Conferences, workshops and seminars
Upcoming conferences, workshops and seminars
Status mobility in China: past and present
Wednesday 4 March 2026, 12.30 to 1.30pm. In-person and online seminar. LSE Centre Building 2.06.Speaker:
Professor Steven Durlauf, Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor and Director of the Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility, University of Chicago Harris School of Public PolicyThis talk will describe intergenerational mobility in China for two distinct epochs: the last 120 years of the Qing Dynasty and the last 30 years for modern China. Novel Markov chain approaches to measuring mobility are employed which provide insights into transitional versus long run mobility patterns for the two periods.
Polarising perceptions, converging preferences: How inflation narratives shape inequality beliefs and policy support
Monday 9 March 2026, 12.30 to 1.30pm. Online seminar.Speaker:
Victoria Hünewaldt, PhD candidate, University of SienaIn a nationally representative online survey experiment with 4,000 respondents in Germany, we study how inflation narratives shape beliefs about the distributional consequences of inflation and attitudes toward mitigating policies. We first elicit respondents’ top-of-mind narratives for the recent surge in inflation using an open-ended question. We find that respondents predominantly attribute recent inflation to the war in Ukraine and to supply-side shocks. Participants are then randomly exposed to one of three newspaper-based narratives emphasising either pent-up demand, the energy price crisis, or corporate price-gouging. In the control group, participants perceive lower income households as well as small and medium-sized firms to be disproportionately burdened by inflation, and a majority of proposed mitigation policies receives broad public support.
Inequality and the global economy: new evidence from the World Inequality Report 2026
Wednesday 11 March 2026, 12.30 to 1.30pm. In-person and online seminar. LSE Centre Building 2.03.Speakers:
Dr Lucas Chancel, Associate Professor of Economics, Sciences Po; Co-Director, World Inequality Lab, Paris School of Economics
Ricardo Gómez-Carrera, Research Economist, World Inequality Lab; Co-Editor of the World Inequality Report 2026World Inequality Report 2026, the latest flagship publication of the World Inequality Lab, provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of contemporary global inequalities. Drawing on newly harmonized evidence from household surveys, national accounts, rich lists, and other original sources, the report delivers the most up-to-date picture of inequality worldwide. It shows that inequality extends far beyond income and wealth, encompassing climate responsibility, gender relations, access to human capital, the structure of the global financial system, and deepening political divides. This presentation examines these dynamics and their consequences for democratic politics, including electoral outcomes, campaign finance, and the erosion of redistributive coalitions. It concludes by discussing policy pathways to curb extreme inequality—from global tax coordination to monetary and financial innovation—offering a concrete roadmap for systemic change.
Climate Inequalities Mini-Conference
19 March 2026
The Economics of Environmental Inequality programme are co-hosting the second Economics of Environment and Energy mini-conference on the topic of Climate Inequalities. Stephane Hallegate (the World Bank’s Chief Economic Advisor for Climate) will be presenting alongside another speaker (TBC). The programme will also include short student 'egg-timer’ presentations, offering an opportunity to receive feedback on research.
If you are interested in presenting, please email Agnes Norris Keiller (a.norris-keiller@lse.ac.uk).
Beyond the Divide: Early-Career Conference on Political Dimensions of Urban and Rural Life
Co-hosted by the International Inequalities Institute and the Department of Government23 – 24 April 2026
We invite submissions for the Early-Career Conference on the Political Dimensions of Urban and Rural Life co-hosted by the LSE International Inequalities Institute and the LSE Department of Government. This conference is designed to support the development of early-career scholars (PhD students, post docs and assistant professors) working in political science, geography, sociology, urban studies, economics, and other related fields. The conference welcomes research examining urban politics, rural politics, or comparative analyses between contexts.
Please complete the submission form by Friday 13 February 2026. Notifications of acceptance will be sent in early March 2026. Draft papers are due by 6 April 2026 for pre-circulation.
12 facts about poverty and homelessness in the U.S.
Tuesday 28 April 2026, 12.30 to 1.30pm. In-person and online seminar. LSE Centre Building 2.03.Speaker:
Professor Bruce D. Meyer, McCormick Foundation Professor, University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy
World Inequality Conference
Co-sponsored by the International Inequalities InstituteThursday 4 June - Saturday 6 June 2026. Paris School of Economics.
The International Inequalities Institute is supporting the the third edition of the World Inequality Conference, organised by the World Inequality Lab. The conference will be structured around three pillars:
1. Release of the Global Justice Report: The report will explore what a just distribution of socioeconomic and environmental resources could look like at the global level from 2026 to 2100 – both between and within countries – in a way that is compatible with planetary boundaries.
2. Keynote Sessions: Speakers will include academics, policymakers and writers.3
3. Paper Presentations: Accepted submissions will be organized into parallel theme-wise sessions.Please note that the call for papers is now closed and won't be accepting any further submissions.
General public registration opens on 15 April 2026 and closes on 15 May 2026.