Religion for Atheists [Audio]

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alain de Botton | Is it possible to remain a committed atheist but nevertheless benefit from the wisdom of religion? Marking the publication of his new book Religion for Atheists|, Alain de Botton proposes that we look to religions for insights into how we might live in and arrange our societies.

The Pattern of the Past in North Africa [Audio]

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr James McDougall | South Asia, China, Europe, North America, sub-Saharan Africa: most major world regions have histories that can be clearly characterised. The Maghrib, despite being perhaps historically the first region to be provided with a model of historical development (by Ibn Khaldun), remains to a large degree unidentifiable with its own distinctive 'pattern of the past'. This may be changing as scholarship focuses more on global, cross-regional, and interactive histories in which North Africa, as a 'hinge' at the edge of three continents, can easily and productively be placed. But does this approach risk misconstruing North Africa's own particularities? How can regional and global histories together best account for North Africa's place in world history? Dr James McDougall| is Laithwaite Fellow and tutor in modern history at Trinity College. His research interest includes Modern and contemporary Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, African and Islamic history, especially Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco.

A Tale of Tottenham: race, riots and the future [Audio]

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Lammy MP | The riots across England in the summer of 2011 were sparked by events in Tottenham, north London. Tottenham was also the site of the Broadwater Farm riots in 1985. David Lammy, MP for the area, reflects on the causes of these events and what role racial inequality played. David Lammy has been the Labour MP for Tottenham since 2000. Rob Berkeley is Director of the Runnymede Trust.

Portugal: restoring credibility and confidence [Audio]

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Vítor Gaspar | Vítor Gaspar is Minister of Finance. He was appointed Portuguese Finance Minister in Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho's cabinet in June 2011. Mr Gaspar was an adviser to the Bank of Portugal from February 2010, having been from 2007 Director-General at the Bureau of European Policy Advisers (ERI) with the President of the European Commission. Previously he was Director-General for Research at the European Central Bank for six years. Gaspar was awarded a degree in economics by the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) in 1982, and has a doctorate in economics by the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, awarded in 1988.

God's Jury: The Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World [Audio]

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Cullen Murphy | For centuries states have used their power to censor information, to conduct surveillance, to impose belief, to manipulate and to punish. Cullen Murphy's extraordinary, provocative new book which he will talk about in this lecture explores the idea that the Inquisition - the Catholic body that existed in Europe (and beyond) for over 700 years - is not a medieval oddity, but is intrinsically bound up with the creation of the modern world. Travelling from freshly opened Vatican archives to the detention camps of Guantánamo and the filing cabinets of the Third Reich, he traces the Inquisition's legacy to show how, as time went on, its techniques became the standard operating procedure of secular persecution. Murphy explores the role of the Inquisition in a new phase in the battle between the individual private conscience and the forces that try to contain it. This event marks the publication of his new book God's Jury: The Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World. Cullen Murphy is Vanity Fair's editor at large and the author of Are We Rome? and The Word According to Eve. He was previously managing editor of The Atlantic Monthly.

Outside In: a conversation with Peter Hain [Audio]

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Peter Hain MP | During a discussion on his latest book Outside In|, former anti-apartheid leader turned Labour cabinet minister Peter Hain will recall his campaigning days, receiving a letter bomb, being prosecuted in two political trials and his role in negotiating the historic 2007 settlement in Northern Ireland. He was also Britain's first-ever African-born Africa Minister and a passionate advocate and deliverer of devolved government to Wales. Featuring Iraq, Mugabe, Europe, Gibraltar, blood diamonds, working with MI5 and MI6, delivering justice for workers robbed of their pensions and compensation for sick miners, Hain gives a fascinating insight into life near the top of the Blair and Brown governments. Peter Hain is the Labour MP for Neath and Shadow Secretary of State for Wales. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1991 and after Labour's victory in 1997, joined the Blair government. Firstly at the Welsh Office and then as minister for Africa and then Europe Minister. He also served as Leader of the House of Commons, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. As the son of courageous anti-apartheid activists, he spent his childhood in South Africa and then in exile in Britain, where he led the campaign against white-only sports tours.

Why It's Kicking Off Everywhere: The New Global Revolutions [Audio]

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Paul Mason | Our world is changing dramatically. Social upheaval has followed worldwide economic crisis and the gulf between the haves and the have-nots is widening. In 2011, this profound disconnect found expression in events that we were told had been consigned to history: revolt and revolution. In his new book Why It's Kicking Off Everywhere which he will discuss in this lecture Paul Mason sets out to explore the causes and consequences of this current wave of struggle, illuminating the links between the economic and social crisis. He explores and analyses what lies behind the new revolutions – a volatile combination of the near collapse of free-market capitalism, new technologies and changes in popular culture, and a profound shift in our understanding of what freedom means. Looking at how new social media have impacted on how we behave and organize, Mason interviews activists on the ground and the people behind these new forms of collective action, providing an insight into the agile networks of Twitter- and Facebook-savvy young protesters supporting the viral spread ofinternational activism. The economics editor of the BBC's flagship program Newsnight, Paul Mason is also one of the most influential journalists on twitter. He first reported live for the BBC on 9/11, and covered the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 from outside its New York HQ. His television and online reports have tracked the social and economic impact of the global meltdown from the mean streets of Gary, Indiana to the elite salons of Davos.

From Regional to Global Players: The Emergence of Asian Firms in the Global Economy [Audio]

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Henry Wai-chung Yeung | In this lecture, Henry Wai-chung Yeung will aim to explain how a number of leading business firms from Asian newly industrialized economies (NIEs) of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan are articulated into global production networks and become major players in their respective market niches. Drawing upon a triangular analytical framework and original empirical data, he will seek to explain the complex relationships between the dynamic articulation of these leading Asian firms into different global production networks and their simultaneous upgrading from typical followers to market leaders. He will argue that the interplay between corporate strategies and home base advantages within the context of changing global production networks can offer a better explanation of the differentiated competitive outcomes of these Asian firms. He will conclude the lecture with some implications for theory and policy in relation to corporate development in Asian economies. Born in Guangzhou, China, Henry Wai-chung Yeung emigrated with my family to Hong Kong in 1979 moving to Singapore in 1988. He graduated with B.A. First Class Honours in Geography from the National University of Singapore and obtained his Ph.D. from the School of Geography, University of Manchester in England in 1995, returning to Singapore to start his career at the Department of Geography, National University of Singapore. Since 2005, he has been Professor of Economic Geography. His research interests cover broadly theories and the geography of transnational corporations, Asian firms and their overseas operations and Chinese business networks in the Asia-Pacific region. I have conducted extensively research on Hong Kong firms in Southeast Asia, the regionalization of Singaporean companies, and the emergence of leading Asian firms in the global economy. The National University of Singapore (NUS) and LSE are both top-ranked, research-led universities. NUS is one of just five institutions with which LSE is developing multi-faceted partnerships for mutual benefit of staff and students. This is the 2nd of a new "LSE-NUS" public lecture series, which seeks to provide a global platform to increase the profile and impact of prominent researchers.

Ten Reasons Why India Will Not and Should Not Become a Superpower [Audio]

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Ramachandra Guha | High annual growth rates, a rising middle class, and successes in the software sector have led to much talk of India becoming a superpower. But rather than seek to expand India's influence abroad, the political class and intellectual elite would do well to focus on the fissures within. Ramachandra Guha is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS for 2011-2012.

Dangers and Demon(izer)s of Democratization in Egypt: Through an Indonesian Glass, Darkly [Audio]

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Sidel | Editor's note: Unfortunately the last few minutes of the question and answer session are missing from the podcast. Over the past several months, an alarmist picture of developments in Egypt has emerged in the media, raising the spectre of Islamization, inter-religious violence, and generalized criminality and disorder. Yet these early signs of trouble are amply familiar to observers of transitions from authoritarian rule to democracy elsewhere in the developing world. In particular, the case of Indonesia is especially instructive, given a set of striking parallels with Egypt today. Against this backdrop, Professor John Sidel, author of Riots, Pogroms, Jihad: Religious Violence in Indonesia (Cornell University Press, 2006) will discuss democratization in Egypt in the light of Indonesia's experience over the past thirteen years since the fall of long-time president Suharto (Indonesia's Mubarak) in 1998. His lecture will reveal what Indonesia's experience of democratization portends for Egypt in the months and years. John Sidel is the Sir Patrick Gillam Professor of International and Comparative Politics at LSE. Professor Sidel specializes in the study of Southeast Asia and has three main areas of thematic expertise and interest in the study of politics, as reflected in his research, writing, and teaching: local politics, religion and politics, and nationalism and transnational forces.

Histories of International Law: dealing with Eurocentrism [Audio]

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Martti Koskenniemi | Martti Koskenniemi is director of the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights and visiting professor at LSE Law.

The Geostrategic Importance of Cyprus: long term trends and prospects [Audio]

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis | Placed at the crossroads of three continents, Cyprus remains of key strategic importance in the Eastern Mediterranean. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis is the minister of foreign affairs for Cyprus.

The Obamas: A Mission, A Marriage [Audio]

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jodi Kantor, Professor Sarah Churchwell | Jodi Kantor will be in conversation with Professor Sarah Churchwell to discuss her new book The Obamas: A Mission, A Marriage which is an intimate portrait of the Obamas in the White House by a New York Times journalist who has been covering the President and first lady for 5 years. The Obamas had never lived together full-time as a family until they moved into the White House - and that's where their political and personal lives became inextricable. Kantor interviewed the Obamas together in the Oval Office and is the only author to be granted access to Michelle Obama's East Wing. Filled with detail and insight into their partnership and personalities, The Obamas: A Mission, A Marriage reveals the hidden aspects of their time in the White House. With a keen eye for the ironies of public life and the realities of power, Kantor brings into sharp focus the question that underpins the Obamas' marriage: can politics achieve real change in society? Jodi Kantor began her journalism career by dropping out of Harvard Law School to join Slate.com in 1998. Four years later, she became the youngest section editor of The New York Times, taking over and revamping the Arts & Leisure section. She began covering the Obamas for the paper in 2007, writing front-page stories that chronicled their biographies and philosophies, and also writing about Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin and other major political figures along the way. She is a recipient of the Columbia Young Alumni Achievement Award, she was chosen by Crain's Magazine as one of "40 Under 40" New Yorkers, and she appears regularly on American television, including Today and the Charlie Rose Show. Sarah Churchwell is Professor of American Literature and Public Understanding of the Humanities. Her research and teaching expertise are in 20th-21st century and contemporary American literature and culture; American film history and theory, gender theory; cultural studies and popular culture; life-writing and literary theory.

The Soviet Union's Collapse: causes and consequences [Audio]

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Rodric Braithwaite, Andrei Grachev, Professor Margot Light | What were the origins of the collapse of the USSR? What did 1991 look and feel like from the inside? What is the legacy of 1991 for the former USSR itself? This expert panel will reflect on how history unfolded. Rodric Braithwaite was British Ambassador to Moscow from 1988 to 1992. Andrei Grachev served on the International Relations Department of the CPSU and was confidant and official spokesman for Mikhail Gorbachev. Margot Light is Professor Emeritus in the Department of International Relations, LSE.

Willpower: Self-Control, Decision Fatigue, and Energy Depletion [Audio]

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Roy F Baumeister | A new understanding of how people control themselves has emerged from the past decade of research studies. Self-control depends on a limited energy supply, and each person's willpower fluctuates during the day as various events deplete and then replenish it. Decision making and creative initiative also deplete the same willpower supply, while eating and sleeping can restore it. Some circumstances propel people to perform well despite depleted willpower, including power and leadership roles, local incentives, and personal beliefs. People with high self-control specialize less in resisting temptation than avoiding it. Roy F Baumeister is one of the world's most influential psychologists. He received his PhD from Princeton in 1978 and currently is Francis Eppes Eminent Scholar and head of the psychology programme at Florida State University. He was over 450 scientific publications, and Willpower: Rediscovering Our Greatest Strength is his latest book.

Bottom-up Politics: an agency-centred approach to globalisation [Audio]

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Helmut Anheier, Professor Mient Jan Faber, Professor Marlies Glasius, Professor Mary Kaldor | The panel will discuss the political implications of giving power to ordinary people in an era when the nation-state has lost its primacy as a political actor. The event launches the book Bottom-up Politics: an agency-centred approach to globalisation. Helmut Anheier is professor of sociology at the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin. Mient Jan Faber is Professor Emeritus at the Free Universit, Amsterdam and visiting professor at the University of Houston. Marlies Glasius is Professor of Citizens Involvement in War Zones and Post-Conflict Zones at the Faculty of Social Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, and a Visiting Fellow at the LSE Human Security and Civil Society Research Unit. Mary Kaldor is professor of Global Governance and director of the Civil Society and Human Security Research Unit, LSE.

How Labour's traditions can renew Beveridge for the 21st century [Audio]

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Liam Byrne MP | As we enter the year of the Beveridge Report's 70th Anniversary, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Liam Byrne MP, sets out Labour's case for welfare reform. Liam Byrne is Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and Coordinator of Labour's policy review. Elected in 2004, Liam held several ministerial positions in the Labour Government before becoming Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2009. Before entering politics Liam co-founded the eCommerce business egsgroup.com, and worked as a banker with NM Rothschilds. He was a Fulbright scholar at the Harvard Business School where he took his MBA with honours.

Negotiating Transitions: Arab Armies in Politics [Audio]

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Yezid Sayigh | The construction of authoritarian power in Arab states over past decades has enmeshed national armies in political, economic, and social structures and dynamics. Democratic transition therefore implicates constitutional debates about the nature of the state with renegotiation of the role and status of the military. Yezid Sayigh is a senior associate at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, where his work focuses on the future political role of Arab armies, the resistance and reinvention of authoritarian regimes, and the Israel-Palestine conflict and peace process.

The Global Banking Crisis: an African banker's response [Audio]

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi | Against the backdrop of the ongoing global banking crisis, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi discusses the economic problems and prospects of sub-Saharan Africa over the decade ahead. Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The State of the World Economy in 2012 [Audio]

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jean-Michel Severino, Martin Wolf | Two economic experts discuss the state of the world economy after the eurozone financial crisis. Jean Michel Severino is inspector general at the French Ministry of Finance. Martin Wolf is a journalist at the Financial Times.

EU Foreign Policy after Lisbon: The View from the Mediterranean [Audio]

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Atila Eralp, Professor Richard Gillespie, Dr Sharon Pardo | This roundtable on 'EU Foreign Policy after Lisbon: The View from the Mediterranean' looks at how the EU is perceived as a foreign policy actor in its southern neighbourhood. Professor Atila Eralp is from the Middle East Technical University, Ankara; Professor Richard Gillespie is from the University of Liverpool and Dr Sharon Pardo is from Ben Gurion University. Professor Karen E Smith is from LSE.

Paper Promises: Money, Debt and the new World Order [Audio]

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Philip Coggan | The world is drowning in debt. Greece is on the verge of default. In Britain, the coalition government is pushing through an austerity programme in the face of economic weakness. The US government almost shut down in August because of a dispute over the size of government debt. Our latest crisis may seem to have started in 2007, with the collapse of the American housing market. But as Philip Coggan shows in this new book, Paper Promises: Money, Debt and the new World Order which he will talk about in this lecture, the crisis is part of an age-old battle between creditors and borrowers. And that battle has been fought over the nature of money. Creditors always want sound money to ensure that they are paid back in full; borrowers want easy money to reduce the burden of repaying their debts. Money was once linked to gold, a commodity in limited supply; now central banks can create it with the click of a computer mouse. Time and again, this cycle has resulted in financial and economic crises. In the 1930s, countries abandoned the gold standard in the face of the Great Depression. In the 1970s, they abandoned the system of fixed exchange rates and ushered in a period of paper money. The results have been a long series of asset bubbles, from dotcom stocks to housing, and the elevation of the financial sector to economic dominance. The current crisis not only pits creditors against debtors, but taxpayers against public sector workers, young against old and the western world against Asia. As in the 1930s and 1970s, a new monetary system will emerge; the rules for which will likely be set by the world's rising economic power, China. Philip Coggan was a Financial Times journalist for over twenty years, including spells as a Lex columnist, personal finance editor and investment editor, and is now the Buttonwood columnist of The Economist. In 2009, he was awarded the title of Senior Financial Journalist in the Harold Wincott awards and was voted Best Communicator at the Business Journalist of the Year Awards. Philip Coggan is the author of the business classic, The Money Machine.

Margin Call [Audio]

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Bronwyn Curtis, Dr Jon Danielsson, Professor Robert Wade | Editor's note: We apologise for the poor audio quality throughout the panel discussion section of the podcast. LSE Arts are pleased to host a very special screening of the highly anticipated film Margin Call| based on the financial crash – starring Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Paul Bettany and Stanley Tucci and released in UK cinemas on 13 January. Reviewed by The New York Times as "an extraordinary feat of filmmaking", Margin Call is a thriller that revolves around the key people at an investment bank over a 24-hour period during the early stages of the financial crisis. When entry-level analyst Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto) unlocks information that could prove to be the downfall of an investment firm, a roller-coaster ride ensues as decisions both financial and moral catapult the lives of all involved to the brink of disaster. This podcast comprises the introduction and panel discussion that followed the screening. Bronwyn Curtis is Executive Editor and Senior Advisor at HSBC and is co-sponsor of the Balance group. She is also Chairman of the Society of Business Economists, a board member of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, the Council at the London School of Economics and the Advisory Board at Imperial College Business School, as well as a member of The Times newspaper's Shadow Monetary Policy Committee. Previously, Bronwyn was Head of European Broadcasting and Managing Editor at Bloomberg. Her other senior roles include Global Head of Currency and Fixed Income Strategy at Deutsche Bank and Chief Economist at Nomura International. She has also worked for the World Bank and the United Nations on commodity based projects in Africa, LATAM and Asia. Dr Jon Danielsson is a Reader in the Finance Department at LSE. Professor Robert Wade is a Professor in the International Development department at LSE.

Supporting Reform on the Mediterranean's Southern Shores: The Role of Multilateral Cooperation [Audio]

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Lino Cardarelli | After the Arab Spring, lasting political change in North Africa will require sustained regional cooperation to promote economic integration and efficient and accountable governance. What should a bold plan of action look like? Lino Cardarelli is Senior Deputy Secretary General for Project Funding Coordination and Business Development SMEs in the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean, a position he has held since 2010. From March to June 2011 has also covered the position of Acting Secretary General in the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean. Since his return from Baghdad mid-2005, Lino Cardarelli is serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as expert and coordinator of the Italian economic initiatives in the Middle East and Gulf Countries. Before that, during 2004, he had the position as deputy Senior Advisor in Government Authority of Iraq (in Baghdad) where he had also the position at the PMO (Program Management Office) and IRMO (Iraqi Reconstruction Management Office) as coordinator of Donors Countries project, Special Assistant and deputy to the Executive Director Dave Nash. With more than 30 years of International experience working in Africa, Middle East, Latin America, USA and European Countries, he was involved in the management of companies producing and marketing in heavy and specialty chemicals, pharmaceutical, engineering constructions, textiles, machine tools and in the financing of significant projects and the acquisition of companies. Prior to that, he was Chief Financial Officer, General Manager and Managing Director of Montedison Group, one of the leaders in world in chemicals and pharmaceuticals. While in this position he acted as Executive President in the related companies Incas Bonna Spa and Cedar Trading S.A. and as Executive Director of Erbamont and Ausimont. Lino Cardarelli graduated in Economics at the University of Parma (Italy) and attended a semester at the London School of Economics and Political Science (London), at the La Sorbonne (Paris) and at the Salzburg Seminar in American Studies (Salzburg, Austria). He holds a specialization at the Harvard Business School (Boston) in Strategic Finance and has a degree in Business Development at the IMEDE University in Lausanne (Switzerland).

The EU in the global economy: challenges for growth [Audio]

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mario Monti | Mario Monti is Italian Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy and Finance, positions he has held since 16 November 2011. He was President of Bocconi University, Milan, from 1994 to November 2011, when, upon his request, he was suspended from his functions as President of Bocconi for the duration of his mandate as President of the Council of Ministers. He was also European chairman of the Trilateral Commission and honorary president of Bruegel, the European think-tank he launched in 2005. He is the author of the report to the President of the European Commission on "A new strategy for the single market" (May 2010). As the EU-appointed coordinator for the electricity interconnection between France and Spain, he brokered an agreement between the two heads of governments in June 2008. He was a member of the Attali Committee on economic growth in France, set up by President Sarkozy (2007-2008). He was for ten years a member of the European Commission, in charge of the Internal market, Financial services and Tax policy (1995-1999), then of Competition policy (1999-2004). In addition to a number of high-profile cases (e.g. GE/Honeywell, Microsoft, the German Landesbanken), he introduced radical modernisation reforms of EU antitrust and merger control and led, with the US authorities, the creation of the International Competition Network (ICN). Born in Varese, Italy, in 1943, he graduated from Bocconi University and did graduate studies at Yale University. Prior to joining the European Commission, he had been professor of economics and rector at Bocconi University.

Beyond the Eye of the Beholder [Audio]

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Guy Dammann | Everyone admits that there is no fact of the matter about aesthetic judgements. Nonetheless, constantly referring to artistic taste as 'relative' limits the power of art to change us. Guy Dammann is the music critic of the Times Literary Supplement, and a critic and commentator for the Guardian.

Engaging political Islam and the realities of the new Middle East [Audio]

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Wadah Khanfar | The recent elections in Tunisia and Egypt have brought Islamist parties to power, a pattern that may very well repeat itself as uprisings turn to elections across the Arab world. In the west, this phenomenon has led to a debate about the 'problem' of the rise of political Islam. In the Arab world, too, there has been mounting tension between Islamists and secularists. As the Arab uprisings began, Wadah Khanfar, a former foreign correspondent in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, was the top executive at Al Jazeera, arguably the leading media source as the protests have unfolded, until he resigned in September 2011. As a former newsman and now CEO of Integral Media Strategies, Khanfar is in touch with some of the greatest thinkers and influential leaders and activists in the Middle East today and will reflect on what he sees as a necessary and long overdue debate about the rise of political Islam and where, politically and economically, he sees the region shifting as the rise continues. Wadah Khanfar is CEO of Integral Media Strategies and the former director general of the Al Jazeera Network. He began his career with the network in 1997, covering some of the world's key political zones, including South Africa, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was appointed the chief of the Baghdad bureau, and later as the network's managing director. In 2006, he became Al Jazeera's director general. During his 8-year tenure at the helm, the network transformed from a single channel into a media network including Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Documentary and the Al Jazeera Center for Studies. During this period, the Arab world witnessed historic transformation including Arab Awakening. Khanfar, who resigned from the network in September 2011, has been named as one of Foreign Policy's Top 100 global thinkers of 2011 as well as one of Fast Company's 'Most Creative People in Business' of the year. Khanfar has a diverse academic background with post-graduate studies in Philosophy, African Studies, and International Politics. Charlie Beckett is director of POLIS.

Gender and Men's Studies: peril or promise? [Audio]

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Kimmel | We hear, occasionally, that women's studies discriminates against men. More often, it's that women's studies doesn't include men. In this lecture, Kimmel will suggest that women's studies provides an essential framework for understanding men's lives, and that framework actually will enable men to experience richer and fuller lives. By addressing several key thematic areas -- work, family life, sexuality -- he will show that the insights generated by women's studies are both available to men and, indeed, necessary for men to live the lives we say we want to live. Michael Kimmel is among the world's leading researchers on men and masculinities. The University Distinguished Professor of Sociology at State University of New York, Stony Brook, he is the author of the best-seller, Guyland: The perilous World Where Boys Become Men as well as The Gendered Society, Manhood In America, Men's Lives, A Gay's Guide to Feminism, and many other works. He is the founding editor for the scholarly journal Men and Masculinities.

Total Policing: the future of policing in London [Audio]

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Bernard Hogan-Howe | The current commissioner of the Met and former chief constable of Merseyside Police will speak about his hopes and aspirations in relation to the future of policing in the capital. Bernard Hogan-Howe is the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service.

Redesigning the World's Largest Development Programme: EU cohesion policy [Audio]

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Philip McCann | The special adviser to the European Commissioner for Regional Policy will discuss one of the great policy-making challenges of recent times. Professor Philip McCann is special adviser to Johannes Hahn and the University of Groningen Endowed Chair of Economic Geography.

The Lean Startup [Audio]

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Eric Ries | Most new businesses fail. But most of those failures are preventable. The Lean Startup is a new approach to business that's being adopted around the world. It is changing the way companies are built and new products are launched. The Lean Startup is about learning what your customers really want. It's about testing your vision continuously, adapting and adjusting before it's too late. Now is the time to think Lean. This event marks the publication of Eric Ries new book The Lean Startup. Eric Ries is an entrepreneur and author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup and the popular entrepreneurship blog Startup Lessons Learned.He co-founded and served as CTO of IMVU, his third startup. In 2007, BusinessWeek named him one of the Best Young Entrepreneurs of Tech. In 2009, he was honored with a TechFellow award in the category of Engineering Leadership. He serves on the advisory board of a number of technology startups, and has consulted to new and established companies as well as venture capital firms. He is currently serving as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Harvard Business School and a Fellow for IDEO, the design consulting firm. His Lean Startup methodology has been written about in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Harvard Business Review, the Huffington Post, and many blogs.

The Bodhisattva's Brain: Buddhism naturalised [Audio]

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Owen Flanagan | Can Buddhism be re-discovered as a naturalistic and comprehensive philosophy that is compatible with the rest of knowledge, yet capable of pointing us to a path of human flourishing? Owen Flanagan is James B Duke Professor of Philosophy at Duke University.

About time – Examining the case for a shorter working week [Audio]

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Juliet Schor, Professor Lord Skidelsky, Professor Tim Jackson | As the economic crisis deepens, this is the moment to consider moving towards much shorter, more flexible paid working hours – sharing out jobs and unpaid time more fairly across the population. The new economics foundation (nef) set out the case in its report 21 Hours: Why a shorter working week can help us all to flourish in the 21st century. Now, in partnership with CASE (Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion) at the London School of Economics, this event brings together a panel of experts to examine the social, environmental and economic implications. They will consider how far a shorter working week can help to address a range of urgent social, economic and environmental problems: unemployment, over-consumption, high carbon emissions, low well-being and entrenched inequalities. Juliet Schor is Professor of Sociology at Boston College, and author of Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth, and The Overworked American. Professor Lord Skidelsky is Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick and biographer of J. M. Keynes. He is the co-author, with Dr Edward Skidelsky, of the forthcoming book, How Much is Enough? Economics and the Good Life. Tim Jackson is Professor of Sustainable Development at Surrey University, and author of Prosperity without Growth.

Deleveraging and Growth: is the developed world following Japan's long and winding road? [Audio]

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Masaaki Shirakawa | Until a few years ago, the long stagnation of the Japanese economy after the bursting of a credit-fuelled asset bubble in the late 1980s was regarded as an episode that would never be replicated elsewhere in the world. Quite a few commentators argued that the recovery became unnecessarily drawn-out and painful because policy responses were ill-timed and inadequate. Many experts believed that prompt and massive policy responses would save any other economy from the same fate as Japan. Three years after the global economy had nearly suffered a meltdown in late 2008, following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, growth, especially in the developed economies, remains anemic, in spite of the huge fiscal stimulus and decisive monetary easing quickly introduced by governments and central banks. Economists are drawing graphs of current GDP, inflation, property prices and interest rates superimposed with Japanese data from the 1990s, revealing eerily similar patterns. Now, there is a growing fear among the general public of a prolonged period of weak growth in the developed economies, expressed in one word as "Japanization." TMasaaki Shirakawa is the Governor of the Bank of Japan, he will reflect on the experience of Japan leading to and following the bursting of the Japanese bubble, drawing particular attention to the fragility of the recovery under economy-wide deleveraging. There will be a discussion on the similarities and dissimilarities between Japan in the 1990s and the current state of developed economies, with an added emphasis on factors behind the credit and asset-price cycles, including demography, the structure of the labor market and the sectoral distribution of debt. Another issue to be examined is the increasing concerns over the sustainability of government finances after massive fiscal stimuli. The speech will conclude by exploring the role of policy in sustaining and strengthening the recovery under the dual constraint of fiscal sustainability and the zero-bound on nominal interest rates. TMasaaki Shirakawa was born in Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan on September 27, 1949. Governor, Bank of Japan since April 9, 2008; Chair of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Asian Consultative Council since October 2010, and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the BIS since January 2011; Member of the Group of Thirty since August 2009. Graduated from the University of Tokyo with a B.A. in Economics and hired by the Bank of Japan in 1972, he completed his advanced training at the University of Chicago (M.A. in 1977). At the Bank of Japan, his career encompassed both monetary policy and financial stability, and held key positions, including Executive Director (2002 - 2006), responsible for laying the groundwork of Japanese monetary policy decisions. He also had extensive international experience, as the General Manager for the Americas and as the Advisor to the Governor for International Capital Markets. Leaving the Bank in July 2006, he assumed Professorship at the Kyoto University School of Government until March 2008, when he rejoined the Bank.

