginners - 12pm; Belly Dancing - 12.45pm; Salsa - 1.30pm; Zumba - 2.15pm, Skipping - 3pm, and Women Only Training Session - 3.45pm.
  There is no need to book, simply turn up suitably dressed for the relevant activity at the time specified (a t-shirt, leggings/shorts/tracksuit bottoms and trainers will suit most activities)
• LSESU Gym Tours - 30 minute showaround and brief Q&A session, taking place at the LSE Student's Union Gym, fourth floor of SAW Building at 11.30am and 4.30pm. There is no need to book, simply turn up (there will be a maximum of six people per session).

LSE 'Summer Schools' in Beijing and Cape Town

LSE will again be collaborating with its institutional partners, Peking University (PKU) and the University of Cape Town (UCT), to deliver innovative two-week 'summer school' style programmes in China and South Africa in July and August.

These will provide students and professionals from across the globe with an exciting opportunity to study social science issues relevant to China or Africa today, across subject areas as diverse as international relations, economics, finance, management, government, geography, law, media and social policy.

The courses are taught by faculty from LSE and PKU or UCT, and attract a diverse range of participants from over 40 countries. To apply to join us this summer or to find out more about these prestigious and thought-provoking, intensive programmes, please visit LSE-PKU Summer School or LSE-UCT July School.
 

LSE Catering will be holding a pop-up cocktail bar with live jazz on the eighth floor of the New Academic Building on Friday 22 May.

The event was incredibly popular last year, with professionally made cocktails, excellent live jazz music combined with amazing views over London.

When importing data into Excel from other programs and applications, dates sometimes seem to become irreversibly formatted as text. (It appears right-aligned in the column, and cannot be used in formulas.) If the standard method of changing the format doesn’t work, these steps will.

1. Select the column.
2. On the Data tab in the ribbon, click the Text to Columns icon. The first of a three page wizard appears.
3. On the Step 1 page, click Next.
4. On the Step 2 page, click Next. (Or try selecting the various delimiters one at a time, examining the Data Preview box to choose the most appropriate one.)
5. On the Step 3 page, change the Column data format to Date and select your preferred date format from the drop down list.
6. Click Finish.

Ladies, anyone for netball?

If so, LSESU Active LifeStylE want to hear from you. They are considering setting up a staff netball team for next year and arranging friendly games against other institutions.

Email su.activelifestyle@lse.ac.uk to express your interest.
 

The LSE Treatment Clinic, found on the first floor of Tower Two, offers professional treatments (acupuncture, osteopathy and sports massage) at reduced rates for LSE students and staff.

Their combined expertise is effective in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain, RSI, tension headaches, posture advice, sports injuries, anxiety, insomnia, migraine, among many other ailments.

Light and spacious one bedroom fully furnished flat now available. Double-glazing and gas central heating throughout, with wooden floors and a large picture window in the living room overlooking the lovely communal garden. Belsize Village, England's Lane and the proximity to Primrose Hill (eight minute walk) and Hampstead Village (20 minute walk) make the area fantastic.

Nepal earthquake appeal

DARG (the Direct Action Relief Group) was founded by two LSE graduates, anthropologist Dr Michael Hoffmann and filmmaker Tommaso Dolcetta, in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake on 25 April 2015.

Both Michael and Tommaso have lived in Nepal over many years and have extensive knowledge of the country. The group organises cultural events in Europe to raise funds for those affected by the Earthquake in Nepal. It has been focusing its actions so far on providing urgently needed tents, medicine, and food for the villagers in Bhorle village in Rasuwa district.

This Tuesday (12 May), Nepal witnessed a second heavy earthquake, and DARG is urgently asking for support. To make a donation, visit the DARG webpage or donate to Michael Hoffmann, IBAN DE03 7102 2182 0003 73 49 27 BIC HYVEDEMM453, Bank Name: Hypovereinsbank Halle, Leipzigerstrasse 22-23, 06108 Halle, Germany.

This week's picture features a photo taken by Professor Sylvia Chant in the Fourth Floor Restaurant on Feel Good Food Day. Sylvia said: "As a committed vegetarian, I was blown away by the gorgeous display of vegetables".

For more images like this, visit the Photography Unit.

People are just as likely to return a ‘lost’ wallet to an owner who has a different political affiliation to their own suggests new research from LSE.

