At a time when leading politicians and international commentators have warned of an absence of strategic thinking, the London School of Economics is doing something about it. Building on its reputation as a centre for socio-political and business thinking, the LSE's centre for diplomacy and international strategy, IDEAS, is launching a unique new course to help future leaders.
The programme| is intended for those dealing with international and military affairs, global business and finance. The new course addresses the threats and risks that could arise in the future and techniques for assessing and addressing them. But it is for the select few. 21 participants (senior FCO, and MOD strategists, from international banking and finance, and foreign diplomatic missions based here in London) will be taking part of this Masters course.
The course takes a fresh look at the threats and risks that could arise in the years ahead, new techniques for providing more robust assessments of them and, above all, at the various strategies and the techniques that can be used to address them. The course includes some innovative and challenging strategic exercises.
Fifty three (53) LSE and external academics, and senior policy practitioners will be involved in teaching and coaching on the course — Professors Danny Quah| (currently on Malaysia's National Economic Advisory council), strategy specialist Christopher Coker|, Michael Cox| (US foreign policy expert), business school dean Saul Estrin|, and Russia expert Margot Light|. High-powered former diplomats and senior government advisors will also be lending their insight and expertise to the course, including Prime Minister Tony Blair's former chief of staff Jonathan Powell; Sir David Manning, who served as Britain's ambassador to the US, NATO and Israel; and Sir Richard Mottram, who was the permanent secretary at the British Ministry of Defence and Chairman of the UK's Joint Intelligence Committee. Howard Davis, the former Director of the LSE, and Deputy Governor of the Bank of England and Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, and Gordon Barrass|, another leading British diplomat and former member of the Joint Intelligence Committee, will also be actively involved. Other experts with extensive knowledge of Chinese and South East Asian economic and political affairs who will be involved in the programme include Professor Arne Westad|, and Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid|, chairman of Malaysian Airlines and the head of LSE IDEAS's Southeast Asia International Affairs Programme.
This MSc Diplomacy and International Strategy| course has been carefully tailored to take account of the fact that participants can spare little time away from their high pressure jobs. So it has been distilled into four intensive one-week study sessions, 20 evening seminars, two policy weekend discussions and institutional visits spread across one academic year. Participants will not be taught in a conventional way, but will be coached and have plenty of opportunities to discuss issues with top practitioners who have faced tough decisions, and been involved in critical negotiations.
Professor Michael Cox, the course director of LSE, said|: 'This course is the first of its kind because it looks firmly to the future, is grounded in a deep understanding of political, economic and military issues, and based on shrewd insights into how the art of thinking strategically can be revitalised.'
'With so many highly experienced diplomatic and political figures joining the academic team to lead discussion and analysis, it's certain that the course will be as compelling as it will be demanding.'