Is it Time for a Digital Detox? [Audio]

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Daniel Sieberg | At the start of the new year, Daniel Sieberg, author of The Digital Diet: The Four-step Plan to Break your Tech Addiction and Regain Balance in your Life offers timely advice for technology gluttons everywhere, explaining how best to ditch the digital dependency, take back control of your life, restore real relationships, and use technology in a healthier way. Daniel Sieberg works with Google marketing in New York. An Emmy-nominated journalist he is a former technology correspondent for CBS and CNN, and previously hosted science and technology programmes for online channel ABC News NOW.

The Strongman: Vladimir Putin and the struggle for Russia [Audio]

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Angus Roxburgh | Former BBC correspondent Angus Roxburgh talks about his new book on the Putin years and Russia's relationship with the West. Drawing on exclusive interviews conducted for a new BBC documentary series, he describes Putin's descent into authoritarianism, and also argues that the West threw away chances to bring Russia in from the cold, by failing to understand its fears and aspirations following the collapse of communism. This event marks the publication of Angus Roxburgh's latest book The Strongman: Vladimir Putin and the struggle for Russia. Angus Roxburgh is one of Britain's most distinguished foreign correspondents. An author and renowned journalist, he was the Sunday Times Moscow Correspondent in the mid-1980s and the BBC's Moscow correspondent during the Yeltsin years. He is the author of The Second Russian Revolution and Pravda: Inside the Soviet Press Machine.

The Year of Egypt's Second Revolution, the Balance Sheet So Far [Audio]

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Roger Owen | Professor Owen will look at Egypt's Tahrir Square revolution in the light of the revolutions of 1919 and 1952, drawing on them to indicate some of the problems and possibilities ahead. Roger Owen is A J Meyer Professor of Middle East History at Harvard University.

The Concept of Dignity among Palestinian Youth: An Exploratory Pilot Study [Audio]

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Rita Giacaman | How do young Palestinians define dignity? What is the importance of dignity in their lives? What would increase or decrease their sense of dignity? Following a pilot project which included 102 interviews with young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years old in Ramallah, Professor Rita Giacaman's presentation will outline the main findings of the research which focused on young Palestinian's reflections on dignity. Rita Giacaman is a professor of public health at the Institute of Community and Public Heath at Birzeit University. She is a founding member of the institute and has worked there for 34 years. Giacaman has chronicled the effects of the Israeli military occupation, and has advocated for women to have a prominent role in an eventual Palestinian state.

British Journal of Industrial Relations (BJIR): 50th Anniversary Conference panel discussion [Audio]

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ed Heery, John Kelly, David Metcalf | "The unsolved problems in the research of work and employment" – a round table discussion among former BJIR chief editors.

China Model 2 [Audio]

Thu, 8 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Kent Deng, Professor Jude Howell, Professor Athar Hussain | Against all previous predictions China has been completely transformed. This raises the question of the "China Model" that we are still trying to understand for the 21st century. Kent Deng is a reader in the Department of Economic History, LSE. Jude Howell is professor in LSE's Department of International Development. Athar Hussain is director of the Asia Research Centre at LSE.

The US and the Arab Revolutions [Audio]

Thu, 8 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor William Quandt | The US has been an active player in the Middle East over the past century, but has been of minor relevance during the Arab uprisings of 2011. The upheaval, however, will have deep implications for US policy in the region. William Quandt is a professor in the Department of Politics at the University of Virginia.

A New Synthesis of Public Administration: serving in the 21st century [Audio]

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jocelyne Bourgon | Crises, cascading failures, and unpredictable shocks characterise the world we live in. Jocelyne Bourgon will map out an enabling framework for governing in the 21st century. Jocelyne Bourgon has led ambitious public sector reforms as secretary to the Cabinet of Canada. She is president of PGI (Public Governance International) and author of A New Synthesis of Public Administration: serving in the 21st century.

EU Foreign Policy after Lisbon: the role of parliaments in EU foreign policy-making [Audio]

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Brendan Donnelly, Mike Gapes MP, Lord Teverson, Professor Wolfgang Wagner | In this second roundtable in a series on 'EU Foreign Policy after Lisbon' the LSE's European Foreign Policy Unit invites distinguished policy-makers and scholars to discuss the role and impact of parliaments in EU foreign policy-making. Brendan Donnelly is at the Federal Trust and former MEP. Mike Gapes is former Chairman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select CommitteeLord Teverson is the Chairman, Sub-Committee C - Foreign Affairs, Defence and Development, House of Lords. Professor Wolfgang Wagner is from the University of Amsterdam.

Rules and Representations: desire from an evolutionary point of view [Audio]

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Armin Schulz | Many organisms make decisions using only reflexes and drives; some, however, do so by employing explicit representations of their goals. Why would they do this? Armin Schulz is lecturer in philosophy at the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, LSE.

New Strategies for Disaster Response: How the increased frequency and intensity of disasters will reshape the EU approach [Audio]

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Kristalina Georgieva | Kristalina Georgieva is European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. Before joining the European Commission in February 2010, she held various positions at the World Bank. She started working there in 1993, initially as Environmental Economist, then Senior Environmental Economist. She continued as Sector Manager on Environment for the East Asia and Pacific Region, and later became the Director in charge of World Bank environmental strategy, policies and lending. In 2004 her work took me to Moscow, where she was World Bank Director for the Russian Federation, responsible for a large portfolio of World Bank projects in tax administration, customs, education, health, environment and regional development. In 2007-2008 she held the position of Director for Sustainable Development and, finally was appointed Vice President and Corporate Secretary of the World Bank Group. At this post, she acted as the interlocutor between the World Bank's senior management, its Board of Directors and the 186 countries that make up the World Bank Group shareholders. Ms Georgieva obtained her MA in Political Economy and Sociology at the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria. Her PhD in Economic Science was granted by the same university, for her dissertation on Environmental Policy. Between 1977 and 1993, she worked as associate professor at the University of National and World Economy. During this period she was also a Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and spent one year as Visiting Professor at Fiji's University of the South Pacific and the Australian National University. In 1991 she went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she did post-graduate research in environmental policy, co-led a course on economies in transition, and consulted on environmental policy in Eastern Europe.

The Price of Civilization: economics and ethics after the fall [Audio]

Mon, 5 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Jeffrey Sachs | The world economy remains in a precarious state after the global recession. Jeffrey Sachs will discuss why we must – and how we can– change our entire economic culture in the time of crisis. Jeffrey Sachs is director of The Earth Institute and Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development and professor of health policy and management at Columbia University.

Global Political Challenges: women advancing democracy [Audio]

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Madeleine Korbel Albright | Former US secretary of state Madeleine Korbel Albright will address the future of US foreign policy and the leadership of women in helping to build prosperity, foster peace, and promote democracy across the globe. Madeleine Albright was the 64th secretary of state of the United States (1997-2001) and is professor in the practice of diplomacy at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.

Aung San Suu Kyi and the revolution of the spirit [Audio]

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Peter Popham | Twenty-three years after an uprising involving millions, and 21 years after elections which Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won by a landslide, Burma remains in the grip of the military regime, now ruling through pseudo-democratic proxies. Has the 'Oxford housewife's' so-called 'revolution of the spirit' been a complete wash-out? What lessons does Burma's bleak recent history hold for the rest of the world? This event celebrates the publication of Popham's new book The Lady And The Peacock: The Life of Aung San Suu Kyi. Peter Popham has toured Burma as an undercover journalist several times since his first visit to the country in 1991. A foreign correspondent and commentator with the Independent newspaper, he covered South Asia (including Burma) for a period in the late 90s. Popham interviewed Suu Kyi when she was released from house arrest in 2002, and met her again in 2011.

Families and young people in troubled neighbourhoods [Audio]

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Iain Duncan Smith, Professor Anne Power, Professor Jane Waldfogel | The Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion tracked 200 families bringing up children in deprived neighbourhoods over ten years. The families told us a lot about their biggest worries and greatest needs. Streets and parks are unsafe; local facilities cost too much; energetic teenagers are not allowed to go further afield for fear of trouble so they often hang out on local streets. The thing families wanted most was for more for young people to do. Joblessness among low-skilled young people is extremely high in East London and other poor areas. Employers lose confidence and look for more highly qualified, more experienced and more privileged recruits, creating a vicious cycle for young people from troubled neighbourhoods. Families strive hard for their children, but young people need support. Parents told us what helps most and what works best. They explained what pushes families over the brink. The riots this summer showed how fragile society’s hold is on community resilience, and how many parents fail to control or contain their young people. Most people brought to trial after the riots came from highly disadvantaged and fragmented urban communities. Iain Duncan Smith, will talk about the importance of families to society; and explain how we can create better futures for our most disadvantaged children. Education, Sure Start for all ages, crime prevention, job training, outdoor space and youth activities all build community resilience. Professor Anne Power and Professor Jane Waldfogel will respond. Iain Duncan Smith has been Secretary of State for the UK’s Department for Work and Pensions since the 2010 General Election. He has served as MP for the Chingford and Woodford Green constituency since April 1992 and has held a number of roles in Government, including Leader of the Opposition when he led the Conservative Party from September 2001 until November 2003. In 2004, he subsequently founded the influential think tank, the Centre for Social Justice, which worked to develop innovative policies on tackling poverty and welfare reform. In his early career, Iain Duncan Smith served in the Scots Guards and worked with the General Electric Company.

Perspectives on Taste – Philosophy and Neuroscience: the nature of tastes and tasting [Audio]

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Barry Smith | This lecture will explore the philosophy and neuroscience of taste and what it tells us about perception. Barry Smith is professor of philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London and director of the Institute of Philosophy, School of Advanced Study, University of London.

Arab Nationalism, Islamism and the Arab Uprising [Audio]

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sadik Al Azm | Al-Azm, one of the Middle East's most notable contemporary thinkers, will reflect on the effects of the Arab uprisings on Arab nationalism and Islamist movements. Sadik Al Azm is emeritus professor of modern European philosophy at the University of Damascus.

WikiLeaks: news in the networked era [Audio]

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Charlie Beckett | This lecture will tell the story of WikiLeaks, the most controversial journalism organisation of the digital age. Led by the charismatic Julian Assange it has produced the biggest leak of secret information in modern times. It has grown from a 'hactavist' whistle-blowing website to one of the best-known media brands in the world, working with major newspapers like the New York Times and The Guardian. It has taken on the most powerful nation in the world and produced headlines around the globe. WikiLeaks has also provoked condemnation for its disregard for conventional journalistic ethics and its disruption of diplomacy. Its founder Julian Assange has fallen out with almost all of his external collaborators and is subject to accusations of sexual assault. This lecture will ask whether WikiLeaks is a model for investigative journalism in the Internet age or a one-off experiment that has gone awry. Charlie Beckett is the director of Polis, the LSE's media think-tank. He was a journalist at the BBC and ITN's Channel 4 News for 20 years before joining the LSE. He is a leading expert on how journalism is changing and the impact on politics in the UK and internationally. He is an influential journalism/politics blogger, writes and broadcasts for international media and speaks at conferences around the world. Beckett is a faculty member of the LSE's Department of Media and Communications where he teaches critical studies in International Journalism and runs the Polis Summer School. He is a trustee of Article 19, the Institute for Development Studies and the Media Society. His new book WikiLeaks: News in the networked era (Polity) examines the effect of WikiLeaks and asks how it relates to new forms of political communications such as the use of social media in the Arab Uprisings.

1989 and EU-enlargement: Austria's role in European politics [Audio]

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Heinz Fischer | In spring 2010, Dr. Heinz Fischer was re-elected as Federal President of the Republic of Austria by popular vote for his second term. His political career includes Speaker of the Austrian Parliament from 1990-2002, various posts in the Austrian Social Democratic Party, the Party of European Socialists, MP as well as a ministerial post. President Fischer is also a professor of political science at Innsbruck University and has published widely including on legal issues.

For Love and Money: the distinctive features of care work [Audio]

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nancy Folbre | For Love and Money, a forthcoming book edited by Nancy Folbre provides an overview of care provision in the United States and develops a framework for the analysis of existing care policies. Nancy Folbre is Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research explores the interface between political economy and feminist theory, with a particular emphasis on the value of unpaid care work. In addition to numerous articles published in academic journals, she is the author of Greed, Lust, and Gender: A History of Economic Ideas (Oxford, 2009), Valuing Children: Rethinking the Economics of the Family (Harvard, 2008), Who Pays for the Kids?: Gender and the Structures of Constraint (Routledge, 1994) and co-editor, with Michael Bittman, of Family Time: The Social Organization of Care (Routledge, 2004). Books she has written for a wider audience include Saving State U (New Press, 2010); The Field Guide to the U.S. Economy (with James Heintz and Jonathan Teller-Elsberg, New Press, 2006 and earlier editions), The Invisible Heart: Economics and Family Values (New Press, 2001), and The War on the Poor: A Defense Manual (with Randy Albelda, New Press, 1996). She currently coordinates a working group on care work sponsored by the Russell Sage Foundation. You can read her regular contribution to the New York Times Economix Blog. For more information, see her personal website. This event will be introduced by Professor Sarah Ashwin.

Jawaharlal Nehru and China: a study in failure? [Audio]

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Ramachandra Guha | Jawaharlal Nehru, the man most identified with Indian foreign policy after independence, is remembered for what is considered his greatest failure: the China policy and disastrous war of 1962. But is it fair to hold Nehru responsible for a conflict that arose out of the rise of two competing nationalisms? Ramachandra Guha is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS for 2011-2012.

On Love [Audio]

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr David Bell, Professor Simon May | Is genuine love unconditional, or enduring, or disinterested? Simon May says 'no' and offers an alternative theory. David Bell responds with a psychoanalytic perspective. David Bell is president of The British Psychoanalytic Society and a consultant psychiatrist in the Adult Department at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. Simon May is visiting professor of philosophy at King's College London's Department of Philosophy.

Herd Behaviour and Keeping up with the Joneses [Audio]

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Andrew Oswald | Herd behaviour is often natural and individually rational, but it has the potential to be disastrous for the group. In this lecture, Andrew Oswald will discuss human herd behaviour and its links to 'keeping up with the Joneses'. Andrew Oswald is professor of economics at Warwick University, a visiting fellow at IZA Bonn and an editor of the journal Science.

Whatever Happened to Parliamentary Socialism: taking Ralph Miliband seriously today [Audio]

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Leo Panitch | This lecture marks the 50th anniversary of Ralph Miliband's first major work, the hugely influential Parliamentary Socialism: a study in the politics of Labour. What can Miliband's arguments tell us about contemporary British politics and the modern Labour Party? Leo Panitch is Distinguished Research Professor at York University (Canada) and a renowned political economist, Marxist theorist and co-editor of the Socialist Register, who knew Ralph Miliband well.

Covering the Arab Spring: Are the Media Getting it Wrong? [Audio]

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Brian Whitaker, Roger Hardy, Marwan Bishara, Dr Ramy Aly | A panel of seasoned journalists who have covered the Middle East extensively during their careers will critically reflect on the media coverage of the Arab uprisings. Why did reporters miss the build-up and tension which led to the Arab Spring? Have news stories exaggerated the role of social media? Are there wider questions that the coverage of the uprisings raise for reporting more generally? Dr Ramy Aly is lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Sussex and co-founder of the 'Public Service Broadcasting Initiative' (Egypt) and Head of its Research and Editorial Unit. He has contributed research on transnational Arab media and changing political cultures in the EU at the LSE as well as research on Arabic language media at the Open University and CRESC. Brian Whitaker has been a journalist for the British newspaper The Guardian since 1987 and its Middle East editor from 2000-2007. He is currently an editor on the paper's "Comment Is Free". He runs a personal, non-Guardian-related website, Al-Bab.com, about politics in the Arab world. Roger Hardy was for over twenty years a Middle East and Islamic affairs analyst with the BBC World Service. He is the author of The Muslim Revolt: A Journey through Political Islam (Hurst, 2010). He has come to LSE after six months in Washington, DC, at the Woodrow Wilson Center, where he was a public policy scholar researching the 'war of ideas' (under the Bush and Obama administrations). Marwan Bishara is Al Jazeera's senior political analyst. He was previously a professor of International Relations at the American University of Paris. An author who writes extensively on global politics, he is widely regarded as a leading authority on the Middle East and international affairs. Dr Myria Georgiou teaches at the Dept. of Media and Communications, LSE. She has a PhD in Sociology (LSE), an MSc in Journalism (Boston University) and a BA in Sociology (Panteion University, Athens) and her research focuses on the broader areas of diaspora, migration, media and identity.

Democracy in the Workplace [Audio]

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Axel Gosseries, Paul Loach | This dialogue explores the prospects for workplace democracy - utopian ideal, or an idea whose time has come? Axel Gosseries is a professor at the Université de Louvain, UCL, and a research associate at the CPNSS, LSE. Paul Loach has been investing in, and developing, SME's for 30 years.

Social Movements in the Age of the Internet [Audio]

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Manuel Castells | How are Social Movements shaped by the availability of horizontal communication networks based on the Internet and wireless communication? How can indignation become collective action by the connection between neural networks, digital social networks and urban networks? Which are the cultural and political consequences of these developments? Case studies in different contexts ground a theory of power and social change in the network society presented in the book Communication Power (Oxford University Press, paperback edition 2011) is to be presented in this lecture. Manuel Castells is University Professor and the Wallis Annenberg Chair in Communication Technology and Society at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. He is a Harold Lasswell Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, as well as a fellow of the Spanish Royal Academy of Economics, a fellow of the Academia Europea, a fellow of the Mexican Academy of Sciences, and a fellow of the British Academy.

LSE Honorary Degree Ceremony - Social Business: to solve society's most pressing problems [Audio]

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Muhammad Yunus | Muhammad Yunus is to be awarded an Honorary Degree – Doctor of Science (Economics) at this ceremony. Professor Yunus will mark the occasion by giving a lecture entitled Social Business: to solve society's most pressing problems and will then take questions from the audience. Muhammad Yunus was born on 28 June 1940 in the village of Bathua, Chittagong, a seaport in Bangladesh. The third of fourteen children, he was educated at Dhaka University and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study economics at Vanderbilt University. He then served as chairman of the economics department at Chittagong University before devoting his life to providing financial and social services to the poorest of the poor. He is the founder of Grameen Bank, serving as managing director until May 2011. Yunus is the author of the bestselling Banker to the Poor. In October 2006, Muhammad Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Grameen Bank, for their efforts to create economic and social development. The trailer of Bonsai People - The Vision of Muhammad Yunus, the first film that looks at the work of Muhammad Yunus from microcredit through to social business is available using the link below.

Role of the Chinese Diaspora [Audio]

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Nat Wei | Lord Wei will give a lecture in memory of Lord Michael Chan, the first ever ethnic Chinese member of the House of Lords, who passed away in 2006. Nat Wei is the youngest and only ethnic Chinese peer in the House of Lords.

The Evolution of Morality [Audio]

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Jason McKenzie Alexander, Dr Keith Jensen, Dr Andrew Pinsent | What generates our capability to act morally? How much is it part of our basic biology? How is it socialised? Is it reasoned, emotional, or does it derive from some other source entirely? Jason McKenzie Alexander is reader in philosophy at the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, LSE. Keith Jensen is lecturer in comparative and developmental psychology at the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London. Andrew Pinsent is research director of the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at the University of Oxford.

LSE Health and Social Care Annual Lecture 2011 - Fairer Care Funding [Audio]

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrew Dilnot | Achieving a sustainable and fair system for funding the support required by people with social care needs represents a growing challenge to governments across the world. In his address, Andrew Dilnot will introduce the rationale for the recommendations made by the independent Commission on the Funding of Care and Support set-up by the coalition government and which reported in July 2012. How do the Commission's proposals allocate responsibility between individual and the state, and why? Andrew Dilnot is Principal of St Hugh's College, Oxford and a Pro Vice Chancellor of Oxford University. He was the Chairman of the Commission on the Funding of Care and Support, whose report was published in July 2011. He is the author, with Michael Blastland, of the best-selling book about numbers The Tiger that isn't, of which Rory Bremner has said 'it makes statistics far, far too interesting'. He was the founding presenter of BBC Radio 4's series on the beauty of numbers, 'More or Less' and was Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies from 1991 to 2002. He is the chairman of the Statistics Users Forum of the Royal Statistical Society, and a trustee of the Nuffield Foundation. He has been a member of the board of the National Consumer Council and of the Office of Science and Technology Review of the use of science in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. He has served on the Social Security Advisory Committee, the Retirement Income Inquiry, the Balance of Central and Local Government Funding Inquiry, the Rowntree Committee on the future costs of long term care, the Ageing Population Foresight panel, and the Councils of the Royal Economic Society and Queen Mary and Westfield College. He is an Honorary Fellow of St John's College Oxford, Queen Mary University of London, the Swansea Institute of Higher Education and the Institute of Actuaries, and holds an Honorary Doctorate from City University. His main research interests lie in government economic policy as it affects individuals, companies, and the wider economy. He was awarded a CBE in 2000 for services to economics and economic policy.

Leading Colombia towards Prosperity for All [Audio]

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Juan Manuel Santos Calderón | Juan Manuel Santos Calderón is President of the Republic of Colombia. Born in Bogota on August 10, 1951. He was a cadet at the Navy Academy in Cartagena; he studied Economics and Business Administration and carried out graduate studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Harvard University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He was Chief of the Colombian delegation before the International Coffee Organization (ICO) in London; he was the most recent Designate to the Presidency and Colombia's first Foreign Trade Minister. He has also been Finance Minister and National Defense Minister. During this last position, he was in charge of leading the implementation of the government's Democratic Security Policy. He created the Good Government Foundation (Fundación Buen Gobierno) and founded the political party Partido de la U in the year 2005, currently Colombia's largest political party. As a journalist he was a columnist and Deputy Director of the newspaper El Tiempo, he was awarded the King of Spain Prize and was president of the Freedom of Expression Commission for the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). He has published several books, among which the most significant are The Third Way, co-written with the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Check on Terror (Jaque al Terror), where he describes the most important actions against the Farc terrorist group during his tenure as head of the Ministry of Defense. On June 20, 2010, (after obtaining the largest vote during the first round of the presidential elections which took place on May 30 of the same year) at the second round of the presidential elections, he was elected President of the Republic of Colombia for the four year period between August 7, 2010 and August 7, 2014. He obtained more than 9 million votes, the highest amount obtained by any candidate in the history of Colombian democracy. During his campaign, he promised to lead a government of national unity that would carry out the transition from democratic security to democratic prosperity. President Santos is married to María Clemencia Rodríguez, with whom he has three children: Martín (21), María Antonia (19) and Esteban (16).

The Global Value of the Commonwealth [Audio]

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Kamalesh Sharma | Kamalesh Sharma will reflect on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October 2011, which is expected to adopt reforms that will renew the focus and increase the impact of the Commonwealth. Kamalesh Sharma is the Commonwealth secretary general. He previously served as India's high commissioner to the United Kingdom.

World Stage Student and Alumni Lecture Series - 21 Novermber 2011 [Audio]

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Paulina Bozek, Vyacheslav Polonski, Christina Kerr | This is the second year of events where invited alumni share a stage with current students in a public talk. This is a unique opportunity for LSE students, staff and alumni to meet and share their experience in an informal forum. Paulina Bozek is the CEO of INENSU, a start-up game company making social and innovative games for the connected generation. Prior to founding INENSU, she was the Development Director of the Atari London Studio where she was responsible for overseeing the creative direction and team management for the development of social games and applications. Paulina spent six years at Sony as the Executive Producer of the SingStar franchise for PlayStation. SingStar has been instrumental in establishing games as popular entertainment and has achieved over $500million in revenue. Paulina started her career in games in 1999 at Ubisoft in Montreal, Canada. In 2004 Paulina was awarded the BAFTA Interactive New Talent Award. In 2005, SingStar was awarded the BAFTA Award for Originality. Paulina has an MSc in Media and Communications from the LSE (2002) and a nBA in Cultural Studies from McGill University. She is a frequent speaker at industry events on new media technology and popular culture. Vyacheslav Polonski is a Stelios Scholar and is currently in his third year in the BSc in Management at LSE. He has previously worked at the World Economic Forum, PwC and Amazon.com and founded the Strategy & Management Consulting Conference at the LSE, which became Europe's largest student conference on business strategy. Vyacheslav is also president of the LSE SU Consultancy Society and founder of the 'BusinessBattle' Trading Card Game. In 2011, he was honoured at the British Council 'International Student of the Year' Awards and was shortlisted for the Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards. At the WorldStage lecture, he talked about his passion for entrepreneurship and some of the projects he has developed alongside his studies at LSE. Christina Kerr (LSE alumnus) worked at Price Waterhouse Coopers from 2002 - 2010 in the position Senior Manager for Campus Recruitment in her last two years there and now works in campus recruitment for Barclays Capital. Christina talked about what employers (not just banks!) look for in graduates and offer advice on how to make yourself more employable. Head of Recruitment and Admissions at LSE, Cath Baldwin chaired the event.

Dreaming Transnational Law - Dream, Faith, Vision and Utopia in current legal discourse [Audio]

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ralf Michaels | We are witnessing a paradigmatic shift in the reality and theory of law. The new transnational law – international commercial arbitration, non-state codifications like the UNIDROIT Principles, the alleged emerging convergent legal order– cannot be safely grounded, as law has been for a long time, in the state. Yet what its foundations are, or should be, remains unclear. In this situation, a remarkable number of authors shift from rational of political argument to invocations of dreams, faith, vision, as basis for the new transnational law. Most would dismiss these invocations as purely rhetorical. But dreams, vision and faith have played a central role in the history of texts in literature and political philosophy since at least the Bible, and current authors are, even if unknowingly, placing themselves in these traditions. The new transnational law is utopian in the literal sense of the word: placeless. Once we realize this connection, we can say more about its reality and its potential. Michaels studied law at the Universities of Passau and Cambridge, U.K. While at Duke, he has been a visiting professor at the Universities of Panthéon/Assas (Paris 2), Princeton, Pennsylvania, and Toronto; he has also held senior research fellowships at Harvard and Princeton, as well as the American Academy in Berlin and the Max Planck Institute for Private Law in Hamburg.

The deconstruction of social unreality: How to naturalise social facts [Audio]

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dan Sperber | Many social scientists and philosophers - John Searle in particular in The Construction of Social Reality - argue that social facts exist in virtue of being collectively recognized. I want to debunk this view and offer a truly naturalistic (but non-reductionist) alternative. I characterize social facts in terms of causal chains where the causal links are alternatively mental and environmental. I suggest a way to reconceptualise the social domain that raises new questions and allows new answers, while preserving the knowledge and competence accumulated in the traditional social sciences. Dan Sperber is a French social and cognitive scientist. He is the author numerous articles in anthropology, linguistics, philosophy and psychology and of three books: Rethinking Symbolism (Cambridge UP 1975), On Anthropological Knowledge (Cambridge UP 1985), and Explaining Culture (Blackwell 1996). He holds an emeritus research professorship at the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Paris, a recurrent visiting professorship at the Department of Philosophy of the Central European University in Budapest, and is the director of the International Cognition and Culture Institute. He is Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy, Foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Academia Europaea. He has been the first laureate of the Claude Lévi-Strauss Prize in 2009.

