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18 May 2011 |
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 News
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• LSE ranked top university in London in Guardian
University Guide
LSE has been ranked as the top university in London and the UK’s fourth
best university in the 2012 Guardian University Guide, a rise of
four places compared to its position in the 2011 guide.
The result is particularly notable as the Guardian rankings do
not take into account research quality, an area where LSE performs very
strongly.
Professor Judith Rees, Director of LSE, said: 'We are very pleased with
being rated as the top university in London, especially as the Guardian
rankings tend to be focused on teaching and the student experience. As this
guide and others have shown, the School invests significant resources to
improve our facilities and the overall student experience, while our
graduates continue to have outstanding job prospects and starting salaries.'
The Guardian University Guide 2012 league table is available to
view at
www.guardian.co.uk/education/universityguide.
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• LSE Stelios scholar shines at International Student Awards
Vyacheslav ‘Slava’ Polonski (pictured), a BSc Management student and LSE
Stelios scholar, was named runner-up in the nationwide 2011 British
Council's
Shine! International Student Awards, competing against over 1,200
students from 118 countries.
The awards are a major initiative from the British Council that shines
the spotlight on international students and their contributions to life in
the UK. A judging panel met last month to discuss the merits of short-listed
entries and Vyacheslav’s entry was judged to be one of London’s best.
Vyacheslav said: ‘It’s a great honour for me to receive this recognition
from the British Council. The dynamic and thrilling city of London has given
me new intercultural experiences, while LSE has broadened my horizon and
inspired me to think outside the box. I thank my parents, my friends, LSE
and the British Council for enabling me to walk down the right path and
pursue my dreams.’
At the end of his first year at LSE, Vyacheslav achieved first class
honours. Alongside his academic studies, Vyacheslav has founded and
organised Europe’s largest student conference on management consulting and
strategy - the LSESU Strategy and Management Consulting Conference. He
actively participates in several societies and has volunteered as student
ambassador. He was elected as course and department representative and has
worked as international student officer in his halls of residence. Next
academic year, he is going to initiate the ‘Davos follow-up @ LSE’
conference in collaboration with the World Economic Forum.
More
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• LSE begins search for a new Director
The School has begun the search for a new Director by convening the
Directorship Selection Committee. It comprises nine members including
staff, members of the Court of Governors and the Students’ Union General
Secretary.
LSE has appointed executive search agency Perrett Laver to work with the
Committee.
The Committee will consult with Council, members of the Court and
academic staff before making a recommendation to Council.
There will be further announcements later.
The members of LSE’s Directorship Selection Committee are:
- Peter Sutherland, Chair of the Court of Governors, ex officio
- Anne Lapping, Vice Chair of the Court of Governors, ex officio
- Lord Grabiner of Aldwych, independent Governor, nominated by the
Court
- Johannes Huth, independent Governor, nominated by the Court
- George Gaskell, Pro Director, nominated by the Academic Board
- Paul Kelly, academic Governor, nominated by the Academic Board
- Chrisanthi Avgerou, member of the Academic Board, nominated by the
Academic Board
- Leonardo Felli, member of the Academic Board, nominated by the
Academic Board
- General secretary of the LSE Students’ Union
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• LSE
researcher is first to identify a 'happiness gene'
People tend to be happier if they possess a more efficient version of a gene
which regulates the transport of serotonin in the brain, a new study
by LSE PhD student Jan-Emmanuel De Neve
(pictured) has
shown.
The findings, published in the Journal of Human Genetics, are the
first to show a direct link between a specific genetic condition and a
person’s happiness, as measured by their satisfaction with life.
The research
examined genetic data from more than 2,500 participants in the National
Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (a representative population sample
in the US). In particular, it looked at which functional variant of the
5-HTT gene they possess.
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve said: 'It has long been suspected that this gene
plays a role in mental health but this is the first study to show that it is
instrumental in shaping our individual happiness levels.
'The results of our study suggest a strong link between happiness and
this functional variation in the 5-HTT gene. Of course, our well-being isn’t
determined by this one gene - other genes and especially experience
throughout the course of life will continue to explain the majority of
variation in individual happiness. But this finding helps to explain why we
each have a unique baseline level of happiness and why some people tend to
be naturally happier than others, and that’s in no small part due to our
individual genetic make-up.' The research has been featured on BBC
radio and in all major UK newspapers, including the
Guardian.
