Celebration of Sustainability 2015

Last week's Celebration of Sustainability saw over 50 awards handed to staff and students for their involvement in environmental projects this year.

Fire assembly points

In preparation for the forthcoming demolition works to Centre Buildings, the School’s fire assembly point locations have been altered with immediate effect.

Professor Danny Quah

Professor Quah, Director of the Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre, discusses his vision for the Centre and what's in store for the future.

 LSE in pictures

 Events

 Training and jobs

LSE’s annual Celebration of Sustainability saw over 50 awards handed to staff and students last week, for their involvement in environmental projects this year.

Eighty-five people attended the event, which was hosted by Bob Ward from the Grantham Research Institute. Staff and students involved in the Green Impact environmental competition were awarded upcycled clocks for their hard work over the year, which were made by Khalil Berzangi from Estates.

Three teams jointly won the prestigious Platinum Award, showing how high the standard is across campus - congratulations to the Department of Management, Roseberry Hall of Residence and Northumberland House.

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 Bridget Hutter (pictured), Professor of Risk Regulation, discusses why extensive regulation is not always a good thing. More
 

Did you know? George V laid the foundation stone of the Old Building on 28 May 1920. Have you spotted it? Read more in A Royal Visit at the LSE History blog.

Fire assembly points

In preparation for the forthcoming demolition works to Centre Buildings, the School’s fire assembly point locations have been altered with immediate effect.

Please see the following plan and ensure that you are aware of the updated locations.
 

LSE Estates Division invites staff and students to an information session on Tuesday 2 and Thursday 4 June 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 in the Centre Buildings Exhibition Space which is located the old Three Tuns on Houghton Street. If you are able to join us, email estates.admin@lse.ac.uk to confirm which date you will be attending.

Centre Buildings Redevelopment newsletter - With less than three weeks until Houghton Street closes, please do take time to read the latest newsletter to familiarise yourself with the impact this will have on you.

For the latest information on Centre Buildings, visit lse.ac.uk/centrebuildings. The website is continually being updated.

LSE Research Festival is a series of public events, free and open to all, which celebrates public engagement with social science research.

Tonight, LSE researchers take to the soapbox to debate their research. Come along and discuss the ‘big questions’ relating to their work and have your say in a dynamic exchange of opinions. Questions include ‘Should we colonise space?’ and ‘When did you last feel shame?’

Refreshments are provided, so why not drop in to the Weston Café on the sixth floor of the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre after work between 7-9pm and get debating!

The Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE) have announced further funding for knowledge exchange activity. A total amount of funding available in this round is £700,000, with applications due 17 August 2015 for projects starting any time from 1 October 2015. Projects must be completed by 30 June 2016.

A briefing session will be held on Wednesday 17 June from 10am-12pm in NAB LG.03. Come along and hear from colleagues in the Institute of Public Affairs, Communications, and those in Research Division working on Knowledge Exchange, and Impact. This will also be an opportunity to hear first-hand from current award holders. Applications and guidance forms will be made available for this session.

Since 2001, HEFCE has supported the development of a broad range of knowledge-based interactions between universities and colleges and the wider world, which result in economic and social benefit to the UK. HEFCE’s Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) is now in its fifth cycle.

HEIF5 runs from 2011 to 2016 and of the £9 million the School has received in this round, close to £5 million has been invested into the Bid Fund, a competitive source of internal funding available to support knowledge exchange activities and outputs based on School research. The total amount of funding available in this round is £700,000. Applications are due 17 August 2015 with project start dates anytime from 1 October 2015. Projects must be completed by 30 June 2016.

This year's Senior Common Room (SCR) Strawberry Tea will be held on Wednesday 17 June at 4-6pm in the SCR.

The Strawberry Tea is an opportunity for SCR members to invite their LSE friends and colleagues, past and present, to join them and relax at the traditional occasion for saying farewell to members of the SCR who are leaving the School to begin their retirement.

Computer Tip of the Week - Password Protecting Office 2010 and 2013 Files

Microsoft Office files in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint can be protected so that only users with the correct password can view them. A password also can be used to create ‘read only’ access. When relevant, you can assign both types of password to the same file.

1. To establish a "read-only" password for a file, on the File tab open the Save As dialog box. (In Office 2013, you must then select the folder where the file will be stored to open this dialog box).
2. In the bottom right corner, open the Tools menu and select General Options. The General Options dialog box opens.
3. In the Password to modify box, enter the password you wish to use to restrict editing rights. Leave the Password to open box empty unless you want to restrict the people who can view the file, too. (These options can be used separately or together).
4. People who don’t have the ‘password to modify’ can open the file as Read only. Any changes they make can be saved only with a different name.