Revolution and Counter-revolution in the Arab World [Audio]

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Gilles Kepel | From the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings to their suppression in Bahrain and Syria; from civil war in Yemen and Libya to the challenges arising from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – what are the prospects for the Arab revolt(s)? Gilles Kepel is professor and chair, Middle East and Mediterranean Studies, at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po).

The Deaths of Others [Audio]

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Tirman | US author John Tirman argues that while Americans are rightly concerned about the number of US troops killed in battle, they can seem indifferent, often oblivious, to the far greater number of casualties suffered by those they fight and those they fight for. John Tirman is executive director of MIT's Center for International Studies. This lecture marks the publication of his new book The Death of Others.

State Violence and the Responsibility to Protect: the role of the international community [Audio]

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Chaloka Beyani, Ignacio Llanos, Professor Sir Adam Roberts | The UN has a responsibility to protect populations from genocide and crimes against humanity, but to what effect? Experts will consider how recent events, such as those in Libya, challenge the international concept of 'Responsibility to Protect'. Chaloka Beyani is senior lecturer in law, LSE. Ignacio Llanos is counsellor of the Embassy of Chile in the UK. Adam Roberts is president of The British Academy.

The Wit and Wisdom of Brian Moore [Audio]

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Brian Moore | Editor's note: This podcast contains explicit language. Former England rugby player turned journalist and media commentator gives his forthright views on a whole range of topics from the failings of the England football team to the rights and wrongs of Twitter. Moore speaks out on corruption in cricket, the downward spiral of boxing, the state of British tennis, the politicization of the Ryder Cup and of course, the world of rugby. Brian will be signing copies of his book More Thoughts of Chairman Moore after the talk. Brian Moore won 64 caps for the England rugby team between 1987 and 1995, played in three Rugby World Cups and won the Grand Slam in 1991, 1992 and 1995. Originally a qualified solicitor, he writes a regular column for the Daily Telegraph and is a co-commentator for international rugby matches on BBC, and will cover the 2011 Rugby World Cup for TalkSport. His double award-winning autobiography, Beware of the Dog, was released in 2010, and was followed by The Thoughts of Chairman Moore, Vol.1, published last Christmas.

Thinking Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman in conversation with Richard Layard [Audio]

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Daniel Kahneman, Professor Lord Richard Layard | Two systems drive the way we think and make choices: System One is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System Two is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Over many years, Daniel Kahneman has conducted groundbreaking research into this – in his own words – "machinery of the mind". Fast thinking has extraordinary capabilities, but also faults and biases. Intuitive impressions have a pervasive influence on our thoughts and our choices. Only by understanding how the two systems work together, Kahneman shows, can we learn the truth about the role of optimism in opening up a new business, and the importance of luck in a successful corporate strategy, or the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, and the psychological pitfalls of playing the stock market. Kahneman shows where we can trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choice are made in both our business and personal lives – and how we can guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble. This public conversation between Professor Kahneman and Professor Lord Layard celebrates the publication of Kahneman's new book Thinking, Fast and Slow. Daniel Kahneman is Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology Emeritus at Princeton University and a Professor of Public Affairs Emeritus at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. The recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics for his seminal work in psychology that challenged the rational model of judgment and decision making, his ideas have had a profound and widely regarded impact on many disciplines – including economics, business, law and philosophy. Until now, he has never brought together his many years of research and thinking in one book. Richard Layard is Emeritus Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, where he was, until 2003, the founder-director of the Centre for Economic Performance. He now heads the Centre's Programme on Well-Being. Since 2000 he has been a member of the House of Lords.

Conservative Leadership - What Works and What Doesn't [Audio]

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Robin Harris | Drawing on his new book, The Conservatives-A History, Robin Harris will review the different styles, strengths and weaknesses of successive Conservative leaders, and analyse the problems which they and the Party faced at different junctures. He will consider whether there are lessons to be drawn from this historical experience for the present and future. Robin Harris began to work for the Conservative Party in 1978, becoming Director of the Conservative Research Department, a government political adviser and a member of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Policy Unit. When Mrs Thatcher left Downing Street, so did he, going on to assist her with books and speeches. In recent years, he has written an authoritative history of the city state of Dubrovnik and an acclaimed biography of the French statesman, Talleyrand. He is currently working on a biography of Margaret Thatcher.

European Questions – Turkish Angles: Europe's nation states [Audio]

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Breuilly, Professor Sir Francis Jacobs, Professor Umut Özkirimli | This series of events explores how our understanding of Europe's identity can be enhanced and developed in a new way by taking in a distinctively Turkish perspective. John Breuilly is professor of nationalism and ethnicity at the Government Department, LSE. Francis Jacobs is professor of law and Jean Monnet Professor at King's College London's School of Law. Umut Özkirimli is visiting professor, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University. This is event is jointly organised with the LSE Chair in Contemporary Turkish Studies.

Savage Messiah: Transmissions from a discarded future [Audio]

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Laura Oldfield Ford | In this talk, artist, writer and zine maker Laura Oldfield Ford will be showing traces and relics from her psychogeographic drifts around the ruined landscapes of London's hinterlands. This event marks the publication of Laura's new book Savage Messiah. Laura Oldfield Ford, originally from Halifax, West Yorkshire, studied at the Royal College of Art and has become well known for her politically active and poetic engagement with London as a site of social antagonism. She exhibits and teaches across Europe and America.

Bombing Savages in Law, in Fact, in Fiction [Audio]

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sven Lindqvist | This lecture marks the centenary of aerial bombardment. More than just a military revolution, this development redrew the legal and moral boundaries between civilians and combatants and spread the theatre of war into cities and domestic spaces. Sven Lindqvist is the author of over 30 widely translated books including A History of Bombing. The lecture is part of a joint initiative of LSE Sociology and the Sociology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London.

The Darwin Economy: liberty, competition, and the common good [Audio]

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Robert H. Frank | Who was the greater economist--Adam Smith or Charles Darwin? The question seems absurd. Darwin, after all, was a naturalist, not an economist. But Robert Frank, New York Times economics columnist and best-selling author of The Economic Naturalist, predicts that within the next century Darwin will unseat Smith as the intellectual founder of economics. Frank's new book is entitled The Darwin Economy. In this conversation with Paul Mason, economics editor of BBC 2's Newsnight, Frank will argue that the reason for this is that Darwin's understanding of competition describes economic reality far more accurately than Smith's. The consequences of this fact are profound and our failure to recognize that we live in Darwin's world rather than Smith's is putting us all at risk by preventing us from seeing that competition alone will not solve our problems. The good news is that we have the ability to tame the Darwin economy. The best solution is not to prohibit harmful behaviours but to tax them. By doing so, we could make the economic pie larger, eliminate government debt, and provide better public services, all without requiring painful sacrifices from anyone. That's a bold claim, Frank concedes, but it follows directly from logic and evidence that most people already accept. Robert H. Frank is an economics professor at Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management and a regular "Economic View" columnist for the New York Times, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos. His books, which have been translated into 22 languages, include The Winner-Take-All Society (with Philip Cook), The Economic Naturalist, Luxury Fever, What Price the Moral High Ground?, and Principles of Economics (with Ben Bernanke).

Crisis in the EU and Eurozone - Austria's response [Audio]

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Michael Spindelegger | Dr Michael Spindelegger is Vice-Chancellor of the Republic of Austria and Federal Minister for European and International Affairs. He graduated from the University of Vienna with a doctorate in law. This event is part of the LSESU Austrian Society's Global Business and Politics from an Austrian Perspective lecture series. LSE's European Foreign Policy Unit| (EFPU) based in the International Relations Department acts as a focus for research and teaching on issues relating to the steadily more serious attempts to create a collective European foreign policy since 1970.

Europe's Vanished Kingdoms [Audio]

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Norman Davies, Maurice Fraser | The history of Europe is not just the story of Britain, France and Germany. Norman Davies examines the lives and afterlives of extinguished kingdoms that no longer have advocates. Norman Davies, FBA, Professor Emeritus of London University. His latest book Vanished Kingdoms – The History of Half-Forgotten Europe will be launched at this lecture. Maurice Fraser is a Senior Fellow in European Politics at LSE.

The Art of Selecting the Right Arbitrator [Audio]

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Constantine Partasides | Few aspects are as crucial in the practice of international arbitration as having the right people on the tribunal. Constantine Partasides explores both the ethic and the tactic dimension of finding the right arbitrator also with reference to Jan Paulsson's vanguard call of abolishing unilaterally appointed arbitrators. Constantine Partasides is Head of Arbitration at Freshfields London.

The City of London [Audio]

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Kynaston | David Kynaston's ground-breaking history of the City of London, published in four volumes between 1994 and 2001 and now edited into a single volume, is a modern classic. Kynaston tells a story as dramatic as any novel, while explaining the mysteries of the financial world in a way that we can all understand. Educated at Wellington College, New College, Oxford, and the LSE, David Kynaston has been a professional historian since 1973. He is now a visiting professor at the University of Sussex and at the City University Business School. Since the late 1970s his main focus has been the City of London, on which he has written widely. His books include The City of London, King Labour: a history of the British working class, 1850–1914, and Family Britain, 1951–57.

Doing Business with China: problems, challenges and opportunities [Audio]

Tue, 8 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Stephen Perry | Stephen Perry will discuss the early days of the 48 Group, the oldest Western trading partners with the People's Republic of China, and doing business with China today. Stephen Perry is the chairman of the 48 Group Club.

Emerging art markets [Audio]

Tue, 8 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Melanie Gerlis | With China now the second or even first biggest art market in the world, this lecture looks at the emerging markets for art in India, Middle East, China, Russia and Latin America. It tracks the volume of sales, the main collectors, museum projects and cultural infrastructrure. Melanie Gerlis has been art market editor of The Art Newspaper since June 2007, prior to which she worked as a book reviewer and art market writer for the paper for a year. She previously worked for ten years in investor relations and financial public relations for the City of London firm Finsbury where she advised clients including the investment bank Merrill Lynch, the private equity group Permira and hedge fund managers GLG Partners. Melanie has a first-class degree in English Literature from Clare College, Cambridge and an MA (distinction) in Art Business from Sotheby's Institute of Art, London. She lectures at Sotheby's Institute and Christie's Education.

More Cooperation is More Security: Towards European Coherence in International Affairs [Audio]

Tue, 8 Nov 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Erkki Tuomioja | Minister Tuomioja will outline his views on international security challenges and the responses that are urgently needed. He will comment on the state of the European Union and argue for a new, comprehensive foreign and security policy strategy for the EU. He will also set out the prospects for the further deepening of Nordic co-operation. Erkki Tuomioja is Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, a position he has held since June 2011. He previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2000-2007, and Minister of Trade and Industry from 1999-2000. He was a member of parliament for the Social Democratic Party from 1970-79 and from 1991 to the present day, serving as vice-chairman of the SDP parliamentary group from 1991-96, and chairman from 1996-99. He worked as a journalist before being elected to parliament. He was Deputy Mayor in Helsinki 1979-91. He has a PhD in political science, BSc in economics and holds a lectureship in political history in the University of Helsinki. Mr Tuomioja is the author of 18 books, including Europe and the Nordic Fringe written in English and published in 1991.

Kuwait Programme seminar: Faith and politics in the Gulf [Audio]

Tue, 8 Nov 2011 10:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Roger Hardy, Jane Kinninmont | Roger Hardy is Visiting Fellow at the Centre for International Studies at LSE and former Middle East and Islamic affairs analyst with the BBC World Service. Jane Kinninmont is Senior Research Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House.

The Arab Uprisings: mass protest, border-crossing and history from below [Audio]

Mon, 7 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr John Chalcraft | Based on fieldwork conducted over the past five years, John Chalcraft will examine the Arab uprisings with a focus on popular protest and "history from below". John Chalcraft is a reader in the history and politics of Empire/Imperialism at LSE.

Christ to Coke? [Audio]

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Martin Kemp | Informative, funny, sad, and surprising by turns, this is the first book to look at all the main types of visual icon, taking eleven mega-famous examples, from Christ to the Coke bottle, to see how they arose and how they continue to function. Image, branding, and logos are obsessions of our age. Iconic images dominate the media. This event marks the publication of Kemp's new book Christ to Coke: How Image Becomes Icon. Martin Kemp FBA is Emeritus Professor in the History of Art at Trinity College, Oxford University. He has written, broadcast and curated exhibitions on imagery in art and science from the Renaissance to the present day. Nick Byrne is Director of the LSE Language Centre and a member of the LSE's Arts Advisory Group.

Derrida and (the) English [Audio]

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Rachel Bowlby, Professor Robert Eaglestone, Dr Sarah Wood | Marking the publication of Simon Glendinning's new book Derrida: a very short introduction, this discussion will explore Derrida's impact on English, both as a university discipline and as a national language. Rachel Bowlby is Northcliffe Professor of English at the Department of English, UCL. Robert Eaglestone is professor of contemporary literature and thought at the Department of English, Royal Holloway, University of London. Sarah Wood is senior lecturer at the School of English, University of Kent.

Is the Western Liberal Order China-Proof? [Audio]

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mark Leonard | As uncertainty and insecurity in the West increase, can a drift to state capitalism and political authoritarianism be avoided? Mark Leonard is co-founder and director of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Them and Us: A Special Relationship? [Audio]

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sarah Lyall, Justin Webb | BBC Today Programme presenter and former Washington Correspondent Justin Webb in conversation with the New York Times' London correspondent and author of The Anglofiles, Sarah Lyall. How is the relationship between Britain and America changing in the era of Obama and Cameron? Is there still a unique political and cultural understanding or have we grown apart?

LSE perspectives on the sovereign debt crisis [Audio]

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Jon Danielsson, Dr Bob Hancke, Dr Vassilis Monastiriotis, Professor Dimitri Vayanos | The panellists will each outline their analysis of the crisis, with particular emphasis on the Eurozone, and debate how it could be resolved. Their different academic backgrounds and views ranging from Political Economy to Financial Economics will provide for a wide-ranging and lively discussion set against LSE's customary sharp analysis. Dr Jon Danielsson is a reader at the Department of Finance and a member of the FMG. Dr Bob Hancke is a reader in European Political Economy at the European Institute, LSE. Dr Vassilis Monastiriotis is a senior lecturer in the Political Economy of South Eastern Europe at the Hellenic Observatory, LSE. Dimitri Vayanos is professor of finance, programme director of Paul Woolley Centre for the Study of Capital Market Dysfunctionality and a member of the FMG, LSE.

ERC Security in Transition Launch [Audio]

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lakhdar Brahimi, Professor Mary Kaldor, Javier Solana | The event will discuss the gap between contemporary security needs and security capabilities, and will launch the new five-year research programme 'Security in Transition: an interdisciplinary investigation into the security gap'. Lakhdar Brahimi served as head of the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan from 2001-04. Mary Kaldor is professor of global governance at the Department of International Development. Javier Solana is the former secretary general of NATO and former secretary general of the Council of the European Union.

The Rare Find [Audio]

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): George Anders | How do we recognise greatness? The world-wide hunt for talent has never been more ambitious, more systematic -- and more frustrating. It's time to redefine how we think about talent, and to come to terms with three major blind spots in the ways that most organisations hunt for superstars. Better approaches are within reach, as shown by the successful, maverick methods of the world's best talent spotters. This event marks the publication of George Anders new book The Rare Find: Spotting Exceptional Talent Before Everyone Else. George Anders is a founding member of Bloomberg View's board of editors, writing about technology, innovation and economics. He spent two decades as a top feature writer for The Wall Street Journal, where he was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. He is the author of three previous books, including a New York Times bestseller. He lives in northern California.

Decarbonising Britain [Audio]

Tue, 1 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr David Kennedy | The UK has an aggressive plan to decarbonise its economy by 34 per cent in 2020, 50 per cent in 2027 and 80 per cent in 2050. This lecture will look at the economic, technical and policy challenges of achieving these targets. David Kennedy is chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change. He is also a visiting senior fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. This lecture is part of ESRC Festival of Social Science.

Predicting if Your Policy will Work for You: doing it better [Audio]

Tue, 1 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nancy Cartwright | Why isn't evidence-based policy making working? This lecture looks at examples from Californian schools, the Bangladesh nutrition programme and proposals to tackle climate change. Nancy Cartwright is professor of philosophy at the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, LSE and at the University of California, San Diego.

Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade [Audio]

Tue, 1 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrew Feinstein | Pulling back the curtain on the secretive world of the global arms trade, Andrew Feinstein reveals the corruption and the cover-ups behind weapons deals ranging from the largest in history –between the British and Saudi governments – to BAE's controversial transactions in South Africa, Tanzania and eastern Europe, and the revolving-door relationships that characterise the US Congressional-Military-Industrial Complex. This event marks the publication of Feinstein's new book The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade. Andrew Feinstein is the author of After the Party: A Personal and Political Journey Inside the ANC. His journalism has been featured in the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, Prospect, the New York Times, Der Spiegel, the New Statesman and Africa Report. He has recently been an Open Society Institute International Fellow and is the founding co-director of Corruption Watch.

Role of a Foreign Bank in China [Audio]

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Thomas Harris | Drawing on his rich experience Sir Thomas Harris will talk about the role of a foreign bank in China. Thomas Harris is vice chairman of Standard Chartered Capital Markets Ltd.

The Better Angels of our Nature: The Decline of Violence in World History and Its Causes [Audio]

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Steven Pinker | One of the world's best-known psychologists argues that violence within and between societies - both murder and warfare - has declined from prehistory to today. He discusses the influence of organised government and the extraordinary power of progressive ideas - and offers insights into what this trend tells us about ourselves. Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University and is the author of six books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, The Blank Slate and The Stuff of Thought. This event marks his new book The Better Angels of our Nature: The Decline of Violence in World History and Its Causes.

The Federalization of Iraq and the Break-up of Sudan [Audio]

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Brendan O'Leary | Why do some multiethnic states break up while others hold together? Brendan O'Leary compares how federalism has maintained state integrity in Iraq with the secessionism by consent of Southern Sudan. Brendan O'Leary is the Lauder Chair in Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Future of Economic Convergence [Audio]

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Dani Rodrik | Emerging and developing economies have grown much more rapidly than rich countries recently. This has led to hopes that these countries can close the gap with the advanced economies and propel world growth. Historically, rapid convergence on the part of lagging countries has been rare and episodic, and has required a "benevolent" global hegemon which regards "unorthodox" catch-up policies with benign neglect. On top, growth requires structural transformation policies which have been difficult for countries with comparative advantage in natural resources to adopt. Together, these conditions suggest that much of the optimism with regard to continued high growth in the developing world is misplaced. Dani Rodrik is Rafiq Hariri Professor of International Political Economy at John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He is one of the world's top economists, well known for his original and prescient analyses of globalisation and economic development. His latest book is The Globalization Paradox.

Building an International Rule of Law [Audio]

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Judge Patrick Robinson | Since its establishment in 1993, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has irreversibly changed the landscape of international humanitarian law and provided victims an opportunity to voice the horrors they witnessed and experienced. Patrick Robinson is president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Terrorism: a (self) love story [Audio]

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Arie Kruglanski | Using research on terrorist organisations in Sri Lanka, the Philippines and the Middle East, Professor Kruglanski illuminates some of the sociopsychological mysteries around radicalisation and de-radicalisation. Arie Kruglanski is Distinguished University Professor at Maryland University and is an expert on the psychology of terrorism.

Turkey’s Experience with Neoliberal Policies [Audio]

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Asaf Savas Akat, Professor Fikret Senses | An interactive public debate on Turkish economy, its past, present, and future prospects.

Pakistan and the challenges of a new decade [Audio]

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Douglas Alexander MP, Professor Sumantra Bose | UK forces have been in Afghanistan for over a decade but Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander MP will argue that it will be Britain's relations with Pakistan that will dominate Britain's focus on the region in the coming decade. Given the multiple challenges facing Pakistan new thinking and new energy is needed to redefine Britain's security, development and diplomatic relations with this country. Douglas Alexander MP is Shadow Foreign Secretary and Member of Parliament for Paisley and Renfrewshire South. Between May 2001 – May 2010 he served in a wide range of ministerial positions including as Secretary of State for Transport, Secretary of State for Scotland including from 2007 to 2010 as Secretary of State for International Development. He served as UK's Governor to the World Bank between June 2007 and May 2010. Prior to entering Parliament in 1997, he qualified and practiced as a lawyer in Scotland.

Why the Role of the Developer Matters [Audio]

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Francis Salway | One of the industry's most influential figures will give his views on the vital importance of property developers in strained economic times. Francis Salway is chief executive of Land Securities, Britain's largest commercial property company.

The World Economy: How did we get here and where are we going? [Audio]

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Nemat Shafik | Nemat Shafik is the Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, a position she has held since April 2011. Prior to this Nemat was Permanent Secretary of the UK Department for International Development (DFID). She was chief executive of the department responsible for all UK development efforts including a bilateral aid programme in over 100 countries, multilateral policies and financing for the United Nations, European Union and international financial institutions, and overall development policy and research. Before her appointment as Permanent Secretary, she was Director General for Country Programmes where she was responsible for DFID's programmes across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Nemat Shafik was the youngest ever Vice President at the World Bank where she was responsible for a private sector and infrastructure portfolio of investments worth about $50 billion. She led the Bank's work on energy, water, transport and urban sectors, private sector development as well as infrastructure economics and finance. Prior to this, she held a number of appointments at the World Bank working on macroeconomic and structural reform issues in the Middle East and North Africa, in Central Europe, on the environment, and on international economic issues including global economic modeling and forecasting. She has held a number of academic appointments at the Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Economics Department at Georgetown University. Ms Shafik attained her BA in Economics and Politics from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and her MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She also holds a DPhil in Economics from St. Antony's College, Oxford University. She has authored, edited, and co-authored a number of books, including Prospects for the Middle East and North African Economies: from Boom to Bust and Back?, Challenges Facing Middle Eastern and North African Countries: Alternative Futures, and Reviving Private Investment in Developing Countries. She has also written articles for a number of publications, including Oxford Economic Papers, Colombia Journal of World Business, The Middle East Journal, Journal of African Finance and Economic Development, World Development, and the Journal of Development Economics. She was named "Woman of the Year" for Global Leadership and Global Diversity in 2009.

Arguments with Gandhi [Audio]

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Ramachandra Guha | At once a freedom fighter, social reformer and environmental thinker, Mahatma Gandhi's ideas were original and controversial. Though much criticised, Ghandi's life and work continue to illuminate the major social and political debates of our time. Ramachandra Guha is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS for 2011-12.

Life After Death: Al-Qaeda and the US war on terror [Audio]

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Fawaz Gerges | Al-Qaeda has degenerated into a fractured, marginal body kept alive largely by the self-serving, anti-terrorist bureaucracy it helped to spawn. Professor Gerges' new book, The Rise and Fall of Al Qaeda, will be launched at this event. Fawaz Gerges is director of the Middle East Centre and professor of Middle East politics and international relations at LSE.

European Questions – Turkish Angles: Europe's banking system [Audio]

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Philip Goodchild, Professor Sevket Pamuk, Dr Waltraud Schelkle | This series of events explores how our understanding of Europe's identity can be enhanced and developed in a new way by taking in a distinctively Turkish perspective. Philip Goodchild is professor of religion and philosophy at the University of Nottingham. Sevket Pamuk is chair of Contemporary Turkish Studies at the European Institute, LSE. Waltraud Schelkle is senior lecturer in political economy at the European Institute, LSE and adjunct professor in the Economics Department at the Free University of Berlin. This event is jointly organised with the LSE Chair in Contemporary Turkish Studies.

Gendered Violence and Drug Wars: The Mexico-US Border [Audio]

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Melissa W Wright | Since 2006, when Mexico's President declared war against the drug trade, the people of the northern Mexican border city, Ciudad Juarez, have been living through a record-breaking escalation of violence, the occupation of their city by federal troops and police forces, unprecedented human and civil rights violations, and a pervasive experience of fear in public space. These events have occurred simultaneous to a devastating economic crisis and with the ongoing femicide that activists have fought for almost 20 years. This paper asks the question: How can a feminist and Marxist geographer contribute to an analysis of what is happening in Ciudad Juarez? To address it, I create a dialogue among activists in northern Mexico and post-structuralist feminist and Marxist positions regarding the meaning of public fear in this city for the city's residents, for Mexico's democracy and for the making of public knowledge about the Mexico-US border. Melissa Wright is Associate Professor of Women's Studies at Penn State University. She studies the dynamics linking political, cultural and economic processes. Her research is based primarily in Mexico and along the Mexico-U.S. border. She has also conducted fieldwork in southern China and in Hong Kong. Her research has focused on the emergence of an international social movement that protests violence against women along the Mexico-U.S. border. Another project has examined the meaning of citizenship in a transnational context. Her current project focuses on how violence in northern Mexico along with the federal militarization of urban space has affected public life along both sides of the Mexico-US border.

Is South African Society More Equal Today Than When Apartheid Ended in 1994? [Audio]

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Max Price | South Africa was one of the most unequal countries in the world in 1994, with the lines drawn clearly along the racial divide. Since then, the democratic governments have pursued policies aimed at reducing inequality through economic development with relatively high rates of growth throughout most of the period, the provision of over 3 million low cost houses, massive investment in electrification and sanitation in poor areas, land restitution, the creation of a large welfare grant system, and policies on free health care, education, minimum wages and constitutional court rulings forcing government to extend the socio-economic rights prescribed in the constitution. And yet, household surveys and other data sources suggest that inequality in South African society may even have increased. So what is going on? Max Price is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town. Previous to his appointment he was an independent consultant in the fields of public health, health policy, medical education, and human resources for health planning, as well as consultant to the national Department of Education regarding financing of tertiary education of health professionals. Dr Price has a strong transformation record, built primarily during his tenure as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand from 1996 to 2006. He has an MBBCh degree from the University of the Witwatersrand which he obtained in 1979; a BA PPE (Oxon 1983); an M.Sc in Community Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; and a Diploma in Occupational Health from Wits. A former Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, Four Outstanding Young South Africans Award winner (1992), and Student Representative Council president, Dr Price's professional work has included clinical work in hospitals and rural primary health care; he was a research fellow in health economics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine from 1986 to 1987; a senior researcher at the Centre for Health Policy and Director of the Centre for Health Policy at Wits University as well as a visiting Takemi Fellow in International Health at the Harvard School of Public Health from 1994 to 1995. Dr Price has published extensively including 38 local and international refereed journal articles, over 100 other articles, and academic conference papers in health systems research, political economy of health; health economics and financing; privatisation and medical aids; rural health services; computer simulation modelling of health systems; medical education and human resources.

Going Beyond Dangerous Climate Change: Exploring the void between rhetoric and reality in reducing carbon emissions [Audio]

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Kevin Anderson | This lecture is part of the LSE Department of International Development Friday Lecture Series, which brings in leading figures from inside and outside of academia to speak on important current issues. A question and answer session will follow the talk. Kevin Anderson is professor of energy and climate change in the School of Mechanical, Aeronautical and Civil Engineering at the University of Manchester. He has recently finished a two-year position as director of the Tyndall Centre, the UK's leading academic climate change research organisation, during which time he held a joint post with the University of East Anglia.

The Hidden Future of Cities [Audio]

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alex Steffen | Alex Steffen uses real-world examples and big-picture research to show us that a brighter, greener future is ours to choose. His most recent work is Carbon Zero, a book describing cities that create prosperity not climate change, accelerating their economies while reducing their climate emissions to zero.

Combating Carbon in an Economic Crisis [Audio]

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Tom Burke, Avinash Persaud | The event will focus on two key questions: Has the economic crisis irrevocably undermined the world’s chances of successfully addressing climate change? Or are the investment opportunities such that the private sector can still prevent an environmental disaster? Global Policy brings together leading experts to discuss these questions as the global economy remains gripped in crisis and we head, seemingly inexorably, to a world which will be at least two degrees centigrade warmer on average. Tom Burke is founding director of E3G. Avinash Persaud is emeritus professor of Gresham College.