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• Managers should be assessed on work-life balance
Managers' performance appraisals should include their effectiveness in
helping employees achieve a good work-life balance, according to new
research from LSE.
The study, by Alexandra Beauregard of LSE's Department of Management,
found that even if options such as flexible working hours and help with
childcare are available to employees, this does little to reduce stress
unless there is positive endorsement from managers.
Dr Beauregard, whose research is about to be published in the latest
edition of the British Journal of Management, explains: 'I found a strong
link between work-home interference and stress even after accounting for the
use of options such as flexible hours, home working and the provision of
childcare. This stress results in increased absenteeism and reduced
productivity so it is clearly in management's interest to address this.'
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• LSE student completes training for trek to the South Pole
In December 2011 Garrick Hileman (pictured), a postgraduate student in
the Department of Economic History at LSE, will be part of the team 'Polar
Vision' who will trek from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole to
inspire blind and partially sighted people and raise awareness and funds for
two sight-related charities.
The team recently completed its first major milestone. It braved
arctic weather conditions in Iqaluit,
North Canada, to complete
polar expedition training.
A video from the training expedition can be watched at
http://vimeo.com/23681563 or you can
read the
blog at
http://polar-vision.org/blog/?id=134.
For more information, visit the Polar
Vision website or email Garrick at
g.hileman@lse.ac.uk. |
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 Notices
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• LSE Experts - give your feedback
When you next use the
LSE Experts Directory, please complete the very short survey telling
Web Services how and why you use it and any particular developments
you'd like to see.
Your feedback will
influence future plans.
The team looks forward to hearing from you.
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• How well did you sleep last night?
Sleep is as important to our health as eating, drinking and breathing;
poor sleep can increase the risks of having poor health. A recent report
produced by the Mental Health Foundation found that poor sleep can
significantly increase the risk of depression, anxiety and other mental
health problems.
To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2011, which runs from 23 to 30 May,
LSE's Health and Safety team have arranged for Dr Dan Robotham, senior
researcher with the Mental Health Foundation, to give a lunchtime talk
on the impact of sleep on mental health and how to achieve better
quality sleep.
The talk is open to all staff and students and will take place on
Wednesday 25 May from 12-1pm in the Wolfson Theatre, New Academic
Building. To book your place, visit the
Training and
Development Portal, and email
health.and.safety@lse.ac.uk
for more information.
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• Last chance to sign up for undergraduate research project
Wondering what to do once you've recovered from exams?
You could take part in
LSE GROUPS - Group Research Opportunity Undergraduate Projects - an
exciting opportunity for undergraduates to take part in a two week
student-led research project.
Part of the Maximise Your Potential programme, LSE GROUPS will run from
20 June to 1 July. Students will work in groups of five or six, of mixed
disciplines and years, on an original project on sustainability. The project
will end with a research conference on 1 July.
But hurry - the deadline for signing up is this Friday 20 May.
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• Exams? Eat to power your brain
LSE Catering is here to provide you with essential healthy and nutritious
food. The Fourth Floor Restaurant is open from 9am Monday - Friday for
cooked breakfasts, cereals, fresh fruit salad, yogurts and much more so call
in before your exam and feed your brain for that extra performance.
Lunch is available between 11.30am-2.30pm. With a range of hot and cold
options, including our international dishes, made to order stir fry, pasta,
noodles, salad bar and much more.
Evening meals are available from 4pm and once again offer a great
selection of hot home cooked dishes and salads.
Sandwiches, snacks and drinks are available throughout the day.
Alternatively, the Fourth Floor Café Bar is open daily (Monday - Friday)
between 11am-9pm. Be tempted by one of our delicious made to order
sandwiches or coffees, or simply relax with a glass of wine or refreshing
cool beer.
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• European Forum Alpbach 2011 -
scholarships to attend
'Justice - Responsibility for the Future' is the topic of the
European Forum Alpbach 2011 which will take place from 18 August to 3
September, in the village of Alpbach in the Tyrolean mountains.
