LSE ranked top university in London

LSE has maintained its ranking as third best university in the UK and London’s leading institution in the Complete University Guide league tables for 2016.

Seven weeks until Houghton Street closes

Houghton Street will be closed from 16 June 2015 as the demolition contractor starts preparing the Centre Buildings site.

Dr Gabriel Zucman

If Dr Zucman was marooned on a desert island, he'd take the Department of Mathematics with him: "It would be a great opportunity to concentrate and learn some hard stuff".

LSE has announced the creation of The Marshall Institute for Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship, designed to improve the impact, effectiveness and appeal of private contributions to the public good.

Founded by Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallett and Paul Marshall, The Institute plans to work with the best of the world’s thinkers to solve the worst of the world’s problems. It will inform and coordinate the efforts of activists, researchers, private citizens, foundations, corporations, public bodies and social entrepreneurs.

Created with the assistance of a £30 million donation from Paul Marshall, The Marshall Institute will equip the foremost figures in the field, and leaders of the future, with the knowledge they need to put philanthropic funding and social endeavour to best use.

LSE has maintained its ranking as third best university in the UK and London’s leading institution in the Complete University Guide league tables for 2016.

The Guide assesses the UK’s 126 universities using markers such as student satisfaction and graduate prospects. LSE is named third in the UK, behind Cambridge and Oxford and the top university in London. The School is also placed in the top ten for eleven of the twelve subjects it offers.

Professor Craig Calhoun, Director of LSE, said: "LSE prides itself on both its academic excellence and its investment in its students so it is gratifying to have LSE’s commitment to world-class teaching and research reflected in these rankings. Regardless of league tables, we will continue to invest in our facilities, our faculty and the overall student experience."

The Complete University Guide 2016 is available to view at www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk.

LSE student honoured at prestigious Chinese language competition

Angel Naydenov, an undergraduate student in the Department of Anthropology, has won an award for ‘The Best Performance’ at the UK finals of the Chinese Bridge College Student Competition.

The competition, which runs annually, contains a three minute speech in Mandarin, two minutes of questions on Chinese language, culture and geography, and a three minute talent show. Angel, who is from Bulgaria and studying Mandarin Language and Society Advanced Level, competed against 30 candidates from 15 universities across the UK to reach the finals, where he went up against another nine candidates.

This is the second time LSE has won an award in the competition - last year Edward Knight, from the Department of International Relations, won another individual award for 'The Most Eloquent'.
 

Team ICMS win Hong Kong Entrepreneurship Competition

Congratulations to Team ICMS (pictured) for winning the Hong Kong Entrepreneurship Competition organised by the LSESU Hong Kong Public Affairs and Social Service Society.

Team ICMS comprised of LSE students Ken Lim (Actuarial Science), Loon Jay Ng (Economics with Economic History), Yee Ching Tham (Actuarial Science), Seow Wei Chin (Business Mathematics and Statistics), Jon Keat Oh (Statistics with Finance) and Rebecca Choong from University College London. The team presented their business idea CloudCare, which offers an integrated digital telehealth service.

Judging the competition, which took place at HSBC in Canary Wharf on Friday 20 March, were Lord Wei of Shoreditch; Martin Barrow, Company Director for Jardine Matheson Limited; Mark Patterson, former Group Head Special Projects of Standard Chartered Bank; and James Stewart, Managing Partner at Menlo Partners LLP.
 

Nicola Wright, Director of Library Services, and Mahamid Ahmed, LSESU Postgraduate Students' Officer, opened the new first floor Reading Room for LSE postgraduate students in R102 on Monday 27 April.

The area has 52 spaces for quiet study, with a group study room available for LSE students to use on an unreserved basis.

An LSE study looking at the relationship between parents and their adult children returning to live at home after university has revealed mixed experiences.

Parents are usually more negative than their children, many of whom are unaware of their parents’ dissatisfaction, according to Professor Jane Lewis from LSE’s Department of Social Policy, who led the study.

