|
|
28 April 2010 |
|
 News
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
• Election Night webcast
This year, LSE is webcasting its Election Night event on Thursday 6 May,
so students keen to get expert political analysis as the night unfolds can watch LSE academics discuss exit polls and early results at
www2.lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/videoAndAudio
/publicEventsVideos/LSELive.aspx
Panellists include LSE Director Howard Davies, Tony Travers, Professor
Patrick Dunleavy, Professor Michael Cox, Professor Simon Hix and Dr Sara
Hagemann. The webcast starts at 9.15pm and will go through to 1am.
|
|
|
|
|
|
• LSE PhD student wins best paper award
Aaron Martin, a PhD student in the Information Systems and Innovation group,
recently received a best paper award for his co-authored paper,
Understanding resistance to digital surveillance: towards a
multi-disciplinary, multi-actor framework.
The award, which is granted by the
Surveillance Studies Network,
is for papers that demonstrate exceptional promise in surveillance studies.
Aaron's paper is accessible on the
surveillance and society website.
|
|
| |
|
|
• On
the campaign trail: help us build our election collections
LSE Archives is currently collecting election addresses and publicity
materials produced by prospective parliamentary candidates in the run-up to
May’s general election. The Library is now in the process of contacting
candidates directly to ask for examples of their campaign literature, but
also relies on LSE staff and students to help, by donating election addresses
and other campaign material that they receive.
You can bring material to the Archives reading room on the lower ground
floor of the Library (room R01), send it through LSE’s internal mail
or via standard mail using the freepost address:
Freepost RSHB-UHHY-RTSG
Archives and Rare Books
LSE Library
10 Portugal Street
London WC2A 2HD
The Library has been collecting general election ephemera in this way
since 1945. We now hold over 15,000 items covering the whole of the UK which
includes material from minority parties and independents as well as the
three main parties.
|
|
| |
|
|
• LSE
Election Experts blog
LSE's Public Policy Group, together with the Government Department, have
launched an LSE Election Experts blog to highlight the range of expertise
within the LSE community on all aspects of the election.
The blog covers the state of the race, political parties, as well as
policy issues such as the economy, public services, relations with the US
and Europe.
All students can contribute, either by responding to what's
already on there in the comments section or by emailing an article to Chris
Gilson at c.h.gilson@lse.ac.uk
Articles should be between 200 and 500 words and can focus on any aspect
of the UK general election. The blog team are particularly interested in
learning about local constituency campaigns or seeing discussion on
particular policies and how the parties are matching up on them. All
comments and opinions are welcome.
The blog can also be followed on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/LSEelectionblog
|
|
| |
|
|
• Expertise
and enthusiasm light up LSE’s Asia Forum 2010
On Friday 26 March, more than 500 delegates packed LSE's Asia Forum in
Beijing to hear expert analysis of the big financial, political and
geographic issues dominating the region's affairs.
The Chinese foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, opened the forum. HRH the Duke
of York, who was visiting Beijing in his role as the UK's special
representative for trade and investment, was also amongst the speakers.
For Yang Jiechi, a former LSE student, there was a special thank you.
The foreign minister was made an Honorary Fellow of the School - the first
time a fellowship has been bestowed outside the UK.
The forum panels were made up of LSE academics and key industry leaders,
with sessions covering the financial markets, China's emerging diplomatic
power, climate change and economic growth and the future of health.
Joining LSE’s Howard Davies, Professor Lord Stern, Professor Arne Westad
and Professor Julian Le Grand were speakers including Stephen Roach,
chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia; Liu Mingkang, chairman of the China Banking
Regulatory Commission; Henk Bekedam from the World Health Organisation; and
Madam Hu Xioalian, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China.
The day prior to the forum saw events from LSE Careers, LSE Recruitment
and a number of alumni events. LSE also hosted its first ever overseas
graduation ceremony which saw over 50 students graduate with their friends
and family present.
Transcripts, slides, photos, podcasts and videos are available at
www.lse.ac.uk/asiaforum.
|
|
|
|
|
|
• Welcome back from the Accommodation Office
Those of you who live in our northern cluster residences at Carr-Saunders, Passfield and Rosebery will be aware we’ve been busy selling your rooms to
tourists over the Easter vacation, this year achieving our best ever
results.
We know that this can sometimes be a pain for residents, but the revenue
generated from our vacation guests helps us to provide safe, secure and
affordable student housing. We believe we are now the only institution able
to offer 31-week contracts in central London and the contribution our
vacation activity makes to keeping rents affordable is considerable. For
those students who do not need to be here during the vacation, it results in
annual rents being 22 per cent less than if we were operating on a 40-week
contract.