The three week event offers an opportunity to enter into discussion with
renowned personalities, with speakers from a wide variety of disciplines
discussing burning issues of our times with the participants.
To enable young people to share in this experience, the European Forum
Alpbach Non-Profit Foundation under Private Law, makes scholarships
available for students and recent graduates. Last year, more than 600
students and recent graduates from 43 countries were able to take part in
the Forum thanks to scholarships.
For more information on scholarship opportunities, visit
http://alpbach.org/index.php?id=1315. |
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 What's
on
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• New LSE events....
A lecture by Traian Băsescu, president of Romania
On: Monday 6 June at 5.15-6.15pm. The venue will be announced to
ticketholders.
Speaker: Traian Băsescu (pictured).
This event is free and open to all, but a ticket is required. One ticket
per person can be requested on Friday 27 May.
Reconsidering the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
On: Tuesday 14 June at 6.30-8pm. The venue will be announced to
ticketholders.
Speaker: Professor Benny Morris, professor of Middle East history at
Ben-Gurion University, Israel.
This event is free and open to all, however a ticket is required. One ticket
per person can be requested on Tuesday 7 June.
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• Other events include....
The Lessons of Northern Ireland for Contemporary Counterterrorism and
Conflict Resolution Policy
On: Monday 23 May at 6.30-8pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building.
Speaker: Professor Richard English, professor of politics and,
from September 2011, director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism
and Political Violence at the University of St Andrews, Martin
Mansergh, an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and historian, Jonathan
Powell, former chief of staff to prime minister Tony Blair from 1997
to 2007 and member of the LSE IDEAS advisory board, and David Trimble,
Conservative Peer and Nobel Peace Laureate.
An Economist Tries to Grapple with Catastrophic Climate Change
On: Tuesday 24 May at 6.30-8pm in the New Theatre, East Building.
Speaker: Professor Martin Weitzman, professor of economics at Harvard
University.
Eradicating Ecocide: laws and governance to prevent the destruction of our
planet
On: Wednesday 25 May at 6.30-8pm in the New Theatre, East Building.
Speaker: Polly Higgins, barrister, author and international
environmental lawyer.
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• The Responsibility to Protect at
Work: responding to mass atrocity crimes in North Africa and the Middle
East
Friday 20 May, 10-11am, STC.S75, St Clement’s Building
Speaker: Professor Gareth Evans AO QC (pictured), Australian
author, academic and former politician, diplomat and international NGO
head
The LSESU UN Society presents this talk with Professor Gareth Evans, in which
he will share his perspective on the situation in the Arab world, especially
events in Syria and Libya, in the context of the implementation of the
Responsibility to Protect principle.
The event will be chaired by Dr Alia Brahimi, research fellow in LSE
Global Governance.
For more information click
here, or email a.j.acharya@lse.ac.uk.
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• Fairer Fashion Footprint
Friday 20 May, 7-9pm, Beyond Retro, 58-59 Great Marlborough
Street, W1F 7JY
Speakers: Lucy Siegle, journalist and broadcaster, and Livia
Firth, co-founder and creative director of Eco-Age.
The LSESU Fashion Society invites you to Fairer Fashion Footprint,
London’s biggest student-run sustainable fashion event.
On the night, Livia Firth and Lucy Siegle will speak about the
intersection of fashion and the environment, and why it matters. Both women
have catapulted fairtrade and upcycled textile use into the limelight.
Together they created the 'Green Carpet Challenge' with Vogue.com to give
designers who use ethical concepts access to the world's biggest fashion
showcases including the 2011 Oscars and the Met Ball.
The event will promote sustainable practices in the fashion and beauty
industry and is a great opportunity for students to understand how they can
build careers to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
To RSVP, email Deeya Burman at
fairerfashionfootprint@gmail.com or visit
Facebook
for more information.
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• Navigating
the New Green Economy: the challenges of climate change and the
opportunities for clean energy
Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 May, LSE campus
This international conference organised by LSE, the American Bar
Association and the UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA), will discuss
the intersection of climate change policy and politics, and the incentives,
economics, and finance for clean energy.