Around 50 per cent of today’s graduates aged 22-24 return to the parental home after university due to a combination of a weak job market and high rental costs. The impact of this trend has been substantial, research shows, but often with mixed results.

Asiya Islam (pictured), LSE graduate and Equality and Diversity Adviser, has been awarded the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue a PhD in Sociology at the University of Cambridge.

Gates Cambridge Scholarships are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. The programme aims to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.

Asiya said: "I’m delighted to have been awarded the Gates Cambridge scholarship. My research will explore the experiences of lower middle class migrant women in New Delhi, with a focus on how they negotiate sexual violence in the city. I’m excited to join Cambridge although I will miss LSE, which has been my home institution for the last five years, first as a place of study and then as a place of work."

This year’s Student Ambassadors for Digital Literacy (SADL) programme saw 40 students recruited as Ambassadors, all keen to develop their digital literacy.

The programme is currently open to undergraduates in the departments of Statistics, Social Policy, International Relations and Law and is run by Learning Technology and Innovation (LTI) and the LSE Library.

Student Ambassadors attended a series of workshops which concentrated on finding and evaluating information, research practices, sharing and managing information, and managing your digital footprint. Students received Amazon vouchers for participating and also a statement on PDAM in recognition of their skills and experience.

The 2015 LSE Africa Summit, which took place at LSE on the 17 and 18 April, brought together political, research and business leaders from the continent and beyond to discuss Africa. A wide range of issues were discussed over the two days, with participants debating not only the opportunities open to the continent but the hurdles it will have to overcome in order to make the most of these opportunities.

In true LSE spirit the first day's Research Conference sought to help us understand the causes of things, bringing together academics to discuss the latest research surrounding governance in the 'new Africa', media and technology, health and security.

The day culminated in a round-table discussion led by LSE's Professor Tim Allen who highlighted the need for policymakers to open their ears to researchers on the ground.

On the second day Nigeria's Vice President Elect and LSE alumnus, Yemi Osinbajo, gave the keynote speech of the Business Conference. In his speech, he drew on Nigeria's latest transition as a paradigm shift in the African way: "Change had gone beyond a slogan, it had become a self-propelled protest by the people".

His address was followed by panel discussions between African premiers such as Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Patrick Awuah and Acha Leke.

Message of remembrance by Ria Sen, with contributions from Shikha’s classmates and friends

"Shikha, a passionate writer and economist by training, passed away in April in London. Graduating from a premier women’s college in New Delhi, Lady Shri Ram College, with a first class in Economics Honours, Shikha proved her academic acumen time and time again. She took to LSE right away; being exceedingly keen to live the dream of studying at one of the leading institutions in a city she cherished. Shikha was the introspective, contemplative sort in the classroom, but often reflected on lectures with deep insights and well-formed thoughts with friends and peers after-hours.

"As one who performed consistently well, she was selected as a Graduate Teaching Assistant by the Department of Economics in the second year of her studies. This role brought her much satisfaction and immense joy. Fellow Teaching Assistants remember her composure, vast knowledge, and positivity to this day. Whilst at LSE, she particularly enjoyed attending public lectures on themes of interest, and sought the Shaw Library for some quiet moments.

Francis Bedford MP and Steph Key MP were welcomed to LSE Library on Friday 24 April by Nicola Wright, Director of Library Services.

Did you know? If you’re studying for exams in the Shaw Library then you might like to know that is named after Charlotte Shaw and not her famous husband George Bernard.

Charlotte was LSE’s first major donor - and even provided the early School with its premises in Adelphi Terrace. Find out more about this unsung heroine of LSE on the LSE History blog.

Centre Buildings Update: seven weeks until Houghton Street closes

Now that the new building has obtained planning consent, things are really starting to happen on the Centre Buildings project. You will soon notice changes around campus, including the closure of Houghton Street from 16 June 2015, as the demolition contractor starts preparing the site by erecting hoardings.

