LSE Space for Thought Literary Festival

This year's Literary Festival will take place from 26 February-2 March. Tickets will be available online from Monday 4 February.

#askthedirector

LSE Director, Professor Craig Calhoun, will be taking questions live on Twitter on Tuesday 22 January. Ask him a question in advance using the #askthedirector hashtag.

Professor Mike Savage

Professor Savage's favourite holiday destination is the Lake District: 'When I first see the shores of Lake Windermere, with the Langdale peaks behind, it always amazes me'.

Two new research centres launched at LSE

Two new ESRC-funded research centres have been launched at LSE today.

The Centre for Macroeconomics will bring together a group of world class experts to carry out pioneering research on the global economic crisis and help design policies to alleviate it.

Chaired by LSE’s Nobel Prize-winning economics professor, Christopher Pissarides, the new Centre will encompass experts from LSE, UCL, University of Cambridge, the Bank of England, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, and other leading global institutions.

The Systemic Risk Centre will study the risks that could trigger the next financial crisis.

LSE’s newest building is now up and running and home to the Department of Economics, Centre for Economic Performance (CEP), Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE), the Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD), the International Growth Centre (IGC), and the Centre for Macroeconomics.

The building is located on the south side of Lincoln’s Inn Fields at the junction with Serle Street and enjoys views over London’s largest garden square. It offers five floors of academic offices plus three lower floors of teaching and student activity areas which can cater for up to 1,000 students.

New LSE Network Economy blog launched

The LSE Network Economy Blog, run by the Network Economy Forum which is based in the Department of Management, disseminates research and aims to foster debate about telecommunications and internet policy research.

The team is looking for submissions of posts relating to contemporary telecom and internet policy in Europe (including technical and regulatory issues) and aspects of telecom and internet policy in international perspective.

The Women’s Library and its staff have joined LSE after the transfer of ownership from London Metropolitan University on 1 January 2013.

LSE will now run The Women’s Library service at Aldgate whilst the project to bring it to its new home at the LSE Library in May continues.

The Women’s Library is Europe’s largest collection of material relating to the lives of women, as well as being a key part of British heritage. Objects within the collection related to the suffrage movement are already internationally recognised and the LSE Library is committed to further raising the profile of this exceptional collection. We have ambitious plans to digitise the collections which will ensure they are accessible to global audiences in a digital world.

LSE student Dr Mahaveer Golechha (pictured) has been selected for the prestigious Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation’s (ADDF) 'Young Investigator Scholarship Award'.

The award is presented by the ADDF to 30 'Outstanding Young Investigators' throughout the world who are working in the area of Alzheimer's disease drug discovery. It recognises the early achievements of these young investigators and seeks to encourage the career development of the next generation of research scientists.

Mahaveer, who is pursuing a master's in health policy, planning and financing from both LSE and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is being given this honour for his research on 'Naringin', a bioflavonoid. He investigated the neuroprotective properties of naringin, a bioflavonoid found in grapefruits and citrus fruits, and discovered that naringin possesses significant anti-Alzheimer activity.

Mahaveer said: 'It’s an honour to be acknowledged by the ADDF and ranked among other brilliant young researchers. I hope this award creates further avenues for budding scientists at LSE and my country, to be recognised for their work and facilitated to follow their dreams.'

For a chance to become reacquainted with LSE after the break, have a look at the Re-Orientation website and find out what’s going on over the next few weeks. You can also download a copy of the Re-Orientation Guide, which offers useful information to help you settle in again.

In particular, don’t forget to get involved in the following events:

Re-Orientation Houghton Street Fair
Tuesday 22 January, 11am-2pm
Speak to members of various services and departments across campus, including LSE Careers, the Library, IT Services and Residential Life among others, to find out more about what they do and how they can help you over the coming months.

Are you a first or second year undergraduate student? Do you want to give back to the LSE community while improving your communication and interpersonal skills? Why not think about applying to become a Student Mentor for the 2013-14 academic year?

Mentors act as a human signpost to help new students get settled at LSE throughout their first academic year. For more information about the scheme and to access the application form, visit lse.ac.uk/StudentMentoring.

The application deadline is Wednesday 13 February, though applications may close earlier than this if the training sessions fill up quickly. If you have any questions about the scheme, email Stevie Wise at studentmentoring@lse.ac.uk.

Give us your feedback
If you are a first year undergraduate or General Course student, please help us to make improvements to the Student Mentoring Scheme by taking the time to complete the Student Mentoring Scheme survey. If you complete the survey in full and provide your contact details, we’ll enter you into a prize draw to win a £100 Waterstone's voucher.

Several high profile LSE figures, including pro-director for research and external relations Professor Stuart Corbridge; Professor Sylvia Chant, professor of development geography; dean of graduate studies Dr Sunil Kumar; and vice chair of the School’s Court of Governors Anne Lapping, will be among the judges for LSE’s Research Festival.

Submissions, in the form of posters, films, apps, photographs or a three-minute presentation, are welcome from MRes, MPhil and PhD students across the School, and the deadline has just been extended to Friday 25 January. Cash prizes will be awarded in each category at an awards celebration in March.

