In 2006 the School obtained the right to confer our own degrees and the first LSE degree was conferred in 2008.
In recent years, LSE has continued to perform well in league tables and research impact exercises.
Another area of focus has been developing our campus in the heart of London. We have established a presence on Lincoln’s Inn Fields. The New Academic Building, renamed in 2023 to the Cheng Kin Ku Building, designed by Grimshaw, opened in 2008, and in 2013, 32 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, renamed in 2023 to the Sir Arthur Lewis Building, became the home of the Department of Economics and related research centres.
The School’s first new build for 40 years was the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre. Designed by O'Donnell & Tuomey, the building was shortlisted for the 2014 Stirling Prize.
Today the Centre Buildings Redevelopment has re-shaped Houghton Street and Clare Market and won numerous awards, while the Marshall Building at 44 Lincoln’s Inn Fields is the latest building to transform campus life.
Our 125th anniversary celebrations in 2020 took place in the midst of a global pandemic. Part of our COVID-19 response was the Shaping the Post-COVID World initiative, demonstrating the importance of social science research and investigation to the world we live in.
In 2022, LSE’s outstanding contribution to social science research was once again recognised by the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The Understanding the UK Economy initiative seeks to showcase LSE research and commentary on the state of the UK economy and its future.
LSE continues to develop and change but our founding purpose remains as important as ever.