Starting on Tuesday 5 May, our contractors will be working in Clare Market and Portugal Street outside St Clements and the Old Building. They will be digging a trench, diverting utilities and widening the road in preparation for the start of demolition in July 2015.

The annual Student Information System (SITS) upgrade will take place from 4pm on Friday 1 May until midnight on Sunday 3 May.

LSE is looking for undergraduate and graduate (including PhD) students who are interested in becoming Peer Supporters for the 2015-16 academic year.

In this voluntary role you will receive 34 hours of training from the LSE Student Counselling Service in listening, questioning and responding skills with fortnightly supervision and on-going training. These skills will enable you to provide emotional support to other LSE students.

It is essential to attend all the training sessions and all the supervision sessions throughout the year.

The training consists of six full days at the end of June/beginning of July. Peer supporters who have completed the training for the last two years said they gained a tremendous amount from it.

In addition to meeting regularly and developing close bonds with other Peer Supporters, students find that they gain an increased ability to listen and respond supportively in all walks of life. If you qualify as a Peer Supporter you have the possibility of an offer of a room in an LSE hall of residence for 2015-16.

LSE Teaching Awards Reception 2015 - Tuesday 5 May

Come and celebrate a successful year of teaching at LSE. Join us from 5.30pm in The Venue to congratulate the winners of this year's teaching awards, and then treat your ears to a set from the Philosophy band The Critique of Pure Rhythm.

Book a place at Eventbrite's LSE Teaching Awards Reception 2015 page.

Join the conversation on Twitter between now and 5 May by tweeting answers to this question "What does an LSE education mean?" including the hashtag #anLSEeducation.
 

Over the last few months, IMT has launched a new, web browser-based Remote Access service which is secure, easy to access and requires no additional software or modification to your computer connection settings.

Remote access is the ability to access files and folders on the LSE network without having to log in to a campus PC so you can continue working on your own device, whether you are on campus or not.

To access the secure service, visit: https://remote.lse.ac.uk and enter your LSE username and password.

From a central home page, you will then be able to access your files on the LSE network including documents on your H: Space and any shared drives, and conveniently access other LSE services including Remote Desktop, LSE For You and the Library Catalogue.

IMT are recruiting students to work part time for the following vacancies:

Student Training Advisor (Michaelmas and Lent terms 2015-16, continuing LSE students only)

• To apply send your CV and covering letter detailing how you meet the criteria in the person specification to it.training@lse.ac.uk
• Closing date for applications: Tuesday 5 May, noon
• Interviews: Week commencing 11 May
• Pay: c. £13/hour

Teaching Spaces Assistant (continuing LSE students only)

• To apply send your CV and covering letter detailing how you meet the criteria in the person specification to d.roberts@lse.ac.uk
• Closing date for applications: Tuesday 12 May, noon
• Interviews: Week commencing 1 June
• Pay: c. £11/hour

Laptop Surgery Advisor (continuing LSE students only)

• To apply send your CV and covering letter detailing how you meet the criteria in the job description to a.olayebo@lse.ac.uk
• Closing date for applications: Tuesday 12 May, 11.59pm
• Interviews: Week commencing 1 June
• Pay: c. £13/hour
   

The recently launched IMT Customer Portal is the quick and easy way to the IT help you need. Accessible anywhere, it allows you to:

• Log and track your IT requests
• Receive notifications about any disruptions or planned outages
• View a selection of useful guides and frequently asked questions

You can access the Portal at imtcustomerportal.lse.ac.uk or by clicking on a shortcut on your desktop.

Over the next six months IMT will be running three prize draws where the winners will receive £100 of Amazon vouchers. To be eligible for the competition, all you have to do is use the Portal to request a service or raise an incident and you will be automatically be entered into the draw.

The prize draw will happen at the end of each round as detailed below:

• Round One: 16 April - 15 June
• Round Two: 16 June - 15 August
• Round Three: 16 August - 15 October

LSE Methods Summer Programme 17-28 August 2015

Intensive courses in social research methods for students, academics and professionals. Fifteen per cent discount for LSE students, staff and alumni.