#askthedirector - open Twitter session

LSE Director, Professor Craig Calhoun, will be taking questions live on Twitter from 3-4pm on Tuesday 22 January.

LSE Careers International Development Month (IDM)
Throughout January and February, LSE Careers is presenting a diverse range of seminars and panels aimed at students who are thinking of working or volunteering in the development sector.

Some IDM events are already open for booking. You can find more information about International Development Month events and book at www.lse.ac.uk/IDM.

International Careers Day - University of Oxford
Join the University of Oxford for their International Careers Day on Saturday 19 January.

This is a great opportunity to hear from key speakers and exhibitors covering international law, international development, international policy, natural resources and the environment, international academia, international business, international internships, and more.

• Literature Searching and Finding Journal Articles
• Managing your Time
• Using EndNote to Manage your References
• Excel 2010: logical and lookup functions

IT training self-paced workshops

Free IT Training self-paced workshops for all students at LSE will resume from Monday 21 January.

Workshops are available Monday to Friday covering Microsoft Office 2010 topics including Excel 2010, Outlook 2010, PowerPoint 2010 and Word 2010.

Find course information and book your place on the online training system or at Guided self-study.

Wednesday 23 January from 1.30-2.30pm

Many students are concerned about the recruitment process and disclosing their disability to prospective employers. Students often ask 'why should I disclose and what will I gain?' and 'will disclosing help or hinder in getting the perfect job?'

LSE Careers and the Disability and Well-being Service will be presenting a number of seminars focusing on your career journey. The seminars will cover topics such as your career identity, disclosing your disability to prospective employers, adjustments, support when moving into employment, and general concerns.

There will also be follow-up sessions with a particular focus on mental health and dyslexia, dyspraxia and neurodiversity.

Since 2011-12, LSE has been running an exchange programme with Sciences Po, a leading social university in Paris. This exchange programme will continue in 2013-14 and will enable 10 undergraduate students from each institution to spend one year studying at the other.

To find out more about this exciting opportunity and how to apply, click here. The deadline for applications Thursday 28 February.

Overwhelmed? Lonely? Stressed? Homesick? Anxious?

If you're having problems with life at LSE or at home, or are finding it difficult to settle back into the new term, come and speak to one of the Peer Supporters.

We are a group of second year students who have been specially trained to listen, provide informal and confidential support, and help students find their own solutions.

For more information, visit the Peer Support webpage, the Peer Supporters Facebook page, or email tlc.peer.support@lse.ac.uk.
 

Diversity Calendar 2013

Want to know when Chinese New Year is? Black History Month? International Human Rights Day?

LSE's new Diversity Calendar for 2013 contains all the key events you need to know, as well as term dates and School closures. The calendar contains vibrant photos from around the globe, submitted by LSE students and staff for our diversity calendar photo competition.

To download the calendar, click here.
 

Equality and Diversity Lent term flyer

The Lent term flyer contains details of equality and diversity events taking place on campus this term.

With events to mark LGBT History Month (February) and Women's History Month (March), plus regular workshops and training, there's something for everyone.

To download a copy of the flyer, click here.
 

Tell us what you think - Student News feedback survey 2013

The Press Office has put together a short survey for you to let us know how you feel about Student News. It will be an important way for us to find out how we can improve the newsletter for you.

The survey is open to all students and should take no more than five minutes to complete. To take part, visit www.survey.bris.ac.uk/lsewebsite/student_news_2013.

LSE Perspectives

January's LSE Perspectives gallery is now online. You can view the gallery online here.

The gallery features 12 striking images submitted by LSE students and staff. Each image reflects a unique perspective on a particular scene.

If you have taken any artistic images on your travels, in your home town, or even just here in London, why not submit them for LSE Perspectives so that they can be shared with the LSE community.

Skip fit lessons

Security officer and former boxer Daniel Beckley is running skip fit lessons for all students and staff 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 29 January, Tuesday 5 February, Tuesday 19 February, Tuesday 26 February, Tuesday 12 March, and Tuesday 19 March.

Just turn up on any of these dates with your own skipping rope. All lessons are free.

For more information, email Daniel at d.beckley@lse.ac.uk.
 

How long do you spend at your PC each day?

For over 14 years, Osteopath Tim Hanwell, who works at the LSE Treatment Clinic, has been treating an increasing number of patients with forearm pain associated with too much PC use.

The main cause is frequent and repetitive movements of a part of the body, for example, typing and using a computer mouse a lot. Other factors may contribute, such as poor posture and using excessive force whilst working and not having enough breaks.

Symptoms can range from:

• forearm pain in the muscles

• pins and needles in the fingers

• pain around the elbow or on top of the shoulder

To avoid these symptoms, follow these top tips:

• Make sure your wrists are not deviating towards the little finger when typing

• Move your chair close to the desk

• Sit back in your chair so the back support is in contact with your back

• Position the top of the screen at eye level

• Use a desktop rather than a laptop whenever possible

• Take regular breaks

If you are concerned about any symptoms or your workstation set up, contact Tim at tim@lsetreatmentclinic.co.uk or visit www.lsetreatmentclinic.co.uk.

