Gearty Grillings return for the new academic year
A new series of the weekly, short, to-the-point video debates has started for the new academic year...

LSE Careers
Take a look at what LSE Careers has lined up for this week.

Inez Freiin von Weitershausen
Inez tells us how she benefited from LSE's PhD mobility scheme, as well as what she'd need on a desert island.

Gearty Grillings return for the new academic year

The Gearty Grillings is a series of weekly, short, to-the-point video debates from LSE’s Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) on key issues affecting the world today. Conor Gearty, Director of the IPA and Professor of Human Rights Law, subjects LSE academics to a five-minute grilling on their research and ideas in the new series. From the financial crisis and fracking, to housing policy and human rights, the debates will put LSE’s leading authorities on some of humankind’s most provocative issues under the spotlight.

The first academic to be grilled this year is Nicholas Barr, Professor of Public Economics and architect of the student loan, as he explains why students should regard it as a graduate tax, rather than a debt. More
 

School can worsen disabled children's behavioural problems, researchers say

Much more could be done to help children with physical and learning disabilities cope with the challenges they face on entering school, new research from LSE suggests.

A study from LSE and the Institute of Education, University of London, has found that the behavioural problems of many disabled children worsen between the ages of three and seven. They encounter increasing difficulties in terms of hyperactivity, emotional problems and getting on with other children.

Applications are invited from LSE PhD students for a partnership mobility bursary to visit the National University of Singapore or Sciences Po (Paris) in 14-15. One place remains available at each institution for a student to work informally with an advisor on their PhD thesis, research and/or on related publications and presentations, and to attend conferences and workshops both at the host institution and within the wider regional/national academic community.

LSE will provide financial support with a bursary of £2,500 to students to visit one of these two partner institutions. The bursary is intended to contribute to the student's expenses, including travel, accommodation, living and educational materials.

Students registered for PhD studies at any LSE department and who have already been upgraded to full doctoral student status are eligible to apply. Each visit should last a minimum of two months and a maximum of three months.

Applications must be submitted by noon on Tuesday 11 November. Email academic_partnerships@lse.ac.uk with any questions. More

We want to introduce a Student Council to give you a greater say in your union.

In last term’s Annual Survey, 56 per cent of you said that you don’t have enough influence over elected Student Officers and that you find the democracy processes too complicated. You also told us that the SU should focus more on building a community on campus.

Student Council will enable you to better hold elected Officers to account, as we will no longer have the ability to vote on policy without the Student Council. It encourages the involvement of the whole of our diverse student body and will build our capacity to change as a Union and influence the School.

The Graduate Open Evening will give you the opportunity to:

• obtain more information about LSE’s Graduate taught and research programmes
• discuss your study options with LSE academic staff and postgraduate students
• find out about the application process, financial support available and career destinations of LSE graduates

Do you love writing and blogging? We’re looking for all sorts of students for the LSE Student Blog – so whether you’re a fresher, just arriving in London and finding your feet, or a seasoned third year who knows the best things to do and places to visit, we need you!

Bloggers are free to write about their social and academic life while at LSE and in London. In the past this has ranged from choosing courses, making the most of career opportunities to going to musicals and finding the best pubs.

Bloggers will be given training in guidelines and content as well as training in how to use Wordpress. Every month we give out a prize for the best blogger as well as a prize at the end of the year.

An extra special LSE Chill will take place on Friday 24 October from 2-4pm to celebrate the official opening of the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre. Three performers will take to the stage: Daniel Print returns with an electric guitar for his third performance at LSE Chill, Trevor Gowan will play the piano, and The Critique of Pure Reason will be the final act.

The October edition of Perspectives is now online. Each month 12 photos taken by the LSE community are chosen to appear in LSE Arts online gallery. Check out October’s edition here.

LSE Treatment Clinic

The LSE Treatment Clinic, which welcomes LSE students and staff, is on the first floor of Tower Two.

The clinic offers professional treatments, at reduced rates for LSE, of acupuncture, osteopathy and sports massage from practitioners with over 20 years of experience between them. Their combined expertise is effective in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain, repetitive strain injury, tension headaches, posture advice, sports injuries, anxiety, insomnia, migraine, among many other ailments.
The practitioners are:

• Hanya Chlala
  Acupuncture and Reflexology available in a dual-bed setting on Wednesdays and Fridays

• Laura Dent
  Sports massage available on Mondays

• Tim Hanwell
  Osteopathy available on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Appointments are available Monday - Friday from 9am - 6pm and can be booked online at www.lsetreatmentclinic.co.uk.
All consultations are strictly confidential and sessions will last between 30 and 60 minutes depending upon the treatment. To reach the clinic, enter the Tower One/ Tower Two reception, go up to the first floor in Tower Two and follow the signs to the LSE Treatment Clinic.
 

Skip fit lessons

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 21 October, Tuesday 28 October, Tuesday 11 November, Tuesday 18 November, Tuesday 2 December and Tuesday 9 December. 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 to download and use the free anti-virus available to staff and students
• File storage options and quotas
• How to connect to an LSE printer using any of various operating systems
• How to amend your LSE IT account to reflect a change in your surname or title
• Connecting to the LSE network either on or off campus
• MS Office skills such as using Track Changes in Word or how to forward your email in Outlook
• Guides to specialist software ranging from Abacus and Endnote to Stata and VoteView
• And much more...

Advice and help with viruses, network connection and hardware problems is available to all staff and students from the Laptop Surgery in STC.S198. Opening hours are listed here.