Paul Dolan, Professor of Behavioural Science, orchestrated a drop of 300 wallets in busy shopping areas in Brighton on Sunday 3 May. The wallets were identical except for a sticker from one of the five main political parties on the front. Fifty wallets were dropped without stickers for the purpose of comparison.

Each wallet also contained £5, a baby photo, some fake papers and a contact number for its owner, ‘Charlie Smith’.

Research Briefing

Stay on top of the School's latest research funding, research ethics and policy, knowledge exchange and impact related news - subscribe to the Research Briefing, designed for LSE academics and professional services.

In May's edition, read the interview with Dr Mauricio Avendano-Pabon (pictured) from LSE Health and Social Care.

To subscribe, email researchdivision@lse.ac.uk.

Forthcoming LSE events include....

Work Rules! Insights from Inside Google that Will Transform How you Live and Lead
On: Monday 18 May at 4pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Laszlo Bock (pictured)

In Defence of a Liberal Education
On: Monday 18 May at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Fareed Zakaria

Decolonising Gender
On: Monday 18 May at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Raewyn Connell (pictured)
(LIVE WEBCAST)

The Great Divide
On: Tuesday 19 May at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Joseph E Stiglitz
(LIVE WEBCAST)

The Government Paternalist: nanny state or helpful friend?
On: Wednesday 20 May at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Julian Le Grand

The Happiness of Cities
On: Wednesday 20 May at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Professor Ed Glaeser
(LIVE WEBCAST)

Don't miss out - upcoming ticket releases

When to Rob a Bank: a rogue economist's guide to the world
On: Wednesday 27 May
Speaker: Stephen J Dubner (pictured)
Ticket release date: Tuesday 19 May

A lecture by Sergio Mattarella, President of the Republic of Italy
On: Thursday 28 May
Speaker: Sergio Mattarella
Ticket release date: Wednesday 20 May

A Lecture by Kevin Rudd
On: Monday 1 June
Ticket release date: Thursday 21 May
 

On now until Friday 12 June in the Atrium Gallery, Old Building. Visitors are welcome Monday-Friday between 10am and 8pm (excluding bank holidays, when the school is closed).

In association with LSE Arts, the LSESU Visual Arts Society annual exhibition showcases artwork produced by students from LSE. The display features artwork produced by members of the society created over this academic year's weekly life drawing sessions, as well as artwork from non-members which range from paintings to calligraphy and photography.

This exhibition provides artistic students at LSE the opportunity to display their abilities to the wider LSE community. It hopes to promote the society to the rest of the student body and encourage them to explore their creativity.

On: Monday 18 May from 2-3.30pm in room 9.04, Tower Two
Speaker: Frank Lavin, Former US Under-Secretary of Commerce and Chairman of ExportNow, Inc.

Arguably, the most important political issue of the 21st century is China, both in terms of what role will it play internationally and in terms of how the government defines its relations with its own citizens. How the West works to shape this process is equally central to the outcome, and given the considerable economic weight of China along with growing military capability, the stakes are considerable.

On: Tuesday 19 May from 6.30-8pm in the New Theatre, East Building
Speakers: Professor Simon Hix, Head of the Department of Government and Professor of European and Comparative Politics at LSE, Professor Sara Hobolt (pictured), Sutherland Chair in European Institutions at the European Institute at LSE, and Simon Tilford, deputy director of the Centre for European Reform in London.

The constellation of parties and EU positions in Britain’s increasingly fragmented political landscape make it hard to discern the prospects and potential strategies of Britain in the run-up to a national referendum on Britain’s continued EU membership.

A panel of LSE and outside experts will try to make sense of a potentially confused picture.

Why, after several waves of feminism and women now making up a majority of the students in higher education, are we seeing a stagnation and even drop off in women taking up STEM subjects as students and in professional careers?

LTI will be hosting a panel discussion on Wednesday 20 May at 3pm in room R01, which will be debating ‘The Role of Education in Encouraging Women to Work in Technology’.

This lively debate will feature female academics from across the UK and will be chaired by Dr Ellen Helsper from LSE's Department of Media and Communications. More information about the speakers can be found on the LTI blog, along with a Q&A with Dr Helsper.

LSE Works

The tenth and final LSE Works lecture for 2015 takes place on Wednesday 20 May and is hosted by the LSE Research Festival and Institute of Public Affairs.