Lent term public events programme announced

LSE's public events programme for Lent term has been announced.

Speakers this term include Sanjeev Sanyal, Deutsche Bank’s global strategist; Chrystia Freeland, editor of Thomson Reuters Digital; Eamonn Butler, director of the Adam Smith Institute; and Baroness Hale, justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Details of all lectures, debates, discussions, concerts and exhibitions are available at lse.ac.uk/events. A PDF of the events leaflet is available for download here.
 

Nationalism and Transnational History

On: Wednesday 13 March at 6.30pm in Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House
Speaker: Professor John Breuilly (pictured), professor of nationalism and ethnicity at LSE, Dr Faisal Devji, reader in Indian history at St Antony's College, University of Oxford, and Dr Mark Hewitson, senior lecturer in German history and politics in the Department of German at University College London.

This discussion will mark the launch of The Oxford Handbook of the History of Nationalism edited by Professor John Breuilly. More
 

Other forthcoming LSE events include....

Digital Reality - Life in Two Worlds: the physical world we inhabit and the digital universe we create
On: Monday 21 January at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Ping Fu, founder and CEO of Geomagic, a global company providing 3D technology for digital reality.

The Foreign Policy Dilemmas of the US Administration in the Next Four Years
On: Tuesday 22 January at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor John Coatsworth (pictured), provost and professor of international and public affairs and of history at Columbia University.

Eurozone Deadlock - Finding a Path Out of the Crisis
On: Wednesday 23 January at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Professor Luis Garicano, professor and head of the Managerial Economics and Strategy Group in LSE’s Department of Management.

Islam and Women

On: Thursday 17 January from 6.30-8.30pm in room 4.21, St Clement's Building.

Speakers at this panel event, organised by the LSESU Atheist Secularist and Humanist Society, will include Maryam Namazie, rights activist and commentator on Iran, Sundas Hoorain, political activist and lawyer, and Shaista Gohir, executive director of Muslim Women's Network UK and Muslim Voice UK.

This event is free and open to all.
 

On: Tuesday 22 January from 6.30-8.30pm in the Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building

Spanish in Motion and the Cañada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Spanish Studies present Dying for dreams by Clemente Bernad (Morir de sueños, 30´, In Spanish with English subtitles).

This shortfilm is part of a project 'Where memory dwells' by the Spanish photographer, Clemente Bernad, which also includes a book, Kept awake, and a multimedia exhibition.

After the coup d´état in Spain in July of 1936, an uncontrolled, cruel and systematic repression on the part of the Fascists broke out that led to the death of some 150,000 people. The bodies of those people were left in ditches or in common graves throughout the fields and mountains of the country.

This is a story full of cruelty, violence, death, and hatred. But above all it is a story full of love: the love of those determined not to forget, determined to cry and to fight for the memory of all those, whose lives had been taken from them with impunity.

After the film, Clemente Bernad will present the project 'Where memory dwells' and there will be also a panel discussion. Both presentation and panel discussion will take place in Spanish.

On: 27-28 February at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, Mayfair.

Registration for the LSESU Emerging Markets Forum 2013 is now open.

The forum is one of the world’s most reputed two-day student conferences dedicated to discussing the most topical themes in emerging markets; ranging from politics, economics and finance to natural resources, entrepreneurship and social development.

Over 200 top industry-leading experts have spoken at the forum in the past four years including CEOs, Central Bank governors, world-famous investors, and academics.

Speakers include:

• Persio Arida, former governor, Central Bank of Brazil, and founder, BTG Pactual
• Nicko Debenham, chairman, World Cocoa Foundation, and director, Armajaro Trading
• David Fyfe, former head, International Energy Agency Oil Markets
• Clare McKeeve, COO EMEA, Macquarie Capital
• Dr Linda Yueh, leading author and director, China Growth Centre
• Labs Ogunbiyi, founder and CEO, First Hydrocarbon Nigeria
• Juan Sartori, president, United Capital Group
• Zain Latif, founder, TLG Capital
• Kay Haigh, founder, Avantium Investment Management
• Slim Feriani, CEO, Advance Emerging Capital
• Marco Arcelli, executive vice president, Upstream Gas, Enel
• Charles Robertson, chief economist, Renaissance Capital

On: Tuesday 26 February - Saturday 2 March

The programme for LSE's fifth Literary Festival has been announced.

In 2013, the Festival will explore the theme Branching Out, in celebration of the fifth anniversary traditionally marked by wood, but also in homage to the 300th anniversary of the birth of Denis Diderot, who developed the figurative system of branches of human knowledge.

Key 'branches' that will be explored include Narratives, Innovation, Changing World and Uniting the Branches of Knowledge. Speakers will include Hans Rosling, P D James, Kate Mosse, Professor Lord Hennessey, Anne Applebaum, Ken Livingstone, John Gray, Jenny Uglow, Will Hutton, Polly Toynbee, Michael Wood, Pat Barker and many more.