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: the difference and why it matters [Audio]

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard Rumelt | Developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of any leader. Richard Rumelt shows that there has been a growing and unfortunate tendency to equate motherhood and apple-pie values and fluffy packages of buzzwords with "strategy." Richard Rumelt is the Harry and Elsa Kunin Professor of Business and Society at UCLA Anderson.

Is There A Future For Multiculturalism? [Audio]

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Jonathan Chaplin, Alan Craig, Claire Fox, Professor Tariq Modood | Recent years have seen politicians and commentators of all stripes lining up to condemn multiculturalism. This event asks whether we are right to bury state multiculturalism, having once praised it so energetically. The debate coincides with the launch of Multiculturalism: a Christian retrieval from Theos. Jonathan Chaplin is the first director of the Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics. Alan Craig is the leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance. Until May 2010 he also led the CPA councillors on Newham Borough Council in London. Claire Fox is director of the Institute of Ideas. Tariq Modood is director of the Centre for Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship at the University of Bristol. Jane Little is a writer and broadcaster, regularly presenting Woman's Hour, Sunday, Last Word, and The World Tonight on BBC Radio 4. After a Fulbright Scholarship at Harvard to study the relationship between religion and politics in the US she worked as a producer and reporter on The World at WGBH Boston, before returning to create the post of religious affairs correspondent at the BBC World Service.

Canada: a reliable, responsible contributor to global energy security and economic stability [Audio]

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Joe Oliver | Joe Oliver, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, will discuss Canada as a reliable, responsible contributor to global energy security and economic stability. The Minister will give an overview of Canada's energy resources including the strategic importance of oil sands and current global oil demand. He will also explore trade and investment opportunities as well as highlight the importance Canada places on responsible development of energy resources. Minister Oliver was appointed Minister of Natural Resources on May 18, 2011. Prior to his election to Parliament, Minister Oliver had a career in the investment banking industry. He obtained both his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Civil Law at McGill University and was called to the Quebec Bar and later graduated with an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business.

Basic Concepts of International Arbitration (Part 2 of 2) [Audio]

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jan Paulsson | Jan Paulsson presents the essentials of international arbitration in two compact seminars of the LSE Transnational Law Project. Lecture two of two.

Michael Oakeshott Memorial Lecture 2011 - Are adverbial rules enough? [Audio]

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Oliver Letwin MP | Michael Oakeshott famously distinguished the character of a state, as opposed to an enterprise association, as something that derives from the imposition of adverbial constraints on action rather than the adoption of social goals. Oliver Letwin will explore the extent to which this is, and the extent to which it is not, an adequate account of what we can legitimately demand from the modern liberal state. Oliver Letwin MP is Minister of State for Government Policy, responsible for providing policy advice to the Prime Minister from the Cabinet Office. Before entering Parliament as MP for West Dorset in 1997 he had a varied career encompassing being a philosophy don at Cambridge University, a member of Margaret Thatcher's Policy Unit in No.10 and a bank director. In opposition he held a number of senior Shadow Cabinet posts, including Shadow Home Secretary and Shadow Chancellor and was Chairman of the Conservative Party Policy Review between 2005-2010.

Chaos, Unpredictability and the Evolution of Mathematical Ideas [Audio]

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Glendinning, Dr Charlotte Werndl | Chaos research has been hailed as having led to revolutionary scientific advances. This dialogue between a philosopher and a mathematician will highlight the insights gained from research about unpredictability and the evolution of mathematical ideas. Paul Glendinning is professor of applied mathematics at the School of Mathematics, University of Manchester. Charlotte Werndl is lecturer in philosophy at the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method at LSE.

Citizenship, Immigration, and the European Social Project: Rights and Obligations of Individuality [Audio]

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Yasemin Soysal | This lecture addresses the recently intensified European debates and policies on immigrant integration in the context of the broad changes in conceptions and institutions of citizenship. Yasemin Soysal is senior lecturer at the Department of Sociology, University of Essex.

Is Happiness the Right Measure of Social Progress? [Audio]

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Richard Layard, Professor Lord Robert Skidelsky | In his book, Happiness (recently updated), Richard Layard argues that the best societies are those with the most happiness and the least misery. Public policy should be made on this basis. Robert Skidelsky has many reservations. They debate the issue. Richard Layard is Emeritus Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, where he was, until 2003, the founder-director of the Centre for Economic Performance. He now heads the Centre's Programme on Well-Being. Since 2000 he has been a member of the House of Lords. Robert Skidelsky is Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick. His three-volume biography of the economist John Maynard Keynes (1983, 1992, 2000) received numerous prizes, and he recently published Keynes: The Return of the Master. His forthcoming book is called How Much is Enough? The Economics of the Good Life jointly written with his son Edward Skidelsky. He was made a life peer in 1991.

A Saudi Spring of Sand Storms: signs of domestic turbulence [Audio]

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Madawi Al- Rasheed | While neighbouring countries have seen unprecedented popular protests, Saudi Arabia has so far avoided a major show of discontent. But there are signs of domestic turbulence on the horizon. Madawi Al-Rasheed is professor of social anthropology at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at King's College London.

New Mobile Technologies: privacy and policy, threats and opportunities [Audio]

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Gus Hosein, Mark Selby | New LSE research on Oyster Cards and other applications of near field communication technologies shows how the economics and acceptability of mobile transaction systems impact business and governance practices. But some critical questions need to be considered sooner rather than later. Gus Hosein is visiting senior fellow in the Information Systems and Innovation Group in LSE's Department of Management. Mark Selby is vice president of Industry Collaborations at the Nokia Corporation. Jonathan Liebenau is a reader in technology management in the Department of Management and author of Banking on Innovation: modernisation of payment systems.

The Mountain Within: Leadership lessons from Kilimanjaro [Audio]

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Herta von Stiegel | Herta von Stiegel presents The Mountain Within, the book and award-winning documentary, telling the story of her climb up Kilimanjaro with 28 disabled climbers. She shares the leadership lessons she learned from this experience, as well as her 25 years in international finance; lessons of enormous value for aspiring business leaders, women in business, and all of us seeking wisdom and clarity in today's turbulent changing world. Herta von Stiegel established Ariya Capital in 2008 to focus on Africa as the next major opportunity for sustainable venture and private equity investments. She has 25 years of experience in international finance and has led debt and equity transactions in excess of $10 billion. She was MD at AIG Financial Products, where she built a successful European structured finance division, and has also held senior positions at Citibank and JP Morgan in London and New York. She is founder and chair of the Prince's Trust Women's Leadership Group, member of the Women's Leadership Board at Harvard University and serves on the board of the Committee of 200, an organisation of the world's most successful women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders.

Truth, Errors, and Lies: politics and economics in a volatile world [Audio]

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Grzegorz W Kolodko | A key architect of Poland's successful economic reforms, Grzegorz Kolodko applies his far-reaching knowledge to the past and future of the world economy. Grzegorz Kolodko is professor of political economy at Kozminski University in Warsaw and was previously Poland's deputy prime minister.

Global Reform for Derivatives Markets [Audio]

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Gary Gensler | In this seminar hosted by the LSE Financial Markets Group, Gary Gensler discusses derivatives reform as well as issues relating to high-frequency trading. Gary Gensler was sworn in as the Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on May 26, 2009. Chairman Gensler previously served at the U.S. Department of the Treasury as Under Secretary of Domestic Finance (1999-2001) and as Assistant Secretary of Financial Markets (1997-1999). He subsequently served as a Senior Advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, Senator Paul Sarbanes, on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reforming corporate responsibility, accounting and securities laws. As Under Secretary of the Treasury, Chairman Gensler was the principal advisor to Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and later to Secretary Lawrence Summers on all aspects of domestic finance. The office was responsible for formulating policy and legislation in the areas of U.S. financial markets, public debt management, the banking system, financial services, fiscal affairs, federal lending, Government Sponsored Enterprises, and community development. In recognition of this service, he was awarded Treasury's highest honor, the Alexander Hamilton Award. Prior to joining Treasury, Chairman Gensler worked for 18 years at Goldman Sachs, where he was selected as a partner; in his last role he was Co-head of Finance. Chairman Gensler is the co-author of a book, The Great Mutual Fund Trap, which presents common sense investment advice for middle income Americans.

Basic Concepts of International Arbitration (Part 1 of 2) [Audio]

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jan Paulsson | Jan Paulsson presents the essentials of international arbitration in two compact seminars of the LSE Transnational Law Project. Lecture one of two.

Beatrice Webb: her quest for a fairer society [Audio]

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Michael Ward, Jonathan Derbyshire, Professor David Piachaud, Stephen Timms MP | Tackling poverty and inequality is at the heart of progressive politics. But what can history tell us about the struggle for a fairer society, and where does the work of Beatrice Webb, the co-founder of LSE and advocate of the welfare state, fit in? Jonathan Derbyshire is the culture editor of the New Statesman. Professor David Piachaud is Professor of Social Policy at LSE. Stephen Timms is MP for East Ham and shadow minister for employment. Michael Ward is a Smith Institute Research Fellow and chairman of the Centre for Local Economic Strategies.

Portugal delivers [Audio]

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Paulo Portas | In this lecture Paulo Portas, Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs will speak about the financial crisis in the Eurozone, the implementation of the financial assistance programme by Portugal, the Portuguese external policy and the new opportunities offered by the Arab Spring. Paulo Portas is the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs, a position he has held since the general election in June 2011. He is also President of the Christian-Democrat CDS/PP Party which is a partner in the coalition government. He has been elected as an MP six times, and has previously served as: Minister of State, National Defence and Sea Affairs in 2004; Minister of State and National Defence in 2002; and Member of the Council of State (2002 to 2005). Mr Portas graduated in law at the Portuguese Catholic University.

What Should We Do About Google? [Audio]

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Martin Cave | Google has been running into trouble with competition authorities in Europe, the US and elsewhere. Should its wings be clipped or will that stifle innovation? Martin Cave is BP Centennial Professor at LSE and has authored numerous works on regulation.

627 Million Chinese Brought Out of Poverty: where did it all go wrong? [Audio]

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Danny Quah | From 1981 to 2005 China succeeded in lifting over 600 million of its citizens out of grinding poverty. What other evidence bears out the great shift east in the global economy? Danny Quah is professor of economics at LSE and senior fellow at LSE IDEAS.

A More Secure World - From Neighbourhood to Globe [Audio]

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): William J. Bratton | From Tottenham to global terrorism, developing policies and implementing schemes that work across the range of fighting neighbourhood violence to combating international terrorism share common themes. Bill Bratton, CBE, will discuss his ideas about policing with purpose and collaborating to create a more secure future. William J. Bratton is the Chairman of Kroll the world's leading risk consulting company. He is known as one of America's premier police chiefs, the only person to have led the two largest police forces in the United States, the New York City Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department and was named by Security Magazine as one of 2010's most influential people in the security industry.

Exceptional People: how migration shaped our world and will define our future [Audio]

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ian Goldin | Migration has played a critical role in human history--the circulation of ideas and technologies has benefited communities and the movement of people across oceans and continents has fuelled economies. In this lecture which draws on the issues raised in the book Exceptional People Ian Goldin shows how migrants in today's world connect markets, fill labour gaps, and enrich social diversity. Migration also allows individuals to escape destitution, human rights abuses, and repressive regimes. Goldin argues that current migration policies are based on misconceptions and fears about migration's long-term contributions and social dynamics and looks at ways that future policies might allow societies to effectively reap migration's opportunities while managing the risks of the twenty-first century. This event celebrates Goldin's latest book Exceptional People: How Migration Shaped Our World and Will Define Our Future. Ian Goldin is director of the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, and professorial fellow at Balliol College, Oxford. Goldin was Vice President of the World Bank (2003-2006) and prior to that the Bank's Director of Development Policy (2001-2003). He served on the Bank's senior management team, and was directly responsible for its relationship with the UK and all other European, North American and developed countries. Goldin led the Bank's collaboration with the United Nations and other partners. As Director of Development Policy, Goldin played a pivotal role in the research and strategy agenda of the Bank. From 1996 to 2001 he was Chief Executive and Managing Director of the Development Bank of Southern Africa and served as an adviser to President Nelson Mandela. His many books include Globalization for Development. Born in South Africa, Goldin has a BA (Hons) and a BSc from the University of Cape Town, an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Doctorate from the University of Oxford.

Extended Selves [Audio]

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Katalin Farkas | Our iPhones, diaries, computers or collaborators are extensions of our minds, according to a philosophical argument. This lecture investigates the significance of this claim in our understanding of the notion of a self. Katalin Farkas is professor of philosophy at the Central European University's Department of Philosophy, Budapest.

How to Make your First Million? [Audio]

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Leszek Czarnecki | Editor's note: We apologise for the poor audio quality of this recording. The lecture talks about establishing a prosperous business and seeks to present the crucial factors for success: a good idea, sound financing and a devoted team. These three ingredients working harmoniously together can make a company truly exceptional. Leszek Czarnecki is chairman of the Supervisory Board of Getin Holding SA and Getin Noble Bank SA and a majority shareholder of six companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. He is author of Simply Business and Risk in Banking: a post-crisis perspective.

Architecture and Happiness [Audio]

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ben Rogers, Professor Roger Scruton | Architecture is the most public of art-forms and has borne political, religious and moral meanings throughout history. Can architecture promote human well-being? and if so, how? Ben Rogers is director of the Centre for London think tank. Roger Scruton is a writer and philosopher, who holds visiting positions at St Andrews University, the University of Oxford and the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. With an introduction from William Arthurs.

Framing the Arab Uprisings: a historical perspective [Audio]

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Juan Cole | Juan Cole is Richard P Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan and author of the blog Informed Comment. This lecture is part of The Fred Halliday Distinguished Lecture Series.

"Same bed different dreams": Asia's rise - threat or opportunity? The view from Australia [Audio]

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Malcolm Turnbull | The world economy is being transformed by the rise of Asia and increasing integration. Accompanying competition and adjustment pressures are a source of anxiety in many of the advanced economies, as are declining weight and influence relative to the emerging economies. But the opportunities and potential upside are larger still, and not just for commodity exporters such as Australia. Malcolm Turnbull is the MP for Wenworth in the Australian parliament and serves as Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband. He entered parliament in 2004 serving as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister from 2006 until he was appointed to Cabinet as the Minister for Environment and Water Resources; a position he held until the Federal Election in November 2007. After the election Malcolm was appointed as Shadow Treasurer and following a leadership ballot in September 2008, he was elected by his colleagues to lead the Liberal Party as Leader of the Opposition, a position held until December 2009. Malcolm graduated from Sydney University with a BA LLB. He won a Rhodes Scholarship and completed a further law degree at Oxford. During and after his studies at Sydney University, Malcolm worked as a journalist with the Bulletin, 2SM, TCN 9 and the London Sunday Times. After a successful career in journalism Malcolm began practicing law in 1980. He quickly established a reputation as an effective advocate, most notably when he successfully defended former MI5 agent Peter Wright against the British government, in the "Spycatcher" trial. Malcolm left law for business in 1987 where he has since been responsible for the establishment and success of many Australian businesses. In particular he has been a determined supporter of Australian technology. He co-founded OzEmail in 1994. His software companies have won many awards for exporting Australian technology. In 1997 Malcolm was elected to attend the Australian Constitutional Convention. He led the republican case in that Convention and in the subsequent referendum.

Deceit and Self Deception: fooling yourself the better to fool others [Audio]

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Robert Trivers | After decades of research, one of the most influential theoretical evolutionary biologists of our time has returned to found the principles of a provocative new science on why we lie to ourselves. Robert Trivers argues that we deceive ourselves the better to deceive others. Self-deception is something we all practice and it is diverse, widespread and powerful. It can also apply to a wide range of phenomena from airplane crashes, to false historical narratives, war, and religions. Robert Trivers has been acclaimed as one of 100 greatest thinkers and scientists of the twentieth century by Time magazine and has been on the faculty at Harvard, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Rutgers University. His new book is Deceit and Self-Deception: Fooling Yourself the Better to Fool Others.

Hellenism, Universal Rights and Apartheid [Audio]

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): George Bizos | George Bizos will speak about defending human rights under apartheid in South Africa, drawing on his own career as a human rights lawyer. George Bizos has had a distinguished legal career struggling against apartheid and promoting universal human rights. He has defended the likes of Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki and Morgan Tsvangirai.

Exit Strategies and Lessons Learned: from the Balkans to Afghanistan [Audio]

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard Caplan | Currently leading a research project on 'Exit Strategies and Peacen Consolidation', Richard Caplan will analyse the lessons of the past for an exit strategy in Afghanistan. Richard Caplan is professor of international relations and official fellow of Linacre College. He is also director of the Centre for International Studies.

Cybercrime, Cybercops and You [Audio]

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Misha Glenny | In a world where we shop, bank, work and live online, security has become a nightmare for law enforcement agencies, as those who keep us safe on the street struggle to keep up with ever-changing nature of the online realm. All this is to advantage of the hacker, a highly intelligent and ever-morphing new breed of criminal, who can gain access to our private information through websites and servers which are not secure enough to keep them out. Misha Glenny, author of the bestselling McMafia, has spent the last three years immersed in the worlds of intelligence agencies, security forces, lawyers and that of the hackers themselves, and now brings his findings to us. This event marks the launch of Glenny's new book DarkMarket: CyberThieves, CyberCops and You. Misha Glenny is a distinguished journalist and historian. As the Central Europe Correspondent first for the Guardian and then for the BBC, he chronicled the collapse of communism and the wars in the former Yugoslavia. He won the Sony Gold Award for outstanding contribution to broadcasting. The author of four books, including the acclaimed McMafia, he has been regularly consulted by the US and European governments on major policy issues and ran an NGO for three years, assisting with the reconstruction of Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo.

'Making Rich People Richer Doesn't Make the Rest of Us richer' and 22 other Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism [Audio]

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ha-Joon Chang | Three years on since the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2008, the world economy is struggling, with huge downward pressures on many people's living standards and sense of security. The predominant opinion is that, in order to get out of this mess, we have to cut taxes, cut welfare spending, and deregulate – so that the wealth creators can start investing and generating wealth again. But why should we so much trust in those very people, who, despite taking ever-larger share of national outputs in the last three decades, have so spectacularly failed to generate more wealth than before? If we are to overcome this crisis and build a better world, we need to part with this myth – that making rich people richer will make all of us richer – and 22 others on how we measure living standards, how we create wealth, how we pay people, how we ensure fairness, and ultimately how we cope with changes and change our future. This event marks the publication of the paperback edition of Chang's latest book 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism. Ha-Joon Chang is a professor in the faculty of politics and economics at Cambridge University where he has taught since 1990. In addition to numerous articles in journals and edited volumes, he has published seven authored books (three of them co-authored) and eight edited books (six of them co-edited). His most recent books include Bad Samaritans: Rich Nations, Poor Policies and the Threat to the Developing World (2007), Kicking Away the Ladder - Development Strategy in Historical Perspective (2002), which won the 2003 Myrdal Prize, Restructuring Korea Inc. (with Jang-Sup Shin, 2003), Globalization, Economic Development and The Role of the State (2003), and Reclaiming Development - An Alternative Economic Policy Manual (with Ilene Grabel, 2004). His writings have been translated into 13 languages. Ha-Joon Chang has worked as a consultant for many international organisations, including various UN agencies such as UNDP (United Nations Development Program) and UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and a number of governments on development policies. He was awarded the 2005 Wassily Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought.

Changing Fortunes: income mobility and poverty dynamics in Britain [Audio]

Mon, 3 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Stephen Jenkins, Professor Simon Burgess, Professor John Hills | Stephen Jenkins launches his book, Changing Fortunes: income mobility and poverty dynamics in Britain, a comprehensive and original study of how people's incomes change between one year and the next. Stephen Jenkins is professor of economic and social policy at LSE. John Hills is professor of social policy and director of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) at LSE. Simon Burgess is professor of economics and director of the Centre for Market and Public Organisation (CMPO), University of Bristol. This event is supported by the ESRC Research Centre on Micro Social Change at ISER, University of Essex.

Entrepreneurs, innovation and growth [Audio]

Mon, 3 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Luke Johnson | Luke Johnson will talk about how new firms and their founders create jobs and wealth, and what we can do to stimulate an enterprise economy. This event marks the publication of Luke's new book Start It Up. Luke Johnson is the Chairman of Risk Capital Partners, a private equity firm he founded in 2001. For six years until 2010 he served as Chairman of Channel 4 Television, a major British broadcaster. He is Chairman/part owner of the restaurant business Giraffe with 40 branches, and Chairman/owner of Patisserie Valerie, Druckers and Baker & Spice, three chains of over 70 retail patisseries. He recently took control of Bread Ltd, Britain's largest artisan baker, including the retail bakery Gail's. As Chairman and majority shareholder of Signature Restaurants he built up the Strada 75 branch restaurant chain and owned various classic London restaurants including The Ivy, Le Caprice and J Sheekey. Previously he was Chairman of PizzaExpress PLC. During his involvement the share price rose from 40p to over 800p. In the 1980s he worked as a stockbroking analyst for Kleinworts. He co-founded the largest UK chain of dental surgeries, Integrated Dental Holdings, which was sold for over £100m after ten years of ownership. He wrote a business column in The Sunday Telegraph between 1998 and 2006, and now writes a weekly essay in The Financial Times. In 2009 he became the Chairman of The Royal Society of Arts. He graduated in medicine from Magdalen College, Oxford University.

Cities and Economic Development [Audio]

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sergio Cabral, N K Singh, Professor Tony Venables | Urban areas are the most productive parts of the developing world, yet concentrated urban poverty presents some of the biggest policy challenges. This debate will address the potential and the challenges of economic development in urban areas. Sergio Cabral is Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro. N K Singh is a member of the Indian Parliament. Tony Venables is professor of economics at Oxford University. This event is part of the International Growth Centre's Growth Week, a unique three-day conference taking place between 19 and 21 of September at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Growth Week is the annual conference of the IGC, based at the London School of Economics. It brings together the IGC's international network of scholars, institutional partners and policy makers in partner countries in Africa and South Asia for three days.

Pakistan: A Personal History [Audio]

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Imran Khan | Born only five years after Pakistan was created in 1947, Imran Khan has lived his country's history. Pakistan now stands alone as the only Islamic country with a nuclear bomb, yet it is unable to protect its people from the carnage of regular bombings from terrorists and its own ally, America. Now, with the revelation that Pakistan has been the hiding place of Osama bin Laden for several years, that relationship can only grow more strained. How did it reach this flashpoint of instability and injustice with such potentially catastrophic results for Pakistan? In this talk he will discuss his new book Pakistan: A Personal History providing a unique insider's view of a country unfamiliar to a western audience. Imran Khan was born in 1952 and grew up playing cricket in Lahore, Pakistan. He played his first international match for his country in 1971. In 1972, he began his studies at Oxford University, where he was a contemporary of Benazir Bhutto. He went on to play cricket for Pakistan until 1992, and was captain of the team from 1982. In 1994 he established a hospital in Pakistan offering free cancer treatment to the poor and is in the process of setting up a second. He also founded Namal College (2007), the only private sector university outside the cities. In April 1996 Imran Khan established his own political party, the Tehreek-e-Insaf, which aims to bring good governance and social justice to the people of Pakistan, and make Pakistan a just and humane society.

Relevant Capabilities and Industrial Development: stories from Sub-Saharan Africa [Audio]

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Sutton | Editor's note: We apologise for the poor audio quality of this podcast. Good advice for governments intervening to promote industrial development can only come from a detailed understanding of countries' industrial capabilities, and institutional frameworks. The aim of the "Enterprise Map" project is to provide this information. John Sutton is a professor of economics at LSE. This event is part of the International Growth Centre's Growth Week, a unique three-day conference taking place between 19 and 21 of September at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Growth Week is the annual conference of the IGC, based at the London School of Economics. It brings together the IGC's international network of scholars, institutional partners and policy makers in partner countries in Africa and South Asia for three days.

Building Effective States [Audio]

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Collier, Sushil Kumar Modi | Getting fragile states on a path of sustainable economic growth is currently a key policy imperative. This session will discuss ways of breaking out of a political equilibrium that creates state fragility and creating one that generates sustained economic growth. Paul Collier is director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies, Oxford University. Sushil Kumar Modi is deputy chief minister of Bihar, India. This event is part of the International Growth Centre's Growth Week, a unique three-day conference taking place between 19 and 21 of September at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Growth Week is the annual conference of the IGC, based at the London School of Economics. It brings together the IGC's international network of scholars, institutional partners and policy makers in partner countries in Africa and South Asia for three days.

The road to recovery – What can Government do in the current economic crisis? [Audio]

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Nick Clegg MP | Nick Clegg is Deputy Prime Minister. Nick Clegg was born in Buckinghamshire in 1967, the third of four siblings. He studied Social Anthropology at Cambridge and continued his post-graduate education at the University of Minnesota and the College of Europe in Bruges. After a brief spell in journalism, Nick worked on international aid programmes and trade policy at the European Commission. He was elected MEP for the East Midlands in 1999 and served as Trade and Industry spokesman for the European Liberal Democrat and Reform group until his decision to step down from the European Parliament to focus on domestic politics in 2004. Nick has contributed to a large number of articles and books, including on education, European Union reform, and trade liberalisation. He worked as a business consultant and part time university lecturer before his election as MP for Sheffield Hallam in 2005. In Parliament, Nick served as the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Europe (2005-6), Shadow Home Secretary (2006-7) before becoming Leader in 2007. In May 2010 Nick Clegg became Deputy Prime Minister and Lord President of the Council in the coalition government. Tony Travers is Director of LSE London and a visiting professor at the Department of Government at LSE.

The 9/11 Wars [Audio]

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jason Burke | Throughout the 1990s a vast conflict was brewing. Jason Burke was a first-hand witness of many of the conflict's key moments, and he cuts through the myth and debunks the screaming headlines to reveal the reality for those ordinary people whose lives have changed forever. Drawing together the complex and chaotic events of this vast conflict, Jason Burke explains this still ongoing war and outlines the course it is likely to take in the years to come. In 15 years as a foreign correspondent for the Guardian and Observer, Jason Burke has reported on many of the key events in the Middle East and South Asia. He is the author of two widely praised books, Al-Qaeda and On the Road to Kandahar, the former of which is widely recognised as the first book to accurately asses the terrorist group. His latest book The 9/11 Wars is published by Penguin.

The Leaderless Revolution: How ordinary people will take power and change politics in the 21st century [Audio]

Thu, 8 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Carne Ross | In his new book The Leaderless Revolution, former diplomat Carne Ross offers a compelling new vision of what’s wrong with contemporary politics and how to put it right. In a bold and original analysis of world affairs today, Ross develops a unique new philosophy of political action and personal liberation, drawing on traditions of anarchism and cosmopolitanism, as well as his own personal experience of political crisis and conflict. Carne Ross is a former British diplomat, author and journalist. Having resigned from the British foreign service after giving secret testimony to an official inquiry into the Iraq war, he then set up the world's first independent diplomatic advisory group, Independent Diplomat, which advises marginalised countries and groups around the world. His book, The Leaderless Revolution: How Ordinary People Will Take Power And Change Politics in the 21st Century, is published by Simon & Schuster on 1st September.

Beyond the crisis: lessons for the future of the eurozone [Audio]

Wed, 7 Sep 2011 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Herman Van Rompuy | In this speech, the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, will draw the political lessons from the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone. To what extent do the 17 countries sharing a single currency -- and the 27 sharing the world's largest market -- need to move forward together? The speech will be followed by a Q & A session. Herman Van Rompuy is the first long-term president of the European Council. Trained as an economist and philosopher at Louvain University, President Van Rompuy served as Belgian's Prime-Minister (2008-2009), Speaker of the Belgian Lower House (2007-2008) and Budget Minister (1993-1999).

National Security, Regional Stability: Prospects for Arab-Iranian Conflict and Cooperation [Audio]

Wed, 7 Sep 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Gary Sick | Keynote speech by Gary Sick, the final session from the Arab-Iranian Relations: Discourses of Conflict and Cooperation Conference, organised the LSE Middle East Centre.