For more information and to apply, please visit lse.ac.uk/methods.
 

Sign up for the LSE Vacations newsletter

If you haven’t already, sign up for the monthly LSE Vacations newsletter. You’ll receive the latest availability from around the vacation halls, be kept up to date with various special offers and promotions, as well as be informed of the latest news and developments.

Remember as a student you are entitled to a 10 per cent discount from the standard rate. Visit the website to check availability and obtain your discount code by emailing vacations@lse.ac.uk or calling 0207 955 7575.
 

Leave the Library for an hour and do something active

We have lots of activities which will help to take your mind off exams, coursework and dissertations. From belly dancing to five-a-side football to tennis, with LSESU Active LifeStylE there is something for everyone.

For more information, visit lsesu.com/whatson.
 

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 5 May, Tuesday 19 May and Tuesday 26 May. Just turn up on any of these dates with your own skipping rope. All lessons are free.

Did you know that acupuncture can help to relieve hay fever or allergic rhinitis?

The LSE Treatment Clinic offers professional treatments (acupuncture, osteopathy and sports massage) at reduced rates for LSE students and staff, from practitioners with over 25 years of experience between them.

Free to a good home

A chair and TV are being given away for free to anyone who can give them a good home. They are collectible from Holborn.

Work Rules! Insights from Inside Google that Will Transform How you Live and Lead
On: Monday 18 May from 4-5pm
Speaker: Laszlo Bock (pictured)

A lecture by Sergio Mattarella, President of the Republic of Italy
On: Thursday 28 May from 4.30-5.30pm
Ticket release date: Wednesday 20 May

On: Tuesday 5 May from 12-1pm in the Shaw Library, Old Building
Speaker: Maria Luís Albuquerque (pictured), Portuguese Minister of State and Finance.

Following a difficult adjustment period, the Portuguese economy is now recovering and standing on more solid ground - sounder public finances, secured financial stability and growing competitiveness. Notwithstanding, given the magnitude of the economic imbalances accumulated before the crisis, the significant correction achieved in recent years was not yet sufficient to substantially reduce indebtedness and unemployment.

On: Tuesday 5 May from 6.30-8pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Arne Westad (pictured), Director of LSE IDEAS.

In his final public lecture at LSE before taking up the ST Lee Chair in US-Asian Relations at Harvard University, Professor Westad will discuss how the rivalry between China and the United States for influence in Asia will determine the geo-political landscape in this century.

At the moment, most of the advantages are on the US side, especially since, after the last economic crisis, China seems to have been busy driving away potential allies in the region. But will this state of affairs last? What can China do to mobilise its undeniable resources in the exercise of a more effective foreign policy? And how will domestic developments in the two countries influence their long-term Asia policies?

LSE Works

The ninth LSE Works lecture takes place on Wednesday 6 May and will be given by CASE’s Professor Robert Cassen (pictured), Professor Sandra McNally of University of Surrey and CEP, and Professor Anna Vignoles of University of Cambridge, on ‘Making a Difference in Education: what the evidence says’.

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.

A list of all the LSE Works lectures can be viewed at LSE Works.
 

Other forthcoming events include....

Barrel of a Gun? The Armed Struggle for Democracy in South Africa
On: Tuesday 5 May at 6.30pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House
Speaker: Gillian Slovo (pictured)

Anglo-American Civilisation and its Discontents in World Affairs
On: Wednesday 6 May at 6.30pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Peter Katzenstein

Divided Cities: urban inequalities in the 21st century
On: Wednesday 6 May at 6.30pm in the New Theatre, East Building
Speaker: Professor Fran Tonkiss

On: Thursday 30 April from 6.30-8pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speakers: Paul Mason, Economics Editor for Channel 4 News, Professor John Milios, member of the Central Committee of Syriza and a Professor of Political Economy, National Technical University of Athens, Holger Schmieding, Chief Economist at Berenberg Bank, and Miranda Xafa, Senior Scholar, CIGI and former member of the IMF Executive Board.