We wish to thank our northern cluster students for their co-operation
during this time and to congratulate our dedicated staff for their hard work
towards this significant achievement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
• Raleigh graduate bursary award
Raleigh, a youth and education charity, has 300 bursaries to award to
2009 graduates or those about to graduate in 2010 to undertake a ten
week overseas expedition.
The Raleigh graduate bursary award scheme for volunteering overseas is a
new initiative. It is part-funded by the Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills in partnership with Raleigh, and aimed at recent graduates who
are looking to gain new experiences.
The graduate bursary award provides £2000 towards the cost of a Raleigh
expedition to Borneo, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, or India. Over 300 bursary
places are available from Autumn 2010 until Summer 2011. Graduates will gain
the opportunity to contribute to community and environmental work in remote
communities with a challenging adventure phase, and will be required to
fundraise £1000 towards the expedition and pay for flights, vaccinations and
kit.
For more information about this award, visit
www.raleighinternational.org/our-expeditions/aged-17-24/graduate-bursary-award |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 Notices
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
• Candidates’ question time
Candidates for the Holborn and St Pancras constituency will participate
in a Candidates’ Question Time replacing the first UGM of the summer term.
George Lee - Conservative
Natalie Bennett - Green
Frank Dobson MP - Labour
Jo Shaw - Liberal Democrat
Students are encouraged to attend and ask questions. The event will take
place on Thursday 29 April at 2.30-3.30pm in the Old Theatre.
|
|
|
|
|
|
• LSE Mobile is here
LSE Mobile is the new service for students which lets you access LSE
information such as campus maps, PC availability, news and events, your
course timetable and more from your mobile device.
-
Alerts - receive alerts and announcements
-
View your course timetable (limited to courses which are displayed in
LSE for You)
-
Friend locator - see where friends are on the campus and contact them to
meet up
-
Campus maps and locations using GPS - find your way around LSE
buildings, locate printers and check PC availability in computer rooms
-
View and subscribe to news and events
-
Search the university directory - call or email contacts and add them
directly to the phone's address book
-
IT@LSE pocket guide to IT services at LSE
LSE Mobile is available in the iTunes App Store for the iPhone and iPod
Touch, OS 3.0 and higher. For more information, visit
www.lse.ac.uk/itservices/lsemobile
|
|
|
|
|
|
• Part-time vacancies for student staff in IT Services
IT Services are recruiting students to work part-time in the laptop
surgery, IT training programme and on the IT help desk.
- The laptop surgery has vacancies for summer 2010 and for the 2010-11
academic year.
- The IT help desk and IT training programme have vacancies for the
2010-11 academic year for continuing students.
Full details and job descriptions are available on the
ITSNews@LSE blog or via the
LSE jobshop. The closing date
for applications is Friday 7 May.
|
|
|
|
|
|
• Drop in exam groups
The Student Counselling Service will be running drop in exam groups from
Tuesday 4 May at 2-3.30pm in G507. These workshops will be repeated
every Tuesday afternoon throughout May and are available for any student
on a drop in basis.
The group will help students challenge negative thinking patterns,
explore their attitudes to exams and improve self care during the
revision and exam period. There is no need to book, just turn up on
time. For more information, click
here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
• Stress management group
The Student Counselling Service is running a stress management group,
starting on Thursday 6 May at 2-4pm for three weeks. This group will
look at the stress and offer a wide range of new coping strategies,
particularly useful for exam term.
Please email
student.counselling@lse.ac.uk or call 020 7852 3627 to book a place.
For more information, click
here.
|
|
| |
|
|
• Peacock Theatre offer for Psy - The 7 Fingers
The Peacock Theatre is offering £10 tickets to LSE staff and students
for the first performances of Psy, the new show by The 7 Fingers.
Following the smash hit Traces in 2009, The 7 Fingers (Les 7 Doigts de la
Main) return to the Peacock Theatre with an astonishing new circus show. The
offer is available for performances from 28 April - 1 May, excluding Saturday
1 May evening.
To book, call 0844 412 4322 and quote 'LSE offer' or visit
www.sadlerswells.com and enter
promo code 'pcdlse' when prompted.
|
|
|
|
|
|
• Ever wanted to try belly dancing?
Well now is your chance. Lunchtime belly dancing classes will start on
Wednesday 12 May, running every Wednesday for four weeks for all LSE
students and staff.