Transparency and financial stability [Audio]

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Donald Kohn | Donald Kohn is a member of the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee which identifies, monitors, and takes action to remove or reduce systemic risks with a view to protecting and enhancing the resilience of the UK financial system. As the former vice chairman of the US federal reserve, Mr Kohn is an expert on monetary policy, financial regulation and macroeconomics. Prior to taking office as a member of the Board of Governors of the US federal reserve, he was an adviser to the Board for Monetary Policy from 2001 to 2002, secretary of the Federal Open Market Committee from 1987 to 2002, director of the Division of Monetary Affairs from 1987 to 2001, and deputy staff director for Monetary and Financial Policy from 1983 to 87. He also held several positions in the Board's Division of Research and Statistics: associate director from 1981 to 1983, chief of Capital Markets from 1978 to 1981, and economist from 1975 to 1978. Donald Kohn is a senior fellow in the Economic Studies Program at the Brookings Institution.

Post-crisis policy challenges in the world economy [Audio]

Mon, 5 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Heiner Flassbeck, Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi | Post-crisis policy challenges in the world economy will be the focus of UNCTAD´s Trade and Development Report 2011. The Report will address the question of what lessons have policymakers drawn from the crisis for reforming the international monetary and financial system and the design of macroeconomic policies. The rethinking of policies and the reshaping of the international monetary and financial system remain urgent tasks. The Report will make concrete proposals on how, and in which priority areas, to advance in strengthening regulation of the financial sector and commodity markets, reform of the international monetary system, and the reorientation of fiscal policy. Dr Heiner Flassbeck is Honorary Professor of Hamburg University and Director, Division on Globalization and Development Strategies, UNCTAD secretariat. He is the leader of the team preparing the Trade and Development Report. Previously, he was the Vice-Minister of Finance in Germany and Chief Economist of the German Institute of Economic Research in Berlin. Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi is Secretary-General of UNCTAD. He began his second four-year term as Secretary-General of UNCTAD on 1 September 2009, following his unanimous confirmation by the UN General Assembly. Established in 1964, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development promotes the development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy. UNCTAD has progressively evolved into an authoritative knowledge-based institution whose work aims to help shape current policy debates and thinking on development, with a particular focus on ensuring that domestic policies and international action are mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable development.

Security challenges ten years after 9/11 [Audio]

Mon, 5 Sep 2011 10:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Michael Chertoff | In this lecture former US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff will address changes in home security challenges at the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and in the wake of the death of Bin Laden. This will include the new networked structure of terrorism, the increasing challenge of homegrown terrorism, and cybersecurity. As Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2005 to 2009, Mr Chertoff led the country in blocking would-be terrorists from crossing US borders or implementing their plans if they were already in the country. He also transformed FEMA into an effective organization following Hurricane Katrina. His greatest successes have earned few headlines – because the important news is what didn't happen. As co-founder and managing principal at Chertoff Group, Mr Chertoff provides high-level strategic counsel to corporate and government leaders on a broad range of security issues, from risk identification and prevention to preparedness, response and recovery. Before heading up the Department of Homeland Security, Mr Chertoff served as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Earlier, during more than a decade as a federal prosecutor, he investigated and prosecuted cases of political corruption, organised crime, corporate fraud and terrorism – including the investigation of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Chertoff spent one year of his studies at LSE and is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College (1975) and Harvard Law School (1978). From 1979-1980 he served as a clerk to Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, Jr. In addition to his role at Chertoff Group, Mr. Chertoff is also senior counsel at Covington & Burling LLP, and a member of the firm's White Collar Defense and Investigations practice group.

Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age [Audio]

Mon, 8 Aug 2011 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Viktor Mayer-Schönberger | Viktor Mayer-Schönberger is the Professor of Internet Governance and Regulation at Oxford. His research focuses on the role of information in a networked economy. Earlier he spent ten years on the faculty of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Professor Mayer-Schönberger has published seven books, as well as over a hundred articles (including in Science) and book chapters. His most recent book, the awards-winning 'Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age' (Princeton University Press 2009) has received favorable reviews by academic (Nature, Science, New Scientist) and mainstream media (New York Times, Guardian, Le Monde, NPR, BBC, Wired) and has been published in four languages. Ideas proposed in the book have now become official policy, e.g. of the European Union.

What next for Rupert Murdoch? The Man Who Owns The News [Audio]

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Michael Wolff | Rupert Murdoch is currently engulfed in one of the most extraordinary news stories of recent times, his own. Michael Wolff has long argued that a trend of decline for media moguls is inevitable. In this conversation, Wolff will reveal some of the unparalleled insights he has gleaned from his unprecedented access to Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation. He will also discuss how this most recent crisis will ultimately impact the most infamous of media moguls going forward. Michael Wolff is an award winning journalist, author and expert on Rupert Murdoch's global media empire. His latest and most timely book, a biography of Rupert Murdoch 'The Man Who Owns the News', is based on nine months of interviews with Murdoch, his family and associates. Wolff began his career at The New York Times and is currently the editorial director of Adweek and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. His books include the best-seller 'Burn Rate: How I Survived the Gold Rush Years on the Internet' (Simon & Schuster, 1998) and 'Autumn of the Moguls' (HarperBusiness, 2003).'

An Evening with Michael Atherton [Audio]

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Michael Atherton | A conversation and Q&A with cricketer Michael Atherton, author of Glorious Summers and Discontents: Looking Back on the Ups and Downs from a Dramatic Decade. Renowned as a shrewd and resolute captain of England, Atherton moved effortlessly into the commentary box and Fleet Street, proving himself every bit as capable with the pen as with the bat. Born in 1968 and educated at Cambridge University, Mike Atherton played his entire career for Lancashire and England, winning 115 Test caps and captaining his country 54 times. After a spell writing for the Sunday Telegraph, he became Cricket Correspondent of The Times in 2008 and also commentates for Sky Sports. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and two children.

Monetary policy and banking fragility [Audio]

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Miles | The banking sector across many developed economies proved fragile – insufficiently robust to prevent worries about the value of bank assets generating a banking crisis. This caused a downturn which in the UK has been severe and prolonged. But this has happened while inflation has stayed relatively high. This creates huge challenges in setting monetary policy. David Miles will analyse those difficulties and consider how banks can be best made more robust. Professor David Miles joined the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England in June 2009. He is also a Visiting Professor at Imperial College. Miles was formerly a professor of financial economics and head of the Finance Department at Imperial. As an economist he has focused on the interaction between financial markets and the wider economy. He was Chief UK Economist at Morgan Stanley from October 2004 to May 2009. He has been a specialist economic advisor to the Treasury Select Committee. In Budget 2003, the Chancellor commissioned Professor Miles to lead a review of the UK mortgage market. The result, published at Budget 2004, was the report: "The UK mortgage market: taking a longer-term view". He is a council member of the Royal Economic Society, a research fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research and at the CESIFO research institute in Munich. He is a former editor of Fiscal Studies.

Keynes v Hayek [Audio]

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor George Selgin, Professor Lord Skidelsky, Duncan Weldon, Dr Jamie Whyte | How do we get out of the financial mess we're in? Two of the great economic thinkers of the 20th century had sharply contrasting views: John Maynard Keynes believed that governments could create sustainable employment and growth. His contemporary and rival Friedrich Hayek believed that investments have to be based on real savings rather than fiscal stimulus or artificially low interest rates. BBC Radio 4 will be recording a debate between modern day followers of Keynes and Hayek. George Selgin is Professor of Economics at The Terry College of Business, University of Georgia. Selgin is one of the founders of the Modern Free Banking School, which draws its inspiration from the writings of Hayek on the denationalization of money and choice in currency. He has written extensively on free banking, the private supply of money and deflation. George Selgin is the author of The Theory of Free Banking: Money Supply under Competitive Note Issue (1988), Less Than Zero: The Case for a Falling Price Level in a Growing Economy (1997), and Good Money: Birmingham Button Makers, the Royal Mint, and the Beginnings of Modern Coinage (2008). Robert Skidelsky is Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick. His three-volume biography of the economist John Maynard Keynes (1983, 1992, 2000) received numerous prizes, including the Lionel Gelber Prize for International Relations and the Council on Foreign Relations Prize for International Relations. He is the author of The World After Communism (1995) (American edition called The Road from Serfdom). He was made a life peer in 1991, and was elected Fellow of the British Academy in 1994. His latest book is Keynes: The Return of the Master. Duncan Weldon is a former Bank of England economist and currently works as an economics adviser to an international trade union federation. He has a long standing interest in and admiration for Keynes but also a respect for Hayek. He blogs at Duncan's Economic Blog. Jamie Whyte was born in New Zealand and educated at the University of Auckland and then the University of Cambridge in England, where he gained a Ph.D. in philosophy. Jamie remained at Cambridge for a further three years, as a fellow of Corpus Christi College and a lecturer in the Philosophy Faculty. During this time he published a number of academic articles on the nature of truth, belief and desire, and won the Analysis Essay Competition for the best article by a philosopher under the age of 30. Jamie then joined Oliver Wyman & Company, a London-based strategy consulting firm specialising in the financial services industry, for which he still works, as the Head of Research and Publications. Jamie has published two books: Crimes Against Logic (McGraw Hill, Chicago, 2004) and A Load of Blair (Corvo, London, 2005). Jamie is a regular contributor of opinion articles to The Times (of London), the Financial Times and Standpoint magazine. In 2006 he won the Bastiat Prize for journalism.He is on the advisory board of The Cobden Centre. The debate will be chaired by Paul Mason, economics editor of BBC 2's Newsnight and author of Meltdown: The End of the Age of Greed.

I'm Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59 [Audio]

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Douglas Edwards | Comparing Google to an ordinary business is like comparing a rocket to a wheelbarrow. No academic analysis or bystander's account can capture it. Now Douglas Edwards, Employee Number 59, takes us inside the Googleplex for the closest look you can get without an ID card, giving us a chance to fully experience the potent mix of camaraderie and competition that makes up the company that changed the world. Edwards, Google's first director of marketing and brand management, describes it as it happened. From the first, pioneering steps of Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the company's young, idiosyncratic partners to the evolution of the company's famously nonhierarchical structure (where every employee finds a problem to tackle or a feature to create and works independently), through the physical endurance feats of the company's engineers (both on Comparing Google to an ordinary business is like comparing a rocket to a wheelbarrow. No academic analysis or bystander's account can capture it. Now Douglas Edwards, Employee Number 59, takes us inside the Googleplex for the closest look you can get without an ID card, giving us a chance to fully experience the potent mix of camaraderie and competition that makes up the company that changed the world. Edwards, Google's first director of marketing and brand management, describes it as it happened. From the first, pioneering steps of Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the company's young, idiosyncratic partners to the evolution of the company's famously nonhierarchical structure (where every employee finds a problem to tackle or a feature to create and works independently), through the physical endurance feats of the company's engineers (both on and off the roller-hockey field) to its ethos to always hire someone smarter than yourself. Doug Edwards captures for the first time the unique, self-invented, culture of the world's most transformative corporation. This event marks the launch of I'm Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59. Douglas Edwards was the first director of consumer marketing and brand management at Google from 1999 to 2005 and was responsible for setting the tone and direction of the company's communications with its users. and off the roller-hockey field) to its ethos to always hire someone smarter than yourself. Doug Edwards captures for the first time the unique, self-invented, culture of the world's most transformative corporation. This event marks the launch of I'm Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59. Douglas Edwards was the first director of consumer marketing and brand management at Google from 1999 to 2005 and was responsible for setting the tone and direction of the company's communications with its users.

The End of the Peer Show?: A debate on the future of the House of Lords [Audio]

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Tim Bale, Professor Patrick Dunleavy, Mark Harper MP, Rt Revd Lord Harries | The draft House of Lords Reform Bill, published in May 2011, sets out a number of proposals aiming to reform the UK's Upper House. These proposals - among them the reduction in number of members by more than half, making the House either 80 or 100 per cent elected, and limiting the length of term to 15 years - aim to increase the democratic authority of the House of Lords whilst retaining its essential scrutiny and expert functions. The timetable for reform could see first elections take place by 2015. This debate aims to bring together MPs, peers and academics to discuss the proposals set out in the Draft Bill and the prospects for reform of the House. The event launches The end of the peer show? a new book published by the Constitution Society and CentreForum drawing together a series of responses to the recent proposals for reform. Tim Bale is Professor of Politics and European Studies at Sussex University and the convenor of the Political Studies Association’s specialist group on Conservatives and Conservatism. His latest book is The Conservative Party from Thatcher to Cameron (Polity, 2010). Patrick Dunleavy is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science and General Editor of the British Politics and Policy at LSE blog. Mark Harper is Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform and the Conservative MP for the Forest of Dean. He was first elected in the 2005 general election. He joined the Cabinet Office in May 2010 as Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform, having previously served as Shadow Minister for Defence. The Rt Revd Lord Harries is a retired bishop of the Church of England. He was the 41st Bishop of Oxford from 1987 to 2006. Since 2008 he has been the Gresham Professor of Divinity.

Change in the Middle East? Democracy, Authoritarianism and Regime Change in the Arab World [Audio]

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lisa Anderson | This lecture is an examination of the recent uprisings in the Arab world, highlighting where they happened, where they succeeded and what they may mean for both the practice and the study of politics in the region. Lisa Anderson was appointed president of the American University in Cairo in January 2011. A specialist on politics in the Middle East and North Africa, Anderson served as the university's provost from 2008 to 2010. Prior to joining AUC in 2008, Anderson served as James T. Shotwell Professor of International Relations at Columbia University and is the former dean of the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia. She also served as the chair of the political science department at the university and as the director of Columbia's Middle East Institute. Before joining Columbia, she was assistant professor of government and social studies at Harvard University. Anderson is the author of Pursuing Truth, Exercising Power: Social Science and Public Policy in the Twenty-first Century (Columbia University Press, 2003), The State and Social Transformation in Tunisia and Libya, 1830-1980 (Princeton University Press, 1986), and coeditor of The Origins of Arab Nationalism (Columbia 1991).

Migrants and Intellectual life [Audio]

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Harry Kroto, Philippe Sands QC, Mike Phillips, Gita Sahgal, Barbara Roche | Migrants are often presented as a burden, but no one can deny the impact they have had on Britain's intellectual life. One quarter of Britain's Nobel Prize winners in science were born abroad. Our religious, philosophical and ideological heritage has often been inspired by migrants, from royal patrons (Prince Rupert, Prince Albert) to refugees (Ralf Dahrendorf, Isaiah Berlin). It is rarely noticed on the migration balance sheet, but our science, philosophy, critical and spiritual life has been repeatedly shaped and reshaped by newcomers. Sir Harry Kroto is a Professor of Chemistry at Florida State University who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1996. Philippe Sands QC is a barrister at Matrix Chambers and Professor of Laws and Director of the Centre of International Courts and Tribunals at University College London. Mike Phillips is a journalist and writer who has worked for the BBC. Rabinder Singh QC is a barrister at Matrix Chambers, deputy High Court judge, and Crown Court Recorder. Gita Sahgal is a writer and journalist. Barbara Roche chairs the Migration Museum Project and is a former Immigration Minister.

Phone-hacking: is it time to get tough on the press? [Audio]

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Aaronovitch, Charlotte Harris, Martin Moore, Paul Staines | The furore around the phone-hacking scandal at the News of the World has raised wider issues around the regulation and standards of British newspaper journalism. Is it time for the authorities to get tough on the press or would that threaten freedom of expression and the media's ability to hold power to account? David Aaronovitch is a writer, broadcaster and commentator on culture, international affairs, politics and the media. A former television researcher, producer and programme editor, he has previously written for The Independent, The Guardian and The Observer, winning numerous accolades, including Columnist of the Year 2003 and the 2001 Orwell prize for journalism. He currently writes for The Times. He has appeared on the satirical TV current affairs programme Have I Got News For You, presented a number of radio and television series and programmes on current affairs and historical topics. His first book, and account of a journey by kayak on the rivers and canals of England, Paddling to Jerusalem, was published in 2000 and won the Madoc Prize for travel writing. In 2009 he published Voodoo Histories, a book on the history and attraction of conspiracy theories, which he spoke about in a POLIS public lecture at LSE, a podcast of the lecture is available. Charlotte Harris is a partner in Mishcon Private. Charlotte has been fundamental in the exposure of the phone hacking scandal and continues to act for many clients in relation to this issue. Recent notable cases include Max Clifford v NGN and Glenn Mulcaire, Donald v N'tuli (C of A) and Perroncel v NGN. Martin Moore is director of the Media Standards Trust, a new independent charity that looks for ways to foster high standards in news. Paul Staines is the author of Guido Fawkes' blog.

ED: The Milibands and the making of a Labour leader [Audio]

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mehdi Hasan, James Macintyre | Ed Miliband is perhaps the least understood political leader of modern times. Mehdi Hasan and James Macintyre's book, ED: The Milibands and the making of a Labour leader, reveals where he has come from and where he is going. It charts his unique upbringing, against the backdrop of tragedy and with a prominent Marxist thinker for a father. ED follows his coming of age at Oxford, his election to Parliament and asks whether the pressures of being Labour party leader are swaying him from deep personal and ideological convictions. But Ed’s story cannot be fully understood outside the context of his struggle to emerge from the shadow of his elder brother, David. Ed followed David to the same college at Oxford, into Parliament and into the Cabinet before, at the eleventh hour, snatching away David’s dream of the leadership. Ed Miliband’s political hero is Robert Kennedy but, unlike the Kennedys, the Milibands fought to the bitter end, rather than supporting one another. ED gets to the heart of the dramatic decision-making that led him to join that epic leadership battle and reveals the hidden truth behind the making of a Labour leader. Mehdi Hasan is Senior Editor (Politics) at the New Statesman and is a former newsstand- current-affairs editor at Channel 4. He is a regular guest on the BBC’s Question Time and The Big Questions, and also appears on BBC News, Sky News, Al Jazeera and LBC, where he is a guest presenter. James Macintyre is Politics Editor at Prospect. Previously he was a reporter at the Independent and New Statesman and producer of BBC’s Question Time and LWT’s Jonathan Dimbleby programme. He frequently appears on news and radio programmes.

Arab Revolutions in the Making: Not a Perfect Storm [Audio]

Thu, 7 Jul 2011 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Fawaz A Gerges | Fawaz Gerges is a Professor of Middle Eastern Politics and International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He also holds the Emirates Chair of the Contemporary Middle East and is the Director of the Middle East Centre at LSE.

Powerful Portraits: What's in a Face? A slideshow lecture by Platon [Audio]

Wed, 6 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Platon | Portrait photographer Platon shares his experience photographing an eclectic mix of presidents, politicians, celebrities and artists through to his award winning portfolios for the New Yorker. He will also discuss highlights from Power his book of over 100 Heads of State including Barack Obama, George W Bush, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Muammar al-Gaddafi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas, Hugo Chavez, Robert Mugabe and Silvio Berlusconi. This event celebrates the publication of his latest book Power. Born in England to a Greek father and English mother, Platon grew up in both the Greek Isles and London. He attended St. Martins School of Art, and after receiving his BA with honours in Graphic Design, he was later awarded an MA in photography and fine art at the Royal College of Art. Now based in New York, Platon has contributed to a vast range of international publications including the New Yorker, Rolling Stone and Esquire magazines. In 2008, Platon's photograph of Russian Premier Vladimir Putin for Time magazine's Person of the Year cover was awarded first prize in the World Press photo contest. He is now a staff photographer at the New Yorker magazine. Platon's first book Platon's Republic was published in 2004 by Phaidon Press. He lives in New York with his wife, daughter and son. Charlie Beckett is Director of POLIS at LSE.

An Integrated Networking Approach for a Sustainable Textile Sector in Solapur City, India [Audio]

Tue, 5 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Rahul Hiremath | The textile sector in India plays an important role in the country's economy, providing employment to a significant population in rural and semi-rural areas. It generates sizeable foreign exchange for the country, and is a repository of the cultural heritage of the nation. The sector, however, remains largely unorganized and heavily dependent on market fluctuations. The mass production of textile goods without any effects on the environment seems utopian in these days as the available manufacturing technologies consume many different chemicals as well as high quantities of water and energy. To explain the textile sector and its impact, the seminar will consider the findings of a study of Solapur City in the state of Maharashtra. Solapur, with a population of 907,400 (2003) is the 37th most populous city in the country and eighth in the State of Maharashtra, India. There are about 25,000 power looms employing about 100,000 workers. The seminar will present key concepts and findings regarding the need for sustainability in the textile industry in Solapur City. The research provides an overview of the textile and clothing industry in a city where it is one of the biggest sectors for employment and export. The current problems exist in the city because effluent disposal facilities of these industries are very poor in turn creating environmental, health and social problems. To counteract this effect, the study reviewed the textile industry's approach adopted in the city and sought to evaluate models and methods for measuring the impact of the textile industry on the environment, human health, biodiversity and climate. The research emphasises the need for the development of an integrated sustainable model of networking for climate change mitigation using adaptation approaches related to environment, health, safety and cleaner production which can assist in building a local knowledge base to sustain the process.

Family Futures: Childhood and poverty in urban neighbourhoods [Audio]

Tue, 5 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, Dr Katharine Rake, Professor Anne Power, Jane Waldfogel | Family futures is about family life in areas of concentrated poverty and social problems where surrounding conditions make bringing up children more difficult and family life more fraught and limited. Home and neighbourhood carry special meaning for families, because where they live, how they fit in with their neighbours, and how their children grow up all intertwine, to build a sense of community. This timely book, by acclaimed author Anne Power and her team, is based on a unique longitudinal study of over 200 families interviewed annually over the last decade. It answers three important questions in the words of families themselves: What challenges face families in poor areas? How are the challenges being met? Have government efforts helped or hindered progress over the past decade? This event will have wide appeal to people who work with, live in and care about families and low-income areas. Margaret Hodge is Member of Parliament for Barking. Dr Katharine Rake OBE is Chief Executive Officer at the Family and Parenting Institute. Anne Power is Professor of Social Policy and Head of LSE Housing at LSE. Jane Waldfogel is a professor of social work and public affairs at Columbia University School of Social Work and a visiting professor at the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion at the London School of Economics.

Quality in Health and Social Care [Audio]

Tue, 5 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Zack Cooper, Professor Julien Forder, Professor Mireia Jofre-Bonet, Dr Irini Papanicolas | In this lecture, organised by LSE Health and Social Care, and supported by LSE HEIF 4 Bid Fund, LSE academics will discuss quality and competition in the field of health and social care. Welcome from Chair - Professor Alistair McGuire (LSE Health and Social Care). Does Hospital Competition Save Lives? Evidence from the English National Health Service - Dr Zack Cooper (LSE Health). Payment by Results and Quality in the English NHS - Dr Irini Papanicolas (LSE Health). Measuring Quality and Outcomes in Social Care - Professor Julien Forder (PSSRU Kent and LSE). Discussant: Professor Mireia Jofre-Bonet (City University).

The Caribbean in a Changing Global Environment [Audio]

Tue, 5 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sir Hilary Beckles | This event is part of the celebrations that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Caucus of High Commissioners are organising to celebrate CARICOM day on 1 July 2011. Several activities are being planned to mark the day from July 3-8, which aim to showcase CARICOM countries. Professor Sir Hilary Beckles was born in Barbados in 1955. He attended secondary school in Barbados and Birmingham in the UK. He received his higher education in the United Kingdom. He graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Economic History from Hull University in 1976 and a PhD from the same university in 1980. In 2003, he received an Honorary Doctor of Letters for outstanding work as a scholar from his alma mater. He joined the History Department at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus in 1979 as a lecturer; in 1984 he transferred to the Cave Hill Campus in Barbados and was promoted to a personal professorship in 1993 at age thirty-seven, the youngest in the history of UWI. Professor Sir Hilary has served the University as Head of the History Department and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities.

London Integration Forum 2011 - Exploring Diversity [Audio]

Fri, 1 Jul 2011 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Liz Fekete, Dr Naika Foroutan, Dr Myria Georgiou, Nazia Hussain, Lamya Kaddor, Profressor Julian Petley | How can we formulate a vision of the future after the widely proclaimed "failure of multiculturalism"? The London Integration Forum aims at providing a fresh perspective on British and German integration debates bringing together renowned scholars and professionals and framing immigration and integration as fields of learning and exchange. Liz Fekete is the executive director and head of European research at the Institute of Race Relations in London. A leading authority on issues of racism, Islamophobia and national security legislation. Dr Naika Foroutan is director of the research project "Hybrid European-Muslim Identities" (HeyMat) at the Humboldt University in Berlin. Dr Myria Georgiou is lecturer at the LSE Department of Media and Communications, focusing on the areas of diaspora, migration, media and identity. Nazia Hussain is director of the Open Society Institute project "At Home in Europe", directing research on policies and practices relating to integration in different EU cities. Lamya Kaddor is an author on Muslim-German Identity, awarded the "European Muslim Women of Influence" prize by CEDAR in 2010. Julian Petley is Professor of Screen Media and Journalism, Brunel University, Uxbridge & co-editor of Pointing the Finger: Islam and Muslims in the British Media.

A lecture by Felipe Larraín Bascuñán, Minister of Finance of the Government of Chile [Audio]

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Felipe Larraín Bascuñán | Since March 2010, Felipe Larraín Bascuñán has been the Minister of Finance of the Government of President Sebastián Piñera. Felipe gained a PhD (1985) and Master of Arts (1983) in Economics from Harvard University, and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Universidad Católica de Chile (1981), he has a vast experience as an international consultant, academician, editor and author of more than 10 books and 120 professional articles, both published in Latin America, U.S.A., Europe and Asia. Since 1996, he has been a Professor of Economics at Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, where he previously served as Associate and Assistant Professor. From 1997 to 2002 he was affiliated to Harvard University, first as the Robert F. Kennedy Visiting Professor of Latin American Studies (1997-99), then as Faculty Fellow (1999-2002). Since 1985, he has served as economic advisor to several American governments, including Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. Felipe Larraín has been a consultant on macroeconomic issues to the United Nations, the World Bank, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Inter-American Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund. He is the editor and author of ten books, including: Desarrollo Económico en Democracia: Proposiciones para una Sociedad Libre y Solidaria (Ediciones Universidad Católica de Chile: Santiago, 1987); Debt, Adjustment and Recovery: Latin America's Prospects for Growth and Development (Basil Blackwell: Oxford and New York, 1989); The Public Sector and the Latin American Crisis (ICS Press: San Francisco, 1991); Chile Hacia el 2000 (CEP: Santiago, Chile, 1994); La Transformación Económica de Chile (CEP: Santiago, Chile, 2000); Capital Flows, Capital Controls and Currency Crises: Latin America in the 1990s (University of Michigan Press, 2000); Economic Development in Central America, Vols I and II (Harvard University Press, 2001); and Macroeconomics at Practice (Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004).

Urban regeneration and social sustainability [Audio]

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrea Colantonio, Tim Dixon, Brian Field, Jan Olbrycht | Urban regeneration is a key focus for public policy throughout Europe. This launch marks an examination of social sustainability through the analysis of its meaning and significance. The authors will offer a comprehensive European perspective to identify best practice in sustainable urban regeneration in five major cities in Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, and the UK. Respondents will discuss current policy thinking and the future of the EU Urban Agenda. Andrea Colantonio is Research Coordinator at LSE Cities. Tim Dixon is Director of the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development, Oxford Brookes University. Brian Field is Urban Specialist with the European Investment Bank. Jan Olbrycht is MEP and Chair of the Urban Intergroup, European Parliament. Anne Power is Professor with the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.

Moving Social Security Online (Conference) - Session 5 [Audio]

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mark O'Neill, Jerry Fishenden, Martin Ferguson | LSE Public Policy Group, LSE Moving Social Security Online Conference, Wednesday 29 June 2011. In the present fiscal climate, governments must cut the costs of delivering services at the same time as maintaining quality. They must also cope with the demands of increasing numbers of the unemployed and the aging. A key imperative therefore is to move the bulk of social security processes and transactions online. Introduction: Designing Social Security, Sir Michael Bichard, Design Council. Session 1: Moving social security online: the current UK view, Matt Briggs (Programme Manager, Tell Us Once, Department for Work and Pensions), Guy Ker (Publishing Director, Directgov), Simon Boniwell (Strategy Unit, Department for Work and Pensions). Session 2: Government services online: other policy areas, Nick Chapman (Chief Executive, NHS Direct), David Dinsdale (ex Director of Businesslink), Patrick Dunleavy (Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, LSE). Session 3: Designing technology changes to social security, Harry Metcalfe (The Dextrous Web), Ivo Gormley (Thinkpublic) – Case study on transforming public services. Session 4: Information and citizen focused innovation, William Heath (Chairman, Mydex), Teresa Perchaud (Director of Policy, Citizens Advice Bureaux), Kevin McLean (UK Online Centres). Session 5: Designing online social security for the future, Mark O’Neill (Head of Skunkworks and CIO, CLG and DCMS), Jerry Fishenden (Advisor, PASC IT inquiry and ex Head of Technology, Microsoft).