You are invited to lunchtime Praise and Worship sessions with LSE Rejoice every Friday at 12-1pm in the LSE Faith Centre, second floor of Saw Swee Hock Student Centre.

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 9 June, Tuesday 16 June, Tuesday 30 June and Tuesday 7 July. Just turn up on any of these dates with your own skipping rope. All lessons are free.

100 miles for Mind

Debra Ogden (pictured), Deputy Department Manager in the Department of Social Policy and Warden at LSE Bankside House, is cycling the Pru RideLondon Surrey 100 on behalf of Mind, a charity that supports people who are experiencing mental health problems. The 100 mile (yes, 100 miles!) ride takes in central London and the rolling Surrey hills, following the 2012 Olympic cycling road race route.

Every year, one in four people will experience a mental health difficulty. Mind plays a vital role in supporting people who face mental illness and not only supports individuals and families but also campaigns to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding of mental health and wellbeing.

Mind are a fantastic organisation and Debra is proud to be riding the Surrey 100 to raise money for them. If you would like to sponsor Debra and support the work of Mind, you can visit her Virgin Money Giving page.

For sale: American Cockapoo teddy bear chocolate puppies

Six stunning puppies are looking for their forever homes. They have curly non-shredding coats, have been vet checked, wormed, and had their first vaccination.

Their mum is a sweet natured American Cockapoo and dad is a Kennel Club registered, gorgeous Miniature Poodle.

Price is £650. Deposits taken, ready for rehoming from Sunday 7 June. For more information, email a.tinnams@lse.ac.uk.
 

Staff can now get a special discount for Alexander Technique lessons taking place at the Bloomsbury Centre, just a five minute walk from LSE.

If you spend a lot of time sitting or standing, reading or using a computer then how you use yourself in these and many other daily activities can have a profound effect on how well you function.

Lessons can relieve back pain, RSI, help improve posture, lessen depression and anxiety and make you sound better. Improvements in these areas lead to a better general appearance and enhance your confidence generally.

Lessons cost £40 per individual for LSE staff/students (normal lesson fee £45) or you can take part in a four week Tuesday evening course taking place in April or May, costing £70 for LSE staff/ students (normal price £80).

The 1989 Generation Initiative needs your help

The 1989 Generation Initiative, a team of postgraduate students in LSE’s European Institute, is organising a conference on the Redefinition of the European Mission on Friday 26 June at LSE, as part of a large scale crowdsourcing and policymaking exercise aimed at engaging the European youth in reforming the EU.

Their end goal is to produce a publication that contains eight policy proposals for reforming the EU across specific fields that will then be distributed to media outlets, European institutions, universities, and national governments. For more information, visit www.1989generationinitiative.org.

The team have recently launched a crowdfunding campaign that would allow them to contribute towards the travel costs of the delegates and to cover the conference materials, as well as the publishing costs of their final publication. If you would like to support them, visit igg.me/at/1989generationinitiative. Please email team@1989generationinitiative.org with any questions.

This week's picture features the Library’s new Exhibition Space, a state of the art facility which will showcase the best and most interesting items in the collections. It includes a striking video wall where images can be projected and two bespoke display cases.

For more images like this, visit the Photography Unit.

Forthcoming LSE events include....

Irrational Exuberance: as relevant as ever
On: Monday 1 June at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Professor Robert J Shiller (pictured)
LIVE WEBCAST

On Free Speech
On: Tuesday 2 June at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speakers: Professor Lisa Appignanesi, Professor Rae Langton, Dr Stephen Law, and Professor Peter McDonald

Do it Like a Woman: contemporary feminist activism and how you can change the world
On: Wednesday 3 June at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Caroline Criado-Perez (pictured)

Don't miss out - upcoming ticket releases

No Ordinary Disruption: the four global forces breaking all the trends
On: Monday 8 June
Speakers: Richard Dobbs (pictured) and Jonathan Woetzel
Ticket release date: Monday 1 June

The final LSE Chill of the year is on Friday 29 May and will feature staff and student musicians, such as David Lewis (pictured), Head of Social Policy; Misha Chapman; and Kim Kierkegaardashian and the Kantye Wests.

With a limited number of free drinks and snacks, join LSE Arts for a fun and free night of live music, from 6-8pm in Café 54, New Academic Building.

