Two LSE research groups ranked second best university think tank in the world

LSE IDEAS and the Public Policy Group have jointly been named second in the global survey.

Summer Graduation Ceremonies bookings now open

Bachelor’s and nine month master’s students eligible to attend the July Graduation Ceremonies should book their places by 22 February.

Jasim Malik

"Our slogan last year was 'less hating, more educating', and that sums it up quite nicely" - Be sure to check out Discover Islam Week taking place next week.

LSE Director Craig Calhoun has joined other university leaders in calling on the government to protect academic freedom by rethinking its proposals in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill.

Craig was a signatory to the letter, published in The Times today (28 January), urging the government to remove universities from the Bill’s statutory guidelines, which would extend the requirements for universities to prevent terrorism and radicalisation. The Bill is currently being debated in the House of Lords.

The letter, which was also signed by LSE graduate Shami Chakrabarti, said:

"Universities are at their most effective in preventing radicalisation by ensuring that academics and students are free to question and test received wisdom within the law. The bill is not the best means of maximising the contribution universities can make, and may indeed be counterproductive, causing mistrust and alienation…

"To be truly effective in countering terrorism and radicalisation, universities must continue to be independent from government. The new statutory duty should not apply to universities and they should be exempt, as proposed for the security services and judicial bodies."

Two LSE research groups, the foreign affairs centre LSE IDEAS and political analysts/consultants the Public Policy Group, have jointly been named the second best university think tank in the world in a global survey.

They are ranked second only to Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs in the 2014 Think Tank and Civil Societies Program league tables. This is the third year that LSE IDEAS has ranked highly in this table, and the second year that the Public Policy Group has featured.

Following a project to convert all postgraduate reading lists to Reading Lists @ LSE for the start of the 2014-15 academic year, the Library has reported a 43 per cent increase in the number of lists held on the system.

A total of 417 additional reading lists were converted during the project, and Reading Lists @ LSE now holds more than 210,000 individual references for teaching.

During the past year, the total number of visits to Reading Lists @ LSE by LSE students has also increased by 20 per cent.

Poorer groups have been worst affected by changes to direct taxes, benefits and tax credits despite the Coalition’s promise that the rich would carry the burden of austerity, according to a major new report from LSE and the Universities of Manchester and York. As a result, poverty has been increasing and will get worse in the next five years.

The report also reveals that families with young children have been hit harder than any other household type under the Coalition’s cuts despite early rhetoric highlighting the importance of the “foundation years”. Real spending per child on early education, childcare and Sure Start services fell by a quarter between 2009-10 and 2012-13 and tax-benefit reforms hit families with children under five harder than any other household type.

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 Mukulika Banerjee, Reader in Anthropology, discusses democracy in India and why voting is regarded as essential by most of the population. More
 

The LSE beaver mascot has a name - he’s called Felix. Find out why at lse.ac.uk/lse120.

This year we are celebrating all things LSE history - because October 2015 marks the 120th anniversary of the very first students arriving at LSE.

Ever forgotten your LSE password? Did you know you can reset it yourself without having to contact the IMT Service Desk?

All you have to do is enable the self-service password reset option by providing a security question answer and memorable date info in LSE for You:

• Log into LSE for You, select ‘Account Management’ from the menu and then choose ‘Update Security Questions’

Once you have submitted these details, you will be able to reset your password by either clicking the ‘forgot username and password’ link on the LSE for You login page or if you have provided your personal email details, we will send you a reset link.

LSE Entrepreneurship blog launches

LSE Entrepreneurship’s blog is now live. Its posts will bring together a wide variety of perspectives on entrepreneurship and the impact it can have on society.

It is also home to LSE Entrepreneurship’s monthly poll. The first question is 'Should social entrepreneurs prioritise social good over profit?'. Visit the blog to vote.
 

If you studied at a school or college in the UK, we would like to give you the opportunity to return to your former school/college to talk to prospective students about your experience of studying at LSE and in London. You will be paid for your time.