Moving Social Security Online (Conference) - Session 4 [Audio]

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): William Heath, Teresa Perchaud, Kevin McLean | LSE Public Policy Group, LSE Moving Social Security Online Conference, Wednesday 29 June 2011. In the present fiscal climate, governments must cut the costs of delivering services at the same time as maintaining quality. They must also cope with the demands of increasing numbers of the unemployed and the aging. A key imperative therefore is to move the bulk of social security processes and transactions online. Introduction: Designing Social Security, Sir Michael Bichard, Design Council. Session 1: Moving social security online: the current UK view, Matt Briggs (Programme Manager, Tell Us Once, Department for Work and Pensions), Guy Ker (Publishing Director, Directgov), Simon Boniwell (Strategy Unit, Department for Work and Pensions). Session 2: Government services online: other policy areas, Nick Chapman (Chief Executive, NHS Direct), David Dinsdale (ex Director of Businesslink), Patrick Dunleavy (Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, LSE). Session 3: Designing technology changes to social security, Harry Metcalfe (The Dextrous Web), Ivo Gormley (Thinkpublic) – Case study on transforming public services. Session 4: Information and citizen focused innovation, William Heath (Chairman, Mydex), Teresa Perchaud (Director of Policy, Citizens Advice Bureaux), Kevin McLean (UK Online Centres). Session 5: Designing online social security for the future, Mark O’Neill (Head of Skunkworks and CIO, CLG and DCMS), Jerry Fishenden (Advisor, PASC IT inquiry and ex Head of Technology, Microsoft).

Moving Social Security Online (Conference) - Session 3 [Audio]

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Harry Metcalfe, Ivo Gormley | LSE Public Policy Group, LSE Moving Social Security Online Conference, Wednesday 29 June 2011. In the present fiscal climate, governments must cut the costs of delivering services at the same time as maintaining quality. They must also cope with the demands of increasing numbers of the unemployed and the aging. A key imperative therefore is to move the bulk of social security processes and transactions online. Introduction: Designing Social Security, Sir Michael Bichard, Design Council. Session 1: Moving social security online: the current UK view, Matt Briggs (Programme Manager, Tell Us Once, Department for Work and Pensions), Guy Ker (Publishing Director, Directgov), Simon Boniwell (Strategy Unit, Department for Work and Pensions). Session 2: Government services online: other policy areas, Nick Chapman (Chief Executive, NHS Direct), David Dinsdale (ex Director of Businesslink), Patrick Dunleavy (Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, LSE). Session 3: Designing technology changes to social security, Harry Metcalfe (The Dextrous Web), Ivo Gormley (Thinkpublic) – Case study on transforming public services. Session 4: Information and citizen focused innovation, William Heath (Chairman, Mydex), Teresa Perchaud (Director of Policy, Citizens Advice Bureaux), Kevin McLean (UK Online Centres). Session 5: Designing online social security for the future, Mark O’Neill (Head of Skunkworks and CIO, CLG and DCMS), Jerry Fishenden (Advisor, PASC IT inquiry and ex Head of Technology, Microsoft).

Moving Social Security Online (Conference) - Session 2 [Audio]

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Nick Chapman, David Dinsdale, Patrick Dunleavy | LSE Public Policy Group, LSE Moving Social Security Online Conference, Wednesday 29 June 2011. In the present fiscal climate, governments must cut the costs of delivering services at the same time as maintaining quality. They must also cope with the demands of increasing numbers of the unemployed and the aging. A key imperative therefore is to move the bulk of social security processes and transactions online. Introduction: Designing Social Security, Sir Michael Bichard, Design Council. Session 1: Moving social security online: the current UK view, Matt Briggs (Programme Manager, Tell Us Once, Department for Work and Pensions), Guy Ker (Publishing Director, Directgov), Simon Boniwell (Strategy Unit, Department for Work and Pensions). Session 2: Government services online: other policy areas, Nick Chapman (Chief Executive, NHS Direct), David Dinsdale (ex Director of Businesslink), Patrick Dunleavy (Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, LSE). Session 3: Designing technology changes to social security, Harry Metcalfe (The Dextrous Web), Ivo Gormley (Thinkpublic) – Case study on transforming public services. Session 4: Information and citizen focused innovation, William Heath (Chairman, Mydex), Teresa Perchaud (Director of Policy, Citizens Advice Bureaux), Kevin McLean (UK Online Centres). Session 5: Designing online social security for the future, Mark O’Neill (Head of Skunkworks and CIO, CLG and DCMS), Jerry Fishenden (Advisor, PASC IT inquiry and ex Head of Technology, Microsoft).

Moving Social Security Online (Conference) - Intro & Session 1 [Audio]

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Michael Bichard, Matt Briggs, Guy Ker, Simon Boniwell | LSE Public Policy Group, LSE Moving Social Security Online Conference, Wednesday 29 June 2011. In the present fiscal climate, governments must cut the costs of delivering services at the same time as maintaining quality. They must also cope with the demands of increasing numbers of the unemployed and the aging. A key imperative therefore is to move the bulk of social security processes and transactions online. Introduction: Designing Social Security, Sir Michael Bichard, Design Council. Session 1: Moving social security online: the current UK view, Matt Briggs (Programme Manager, Tell Us Once, Department for Work and Pensions), Guy Ker (Publishing Director, Directgov), Simon Boniwell (Strategy Unit, Department for Work and Pensions). Session 2: Government services online: other policy areas, Nick Chapman (Chief Executive, NHS Direct), David Dinsdale (ex Director of Businesslink), Patrick Dunleavy (Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, LSE). Session 3: Designing technology changes to social security, Harry Metcalfe (The Dextrous Web), Ivo Gormley (Thinkpublic) – Case study on transforming public services. Session 4: Information and citizen focused innovation, William Heath (Chairman, Mydex), Teresa Perchaud (Director of Policy, Citizens Advice Bureaux), Kevin McLean (UK Online Centres). Session 5: Designing online social security for the future, Mark O’Neill (Head of Skunkworks and CIO, CLG and DCMS), Jerry Fishenden (Advisor, PASC IT inquiry and ex Head of Technology, Microsoft).

Adaptation and regeneration in the EU's regions: The case of Wallonia [Audio]

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Rudy Demotte | In the 19th century the Belgian region of Wallonia was the second industrial power of the world after England. Then, in the 1950s, came rapid and seemingly unstoppable decline. Now, with exports and investment rising, there is a growing perception that Wallonia is finally turning the corner. How is it doing so? Rudy Demotte is Minister President of the Belgian region of Wallonia and President of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Before becoming Minister President, Rudy Demotte previously served as Minister for the National Health System and for Social Affairs, Minister for Budget, Culture and Sport for the French-speaking community, and Federal Minister for Economy and Scientific Research. Maurice Fraser is Director of the LSE European Institute. This event is organised in association with the Belgian Embassy in London and the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain.

Injunctions are a necessary evil: Privacy, free speech and a feral press [Audio]

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Suzanne Moore, Max Mosley, David Price, Hugh Tomlinson | A public debate to celebrate the launch of the new issue of Index on Censorship magazine, Privacy is dead! Long live privacy. Index editor Jo Glanville chairs a panel featuring Hugh Tomlinson QC, who represents Ryan Giggs, former F1 president Max Mosley and Imogen Thomas' lawyer David Price, who will discuss gagging orders, tabloid intrusion and the right to a private life. Are injunctions a means to uphold our human rights or an unjust anachronism after the recent Twitter exposés? Should Article 10, the right to freedom of expression, trump Article 8, the right to respect for a private life? Are celebrities' personal lives fair game? Suzanne Moore is an award-winning columnist for the Guardian and the Mail on Sunday. Max Mosley is the former president of Formula One. David Price QC is the founder of London media law firm David Price Solicitors & Advocatesis. Hugh Tomlinson QC of Matrix Chambers is a noted specialist in media and information law including defamation, confidence, privacy and data protection. His practice also includes advisory work and litigation in the freedom of information field.

Policy and Philosophy for Children [Audio]

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Phillip Blond, Jonathan Douglas, Professor John White | Editor's note: Unfortunately the last few minutes of the lecture are missing from the podcast. Three debates will examine the theoretical, practical and policy implications of teaching philosophy to children in primary and secondary school settings in the UK. Phillip Blond is director of ResPublica. Jonathan Douglas is director of The National Literacy Trust. John White is emeritus professor of philosophy of education in the Institute of Education, University of London.

Bread and Butter: Food, De-Development and the Arab Revolutions [Audio]

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Rami Zurayk | In his lecture, Rami Zurayk will discuss his current work on food and de-development in Gaza and the use of food insecurity as a weapon of siege. He will also look at Egypt and its post-revolution agricultural policies. Rami Zurayk is an agronomy professor at the American University of Beirut and a longtime activist for political and social justice. Born in Beirut during the 1958 U.S. Marines' landing in Lebanon, he has witnessed two Israeli-Arab wars, one protracted civil war, one major Israeli invasion, one Israeli retreat and one Israeli defeat. He studied at AUB and at Oxford University. He has published over a hundred articles, monographs and technical reports on agriculture, food, environment and education. His most recent book Food, Farming and Freedom: Sowing the Arab Spring was published this May.

Philosophers and Philosophy for Children [Audio]

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Katerina Deligiorgi, Dr Angela Hobbs, Dr Vivienne Orchar | Three debates will examine the theoretical, practical and policy implications of teaching philosophy to children in primary and secondary school settings in the UK. Katerina Deligiorgi is senior lecturer in literature and philosophy at the University of Sussex. Angela Hobbs is senior fellow in the public understanding of philosophy at the University of Warwick. Vivienne Orchard is lecturer in French at the University of Southampton.

Practitioners and Philosophy for Children [Audio]

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Mary Healy, Dr John Taylor, Peter Worley | Editor's note: Unfortunately the first few minutes of the lecture are missing from the podcast. Three debates will examine the theoretical, practical and policy implications of teaching philosophy to children in primary and secondary school settings in the UK. Mary Healy is senior lecturer in education at Roehampton University. John Taylor is director of critical studies at Rugby School. Peter Worley is chief executive officer of The Philosophy Shop.

Global Imbalances and Social Challenges [Audio]

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jean-Michel Severino, Martin Wolf | Two of the world's top commentators on economics, development and finance discuss some of the most pressing global imbalances and the social challenges that they pose in the years ahead. Jean-Michel Severino is general inspector of finances, French Ministry of Finance. Martin Wolf is associate editor and chief economics commentator at the Financial Times.

The European Parliament: Finally a Powerful and Legitimate Institution? [Audio]

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Michael Shackleton, David Curry, Sara Hagemann, Hugo Brady | The launch of the 8th edition of the "The European Parliament" by Richard Corbett, Francis Jacobs and Michael Shackleton offers a timely opportunity to reflect on the development of this fascinating institution. Following the Lisbon Treaty, has the European Parliament reached the apogee of its powers, or is there still more for the MEPs' to influence? And, after a record low in voter participation in the 2009 European Parliament elections, what can or should the European Parliament do to increase its legitimacy?

KT Social Care Project Seminar: Mind the Gap - Getting Research Into Policy and Practice [Audio]

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Philip Davies | It is almost thirty years since the American social scientist Carol Weiss noted that social science findings and evaluation evidence "were not having visible impacts on policy decisions". Weiss went on to suggest that "this is not the same as saying that research findings have little influence on policy", but that the influence that they do have is more subtle and indirect. This seminar will consider the various ways in which research gets into policy and practice, as well as the barriers to the successful transfer of research evidence. It will argue that there are some structural reasons why there is a gap between the research and policy making communities, but that this gap can be filled if the subtle and indirect methods of knowledge translation and knowledge transfer are understood and respected.

Too Many People in Britain? Immigration and the Housing Problem [Audio]

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Stephen Nickell | This lecture will look at immigration and its economic effects including the contribution to population growth. Why does housing not keep up with population growth? More generally, why do we find it so hard to house our population decently? Stephen Nickell is warden of Nuffield College, Oxford and a member of the Budget Responsibility Committee at the Office for Budget Responsibility. Professor John Van Reenen is Director of the Centre of Economic Performance (CEP) at LSE.

Power Shifts and Power Games in the G20: What do China and Japan want from the G20? [Audio]

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Yves Tiberghien | In the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008 and at the time of major impasses regarding both the future of the global trading regime and the Kyoto protocol, the global economic governance is in the midst of major uncertainties. The G20 process presents the most systematic effort since 1971 to rebalance the relation between market and governance and to establish an integrated structure of global governance. It has also become the key focal point of a new geopolitical "Great Game". At stake is not just the long-term sustainability of both the global financial and global trading systems and the balance between these two systems; but also the distribution of gains among nations and the transition of power from the US (and to a secondary extent Europe and Japan) to China and other emerging powers (India and Brazil). This talk offers both a conceptual approach to the balance between global rules and global markets at a time of major rebalancing and an empirical review of large issues embedded in the G20 process. It argues that China is the pivotal player in the G20 game and raises questions about the role and preferences of China and Japan in this larger process. As well, it raises question about the strategic position played by the UK. Professor Yves Tiberghien (Ph.D. Stanford University) is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of British Columbia and a Research Associate at Science Po Paris. He specializes in comparative political economy and international political economy with empirical focus on Japan, China, and Europe. In 2007, Cornell University Press published his new book Entrepreneurial States: Reforming Corporate Governance in France, Japan, and Korea. Professor Tiberghien is currently working on a new multi-year project on the roles of Japan and China in global governance, as well as a project on the political consequences of economic inequality in Japan.

The Filter Bubble: What The Internet Is Hiding From You [Audio]

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Eli Pariser | Imagine a world where all the news you see is defined by your salary, where you live, and who your friends are. Imagine a world where you never discover new ideas. And where you can't have secrets. Welcome to 2011. Google and Facebook are already feeding you what they think you want to see. Advertisers are following your every click. Your computer monitor is becoming a one-way mirror, reflecting your interests and reinforcing your prejudices. The internet is no longer a free, independent space. It is commercially controlled and ever more personalised. In this talk, Eli Pariser will reveal how this hidden web is starting to control our lives – and shows what we can do about it. Eli Pariser is a pioneer in online campaigning. He helped start Avaaz.org, one of the world's largest citizen organizations, and is now President of the five-million member MoveOn.org. He's a Senior Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute. He has written for the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. This event celebrates the publication of his new book The Filter Bubble: What The Internet Is Hiding From You.

The fork in the road – time for the alternative [Audio]

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ed Balls | Ed Balls is the Labour & Co-operative MP for Morley and Outwood and Shadow Chancellor. He was previously MP for Normanton (2005-2010) and Labour's Shadow Home Secretary (2010-11), Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (2007-2010) and Economic Secretary to the Treasury (2006-2007). Ed brought together schools and children's policy for the first time in the Children's Plan and pushed through radical and progressive policies including raising the education and training age to 18, reform of the social work profession, establishing the support staff negotiating body and extra investment in youth services and short breaks for disabled children and their families. In opposition (1994-1997) and then as chief economic adviser to the Treasury (1997-2004) Ed worked on policies including independence of the Bank of England, the windfall tax and New Deal jobs programme, Sure Start, tax credits and the national minimum wage.

Turkey in the World [Audio]

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Cox, Fadi Hakura, Professor Şevket Pamuk | Turkey's international role has grown in recent years as its economy has boomed under the direction of Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign Minister Davutoglu's much-vaunted 'Strategic Depth' foreign policy doctrine. But as Turkey goes to the polls in a general election, what will be the impact of the result on its international role? This event marks the launch of a major new research report from LSE IDEAS entitled 'Turkey's Global Strategy'. Professor Michael Cox is Co-director of LSE IDEAS and Professor of International Relations at LSE. Fadi Hakura is the manager of the Turkey Project at the Chatham House. Professor Sevket Pamuk is Chair of Contemporary Turkish Studies at the European Institute.

Reconsidering the 1948 Arab-Israeli War [Audio]

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Benny Morris | The lecture will look at various aspects, some of them innovative, of the 1948 War, the first between the Arabs and Israel. Benny Morris is professor of Middle East history at Ben-Gurion University, Israel, and is the author of several books on Israeli history, including The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited.

The Big Society and the Good Society: rethinking the place of the state in British society [Audio]

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Glasman, Jesse Norman MP | David Cameron has championed the 'big society' as his big idea for government; Ed Miliband has countered with the 'good society'. Two of the thinkers behind these concepts debate what is at stake in rethinking the role of the state in contemporary Britain. Maurice Glasman was raised to Baron Glasman of Stoke Newington and of Stamford Hill in 2011. Jesse Norman is the MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire and author of The Big Society.

Delivering Meaningful Results in Global Development: A lecture by Dr Raj Shah, Administrator of USAID [Audio]

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 10:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Rajiv Shah | In the process of implementing one of the most sweeping sets of reforms in its history, the U.S. Agency for International Development is transforming the way it delivers development assistance. Administrator Rajiv Shah will discuss how fundamental reforms, coordinated approaches, and new U.S. Presidential initiatives on food security and global health are helping achieve more effective, cost-efficient, results-oriented development. Dr Rajiv Shah was sworn in as the 16th Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on December 31, 2009. USAID, a U.S. Government agency, has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for almost 50 years. Dr Purna Sen is a Senior Visiting Fellow at DID and Head of Human Rights, Commonwealth Secretariat. Prior to his Dr Sen was with Amnesty International as Director for the Asia-Pacific Programme and had previously taught Gender and Development at the Development Studies Institute (DESTIN) at LSE.

The Fabric of Our Social World [Audio]

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Chris Frith, Dr Alex Gillespie, Professor Dermot Moran | How do we create our world through shared experiences? What are the psychological and physiological mechanisms that underlie our abilities to relate to and interact with others? Chris Frith is emeritus professor of psychology in the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL. Alex Gillespie is senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Stirling. Dermot Moran is professor of philosophy at University College Dublin.

The euro, its central bank and economic governance [Audio]

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jean-Claude Trichet | The Stamp Memorial Lecture is in memory of Josiah Charles Stamp, an alumnus and former governor of LSE. The recent financial crisis has been a turbulent period for policy-makers around the world. Originating in and mostly affecting the financial sector, it has forced central banks to take unprecedented steps to contain the situation and its fallout for the real economy. Overall, this has been achieved, and economic activity is gradually recovering around the world. Risks remain, however, including systemic risks, and the advanced economies are still a long way from achieving sustainable economic growth and job creation. Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), explains how his institution reacted swiftly to the challenges of the financial crisis through non-standard measures. However, at the same time, it has continued to remain faithful to its mandate of maintaining price stability in the euro area over the medium term through standard monetary policy measures. Looking ahead, Mr Trichet also argues that the unwavering actions of the ECB and its decision-making bodies need to be paralleled by a quantum leap in the economic governance of the euro area. The citizens of the euro area want stronger and better coordination of economic and financial policies and are calling for governments to deliver a deeper and more effective economic union.

Impact Conference 2011 - 17:15 Concluding Panel [Audio]

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Rick Rylance, David Sweeney, Professor Paul Wiles, Astrid Wissenberg, Tony Travers | Academics are increasingly being pressed to provide evidence of impact from their research on the world outside academia. And universities will have to provide evidence of impact as part of the new Research Excellence Framework. But there is confusion about the different definitions of impact that exist amongst funding bodies and research councils, and also about methods of measuring impact. This one day conference will look at a range of issues surrounding the impact of academic work on government, business, communities and public debate. We will discuss what impact is, how impacts happen and innovative ways that academics can communicate their work. Practical sessions will look at how academic work has impact among policymaking and business communities. Also how academic communication can be improved and how individual academics can easily start to asses their own impact. 11:30 – Welcome and introduction, Professor Patrick Dunleavy. 11:45 – Panel 1: Current Thinking in Assessing Impact - Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Professor Alan Hughes (Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge), Tomas Ulrichsen (Public and Corporate Economic Associates), Chair: Simon Hix, Government Department, LSE. 12:45 - Panel 2: Innovative Methods for Impact and Engagement, Charlie Beckett (Director of POLIS, London School of Economics), Professor Stephen Curry (blogger, Imperial College London), Paul Manners (Director, National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, UWE), Dr Martyn Lawrence (Senior Publisher, Emerald Group Publishing), Mike Peel (Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics / Wikimedia UK), Chair: Dr Bart Cammaerts, Media and Communications, LSE. 14:00 - Session A: Academic impact on policy-making, Maria O’Beirne (Analysis and Innovation Directorate, Department for Communities and Local Government), Jill Rutter (Better Policy Making Programme Director, Institute for Government), James Johns (Director of Strategy for Civil Government, HP), Chair: Dr Edgar Whitley, information Systems Group, LSE. 14:00 Session B: A 'how to' guide to measuring your own academic impact, Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Jane Tinkler (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics). 16:00 Session C: Knowledge transfer and the role of research mediators, Nick Pearce (Director, IPPR), Professor Judy Sebba (University of Sussex), Daniel Lindsay (Senior Economic Analyst, Shelter), Chair: Professor Sonia Livingstone, LSE Media, LSE. 16:00 Session D: Improving academic communication, Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Chris Gilson (Managing Editor, British Politics and Policy blog, London School of Economics). 17:15 Concluding Panel: Research Impact and the REF, Professor Rick Rylance (Chief Executive, Arts and Humanities Research Council), David Sweeney (Director of Research, Innovation and Skills, HEFCE), Professor Paul Wiles (Panel Chair, social work and social policy panel, REF impact pilot), Astrid Wissenberg (Director of Partnerships and Communications, Economic and Social Research Council), Chair: Tony Travers, LSE Greater London Group.

Impact Conference 2011 - 16:00 Session C [Audio]

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Nick Pearce, Professor Judy Sebba, Daniel Lindsay, Professor Sonia Livingstone | Academics are increasingly being pressed to provide evidence of impact from their research on the world outside academia. And universities will have to provide evidence of impact as part of the new Research Excellence Framework. But there is confusion about the different definitions of impact that exist amongst funding bodies and research councils, and also about methods of measuring impact. This one day conference will look at a range of issues surrounding the impact of academic work on government, business, communities and public debate. We will discuss what impact is, how impacts happen and innovative ways that academics can communicate their work. Practical sessions will look at how academic work has impact among policymaking and business communities. Also how academic communication can be improved and how individual academics can easily start to asses their own impact. 11:30 – Welcome and introduction, Professor Patrick Dunleavy. 11:45 – Panel 1: Current Thinking in Assessing Impact - Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Professor Alan Hughes (Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge), Tomas Ulrichsen (Public and Corporate Economic Associates), Chair: Simon Hix, Government Department, LSE. 12:45 - Panel 2: Innovative Methods for Impact and Engagement, Charlie Beckett (Director of POLIS, London School of Economics), Professor Stephen Curry (blogger, Imperial College London), Paul Manners (Director, National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, UWE), Dr Martyn Lawrence (Senior Publisher, Emerald Group Publishing), Mike Peel (Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics / Wikimedia UK), Chair: Dr Bart Cammaerts, Media and Communications, LSE. 14:00 - Session A: Academic impact on policy-making, Maria O’Beirne (Analysis and Innovation Directorate, Department for Communities and Local Government), Jill Rutter (Better Policy Making Programme Director, Institute for Government), James Johns (Director of Strategy for Civil Government, HP), Chair: Dr Edgar Whitley, information Systems Group, LSE. 14:00 Session B: A 'how to' guide to measuring your own academic impact, Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Jane Tinkler (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics). 16:00 Session C: Knowledge transfer and the role of research mediators, Nick Pearce (Director, IPPR), Professor Judy Sebba (University of Sussex), Daniel Lindsay (Senior Economic Analyst, Shelter), Chair: Professor Sonia Livingstone, LSE Media, LSE. 16:00 Session D: Improving academic communication, Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Chris Gilson (Managing Editor, British Politics and Policy blog, London School of Economics). 17:15 Concluding Panel: Research Impact and the REF, Professor Rick Rylance (Chief Executive, Arts and Humanities Research Council), David Sweeney (Director of Research, Innovation and Skills, HEFCE), Professor Paul Wiles (Panel Chair, social work and social policy panel, REF impact pilot), Astrid Wissenberg (Director of Partnerships and Communications, Economic and Social Research Council), Chair: Tony Travers, LSE Greater London Group.

Impact Conference 2011 - 16:00 Session D [Audio]

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Patrick Dunleavy, Chris Gilson | Academics are increasingly being pressed to provide evidence of impact from their research on the world outside academia. And universities will have to provide evidence of impact as part of the new Research Excellence Framework. But there is confusion about the different definitions of impact that exist amongst funding bodies and research councils, and also about methods of measuring impact. This one day conference will look at a range of issues surrounding the impact of academic work on government, business, communities and public debate. We will discuss what impact is, how impacts happen and innovative ways that academics can communicate their work. Practical sessions will look at how academic work has impact among policymaking and business communities. Also how academic communication can be improved and how individual academics can easily start to asses their own impact. 11:30 – Welcome and introduction, Professor Patrick Dunleavy. 11:45 – Panel 1: Current Thinking in Assessing Impact - Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Professor Alan Hughes (Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge), Tomas Ulrichsen (Public and Corporate Economic Associates), Chair: Simon Hix, Government Department, LSE. 12:45 - Panel 2: Innovative Methods for Impact and Engagement, Charlie Beckett (Director of POLIS, London School of Economics), Professor Stephen Curry (blogger, Imperial College London), Paul Manners (Director, National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, UWE), Dr Martyn Lawrence (Senior Publisher, Emerald Group Publishing), Mike Peel (Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics / Wikimedia UK), Chair: Dr Bart Cammaerts, Media and Communications, LSE. 14:00 - Session A: Academic impact on policy-making, Maria O’Beirne (Analysis and Innovation Directorate, Department for Communities and Local Government), Jill Rutter (Better Policy Making Programme Director, Institute for Government), James Johns (Director of Strategy for Civil Government, HP), Chair: Dr Edgar Whitley, information Systems Group, LSE. 14:00 Session B: A 'how to' guide to measuring your own academic impact, Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Jane Tinkler (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics). 16:00 Session C: Knowledge transfer and the role of research mediators, Nick Pearce (Director, IPPR), Professor Judy Sebba (University of Sussex), Daniel Lindsay (Senior Economic Analyst, Shelter), Chair: Professor Sonia Livingstone, LSE Media, LSE. 16:00 Session D: Improving academic communication, Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Chris Gilson (Managing Editor, British Politics and Policy blog, London School of Economics). 17:15 Concluding Panel: Research Impact and the REF, Professor Rick Rylance (Chief Executive, Arts and Humanities Research Council), David Sweeney (Director of Research, Innovation and Skills, HEFCE), Professor Paul Wiles (Panel Chair, social work and social policy panel, REF impact pilot), Astrid Wissenberg (Director of Partnerships and Communications, Economic and Social Research Council), Chair: Tony Travers, LSE Greater London Group.