The End Game: how structure and culture shape our final years

On: Wednesday 3 June from 6.30-8pm in the Thai Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Dr Corey Abramson (pictured), Assistant Professor in the School of Sociology, University of Arizona

Growing old presents physical problems for everyone. However, when these problems occur and how people confront them are mediated by inequalities that reflect persistent socioeconomic, racial, and gender divides.

The End Game (Harvard University Press, 2015) shows how inequality structures social life in old age - and what examining old age can tell us about the mechanisms of inequality more generally.

Dr Abramson uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to explain how social inequality is reproduced over time. In this lecture he will talk about the findings of his new book, The End Game: how inequality shapes our final years.

The event is free and open to all. Copies of The End Game will be on sale at a discounted price at the event. More
 

Podcasts of public lectures and events

The Great Divide
Speaker: Professor Joseph E Stiglitz
Recorded: Tuesday 19 May, approx. 90 minutes

Above the Parapet - Women in Public Life
Speaker: Dr Purna Sen
Recorded: Wednesday 20 May, approx. 75 minutes

The Government Paternalist: nanny state or helpful friend?
Speaker: Professor Julian Le Grand
Recorded: Wednesday 20 May, approx. 80 minutes

LSE Power events

LSE Power has two great events coming up in June:

Professional Networking Skills - Sue Tonks
On: Friday 5 June. Part 1: 12.30-2pm and Part 2: 2-4pm

• Networking event (Part 1) including lunch
  This consists of a ‘working the room’ practical session on arrival, as the delegates come in and have lunch. This will be a standing session of about 20 minutes as the delegates are doing what is natural, standing and chatting. This is a fun and highly informative session on how groups work, group formations, joining groups, leaving groups, joining and leaving the single person, offloading the boring person! We will then go into to more formal part of the session, which consists of: what is networking, building relationships, creating immediate rapport, asking ice breaker and small talk questions. Also answering the question "What do you Do?"
• Networking event (Part 2) N.B. those attending the second session must have been to Part 1
  The longer session will consist of the networking structure, asking business related questions, developing the current supplier and user questions, spotting the opportunity (ah ha moment), creating the link to contact them, avoiding the gollum moment, and preparing the follow up call.

Looking for funding opportunities - online tools
Tuesday 2 June from 11.30am-12.30pm
Research Professional is an online access to news and funding opportunities. You will learn how to set up a profile and use Research Professional to search for suitable funding opportunities. This hands-on session will be delivered in a computer lab and is facilitated by a Research Development Manager from the Research Division and Research Professional representative.

Looking for funding opportunities - online tool
Tuesday 2 June from 2.30-3.30pm
See description above - an afternoon session for those you can’t make the morning.

Impact case studies - a panel discussion with LSE authors and REF panel members
Wednesday 3 June from 12.30-2pm
LSE faculty who submitted impact case studies to the REF will share their experiences of creating and documenting research impact. As well as supporting understanding of how impact can be generated, the discussion will provide attendees with an insight into both the rewards and the challenges of effectively presenting that impact for REF (or other) assessment. Four panellists confirmed include:

• Giles Atkinson - Professor of Environmental Policy, Department of Geography and Environment
• Nick Barr - Professor of Public Economics, European Institute
• Chris Brown - Professor of International Relations, Department of International Relations
• Edgar Whitley - Associate Professor of Information Systems, Department of Management

Research Funding Road Mapping
Thursday 11 June from 2-4pm
This workshop will facilitate an experimental approach to designing a strategic roadmap for funding plans at an individual level. Aimed at academics, participants will be given a number of tools to define their own funding plans.

Below are some of the vacancies currently being advertised:

• Research Officer (Community Programme), Centre for Economic Performance
• Academic Developer, Teaching and Learning Centre
• Accommodation Assistant, Residential and Catering Services Division
• Accounts Assistant (Residences), Residential and Catering Services Division
• Administrative Assistant to the Director, Directorate
• Coordinating Language Teacher (Mandarin Chinese), Language Centre
• Course Convenor, Sociology
• Faith Centre Coordinator, Teaching and Learning Centre
• HR Administrators, Human Resources
• Hub Coordinator, International Growth Centre
• Policy Communications Manager, International Growth Centre
• IT Support Officer, Information Management and Technology
• Fellow in Media and Communications, Media and Communications
• Fellow in Sociology, Sociology
• MSc Course and Finance Administrator, International Development
• Research Officer, Media and Communications