The lecture will be given by Purna Sen (pictured), Deputy Director of the IPA on ‘Above the Parapet - Women in Public Life’. The event will be chaired by Professor Julia Black, Pro Director for Research at LSE.

A list of all the LSE Works lectures can be viewed here, including podcasts, videos and speaker power point presentations.

LSE Works is a series of public lectures that showcases some of the latest research by LSE's academic departments and research centres. In each session, LSE academics present key research findings, demonstrating where appropriate the implications of their studies for public policy.
 

On: Friday 22 May from 6.30-8pm in the Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Douglas Kysar, Joseph M Field ’55 Professor of Law at Yale Law School and Shimizu Fellow in LSE's Department of Law.

Frustrated with the pace of ongoing climate change policy negotiations, commentators and activists have increasingly called for resort to the courts to establish baseline principles of responsibility for harms caused or exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change.

In both the domestic and international cases, advocates seek to position climate change as a problem best addressed through principles of law and justice, rather than merely politics and power. This lecture will provide an overview of these efforts and an assessment of whether, and how far, they might succeed.

On: Thursday 4 June from 3-6pm in room 32L.G.03 followed by a reception in the SCR.
Speakers: Justice Giuliano Amato, Constitutional Court of Italy and former Prime Minister of Italy, and Professor Christian Joerges, Hertie School of Government.

Is the European Union a just political and legal order? Does the EU undermine the pursuit of justice by its Member States? Have scholars and policy-makers paid sufficient attention to questions of justice in the EU context?

This debate marks the launch of Europe's Justice Deficit? (Hart Publishing, Oxford, 2015), co-edited by Dimitry Kochenov, Gráinne de Búrca and Andrew Williams. The three editors and numerous contributing authors to the volume will join the conversation following the debate.

The Seventh Biennial PhD Symposium on Contemporary Greece and Cyprus Plenary Sessions

On: Thursday 4 and Friday 5 June in the Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building

LSE's Hellenic Observatory are proud to host three lectures at the seventh Biennial Hellenic Observatory PhD Symposium on Contemporary Greece and Cyprus.

The purpose of these lectures is to allow the exchange of ideas between young researchers and scholars on issues related to Greece and Cyprus.

Podcasts of public lectures and events

China, the United States and Asia in the Twenty-first Century
Speaker: Professor Arne Westad
Recorded: Tuesday 5 May, approx. 94 minutes

Divided Cities: urban inequalities in the 21st century
Speaker: Professor Fran Tonkiss
Recorded: Wednesday 6 May, approx. 88 minutes

Making a Difference in Education: what the evidence says
Speakers: Professor Robert Cassen, Professor Sandra McNally, and Professor Anna Vignoles
Recorded: Wednesday 6 May, approx. 90 minutes

For all staff:

• Balancing Work and Being Mum
• Balancing Work and Being Dad
• Managing Under Pressure
• Managing Stress in Yourself and Others
• Fair Treatment and Respect for Staff

For managers:

• Fair Treatment and Respect for Managers
• Strategic Thinking

Funding for seminars/networks/international workshops
Wednesday 20 May from 12.30-2pm

Excel Training for Centre Managers
Thursday 21 May from 121.30pm
This workshop is aimed at Departmental/Centre Managers and other professional services staff who manage externally funded research grants. Find out what examples of spreadsheets are used by Centre Managers to manage their budgets, expenditure, and HR commitments. Come to learn tips, tricks and how other professional services staff use Excel to meet their needs and share your experiences.

Funding Clinic
Wednesday 27 May from 2-4pm
A number of funding clinics will run throughout the term, on a regular basis, with no more than five academics around a table discussing particulars of, e.g. a specific funding scheme, specific application systems, specific research questions and themes.

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

• Academic Support Librarian, Library: Academic Services
• Course Convenor, Sociology
• Institute Manager, International Inequalities Institute
• Fellow in Environment, Geography and Environment
• Fellow in Management (Decision Science), Management
• Fellow in Management (Human Resource Management, Employment Relations, or Organisational Behaviour), Management
• Fellow in Management (Information Systems), Management
• Fellow in Management (Operations Research), Management
• Fellow in Management (Public Management and Governance), Management
• Fellow in Media and Communications, Media and Communications
• Fellow in Migration and European Politics, Government
• Fellow in Sociology, Sociology
• Residence Summer Assistants, Residential and Catering Services
• Senior Administrator, Information Management and Technology
• Teaching Delivery Coordinator, Government