Summer Graduation Ceremonies - bookings now open

Bachelor’s and nine month master’s students eligible to attend the July 2015 Graduation Ceremonies have been emailed invitations and should book their places by Sunday 22 February.

For details, please see lse.ac.uk/ceremonies or contact Ceremonies@lse.ac.uk.
 

2015 will be a busy and exciting year as the project to develop the campus Centre Buildings moves from the planning stage to starting on site. The latest newsletter contains information on how to find out more via the new drop-in surgeries.

Applications are now open for the 2015 LSE-UCT July School, which takes place in Cape Town, South Africa from 29 June - 10 July 2015.

The LSE-UCT July School is an opportunity to explore important social science issues relevant to Africa today with leading academics from LSE and the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Participants follow intensive, two-week courses in economics, management, media, geography and politics, and share knowledge and perspectives based on their experience at international universities, multi-national firms, large development organisations and small NGOs. The 2014 programme attracted 104 students (39 LSE) and 40 professionals from 45 nations.

If you would rather explore important issues relevant to contemporary China, with world-class academics from LSE and Peking University (PKU), then why not consider the LSE-PKU Summer School?

Applications are now open for the 2015 LSE-PKU Summer School, which takes place in Beijing China from 10-21 August. Thirty LSE students participated in the 2014 Summer School which attracted 285 participants of 43 nationalities, including nearly 100 professionals from industry, government and international and non-governmental organisations.

Over two weeks, participants undertake an in-depth examination of new and exciting approaches to the important issues facing China (and the world) today, across a range of subjects including law, finance, economics, management, geography and politics. New courses for 2015 will cover big data, the media and NGOs in China.

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

If a table in a Word document does not fit on the page where it begins, use these steps to force it to start on the next page:

1. Select the table.
2. On the Home tab, open the Paragraph dialog box by clicking on the tiny grey arrow in the bottom left corner of the Paragraph icon group.
3. Go to the Line and Page Breaks tab and click Keep with Next.

To prevent a row from splitting across a page break:

1. Select the row and follow step 2 above.
2. On the Line and Page Breaks tab, click Page Break Before.

Forthcoming LSE events include....

On Truth
On: Monday 2 February at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speakers: Professor Pascal Engel and Professor Simon Blackburn

"Not in Our Name": contesting the (mis)use of psychological arguments in the immigration debate
On: Tuesday 3 February at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Steve Reicher

The Butterfly Defect
On: Tuesday 3 February at 6.30pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House
Speakers: Professor Ian Goldin (pictured) and Professor Danny Quah

The Age of Sustainable Development
On: Wednesday 4 February at 3pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Professor Jeffrey D Sachs

Human Shield
On: Wednesday 4 February at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Judith Butler (pictured)

Julia Weatherley (soprano) Panaretos Kyriatzidis (piano)
On: Thursday 5 February at 1pm in the Shaw Library, Old Building

STAR: using visual economic models to engage stakeholders to increase value in the the NHS
On: Thursday 5 February at 6.30pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House
Speakers: Dr Mara Airoldi (pictured) and Professor Gwyn Bevan

LSE Works

The third LSE Works lecture takes place on Thursday 29 January and will be given by Graham Floater (pictured) and Philipp Rode of LSE Cities on ‘Better Growth, Better Climate: cities and the new climate economy’.

The respondent will be Dimitri Zenghelis, Co-Head Climate Policy at the Grantham Research Institute at LSE, and the event will be chaired by Professor Fran Tonkiss, Academic Director of the Cities Programme at LSE Cities. A list of all the lectures can be viewed at LSE Works.

LSE Works is a series public lectures that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's academic departments and research centres. In each session, LSE academics will present key research findings, demonstrating where appropriate the implications of their studies for public policy.
 

Join LSE Arts for a great line up of musicians at the next LSE Chill, taking place on Friday 30 January from 6-8pm in Café 54, NAB.