The programme will allow participants to interact with government and
industry leaders, academic scholars, and finance and legal experts from the
European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Learn the latest developments and go beyond how to navigate the
complexities of policy and regulations to a sophisticated exploration of the
enormous opportunities available in a global green economy.
Topics will include:
- Financing a sustainable reduced-carbon future
- Regulations and incentives in emerging green technologies
- Energy efficiency
- Carbon marketplaces
- Renewable energy subsidies and trade
- Technology transfer
- REDD - Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation
The main speaker is former LSE director Professor Lord Anthony Giddens.
This event is open to all but registration is required. Information
about ticket prices and how to register can be found on the conference
website
Navigating the New Green Economy.
More
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• LSE
Chill - Final Session
LSE Arts’ next performing night, which is open to staff, students and alumni
to perform, will be held on Friday 27 May from 5.30pm in the 4th
Floor Café Bar, Old Building.
This will be the final LSE Chill session this academic year so make sure you
come along and enjoy some great performances.
The line up for the evening is as follows:
- 6-6.30pm Konni Deppe and Martin Slade 'Le Swing Electrique'
Konni Deppe (vocal) and Martin Slade (guitar) will be performing an
eclectic range of jazz standards. Konni shares her time between working
for LSE Residential Services and a professional singing and teaching
career in the UK and Germany. Martin has spent many years gigging in
indie, rock, blues and jazz bands when not whizzing across campus to fix
broken network outlets. A lucky chance encounter at the Grosvenor House
reception led to a first rehearsal, then one thing led to another.... Konni
and Martin, guitar and voice, bossa nova to blues.
- 6.45-7.15pm Veronique Mizgalio
Veronique will be performing a selection of standards and classic pop
ballads. She has a classical singing background, having sung with a
number of choirs, most notably the London Philharmonic Choir and the
English Chamber Choir, and has given numerous recitals. In search of a
new challenge she is exploring jazz and less mainstream popular music.
On campus she can be found in the Directorate. She will be accompanied
by Andy Thornes, who is a professional musician and songwriter.
- 7.30-8pm The Funktionalists
Making a return to LSE Chill (by popular demand), the Funktionalists are
comprised of staff and students from the Department of Anthropology.
They play a mixture of cumbia, son and rock. To read a 60 second
interview with two members of the band, click
here.
Not a performer? That doesn't matter. If you enjoy listening to music and
want somewhere to relax or catch up with friends, then think about coming to
the LSE Chill sessions. You can keep up to date with what’s on at
www.lse.ac.uk/arts.
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• The Self in Context: social, cultural and historical perspectives
Institute of Social Psychology 12th graduate conference
Friday 3 June
Speakers: Professor Jonathan Potter, Loughborough University,
Dr Gail Moloney, Southern Cross University, Australia, and Dr
Derek Hook, Birkbeck College.
The aim of this conference is to bring together contemporary research,
theory and practice on the social, cultural and historical dynamics that
contribute to the constitution of the self on a societal level.
European social psychology has been making the case for social
psychology beyond the dichotomy of individual/society. It emphasises the
all-encompassing force of the social environment and with it the study
of social dynamics in their own right as they affect, and are affected
by, the individuals of the particular society. This conference seeks to
explore this trend by encouraging greater communication between the
social sciences, and will provide a forum for scientists from a wide
range of disciplines such as social psychology, sociology, anthropology,
psychoanalysis and cultural studies.
To register, visit the LSE E-Shop.
Registration costs £25. For more information, click
here.
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• Podcasts of public lectures and events
Pakistan: a hard country
Speaker: Professor Anatol Lieven
Recorded: Monday 9 May, approx 85 minutes
Click here to listen
A World Without Superpowers: de-centered globalism
Speaker: Professor Barry Buzan
Recorded: Tuesday 10 May, approx 92 minutes
Click here to listen
Budgeting for Gender Equality: is government economic policy fair to women?
Speakers: Dr Claire Annesley, Beatrix Campbell, Professor
Diane Elson, and Professor Susan Himmelweit
Recorded: Wednesday 11 May, approx 89 minutes
Click here to listen |
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 60
Second Interview
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• with..... Sin Yee Koh, Charmaine Ramos and Regina Martinez-Enjuto
Sin Yee (SYK): I'm a first year
PhD student in human geography at
the Department of Geography and
Environment.