A speech by Minouche Shafik, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England - on Monday 27 October
Tickets will be released on Tuesday 21 October

Nemat (Minouche) Shafik became Deputy Governor of the Bank of England on 1 August 2014. She is Deputy Governor for Markets and Banking. She represents the Bank in international groups and institutions, including as G7 Deputy and in the Bank's engagement with the IMF, overseas central banks and the Bank for International Settlements. Dr Shafik sits on the Monetary Policy Committee, and attends the Financial Policy Committee and the Bank's Court of Directors. More
 

'Art and Politics Now' - on Monday 13 October at 6.30pm in the Wolfson Theatre, NAB with Anthony Downey

Since the turn of the twenty-first century, contemporary artists have increasingly engaged with some of the most pressing issues facing our world, from globalisation, migration and citizenship to conflict, terrorism and social activism. In this talk, Dr Anthony Downey explores the implications of this development, for both art and politics alike. More
 

'Structural Reform for Growth with Equity' - on Tuesday 14 October at 1pm in the New Theatre, East Building with Alberto Arenas

The government of President Bachelet in Chile is undertaking a number of initiatives to promote inclusive growth. Alberto Arenas, Finance Minister, will discuss the main aspects of these efforts, particularly on the recently passed tax reform, the evolution of the pension system, the agenda of productivity, innovation and growth as well as the energy agenda. More
 

'Secure the Borders!' The Cost and Consequences of Europe's 'Fight Against Irregular Migration' - on Tuesday 14 October at 5pm in The Venue, Saw Swee Hock with Dr Ruben Andersson, Dr Nicholas De Genova, Jeremy Harding, Dr Cecilia Malmström (pictured)

The summer of 2014 has been yet another season of misery at Europe’s southern frontiers. The unseaworthy boats carrying migrants and refugees towards an uncertain destiny and destination have again multiplied along Italian shores, despite the large investments in more patrols, surveillance and coordination at the borders. Elsewhere, in Spain and Greece, a similar story repeats. A decade on from the founding of Europe’s border agency Frontex, the challenges at the border seem as steep and intractable as ever. To mark the launch of Illegality, Inc., this event grapples with difficult questions about the ‘business of bordering Europe’ in the boats’ wake – while also suggesting ways in which the suffering at the borders may be alleviated in the future. More
 

'The Politics of Climate Change 2014: what cause for hope?' - on Tuesday 14 October at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building with Professor Lord Giddens

Professor Lord Giddens published The Politics of Climate Change in 2007 and is currently preparing a new edition for publication in 2015. He will consider how much progress has been made in containing global warming - arguably one of the greatest threats to a stable future for humanity. More
 

'The Summit: the biggest battle of the Second World War – fought behind closed doors' - on Wednesday 15 October at 6pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, NAB with Ed Conway

'Women in Public Life: above the parapet' - on Wednesday 15 October at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building with Dr Joyce Banda

Joyce Banda will reflect on her journey to the highest level of public life. This event launches a new Institute of Public Affairs project exploring the roads taken by women who shape public life. More
 

'The Outlook for Global Financial Stability' - on Thursday 16 October at 6pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building with Dr José Viñals

José Viñals is currently the Financial Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He is a member of the Financial Stability Board, representing the IMF. More
 

'Rationality and Irrationality in Government' - on Thursday 16 October at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, NAB with Professor Cass Sunstein

What impact is behavioural science having on politics and business? Simplified disclosure, default rules, social norms, and ‘choice architecture’ are all being used to steer people in specific directions. Are these ‘nudges’ improving our decisions? Are they offsetting irrational behaviour? More
 

'Hand to Mouth: the truth about being poor in a wealthy world' - on Thursday 16 October at 6.30pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House with Linda Tirado

Linda Tirado knows from experience what it is to be poor, to struggle to make ends meet. She was working all hours at two jobs - as a food service worker in a chain restaurant and as a voting rights activist at a non-profit organisation - to support her young family. She knows what it’s like to have problems you wish you could fix, but no money, energy or resources to fix them, and no hope of getting any. More
 

How do societies funnel their members into specific behaviour? Can the same mechanisms be used to change the world?

As Kurt Lewin said, the best way to understand complex systems is to try to change them. Professor Saadi Lahlou will discuss how in practice, however, it is useful to have a framework to guide these attempts to change and to understand what happens. Installation Theory is a practical framework; it describes the various layers of components that influence behaviour, how they interact and evolve in time. We shall detail these components (affordances in the physical environment, embodied interpretive skills, social influence) and their evolution under dual selection. We shall also point at some techniques to apply this theory to practical cases.

'Greece: Taking Stock: Economic and financial changes since the onset of the global and Euro area crises' - on Tuesday 14 October at 6.30pm in the Wolfson Theatre with Professor Eleni Louri-Dendrinou

Professor Louri-Dendrinou, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Greece, will consider the roots of the crises and the first and second adjustment programmes. She will also discuss the Bank of Greece’s strategy, its next steps and the stabilisation of the Greek banking system. More
 

International teams of lighting design professionals, architects, planners will present their ideas on how to improve public lighting based on social research on a north London estate to an expert panel, including internationally renowned lighting designer Roger Narboni, at a symposium at LSE.

The event, 'Urban Lightscapes/Social Nightscapes', will be the culmination of an LSE-HEIF5-funded workshop where lighting professionals and social scientists will engage with the community of Peabody’s Whitecross estate in Islington over the course of a week to understand life on the estate, their lighting needs and try out different lighting schemes. During these workshops practitioners will work with researchers from the LSE Cities Configuring Light project to learn social science research methods, so they can incorporate them into their future work.