Impact Conference 2011 - 14:45 Session A [Audio]

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Maria O'Beirne, Jill Rutter, James Johns, Dr Edgar Whitley | Academics are increasingly being pressed to provide evidence of impact from their research on the world outside academia. And universities will have to provide evidence of impact as part of the new Research Excellence Framework. But there is confusion about the different definitions of impact that exist amongst funding bodies and research councils, and also about methods of measuring impact. This one day conference will look at a range of issues surrounding the impact of academic work on government, business, communities and public debate. We will discuss what impact is, how impacts happen and innovative ways that academics can communicate their work. Practical sessions will look at how academic work has impact among policymaking and business communities. Also how academic communication can be improved and how individual academics can easily start to asses their own impact. 11:30 – Welcome and introduction, Professor Patrick Dunleavy. 11:45 – Panel 1: Current Thinking in Assessing Impact - Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Professor Alan Hughes (Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge), Tomas Ulrichsen (Public and Corporate Economic Associates), Chair: Simon Hix, Government Department, LSE. 12:45 - Panel 2: Innovative Methods for Impact and Engagement, Charlie Beckett (Director of POLIS, London School of Economics), Professor Stephen Curry (blogger, Imperial College London), Paul Manners (Director, National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, UWE), Dr Martyn Lawrence (Senior Publisher, Emerald Group Publishing), Mike Peel (Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics / Wikimedia UK), Chair: Dr Bart Cammaerts, Media and Communications, LSE. 14:00 - Session A: Academic impact on policy-making, Maria O’Beirne (Analysis and Innovation Directorate, Department for Communities and Local Government), Jill Rutter (Better Policy Making Programme Director, Institute for Government), James Johns (Director of Strategy for Civil Government, HP), Chair: Dr Edgar Whitley, information Systems Group, LSE. 14:00 Session B: A 'how to' guide to measuring your own academic impact, Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Jane Tinkler (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics). 16:00 Session C: Knowledge transfer and the role of research mediators, Nick Pearce (Director, IPPR), Professor Judy Sebba (University of Sussex), Daniel Lindsay (Senior Economic Analyst, Shelter), Chair: Professor Sonia Livingstone, LSE Media, LSE. 16:00 Session D: Improving academic communication, Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Chris Gilson (Managing Editor, British Politics and Policy blog, London School of Economics). 17:15 Concluding Panel: Research Impact and the REF, Professor Rick Rylance (Chief Executive, Arts and Humanities Research Council), David Sweeney (Director of Research, Innovation and Skills, HEFCE), Professor Paul Wiles (Panel Chair, social work and social policy panel, REF impact pilot), Astrid Wissenberg (Director of Partnerships and Communications, Economic and Social Research Council), Chair: Tony Travers, LSE Greater London Group.

Impact Conference 2011 - 14:45 Session B [Audio]

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Patrick Dunleavy, Jane Tinkler | Academics are increasingly being pressed to provide evidence of impact from their research on the world outside academia. And universities will have to provide evidence of impact as part of the new Research Excellence Framework. But there is confusion about the different definitions of impact that exist amongst funding bodies and research councils, and also about methods of measuring impact. This one day conference will look at a range of issues surrounding the impact of academic work on government, business, communities and public debate. We will discuss what impact is, how impacts happen and innovative ways that academics can communicate their work. Practical sessions will look at how academic work has impact among policymaking and business communities. Also how academic communication can be improved and how individual academics can easily start to asses their own impact. 11:30 – Welcome and introduction, Professor Patrick Dunleavy. 11:45 – Panel 1: Current Thinking in Assessing Impact - Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Professor Alan Hughes (Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge), Tomas Ulrichsen (Public and Corporate Economic Associates), Chair: Simon Hix, Government Department, LSE. 12:45 - Panel 2: Innovative Methods for Impact and Engagement, Charlie Beckett (Director of POLIS, London School of Economics), Professor Stephen Curry (blogger, Imperial College London), Paul Manners (Director, National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, UWE), Dr Martyn Lawrence (Senior Publisher, Emerald Group Publishing), Mike Peel (Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics / Wikimedia UK), Chair: Dr Bart Cammaerts, Media and Communications, LSE. 14:00 - Session A: Academic impact on policy-making, Maria O’Beirne (Analysis and Innovation Directorate, Department for Communities and Local Government), Jill Rutter (Better Policy Making Programme Director, Institute for Government), James Johns (Director of Strategy for Civil Government, HP), Chair: Dr Edgar Whitley, information Systems Group, LSE. 14:00 Session B: A 'how to' guide to measuring your own academic impact, Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Jane Tinkler (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics). 16:00 Session C: Knowledge transfer and the role of research mediators, Nick Pearce (Director, IPPR), Professor Judy Sebba (University of Sussex), Daniel Lindsay (Senior Economic Analyst, Shelter), Chair: Professor Sonia Livingstone, LSE Media, LSE. 16:00 Session D: Improving academic communication, Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Chris Gilson (Managing Editor, British Politics and Policy blog, London School of Economics). 17:15 Concluding Panel: Research Impact and the REF, Professor Rick Rylance (Chief Executive, Arts and Humanities Research Council), David Sweeney (Director of Research, Innovation and Skills, HEFCE), Professor Paul Wiles (Panel Chair, social work and social policy panel, REF impact pilot), Astrid Wissenberg (Director of Partnerships and Communications, Economic and Social Research Council), Chair: Tony Travers, LSE Greater London Group.

Impact Conference 2011 - 11:30 to 13:45 Morning Session [Audio]

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Patrick Dunleavy, Professor Alan Hughes, Tomas Ulrichsen, Simon Hix | Academics are increasingly being pressed to provide evidence of impact from their research on the world outside academia. And universities will have to provide evidence of impact as part of the new Research Excellence Framework. But there is confusion about the different definitions of impact that exist amongst funding bodies and research councils, and also about methods of measuring impact. This one day conference will look at a range of issues surrounding the impact of academic work on government, business, communities and public debate. We will discuss what impact is, how impacts happen and innovative ways that academics can communicate their work. Practical sessions will look at how academic work has impact among policymaking and business communities. Also how academic communication can be improved and how individual academics can easily start to asses their own impact. 11:30 – Welcome and introduction, Professor Patrick Dunleavy. 11:45 – Panel 1: Current Thinking in Assessing Impact - Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Professor Alan Hughes (Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge), Tomas Ulrichsen (Public and Corporate Economic Associates), Chair: Simon Hix, Government Department, LSE. 12:45 - Panel 2: Innovative Methods for Impact and Engagement, Charlie Beckett (Director of POLIS, London School of Economics), Professor Stephen Curry (blogger, Imperial College London), Paul Manners (Director, National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, UWE), Dr Martyn Lawrence (Senior Publisher, Emerald Group Publishing), Mike Peel (Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics / Wikimedia UK), Chair: Dr Bart Cammaerts, Media and Communications, LSE. 14:00 - Session A: Academic impact on policy-making, Maria O’Beirne (Analysis and Innovation Directorate, Department for Communities and Local Government), Jill Rutter (Better Policy Making Programme Director, Institute for Government), James Johns (Director of Strategy for Civil Government, HP), Chair: Dr Edgar Whitley, information Systems Group, LSE. 14:00 Session B: A 'how to' guide to measuring your own academic impact, Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Jane Tinkler (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics). 16:00 Session C: Knowledge transfer and the role of research mediators, Nick Pearce (Director, IPPR), Professor Judy Sebba (University of Sussex), Daniel Lindsay (Senior Economic Analyst, Shelter), Chair: Professor Sonia Livingstone, LSE Media, LSE. 16:00 Session D: Improving academic communication, Professor Patrick Dunleavy (Impact of Social Sciences project, London School of Economics), Chris Gilson (Managing Editor, British Politics and Policy blog, London School of Economics). 17:15 Concluding Panel: Research Impact and the REF, Professor Rick Rylance (Chief Executive, Arts and Humanities Research Council), David Sweeney (Director of Research, Innovation and Skills, HEFCE), Professor Paul Wiles (Panel Chair, social work and social policy panel, REF impact pilot), Astrid Wissenberg (Director of Partnerships and Communications, Economic and Social Research Council), Chair: Tony Travers, LSE Greater London Group.

A Fair Trial for the Human Rights Act [Audio]

Thu, 9 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sadiq Khan MP | Sadiq Khan will explain Labour's approach to human rights. Sadiq Khan is shadow lord chancellor and shadow secretary of state for justice.

Indian herbal heritage and its rising global influence in economic growth [Audio]

Thu, 9 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Shahnaz Husain | Over the last few years, India has become one of the fastest-growing economies. Shahnaz Husain's experience is in organic / Ayurvedic beauty care, which has become relevant to the modern world. The world is looking at holistic systems with enlightened eyes. There is a growing global market for alternative medicine and herbal products. Cultural industries also play an important role in the economy, in terms of economic growth, social stability, and generating employment, creating wealth and also preserving culture. In fact, it has been seen that cultural industries have contributed to a rapid rise in GDP. In the present scenario of globalisation, our challenge is to develop holistic beauty and health care for the international market. Shahnaz Husain, pioneer and leader of organic beauty care, has received international acclaim for the practical application of an ancient, holistic, herbal healing system. Today, she heads the largest organisation of its kind in the world with a global network of franchise ventures and over 350 organic formulations for beauty and health care. Her name has become a brand and she herself is the brand ambassador. She has been awarded the Padma Shri, a civilian award by the Government of India in 2006 and Success Magazine's "World's Greatest Woman Entrepreneur" award in 1996.

A Shadow of Its Former Self? Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe's Education System [Audio]

Thu, 9 Jun 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Peter Godwin | Peter Godwin is an award-winning foreign correspondent, author, documentary-maker and screen writer. After practicing human rights law in Zimbabwe, he became a foreign and war correspondent, and has reported from over 60 countries, including wars in Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Somalia, Congo, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Kashmir and the last years of apartheid South Africa. He served as East European correspondent and Diplomatic correspondent for the London Sunday Times, and chief correspondent for BBC television's flagship foreign affairs program, Assignment, making documentaries from such places as Cuba, Panama, Indonesia, Pakistan, Spain, Northern Ireland, the Philippines, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, the Baltics, and the Balkans as it descended into war. His film, The Industry of Death, about the sex trade in Thailand, won the gold medal for investigative film at the New York Film Festival. He is the author of five non fiction books: Rhodesians Never Die - The Impact of war and Political Change on White Rhodesia c.1970 - 1980 (with Ian Hancock), Wild at Heart: Man and Beast in Southern Africa (with photos by Chris Johns and foreword by Nelson Mandela), The Three of Us - a New Life in New York (with Joanna Coles) and Mukiwa, which received the George Orwell prize and the Esquire-Apple-Waterstones award. When a Crocodile Eats the Sun - a Memoir of Africa, won the Borders Original Voices Award, and was selected by American Libraries Association as a Notable Book winner for 2008.

Should China revisit the 1994 fiscal reforms? [Audio]

Thu, 9 Jun 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Ehtisham Ahmad | Does China need to conduct another "fundamental rethink" of the fiscal system as in 1993/4? The 1994 reforms have served the country well, but are inadequate in relation to the needs of local governments, and the stage of development that China now finds itself at. In particular, spending assignments that were not addressed in 1994 need to be tackled, along with own-source revenues to lead to greater sub-national responsibility and accountability, as well as levels of investment needed to maintain sustainable employment opportunities. A comprehensive reform is suggested, including revisiting tax and spending assignments, furthering domestic resource mobilization, as well as a redesign of transfers, budget systems, and development of local and municipal financing mechanisms. Ehtisham Ahmad, currently at the Asia Research Center at the LSE, and ZEF at the University of Bonn, has held senior positions over the past two decades in the IMF (senior advisor, Executive Board; advisor and Division Chief, Fiscal Affairs Department). He was on the team for the 1990 World Development Report "Poverty", and was director of the Development Economics Research Program, STCERD, LSE 1986-90, and at Warwick University (1980 to 1986). He has participated in or led several Bank and Fund missions to China since 1988. He is co-editor (with Giorgio Brosio) of the Handbook of Fiscal Federalism, and Does Decentralization Enhance Service Delivery and Poverty Reduction? Some earlier books include Theory and Practice of Tax Reform in Developing Countries; 1991 (with Nicholas Stern); Social Security in Developing Countries, 1992 (with Jean Dreze, John Hills and Amartya Sen).

Social Policy in an Ageing Society [Audio]

Thu, 9 Jun 2011 15:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Jose-Luis Fernandez, Professor Julien Forder, Philipp Hessel, Dr Tiziana Leone, Raphael Wittenberg, Professor Mike Murphy | Programme: Welcome from Chair - Professor Martin Knapp (co-director LSE Health and Social Care). The effect of "social participation" on the subjective and objective health status of the over 50: evidence from SHARE - Dr Tiziana Leone and Philipp Hessel (LSE Health). The economics and fiscal sustainability of long-term care for older people - Raphael Wittenberg (PSSRU, LSE). The impact of budget cuts on social care services for older people - Dr Jose-Luis Fernandez and Professor Julien Forder (PSSRU, LSE and Kent).

Why Nations Fail [Audio]

Wed, 8 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor James Robinson | Countries grow economically if they can build inclusive economic institutions. They stagnate if they have exclusive institutions. It is political conflicts and how they are resolved which determines the path a society follows. James Robinson is David Florence Professor of Government at Harvard University.

On Happiness [Audio]

Tue, 7 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Andrew Clark, Dr Antti Kauppinen | Is there more to happiness than pleasure or belief that life is going well? Should public policy aim at increasing happiness instead of prosperity or social justice? Andrew Clark is a CNRS research professor at the Paris School of Economics and a research associate at the Centre for Economic Performance, LSE. Antti Kauppinen is lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin.

Preventing Financial Meltdowns [Audio]

Tue, 7 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Tim Harford | In this lecture, Tim Harford, the author, radio presenter and newspaper columnist looks at the lessons we can learn from the financial crisis and how the collapse of Lehman Brothers has close parallels in disasters such as Three Mile Island and Deepwater Horizon. This lecture marks the launch of Tim Harford's new book Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure. Tim Harford is a member of the Financial Times editorial board. His column, "The Undercover Economist", which reveals the economic ideas behind everyday experiences, is published in the Financial Times and syndicated around the world. He is also the only economist in the world to run a problem page, "Dear Economist", in which FT readers' personal problems are answered tongue-in-cheek with the latest economic theory.

Rhian Benson Returns to the LSE: Music, Conversation, African Inspiration [Audio]

Mon, 6 Jun 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Rhian Benson | Editor's note: Unfortunately the last few minutes of the interview are missing from the podcast. A conversation with award-winning artist and LSE alumna Rhian Benson, hosted by journalist Emma Warren, discussing Rhian's time as a student at LSE, as well as her subsequent musical achievements and her involvement with World Bank's 'Young Africans Talk Development' initiative.

Living in the Endless City [Audio]

Mon, 6 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Joan Clos, Dr Gareth Jones, Professor Çaglar Keyder, Professor Saskia Sassen, Professor Richard Sennett | Marking the launch of a new book on Mumbai, Sao Paulo and Istanbul – the outcome of the Urban Age research programme at LSE – the event will explore how social and environmental equity are determined by the spatial and political organisation of some of the world's most complex cities. Joan Clos is the executive director of UN-HABITAT. Gareth Jones is a senior lecturer at LSE. Çaglar Keyder is a professor at Bogaziçi University, Istanbul. Suketu Mehta is the award winning author of Maximum City: Bombay, lost and found. Saskia Sassen is a professor at Columbia University. Richard Sennett is professor of sociology at the University of Cambridge, NYU and emeritus professor at LSE.

The Flaw [Audio]

Mon, 6 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Francesco Caselli, Philip Coggan, David Sington, Professor Robert Wade | Editor's note: The film screening has been edited out of the podcast. Today, a question haunts America: what exactly caused the world's greatest economy to crash and burn? And why is it so slow to recover? In THE FLAW Sundance award-winning documentary filmmaker David Sington sets out to find the answer. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with: Professor Francesco Caselli is the Director of Macroeconics Program in the Centre for Economic Performance and Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics here at LSE. Philip Coggan is the Buttonwood columnist of The Economist. Previously, he worked for the Financial Times for 20 years, most recently as Investment Editor. In that post, he founded the 'Short View' column and wrote the 'Long View' and 'Last Word' columns. In 2009, he was voted Senior Financial Journalist of the Year in the Wincott awards and best communicator in the business journalist of the year awards. Among his books are The Money Machine, a guide to the city that is still in print after 25 years and The Economist Guide to Hedge Funds. David Sington, Director of The Flaw, has been making award-winning films for twenty years. He has filmed on every continent on the planet, from the Amazon to the Antarctic. His films have helped to free the innocent, convict the guilty and have changed government policy. He has won numerous awards, including a Grierson Award, two WildScreen Pandas, and Gold and Silver Hugos. His most recent film, In the Shadow of the Moon about the Apollo astronauts, was an Audience Award winner at the Sundance Festival and became one of the best-reviewed cinema releases of 2007, with general releases in the USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Germany and France. Professor Robert Wade is Professor of Political Economy and Development in the Department of International Development here at LSE.

A lecture by Traian Băsescu, President of Romania - in English [Audio]

Mon, 6 Jun 2011 17:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Traian Băsescu, Professor Vladimir Tismaneanu | Traian Basescu is president of Romania. He was first elected to the post in December 2004, and was re-elected to a second 5-year term in 2009. He has previously served as mayor of Bucharest, and minister of transportation in the Ciorbea, Vasile, Isarescu, Roman and Stolojan governments. Prior to joining the government, he was a marine officer and merchant navy captain for the Romanian commercial fleet, having graduated in 1976 from the 'Mircea cel Bătrân' Civil Maritime Institute. Vladimir Tismaneanu is professor of comparative politics and director of the Center for the Study of Post-communist Societies, University of Maryland. He also serves as president of the scientific council of the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile, Bucharest. This event is organised together with the Romanian Embassy, London, and with the generous support of the Romanian Cultural Institute. It forms part of the LSE European Institute - APCO Worldwide Perspectives on Europe Series and is coordinated by LSEE (LSE Research on South Eastern Europe).

A lecture by Traian Băsescu, President of Romania - in Romanian [Audio]

Mon, 6 Jun 2011 17:15:00 GMT

Kuwait Programme seminar: Political change in the Gulf [Audio]

Mon, 6 Jun 2011 10:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Harold Walker, H.E. Khaled Al-Duwaisan | Sir Harold Walker is a former British Ambassador to Iraq, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. H.E. Khaled Al-Duwaisan is Ambassador of Kuwait to the United Kingdom.

Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less From Each Other [Audio]

Thu, 2 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sherry Turkle | Facebook. Twitter. Second Life. "Smart" phones. Robot pets. Robot lovers. Thirty years ago we asked what we would use computers for - now the question is what we don't use them for. In this lecture, MIT technology and society specialist Sherry Turkle issues a wake-up call based on her fifteen year exploration of our lives in the digital realm. She shows how our narcissistic use of technology is fuelling disturbing levels of isolation, leaving us incapable of distinguishing the difference between true human connection and digital communication. Sherry Turkle is the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT, the founder and director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, and a licensed clinical psychologist. She is the author of The Second Self and Life on the Screen, which with Alone Together forms a trilogy. Professor Turkle lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Poor Economics; A Radical Rethinking of the way to Fight Global Poverty [Audio]

Thu, 2 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Abhijit Banerjee, Professor Esther Duflo | Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo have worked with the poor in dozens of countries, trying to understand the specific problems that come with poverty and to find proven solutions. In this lecture, they argue that so much anti-poverty policy has failed over the years because of an inadequate understanding of poverty. The battle against poverty can be won, but it will take patience, careful thinking and a willingness to learn from evidence. Abhijit Banerjee is currently the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at MIT. He is the recipient of many awards, including the inaugural Infosys Prize in 2009, and has been an honorary advisor to many organizations including the World Bank and the Government of India. Esther Duflo is Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics in the Department of Economics at MIT. She has received numerous honours and prizes and was recognized as one of the best eight young economists by the Economist, as one of the 100 most influential thinkers by Foreign Policy, and as one of the "forty under forty" most influential business leaders by Fortune magazine in 2010. In 2003, Banerjee and Duflo co-founded the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), which they have been directing together ever since. J-PAL's mission is to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is based on scientific evidence. J-PAL's work has won international recognition, including the inaugural BBVA "Frontier of Knowledge" award. This event celebrates the publication of their new book Poor Economics; A Radical Rethinking of the way to Fight Global Poverty.

The Evolution of the Individual [Audio]

Thu, 2 Jun 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Peter Godfrey-Smith | The winner of the 2010 Lakatos Award (for his book Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection) will talk about the evolution of the individual. Peter Godfrey-Smith is a professor of philosophy at Harvard University and winner of the 2010 Lakatos Award.

The Outsider Inside: Palestinian Citizens of Israel, their Context and Contest [Audio]

Wed, 1 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Tilde Rosmer | This lecture examines the role of Palestinians citizens of Israel in Israeli politics and their place in a conflict in which they are often caught between the state of their citizenship and the nationality of their people. In addition to looking at tensions between these non-Jewish citizens and the Jewish state and Jewish Israelis, the lecture will examine tensions within this group of Palestinians. Dr Tilde Rosmer is a Researcher at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages at the University of Oslo and a Visiting Fellow at LSE Global Governance. She is currently researching the Islamic Movement in Israel and her PhD dissertation Mizrahiut and the Arab-Jewish Divide: Contemporary Challenges to Israel's Ethnic Boundaries analyses social movements dominated by Jews of Middle Eastern and North African origin and Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Africa's Disease Burden [Audio]

Wed, 1 Jun 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Ama de-Graft Aikins, Dr Olugbenga Ogedegbe, Dr Francis Dodoo | LSE Health and the LSE Africa Initiative in collaboration with The British Academy invites you to an event on Africa’s disease burden. Chronic non-communicable diseases have become major causes of adult disability and death in Sub-Saharan Africa. Chronic disease deaths in men and women as a whole are higher in sub-Saharan African than in virtually all other regions of the world and co-exist with a high burden of infectious diseases. In advance of the UN’s High Level Meeting on chronic non-communicable disease in September 2011, this event will debate the public health crisis of chronic non-communicable diseases in Africa, present the UK-Africa Academic Partnership on Chronic disease, and launch the report Africa’s Neglected Epidemic: Multidisciplinary Research, Intervention and Policy for Chronic Diseases. Dr Ama de-Graft Aikins is a visiting fellow at LSE Health and senior lecturer, Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana. Professor Francis Dodoo is director of the Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana and Professor of Sociology and Demography, Penn State University. Dr Olugbenga Ogedegbe teaches at the New York University School of Medicine and is director of the Center for Healthful Behavior Change.

Health Care Reform in the US [Audio]

Tue, 31 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Peter Orszag | Spiralling health care costs are currently threatening the future of the US economy. Peter Orszag offers insight on possible approaches to reduce health care costs over time without impairing the quality of medical care or outcomes. LSE alumnus Peter Orszag (MSc, PhD Economics, 1992, 1997) is vice chairman of Global Banking at CitiGroup. He recently served as director of the Office of Management and Budget under president Barack Obama.

Can single individuals still shape history? The Case of Osama bin Laden [Audio]

Thu, 26 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Michael Scheuer | Osama bin Laden was one of America's most formidable and implacable enemies. And yet no one has written a serious assessment of his influence over world events in the last decade. Michael Scheuer; a former head of CIA's Osama bin Laden Unit provides an objective and authoritative portrait of bin Laden. Michael Scheuer was the chief of the CIA's bin Laden unit from 1996 to 1999 and remained a counterterrorism analyst until 2004. He is the author of many books, including Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terrorism. His latest book is Osama Bin Laden.

Following the trail of Islamism and the Veil across time and borders [Audio]

Thu, 26 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Leila Ahmed | Professor Ahmed asks why the wearing of veils or headscarves has become a growing phenomenon in America – and across the world. Having almost vanished from many Muslim majority cities, why in the 1970s did veiling (or covering) suddenly begin to grow more common and rapidly spread first across Muslim majority societies and then later in the West? Following this trail Professor Ahmed explores the forces which brought about this "rebirth" of veiling, and how, why and by what means they succeeded in persuading women to take on the hijab. She also examines how this pro-veiling form of Islam continues to evolve now that it has taken root in the democratic societies of the West. Leila Ahmed is the Victor S. Thomas Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School. She is the author of the recently published A Quiet Revolution: The Veil's Resurgence from the Middle East to America, the follow up to her seminal work Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate.

Beyond a Global Deal? A UN+ Approach to Climate Governance [Audio]

Wed, 25 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Robert Falkner, Professor Lord Giddens, Thomas Hale, André Lieber, Scott Moore, Professor Michael Jacobs | How can we make progress on climate change in the face of gridlock? Global Governance 2020 is a group of young academics, policymakers and business people from China, the United States and Europe. Robert Falkner is senior lecturer in international relations at LSE and a leading expert on global environmental politics. Anthony Giddens is former director of LSE and the author, most recently, of The Politics of Climate Change. Thomas Hale is a PhD candidate in the Department of Politics at Princeton University and visiting fellow at LSE Global Governance. Michael Jacobs is visiting professor at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. Previously, he was special adviser to former British prime minister Gordon Brown, with responsibility for energy, climate change and environment policy. André Lieber is a research fellow in the parliamentary office of Norbert Röttgen, German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Scott Moore is currently pursuing graduate study in Geography and Environment at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.

Eradicating Ecocide: laws and governance to prevent the destruction of our planet [Audio]

Wed, 25 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Polly Higgins | Editor's note: The podcast does not include the question and answer session. Polly Higgins advocates a different approach to preventing the destruction of our planet. Instead of our laws protecting the property rights of the few, we can shift to laws that impose responsibilities, duties and obligations for the benefit of the many. Polly Higgins is a barrister, author and international environmental lawyer, voted by the Ecologist as one of the 'Worlds Top ten Visionary Thinkers' for her earlier work advancing the Universal Declaration of Planetary Rights.

It's all about people [Audio]

Wed, 25 May 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sheryl Sandberg | We are witnessing the transformation of the web from the information web to the social web. This has profound implications for how people relate to each other, the communities around them and to government and business. Sheryl will discuss how these relationships are changing in a world that is built around social principles and powered by web and mobile technologies. Sheryl Sandberg is Chief Operating Officer at Facebook. She oversees the company's business operations including sales, marketing, business development, human resources, public policy and communications. Prior to Facebook, Sheryl was Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google, where she built and managed the online sales channels for advertising and publishing and operations for consumer products worldwide. She was also instrumental in launching Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm. Before Google, Sheryl served as Chief of Staff for the United States Treasury Department under President Bill Clinton where she helped lead the Treasury's work on forgiving debt in the developing world. Earlier, she was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company and an economist with the World Bank. Sheryl received a B.A. summa cum laude in Economics from Harvard University and was awarded the John H. Williams Prize for the top graduating student in economics. She received an MBA with highest distinction from the Harvard Business School. Sheryl serves on the boards of The Walt Disney Company, Starbucks, Women for Women International, the Center for Global Development and V-Day. Sheryl was named as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune and one of the 50 Women to Watch by The Wall Street Journal.

The Future of Finance: The LSE Report [Audio]

Tue, 24 May 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Charles Goodhart, Dr Paul Woolley, Mark Schieritz, Dr Holger Schmieding, Hiltrud Thelen-Pischke, Dr Friedrich Thelen | The Future of Finance report presents a novel approach to the reform of the world's financial system, starting with the basic question, what is a financial system for? It shows that the existing system has become far more complicated than it needs to be to discharge its functions – and dangerously unstable into the bargain. It proposes some drastic remedies. The Future of Finance: The LSE Report is the work of a group of leading academics, financiers, journalists and officials from the UK's Financial Services Authority, the Bank of England and the Treasury. They met twelve times, for what many of those present described as the best and most searching discussions they had ever participated in.

Africa's Diasporas: a continental longing for form? [Audio]

Tue, 24 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ato Quayson | In 2005 the African Union declared the African diaspora to be the sixth region of the continent. But was the concept of "African Diaspora" understood correctly at the time? This lecture will offer a more complex definition. It will focus on the difference between dispersion and diaspora, the dynamics of identity formation, the contrasts between Indian Ocean and Atlantic processes of diasporization, and the growth of a mixed-race population. Ato Quayson is Professor of English and inaugral Director of the Centre for the Study of Disaporas and Transnationals at the University of Toronto.