Classes will take place at 12noon in the Old Gym, Old Building and cost
£20 for four classes or £8 per class if you just drop in. No experience
is required and the classes are suitable for any fitness level.
For more information, email
imeldabellydance@googlemail.com or just turn up on the day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
• Battlefront is back
Battlefront is an award winning multi-platform web and TV project
from Channel 4.
Battlefront is a friendly army of campaigners. They’ve got causes instead
of cannons and big ideas instead of bombs.
Last year their campaigners made a massive difference. 20 Battlefronters
fought gun and knife crime, got into some extreme random acts of kindness
and talked three and a half thousand people into signing the organ donor
register - that’s serious campaigning. They met the PM, teamed up with
celebrities, sat on the GMTV couch and made it into all the national papers.
They are now looking for people to make this year’s Battlefront bigger,
better and even more successful than before. If you know of anyone who might
have a smart idea for a campaign, tons of passion, serious commitment and
who wants to get a voice heard, they would love to hear from him/her.
To get involved, please visit
http://battlefront.co.uk/get-involved/
|
|
|
|
|
|
• Volunteers for discussion group @ Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is inviting LSE students to participate in a group discussion
as part of a scenario planning project.
The objective is to canvass students on their views about key global
challenges for the future in the sphere of politics, government policy and
society. The timescale is over the next five, ten and 30 years.
The format would be an evening (about two hours) session at the Rio Tinto
offices in Paddington on Thursday 13 May, refreshments will be provided.
Interested students should email
jasmine.leonard@riotinto.com
providing details of your degree and country where you undertook
secondary school studies. For more information, visit
www.riotinto.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
• Students for development forum
This summer, SMDI is sending students around the world to intern with
158 leading social entrepreneurs of the Schwab Foundation for Social
Entrepreneurship.
The internships, taking place between June and October, will be partly
supported by the social entrepreneurs, but the chosen SMDI fellows are to
expect to cover travel expenses and accommodation on their own. Interested
students are asked to keep this in mind before applying.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 What's
on
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
• Screening of the Prime Ministerial Debate
On: Thursday 29 April at 8.30-10pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre,
New Academic Building
This screening will follow the LSE Cities public debate
The Future of Cities in Britain: a pre-election debate organised by LSE
Cities in collaboration with LSE London.
The final prime ministerial debate takes place exactly one week before
polling day, and focuses on the issue of the economy, jobs, debt and the
recession. Tony Travers, director of LSE London and Greater London Group,
LSE will provide instant reaction and expert analysis at the end of the
debate.
This event is free and open to all with no ticket required.
More
|
|
|
|
|
|
• Other upcoming events include....
A lecture by Catherine Ashton, high representative of the European Union
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
On: Tuesday 11 May at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New
Academic Building
Speaker: Baroness Catherine Ashton (pictured).
One ticket per person can be requested from 1pm on Tuesday 4 May.
LSE Director's Dialogue
On: Thursday 13 May at 5-6pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New
Academic Building
Speakers: LSE Director Howard Davies and Paul Volcker, chair
of president Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
One ticket per person can be requested from 10am on Tuesday 4 May.
Islam, Secularisms and Law across Europe
On: Tuesday 4 May at 6.30-8pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House
Speaker: Professor John Bowen, the Leverhulme visiting professor of
anthropology at LSE.
Victims or Survivors? The Emerging Economies and the Economic Crisis
On: Wednesday 5 May at 6.30-8pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement
House
Speaker: Thomas Mirow, president of the European Bank for
Reconstruction Development.
Do No Harm: international support for state building in fragile situations
On: Thursday 6 May at 6.30-8pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speakers: Jon Lømoy, director of the Development Co-operation
Directorate at OECD, Dr Funmi Olonisakin, senior research fellow in
the Conflict, Security and Development group at Kings College, and
Professor James Putzel, director of the Crisis States Research Centre,
LSE.
|
|
| |
|
|
• The
Risk University: organisational risk management in English higher
education
On: Tuesday 4 May, 1-2.30pm,
CARR seminar room G305
Speaker: Professor Michael Huber,
professor for higher education studies at the University of Bielefeld
Risk has become a critical feature of good governance in English policy
making, also in higher education. While the introduction of risk management
into academia has attracted manageable attention, the introduction of risk
management at the university level has been greatly overlooked.
This presentation will discuss early results of an exploratory study on
the implementation of risk management at English universities.