The debt crisis has provoked fierce debate over the best solutions for a return to growth on a sustainable basis. Some see ‘austerity’ as a necessary corrective, others feel this incurs unnecessary and profound social pain. Greece is the acute case in these respects: a test for euro-zone strategy and a challenge to political and social cohesion.

On: Wednesday 6 May from 6.30-8pm in the Wolfson Theatre, NAB
Speaker: Professor Damian Chalmers (pictured), Professor of European Union Law at LSE.

On the evening before voters head to the ballot box in the UK’s general elections, Professor Damian Chalmers will be giving this year’s LSE ‘Europe in Question’ Series (LEQS) lecture.

The elections have significant implications for the UK’s future in the European Union (EU), while simultaneous developments on the continent pose questions of how the EU itself will change in the foreseeable future. At this defining moment, Professor Chalmers will address the issue of political community and the role of EU law.

The editors of the LEQS Discussion Paper Series will also announce the winners of the LEQS Doctoral Paper Award at the event.

On: Monday 11 May from 6.30-8pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Paul Kennedy (pictured), J Richardson Dilworth Professor of History, Director of International Security Studies at Yale, and Distinguished Fellow of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy.

The rise of the West was by no mean inevitable. But a number of crucial changes from the explosion of sea-faring in the 16th century through the spread of the steam engine to the incredible surge in American industrial productivity in the years before World War I made it both unstoppable and irreversible. Taken together these underlying tectonic shifts - occurring below the surface of what Fernand Braudel has termed ‘the history of events’ - transformed the global system and paved the way for the creation of what was to become the modern world.

On: Monday 11 May from 6.30-8pm in the Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street

Paul Dolan (pictured), Professor of Behavioural Science at LSE and bestselling author of Happiness by Design, will host an engaging and personal account of his experience living as a stammerer at a fundraising evening for Action for Stammering Children.

Paul will be joined by Elaine Kelman who runs the Michael Palin Centre where Paul received transformative therapy for his stammer. The Centre is supported by Action for Stammering Children, who, along with the British Stammering Association, will benefit from the proceeds from the ticket sales.

There will be a live Q&A session with the whole audience and a book signing at the end.

The Great Disruption - LSE Entrepreneurship event with Adrian Wooldridge, management editor of The Economist

On: Tuesday 12 May from 6.30pm in the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building

Disruptive forces have reshaped our world faster than ever before. New technologies are shaking industries to their foundations. Emerging countries are gathering strength. A new generation of entrepreneurs are experimenting with powerful combinations of new technologies and new business models.

Adrian Wooldridge (pictured), The Economist’s management editor and author of the Schumpeter column, will talk about how we can understand this new world order, and discuss how we can cope with the downsides while exploiting the upsides.

The Colombian Transition: peacemaking and peace building in context

On: Tuesday 12 May from 6.30-7.45pm in the Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Sergio Jaramillo Caro, High Commissioner for Peace of the Government of Colombia.

This event expects to discuss the current status and prospects of the peace negotiations and the future implementation of the agreements. It is also part of an important and interdisciplinary effort made by LSE, through LSE IDEAS, to further engage with the Colombian peace process and its future implementation along with the regional impacts of such enterprise.

Mr Jaramillo Caro will give a first-hand account of the current condition and future prospects of the peace negotiations and emphasise the need to implement a comprehensive model of territorial peace that combines peace building and transitional justice. Mr Jaramillo will reflect on the dilemmas of peacemaking and peace building in the Colombian context.

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
 

Join LSE Arts on Friday 29 May for some live music and free drinks at the final LSE Chill of the year.

Acts on the night include David Lewis, Head of Department of Social Policy, student solo performers Misha Chapman and Dominic Tighe, and student band Kim Kierkegaardashian and the Kantye Wests.

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