Charmaine Ramos (CR): I'm a PhD
student at the Department of
International Development, in my
final year of writing up my
dissertation.
Regina Martinez-Enjuto (RME): I'm
a first year PhD student at the
Department of International
Development.
LSE Research Day is scheduled
to take place on Thursday 26 May. What will this entail and who do you
expect to participate?
The LSE Research Day is specially
designed to cater to the needs of
the School’s early career
researcher. In many ways, our PhD
students and postdoctoral
researchers are early career
researchers: thinkers and future
leaders who are developing their
insights and skills in understanding
our complex world. The day features
a PhD Poster Exhibition along with
other satellite and social events,
all of which offer a glimpse into
the breadth and depth of many
original and multidisciplinary
research ideas and projects in the
making. We expect anyone interested
in finding out more about research
(perhaps as a career) and research
in the making, to come along.
What satellite events are
planned for this day?
There are three satellite events
planned for the day.
The first, 'Blogging, the Press
and Policy Talk: innovative ways of
communicating research' takes the
form of a roundtable discussion.
Three speakers will share their
experiences of communicating
research through various media and
to different types of audiences.
Jane Tinkler (LSE Public Policy
Group) chairs the discussion, which
will feature as discussants
Professor Conor Gearty (LSE
Department of Law), Sue Windebank
(LSE Press Office) and Tom
Goodfellow (LSE Department of
International Development).
The second, 'Successful
Networking: activate your
communication skills,' is an informal
learning/practical session to be
facilitated by Maddie Smith from LSE
Careers. It is an opportunity for
participants to practice
communication skills, get to know
other researchers and their work,
and leave a lasting impression about
their own work.
The third, 'Cafe Economique',
will be conducted by Dr Tracy
Bussoli, the careers adviser for
PhDs and postdoctoral researchers.
Three presenters will each have 10
minutes and five slides to present
their research in an informal
setting. Their topics range from the
sociology of UK hip-hop, corruption
in Romania, to innovations in the
food processing sector in selected
Latin American countries. There will
be snacks and drinks for everyone.
Do you have any further
information which you would like to
take this opportunity to pass on?
This is an excellent opportunity
to bring LSE researchers together,
and we hope everyone will
participate. Details are available
on PhD Net on Moodle.
We are ending the event with a
party at the Students' Union
Underground (venue to be confirmed).
The Funktionalists, a band comprised
of staff and students from the
Department of Anthropology, will be
playing a mixture of cumbia, son and
rock. (The band will also be
performing at the LSE Chill on
Friday 27 May).
Which has been the most
interesting LSE public lecture you
have attended?
CR: I remember attending a
lecture by world-renowned cognitive
scientist Steven Pinker on language
as ‘the stuff of thought’ and
‘window to human nature’. I love how
LSE brings its students into contact
with thinkers who explore puzzles in
social sciences from different
perspectives and disciplines.
RME: Just last week I attended
Professor Ananya Roy's lecture
'Cities at the Speed of Light'. She
was an inspiring speaker, as well as
thought-provoker.
What would we be most
surprised to learn about you?
SYK: I run an online shop selling
knits and crochets. Although I
haven't had time to do this since
starting my PhD.
CR: I am more than a bit of a
geek and rather like reading science
fiction. I think Ted Chiang’s
stories are fascinating and wish he
wrote more.
RME: Wow, Sin Yee, didn't know
about that, maybe I can join and
sell the monster dolls I make. I am
fascinated by fabrics, and I sew
skirts, bags, shirts, summer
trousers... That, and that I speak
and write Chinese (simplified and
traditional).
What is your favourite part of
London?
SYK: The anonymity I experience
while walking along London's
streets. London feels like a place
where anything is possible.
CR: The museums, the parks, and
the palpable sense of energy (on
days when it’s not too grey and
cloudy).
RME: The narrow random alleys,
groves and passages. And to
contrast, the beautiful streets with
Victorian-style houses and blooming
trees that I bike through when I get
lost.
What is the strangest dish you
have tasted on your travels?
SYK: Crocodile soup.
RME: Deep fried chrysalis. |
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