More
|
|
|
|
|
|
• UN Forum: a major civil society event on the United Nations
Saturday 12 June, Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London, NW1
2BJ
This free one-day event, hosted by the United Nations Association of the
UK, will feature speeches by:
- Dr Hans Blix, former director-general of the International
Atomic Energy Agency
- H.E. Helen Clark, head of the UN Development Programme and
former prime minister of New Zealand
- H.E. Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights and former president of Ireland
There will also be a workshop on careers at the UN, led by the deputy
director of the UN Regional Information Centre, film screenings of
'Countdown to Zero' and ‘End of the Line,' a discussion on practical ways to
make the UN more effective chaired by BBC presenter Zeinab Badawi, a panel
debate on humanitarian action, sessions on gender, education and much much
more.
The event is free but you must register in advance. For more information,
visit www.una.org.uk/UNForum2010 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 60
Second Interview
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
• with..... Kieran Quirke
I’m a mental health nurse and
have been working at LSE for two
years. Unlike most people here, I’m
not actually employed by LSE - I
work for the NHS and divide my time
between the Disabilities and
Wellbeing Office at LSE and the
Early Intervention in Psychosis
teams for Westminster, Kensington
and Chelsea.
My background is predominantly in
the field of substance misuse, and
as a result student drug and alcohol
use was something I had an immediate
interest in. However, LSE is a very
competitive and professional
university and the typical signs of
‘student excess’ aren’t really
visible on campus. Because of this
my NHS colleagues and I decided it
would be interesting to survey the
LSE student population to try and
get a snapshot of general levels of
alcohol and drugs use and in
particular to see if any students
are choosing to use study drugs, and
for what reasons. The results of the
survey will help us to ensure there
is enough support available to
students who might need it, and to
raise the profile of the resources
which already exist within the school.
What are 'study drugs'?
‘Study drugs’ refers to a group
of medications called cognitive
enhancers
which are typically prescribed
solely for conditions such as
attention deficit disorder and
sleep disorders like narcolepsy and
sleep apnoea. The kinds of drugs
we’re talking about are better known
by their trade names - common
examples are ritalin, strattera and
provigil.
Why do people use these drugs?
Generally people use study drugs
in order to give them an extra edge
in their cognitive abilities, in
much the same way that some people
use caffeine to help them stay
awake, or some athletes use
performance enhancing steroids in
sports. They might use them
occasionally to help with a
particular piece of work, or more
often because they feel they enhance
their day-to-day mental functioning.
What are the risks?
Because the drugs in question are
central nervous system stimulants,
the risks are similar to those
presented by other stimulant drugs
like cocaine or amphetamines - they
could cause heart problems or
affect blood pressure.
There have been reports of side
effects including psychosis, mania
and delusions which, although rare,
are a concern. And some of these
drugs have the propensity for
dependence and recreational abuse.
However, because they are
only licensed for use for very
specific conditions there is little
longitudinal research into the
effects of taking these drugs unprescribed.
Are study drugs an issue for
LSE?
It’s difficult to say - hopefully
we will have a clearer picture if we
receive enough responses to the
survey. I have heard some anecdotal
evidence of students using these
drugs, but I think this is an issue
not just for all universities in the
UK, but for all educational
establishments right down to primary
schools.
What do you hope to achieve
with your survey?
The media is full of horror
stories about young people and their
use of alcohol and drugs, often with
little basis in reality and a very
fixed moral agenda. We’re hoping to
get a clearer picture of what role
alcohol and drugs play in the lives
of the LSE student population -
including over the counter
medications and study drugs. We
hope this information will help us
review what resources already exist
within the school and ensure that
any unmet needs are addressed.
When will the survey open and
how can students take part?
The survey will arrive in the
inbox of every student at LSE on
Friday morning - all they need to do
is click the link and complete it,
which takes about three minutes. We
hope everyone will participate, even
students who don’t use drugs or
alcohol of any kind. The survey is
completely anonymous so people can
be as honest as they want.
We are also offering those
students who take part the chance
to win a £100 Amazon voucher. Simply
leave your email address at the end
and one entry will be selected at
random to win the prize. These
emails are kept entirely
confidential and will be removed
before the results are analysed.
Where can students find help
within the School if they have
concerns about study drugs?
An immediate point of help,
support and information is the
Disabilities and Wellbeing Office.
Students can drop in to room A41 or
email our office manager, Sue Haines
at
s.haines@lse.ac.uk who can
arrange an appointment for them to
see either myself or my colleague
Jane Sedgwick who is also a mental
health nurse. Other sources of
support are the TLC Counselling
Service, the Chaplaincy and the
Students' Union’s welfare officer
and advice centre. |
|
|
| |
|
|