Performers include the Carrs-Saunders Quartet, The Inheritors and Nicolas Betin.

Come along to the LSE International Development Volunteering Fair on Tuesday 3 February from 4.30-7pm, to meet a wide variety of organisations and charities offering UK-based and international volunteering opportunities in the field of international development.

Organisations attending include UN Volunteers, the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Restless Development, Y Care International and many more.

Entrepreneurship in Africa: opportunities and challenges

On: Tuesday 3 February at 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, NAB

Professor Mthuli Ncube (pictured), Chief Economist and Vice President of the African Development Bank, will look at the challenges facing leaders who must identify development needs and priorities for an entire, rapidly evolving continent.

He will discuss the future of Africa and the global opportunities this brings, as well as his own experience of being an entrepreneur in Africa. The talk will be followed by networking.

Email the LSE Entrepreneurship team at entrepreneurship@lse.ac.uk for a free ticket.
 

The Restructuring of the Greek Economy: 2010-14

On: Tuesday 3 February from 6-7.30pm in the Cañada Blanch Room, Cowdray House
Speaker: Professor Panos Tsakloglou (pictured), Department of International and European Economic Studies, Athens University of Economics and Business

Greece entered the current crisis with huge deficits in public finances and external balances. Especially worrisome was the enormous primary budget deficit. Since the inception of the first stabilisation program in 2010, Greece made the most spectacular fiscal consolidation among developed countries since WWII. Professor Tsakloglou will review developments since 2010, analyse the current juncture and outline the medium- to long-term prospects of the economy.

All Hellenic Observatory seminars are open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. More
 

On: Tuesday 3 February from 6.30-8pm in room B.13, 32 Lincoln's Inn Fields
Speaker: Dr Leslie James (pictured), Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the University of Birmingham
Discussants: Professor Richard Drayton, Rhodes Professor of Imperial History at King's College London, and Professor Bill Schwarz, Professor of English at Queen Mary University of London.

Democratizing Inequalities: dilemmas of the new public participation

On: Tuesday 3 February from 7-8.30pm in room NAB 2.04, New Academic Building
Speakers: Professor Craig Calhoun, Director of LSE, Dr Caroline Lee, Associate Professor of Sociology at Lafayette College, Dr Michael McQuarrie, Associate Professor in Sociology at LSE, and Dr Edward Walker, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Opportunities to ‘have your say’ are everywhere in public life. Many argue that, with new technologies, flexible organisational cultures, and a supportive policymaking context, we now hold the keys to large-scale democratic revitalization. Democratizing Inequalities (NYU Press) shows that it may not be so simple. Popular participation may even reinforce elite power in unexpected ways.

This event is free and open to all with no ticket or pre-registration required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. More.
 

What do the Greek elections mean for Greece’s future?

On: Thursday 5 February from 6.30-8pm in the Thai Theatre, New Academic Building
Speakers: Dionyssis Dimitrakopoulos Senior Lecturer in Politics at Birkbeck College, University of London, Daphne Halikiopoulou, Lecturer in Comparative Politics at the University of Reading, and Dimitri Vayanos Professor of Finance and Head of the Department of Finance at LSE.

The outcome of the Greek election on Sunday 25 January is being watched closely by euro-zone leaders and the financial markets. It may also prove to be a turning point in Greek politics. What are the implications for Greece’s economic path? Have the elections shifted the Greek party system decisively? What do the results mean for the political extremes and the disengaged? This panel will explore what the elections mean for Greece and its place in Europe.

This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry on a first come, first served basis. More
 

On: Wednesday 25 February from 6.30-8pm in the New theatre, East building
Speaker: Professor Herbert Girardet, urban ecologist consultant

Professor Girardet’s public lecture is based on his new book, Creating Regenerative Cities, published by Routledge in October 2014. Is an urbanising world a ‘triumph of the city’, or an environmental tragedy in the making? He argues for a fundamental conceptual shift in the way we organise our urban systems, and for thinking and acting beyond ‘sustainable development’.