Excellence in Public Policy; A Celebration of Julian Le Grands forty years as a leading academic and policy analyst [Audio]

Tue, 24 May 2011 15:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Julian Le Grand, Professor Carol Propper, Peter Taylor-Gooby, Nick Timmins, Professor Albert Weale | For excellent public policy, it is necessary to have a clear idea of both the ends to be achieved (including equity, quality and efficiency), and the means for achieving those ends (including the structure of motivation and incentives, and the appropriate balance between market and state). Julian has made major contributions in all of these areas, and this Seminar is an opportunity for distinguished academics and commentators to reflect on his work while developing their own ideas. Speakers include Professor Carol Propper of Imperial College and the University of Bristol; Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby of the University of Kent; Nick Timmins, Public Policy Editor of the Financial Times; Professor Albert Weale of University College, London; and, of course, Julian himself.

A Conversation with Sandra Day O'Connor, former Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court [Audio]

Tue, 24 May 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sandra Day O'Connor | Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. Justice O'Connor was appointed an Associate Justice by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, a position she held for 25 years until her retirement in 2006. Viewed as one of the most influential Justices to serve on the modern US Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor became the ""swing opinion"" in the often divided Court on which she sat in the later years of her tenure. Prior to Justice O'Connor's appointment to the Court, she was an elected official and judge in Arizona. Justice O'Connor is Chancellor of The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and serves on the board of trustees of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On August 12, 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour of the United States, by President Barack Obama. Jeffrey Golden is a visiting professor of Law at LSE.

The Lessons of Northern Ireland for Contemporary Counterterrorism and Conflict Resolution Policy [Audio]

Mon, 23 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard English, Martin Mansergh, Jonathan Powell, David Trimble | What are the lessons from the 30 years of the Troubles for modern counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism policy elsewhere, for peacemaking and for reconciliation? Leading experts debate how Britain's experience in Northern Ireland can help us address today's terrorism and conflict resolution challenges. Richard English is professor of politics and, from September 2011, director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St Andrews. Martin Mansergh is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and historian. Jonathan Powell is former chief of staff to prime minister Tony Blair from 1997 to 2007 and member of the LSE IDEAS advisory board. David Trimble sits in the House of Lords as Conservative Peer and is Nobel Peace Laureate 1998 (jointly with John Hume) following the making of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Rethinking Investment Treaty Law - A Policy Perspective [Audio]

Mon, 23 May 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alvaro Galindo, Margrethe Norum, Adam Sheppard, Randall Williams | Australia recently announced to discontinue investor-state-arbitration provisions in trade agreements; Ecuador abandons its BITS and left ICSID; South Africa seeks to renegotiate its BITs; the Norwegian and U.S. BIT review have stirred much controversy. This colloquium addresses these national experiences and their significance for future developments of investment treaty law. Alvaro Galindo is the former director of the International Litigation and Arbitration Unit at the Solicitor General Office of Ecuador. Margrethe Norum is senior legal advisor at the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Business. Adam Sheppard is senior research economist at Productivity Commission of the Australian Government. Randall Williams is chief director for Trade Policy and Negotiations at the South African Department of Trade and Industry.

The three pillars of Colombia's recent progress [Audio]

Mon, 23 May 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Álvaro Uribe Vélez | Álvaro Uribe Vélez is the former President of Colombia, holding the office from 2002 to 2010. Mr. Uribe has a Law Degree from the Universidad de Antioquia (Colombia), and a post-graduate degree in Management and Administration from Harvard University. From 1998 to 1999 after being awarded the Simon Bolivar fellowship by the British Council in Bogotá, he worked as an associate professor at Oxford University. Mr Uribe began his political career in 1977 as Secretary General of the Ministry of Labour. From 1980 to 1982, he was head of the Civil Aviation Department. He was the mayor of his native city of Medellín in 1982 and later, from 1984 to 1986, he was elected city councillor. He was elected Senator for the periods 1986-1990 and 1990-1994. In 1995 he was elected governor of the department of Antioquia.

The Architecture of Social Investment [Audio]

Fri, 20 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alfredo Brillembourg | This lecture explores the physical limitations of contemporary architecture and argues for a shift in emphasis from form-driven to purpose-oriented social architecture. Alfredo Brillembourg founded the Urban Think Tank (UTT) in Caracas, Venezuela. Since July 2010, together with partner Hubert Klumpner, the UTT holds the chair for Architecture and Urban Design at the Swiss Institute of Technology, ETH in Zurich and has been awarded the 2010 Ralph Erskine Award from the Swedish Institute of Architects.

Between: literature and memory, past and future [Audio]

Thu, 19 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Robert Eaglestone | Final part of the series, in which an historian, a novelist and a literary critic explore the ways in which memory, literature and history shape contemporary Europe. Robert Eaglestone is professor of contemporary literature and thought at Royal Holloway, University of London. This event is part of the Jean Monnet 'Europe Beyond Governance' Lecture Series.

Distance and Cities: where do we stand? [Audio]

Thu, 19 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Gerald Frug, Dr Asher Ghertner, Patrik Schumacher, Professor Richard Sennett, Dr Fran Tonkiss, Professor Larry Vale | This panel discussion will examine the concept of distance when writing about cities. How does this concept remain relevant to urban disciplines? And how does it both inform and limit research on cities? Gerald Frug is Louis D. Brandeis Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Asher Ghertner is a lecturer in human geography at LSE. Justin McGuirk is the Design Critic, The Guardian. Patrik Schumacher is partner at Zaha Hadid Architects and founding director at the AA Design Research Lab. Richard Sennett is professor of sociology at the University of Cambridge, NYU and emeritus professor at LSE. Fran Tonkiss is reader in sociology, and director of the Cities Programme at LSE. Larry Vale is Ford Professor of Urban Design and Planning at MIT.

Gay Liberation Now: global movements and transformations [Audio]

Thu, 19 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sonia Corrêa | Since the late 1970s, Sonia Corrêa has been involved in research and advocacy activities related to gender equality, health and sexuality. She is the founder of various non-governmental initiatives in Brazil. Between 1992 and 2009 she has been the research coordinator for sexual and reproductive health and rights at DAWN – Development Alternatives with Women for a new Era – a Southern Hemisphere feminist network. In that capacity, she closely followed United Nations negotiations directly impacting on gender and sexuality related matters: the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD – Cairo 1994), the IV World Conference on Women (IV WCW –Beijing, 1995) and also the five and ten years year review processes of this conferences. Since 2002 with Richard Parker, she co-chairs Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW), a global forum comprised of researchers and activists engaged in the analyses of global trends in sexuality related policy and politics. In 2006, she co-chaired the expert meeting that finalized the Yogyakarta Principles. Sonia Corrêa has extensively published in Portuguese and English. This list includes, among other, Population and Reproductive Rights: Feminist Perspectives from the South (Zed Books, 1994) and Sexuality, Health and Human Rights co-authored with Richard Parker and Rosalind Petchesky (Routledge, 2008). She has also lectured in various academic institutions. Clare Hemmings is a Reader in Feminist Theory and Director of the Gender Institute at LSE.

Public Policy, Equity and Growth: a panel discussion [Audio]

Thu, 19 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sir Tony Atkinson, Professor Peter Diamond, Sir Nicholas Macpherson, Professor Sir James Mirrlees, Professor Lord Stern | This event is part of a celebration of 25 years on from the LSE project on Taxation, Income Distribution and Incentives run in STICERD by Sir Tony Atkinson, Mervyn King and Professor Lord Stern. The panel brings together a distinguished panel of experts to discuss what we have learned in the intervening period about how public policy can best be structured to support equity and growth. Professor Sir Tony Atkinson, is centennial professor in the Department of Economics at LSE. Peter A. Diamond was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2010, along with Dale T. Mortensen and Christopher A. Pissarides. He is an institute professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sir Nicholas Macpherson, is a senior British civil servant, serving as the permanent secretary to the Treasury since 2 August 2005. He succeeded Sir Gus O'Donnell upon the latter's promotion to Cabinet Secretary. Professor Sir James Mirrlees is Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University and winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Nicholas Stern is chair of the Grantham Research Institute since it was founded in 2008; chair of the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy; IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government, the first holder of this position, at the Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD); chair of the Asia Research Centre; and director of the India Observatory.

Bridging Facts and Values? [Audio]

Wed, 18 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alan Montefiore, Professor Stephen Mulhall, Dr Sarah Richmond | Marking the publication of Alan Montefiore's new book A Philosophical Retrospective: facts, values and Jewish identity, this discussion will explore the idea that concepts of cultural identity can sometimes bridge facts and values. Alan Montefiore is emeritus fellow at Balliol College, University of Oxford and president of the Forum for European Philosophy. Stephen Mulhall is professor and fellow in philosophy at New College, University of Oxford. Sarah Richmond is senior lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at UCL.

Development of Good Living: The Social Transformation Agenda in Ecuador [Audio]

Wed, 18 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): René Ramírez | This lecture provides an idea of the approach of the Ecuadorian Government to comply with its strategies of "Good Living", a concept developed in recent years that sees growth and economic development as a whole in which includes new indicators and ways to measure it. This concept of "Good Living" is one of the axes of the thought of the "Citizens Revolution". René Ramírez is the National Secretary of Planning and Development of Ecuador and author of several books related to an alternative view to economic and human development and the methods in order to measure it.

Empowering Women to Meet New Challenges, from National Development to Conflict Prevention and Post-Conflict Recovery [Audio]

Tue, 17 May 2011 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Michelle Bachelet | The UN's newest agency - UN Women - has a global mandate to empower women and build gender equality. UN Women's first Executive Director and Under-Secretary General Michelle Bachelet will outline her vision for empowering women economically and politically to address challenges of poverty, inequality and exclusion and persistent violence against women both in conflict and non-conflict situations. She will focus in particular on peace and security as an area with particular obstacles to women's engagement in conflict prevention and building security, and she will describe UN Women's work in conflict-affected contexts to enable women to engage as leaders - not victims - in conflict resolution and recovery. Michelle Bachelet is the first Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, which was established on 2 July 2010 by the United Nations General Assembly. Under Ms Bachelet's leadership, UN Women will lead, support and coordinate the work on gender equality and the empowerment of women at global, regional and country levels. Ms Bachelet most recently served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010. A long-time champion of women's rights, she has advocated for gender equality and women's empowerment throughout her career. One of her major successes as President was her decision to save billions of dollars in revenues to spend on issues such as pension reform, social protection programmes for women and children, and research and development, despite the financial crisis. Other initiatives included tripling the number of free early child-care centres for low-income families and the completion of some 3,500 child-care centres around the country. Ms Bachelet also held ministerial portfolios in the Chilean Government as Minister of Defence and Minister of Health. As Defence Minister, Ms Bachelet introduced gender policies intended to improve the conditions of women in the military and police forces. As Minister of Health, she implemented health care reform, improving attention to primary care facilities with the aim of ensuring better and faster health care response for families.

Berlin, Seventh of November – History in Nonhistorical Fiction: a discussion and reading [Audio]

Tue, 17 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Douglas Cowie | In this series, an historian, a novelist and a literary critic explore the ways in which memory, literature and history shape contemporary Europe. Douglas Cowie is a novelist and lecturer in the English department at Royal Holloway, University of London. This event is part of the Jean Monnet 'Europe Beyond Governance' Lecture Series.

Supporting Sustainable Transition in Afghanistan: an interagency approach [Audio]

Tue, 17 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Major General John Lorimer, Moazzam Malik, Sheelagh Stewart, Nick Williams | This event will examine the challenges faced by those responsible for overseeing the transfer of state power from external organisations to domestic institutions in conflict affected states. Major General John Lorimer, Chief of Defence Staff's Strategic Communication Officer and Ministry of Defence spokesman on military operations. Moazzam Malik is director of the Western Asia and Stabilisation Division, Department for International Development and the Stabilisation Unit. Sheelagh Stewart is Head of Stabilisation Unit, the Government's centre of expertise and best practice in stabilisation. Nick Williams is Deputy Head of the Afghanistan Department at the FCO. Jonathan Steele is former senior foreign correspondent at The Guardian.

The Architecture of Governance [Audio]

Tue, 17 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Gerald Frug | Professor Frug looks at the fragmentation of current urban governance and how it undermines the authority of elected representatives. Gerald Frug is the Louis D Brandeis Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and winner of the James Stirling Memorial Lectures on the City Competition. The Stirling Lectures competition is a collaboration between LSE Cities and the Canadian Centre for Architecture.

Arbitration and Financial Markets Disputes [Audio]

Mon, 16 May 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jeffrey Golden, Professor Jan Paulsson | Jeffrey Golden, the principal author of ISDA's Master agreements (FT: "Mr. Derivatives") and the driving force behind the efforts of setting up an international financial court will be challenged by Jan Paulsson on the suitability of arbitration for financial markets disputes. Jeffrey Golden was the founding partner of the US law practice of Allen & Overy LLP and a senior partner in the firm's global derivatives practice and is now a visiting professor at the LSE Law Department. Jan Paulsson is co-head of the international arbitration and public international law groups of Freshfields LLP and LSE Centennial Professor.

Can China's Political System Sustain its Peaceful Rise? [Audio]

Mon, 16 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Susan Shirk | What are the features of Chinese politics that could derail its peaceful rise? And how should other countries respond? Susan Shirk is director of the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation and Ho Miu Lam professor of China and Pacific Relations, UC San Diego.

Equality, growth and sustainability – an impossible combination? [Audio]

Mon, 16 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sigbjørn Johnsen | Equality and growth are often considered to be conflicting goals. Welfare cuts in order to achieve fiscal sustainability are now on the agenda in a number of European countries. In Norway, an abundance of natural resources has offered a favourable starting point. Yet its management presents policymakers with a number of new dilemmas. Can the experience of a small country like Norway hold some larger lessons? Sigbjørn Johnsen is serving his second term as Norwegian Minister of Finance. His first term was 1990 - 1996. Mr. Johnsen was a member of Parliament from 1976 to 1997, and is representing the Labour Party. He has led several major public commissions in Norway, including the Pension Commission 2000-2002.

The Politics of Religious Dissent in Contemporary Saudi Arabia [Audio]

Mon, 16 May 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Stephane Lacroix | Since the events of 9/11, Saudi Islamists have attracted considerable attention. However, given the opacity of the Saudi Kingdom, very little is known about them. Who are those activists who challenge in the name of Islam a regime whose claims to legitimacy are based on religion? Stephane Lacroix is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Sciences Po. In 2008-2009, he was a Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford University. His work focuses on Islam and politics in the contemporary Middle East, with a particular interest in the Gulf region.

The Ethics of Photojournalism [Audio]

Fri, 13 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Luc Bovens, Simon Norfolk | Editor's note: We apologise for the poor audio quality on the audio podcast. This dialogue between a photojournalist and a philosopher will explore how war photography treads a fine line between truthfulness, procuring impact and respecting the dignity of the victims of war as well as the sensitivities of readers.

Cities at the Speed of Light: Asian experiments of the urban century [Audio]

Thu, 12 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ananya Roy | The 21st century will be an urban century. It will also be a 'Southern' or even 'Asian' century, with much of the urban growth taking place in the cities of the global South. This talk highlights these Asian experiments and the ambitious claims of the making of 'Asian' futures. Ananya Roy is professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning and co-director of the Global Metropolitan Studies Center at the University of California, Berkeley.

A World Without Superpowers: de-centered globalism [Audio]

Tue, 10 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Barry Buzan | As the inequality of power between the West and the rest diminishes, the most likely scenario for world politics is de-centered globalism, in which there will be no superpowers. But what does a world with no superpowers mean for regional coexistence and international cooperation? Barry Buzan is Montague Burton Professor of International Relations at LSE and senior fellow at LSE IDEAS.

Budgeting for Gender Equality: is government economic policy fair to women? [Audio]

Tue, 10 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Claire Annesley, Beatrix Campbell, Professor Diane Elson, Professor Susan Himmelweit | This panel will consider how far women, especially low income women, are bearing an unfair share of the burden of the budget deficit reduction. Claire Annesley is a lecturer in European politics at the University of Manchester. Beatrix Campbell is a journalist, author, playwright and broadcaster. Diane Elson is professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Essex. Susan Himmelweit is professor of economics at the Open University.

Unfathomable Event [Audio]

Tue, 10 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Simon Glendinning, Dr Amber Jacobs, Professor Nicholas Royle | Marking the publication of Nicholas Royle's new novel Quilt, this event will attempt to explore the dimensions and ascertain the depths of the 'unfathomable'. Simon Glendinning is reader in European philosophy at the LSE European Institute and director of the Forum for European Philosophy. Amber Jacobs is lecturer in the Department of Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck, University of London. Nicholas Royle is professor of English at the University of Sussex.

The Economic Fuel of the Arab Intifada [Audio]

Tue, 10 May 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Ali Kadri | Arab countries represent stark cases of "de-development". Of the two paths of capital accumulation - accumulation by commodity realisation and accumulation by encroachment and dispossession - the Arab world falls subject to the diktat of the latter process. A tight cross-border class alliance between Western elites and Arab regimes has been at play, to support the process of social product usurpation even when the terms of trade appear to be favourable to the Arab world. The development of the Arab world is itself an outcome of a multi-tiered power structure, in the first instance, where the concept of power could be literally reduced to fire power without much loss to content and, secondly, it mediates the crisis of a fossil-fuel dependent global accumulation process. Dr Ali Kadri is a Visiting Fellow in the Department of International Development at LSE. Formerly, he served as Head of the Economic Analysis Section of the United Nations regional office in Beirut.

Next-generation Leadership and Management [Audio]

Mon, 9 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Tim Macartney | A lecture from a leadership expert who seeks to challenge some of our fundamental preconceptions and current ways of thinking. Tim Macartney has been working as a people and organisation development professional since 1984. He is the founder and CEO of Embercombe, a published author, and an associate of Leaders' Quest.

Pakistan: A Hard Country [Audio]

Mon, 9 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Anatol Lieven | In this talk on the subject of his new book, Pakistan: A Hard Country, Professor Anatol Lieven will analyse the Pakistani state and political system, and explain how those factors which give the state its surprising resilience in the face of revolution also hold it back in terms of economic and social development. Professor Anatol Lieven is chair of international relations and terrorism studies at King's College London, and a senior fellow of the New America Foundation in Washington DC. He was previously a journalist, who reported from South Asia, the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe for The Times and other publications. His books include Chechnya: Tombstone of Russian Power, America Right or Wrong: An Anatomy of American Nationalism and, with John Hulsman, Ethical Realism: A Vision for America's Role in the World. This event celebrates Professor Lieven's new book Pakistan: A Hard Country.

Democracy and Dissent [Audio]

Thu, 5 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Frank Vibert | Editor's note: Unfortunately the first few minutes of the lecture are missing from the podcast. A recent report by the IMF on why it failed to spot the 2008 international financial crisis identified what is known as 'cognitive failure' – failures in the way in which information is assessed and analysed. This is highlighted in Frank Vibert's new book, Democracy and Dissent, on international rule making. Frank Vibert is a senior visiting fellow at LSE Global Governance.

Europe: Where is the Passion? [Audio]

Thu, 5 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Hans-Gert Pöttering | These are troubled times for Europe. Where is the EU headed? Will its economy revive? Has the European Parliament found its role? Crucially: can the European 'project' be brought back to life? Hans-Gert Pöttering is former president of the European parliament. Dr Sara Hagemann is from the European Institute at LSE.

How Not to Keep Bees [Audio]

Thu, 5 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Bill Turnbull | Bill Turnbull's light-hearted introduction to the world of beekeeping highlights the ups and rather more frequent downs of his ten years attempting to produce honey and keep his colonies alive. Definitely not a masterclass on the art of apiculture; more a survival guide for beginners and the casual bystander. BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull first joined the BBC in 1986, where he has remained as an investigative journalist and presenter ever since. He is a keen beekeeper, a leading ambassador of beekeeping in the UK, and the author of mishap memoir The Bad Beekeepers Club. Ian Spencer is Director of the LSE's Residential and Catering Services Division. He is keen to become an amateur bee keeper himself and was instrumental in the Passfield Hall Honey project which gave LSE it's very first roof-top hives.

Literature and History in European post-Cold War Memory [Audio]

Thu, 5 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Dan Stone | In this series, an historian, a novelist and a literary critic explore the ways in which memory, literature and history shape contemporary Europe. Dan Stone is professor of modern history at Royal Holloway, University of London. This event is part of the Jean Monnet 'Europe Beyond Governance' Lecture Series.

The Future of Power [Audio]

Wed, 4 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Joseph Nye | Joseph Nye is a long-time analyst of power and a hands-on practitioner in government. His concept of "soft power" has been adopted by leaders from Britain to China and "smart power" has been adopted as the bumper-sticker for the Obama Administration's foreign policy. In this lecture, drawn from his new book The Future of Power, Nye outlines the major shifts of this century: new transnational challenges such as the financial crisis, global epidemics, and climate change facing an increasingly interconnected world; a changing global political and economic landscape, including the rise of China and India; and the increasing influence of non-state actors. Nye explores what resources now confer power, and argues that, in the information age, it might be the state (or non-state) with the best story. Joseph S. Nye, Jr. is University Distinguished Service Professor and former Dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He has served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Chair of the National Intelligence Council, and a Deputy Under Secretary of State. The author of many books, he is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the British Academy, and the American Academy of Diplomacy.

The Most Human Human: A Defence of Humanity in the Age of the Computer [Audio]

Wed, 4 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Brian Christian | Author Brian Christian will talk on the subject of his debut book The Most Human Human a superbly engaging re-evaluation of what it means to be human in the light of breathtaking advances in artificial intelligence. Brian Christian is an Author and Poet. He holds a dual degree in computer science and philosophy and an MFA in poetry.

Turkey and Europe [Audio]

Wed, 4 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Norman Stone | Joined to Europe by geography and linked to it byhistory and trade, can politics overcome religious and cultural differences so that Turkey ceases to be Europe's 'Other'? This event celebrates the publication of Turkey: A Short History| published by Thames & Hudson. Norman Stone was born in Glasgow in 1941, and is a British academic, historian and currently a Professor in the Department of International Relations at Bilkent University, Ankara. He is a former Professor at the University of Oxford, a Lecturer at the University of Cambridge, and adviser to Margaret Thatcher. He graduated with First Class Honours in History from Cambridge University in 1962, and following his undergraduate degree he did research in Central European History in Vienna and Budapest. Upon completion of his secondary degree, he was offered a research fellowship by Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he later became an Assistant Lecturer in Russian and German history and full Lecturer in 1973. In 1971, he had transferred to Jesus College as Director of Studies in History. In 1984, he accepted the position of Professor of Modern History at Oxford University until 1997, when he left to teach at the department of International Relations at Bilkent Unversity in Ankara. Between 1987 and 1992 he published a regular column for the Sunday Times and contributed to other new services including the BBC and the Wall Street Journal. During this time, he also became Margaret Thatcher's foreign policy adviser on Europe, as well as her speech writer. He has written many books including The Eastern Front 1914-1917 (1975); Hitler (1980); Europe Transformed 1878-1919 (1983), Czechoslovakia: Crossroads and Crises, 1918-88 (1989); The Times Atlas of World History (1989); The Other Russia (1990); World War One: A Short History (2007), The Atlantic and its Enemies: A Personal History of the Cold War (2010).

The Greek bail-out one year on: how can Greece return to growth? [Audio]

Tue, 3 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Costas Meghir, Professor Herakles Polemarchakis | One year after Greece agreed a rescue package with the EU and the IMF, this debate considers how best Greece can secure future economic growth. Is the austerity plan working? Can Greece avoid a sovereign debt default? What new reform measures might be desirable in the future? Costas Meghir is Professor of Economics, University College London; Douglas A. Warner III Professor, Yale University; and co-director ESRC Research Centre, Institute for Fiscal Studies. Herakles Polemarchakis is Professor of Economics, University of Warwick and economic advisor to the prime minister of Greece

Zero Degrees of Empathy: a new theory of human cruelty [Audio]

Tue, 3 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Simon Baron-Cohen | World-expert Simon Baron-Cohen presents new discoveries on the importance of empathy, and the problems with evil. Simon Baron-Cohen, expert in autism and developmental psychopathology, has always wanted to isolate and understand the factors that cause people to treat others as if they were mere objects. In this book he proposes a radical shift, turning the focus away from evil and on to the central factor, empathy. Unlike the concept of evil, he argues, empathy has real explanatory power. Putting empathy under the microscope he explores four new ideas: firstly, that we all lie somewhere on an empathy spectrum, from high to low, from six degrees to zero degrees. Secondly that, deep within the brain lies the 'empathy circuit'. How this circuit functions determines where we lie on the empathy spectrum. Thirdly, that empathy is not only something we learn but that there are also genes associated with empathy. And fourthly, while a lack of empathy leads to mostly negative results, is it always negative? Simon Baron-Cohen is Professor at Cambridge University in the fields of psychology and psychiatry. He is also the Director of Cambridge's internationally-renowned Autism Research Centre. He has carried out research into social neuroscience over a career spanning twenty years. This event celebrates the publication of his new book Zero Degrees of Empathy.

The End of Remembering [Audio]

Tue, 5 Apr 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Joshua Foer | Once upon a time remembering was everything. Today, we have endless mountains of documents, the Internet and ever-present smart phones to store our memories. As our culture has transformed from one that was fundamentally based on internal memories to one that is fundamentally based on memories stored outside the brain, what are the implications for ourselves and for our society? What does it mean that we've lost our memory? Joshua Foer studied evolutionary biology at Yale University and is now a freelance science journalist, writing for the National Geographic and New York Times among others. Researching an article on the U.S. Memory Championships, Foer became intrigued by the potential of his own memory. After just one year of training and learning about the art and science of memory, he won the following year's Championship. Foer is the founder of the Athanasius Kircher Society, an organization dedicated to 'all things wondrous, curious and esoteric' and the Atlas Obscura, an online travel guide to the world's oddities. Moonwalking with Einstein is his first book.

Management Accounting Research Group (MARG) Conference 2011 - 16:30-17:30 [Audio]

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrew Shilston | 10.30, John Cullen, University of Sheffield, Innovation in the NHS - Can Accounting Stimulate and Facilitate Innovative. 11:30, Professor Zhang Xinmin, University of International Business and Economics, Corporate Governance and Strategic Cost Management: A View from China. 14:00, Robin Bellis-Jones, Director, Bellis-Jones Hill Group, Costing in the NHS - From Measurement to Management. 15:00, Panel Session. 16.30, Andrew Shilston, Chief Financial Officer, Rolls Royce, ICAEW Distinguished Practitioner Lecture. The theme for the 32nd MARG conference is Cost Management Strategies: Shifting Gears. The aim of the conference is to promote the discussion and development of leading edge ideas between researchers and senior practitioners.

Management Accounting Research Group (MARG) Conference 2011 - 14:00-16:00 [Audio]

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Robin Bellis-Jones, Panel Session (Various Speakers) | 10.30, John Cullen, University of Sheffield, Innovation in the NHS - Can Accounting Stimulate and Facilitate Innovative. 11:30, Professor Zhang Xinmin, University of International Business and Economics, Corporate Governance and Strategic Cost Management: A View from China. 14:00, Robin Bellis-Jones, Director, Bellis-Jones Hill Group, Costing in the NHS - From Measurement to Management. 15:00, Panel Session. 16.30, Andrew Shilston, Chief Financial Officer, Rolls Royce, ICAEW Distinguished Practitioner Lecture. The theme for the 32nd MARG conference is Cost Management Strategies: Shifting Gears. The aim of the conference is to promote the discussion and development of leading edge ideas between researchers and senior practitioners.

Management Accounting Research Group (MARG) Conference 2011 - 10.30-12.30 [Audio]

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 10:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Cullen, Professor Zhang Xinmin | 10.30, John Cullen, University of Sheffield, Innovation in the NHS - Can Accounting Stimulate and Facilitate Innovative. 11:30, Professor Zhang Xinmin, University of International Business and Economics, Corporate Governance and Strategic Cost Management: A View from China. 14:00, Robin Bellis-Jones, Director, Bellis-Jones Hill Group, Costing in the NHS - From Measurement to Management. 15:00, Panel Session. 16.30, Andrew Shilston, Chief Financial Officer, Rolls Royce, ICAEW Distinguished Practitioner Lecture. The theme for the 32nd MARG conference is Cost Management Strategies: Shifting Gears. The aim of the conference is to promote the discussion and development of leading edge ideas between researchers and senior practitioners.

The Economic Outlook and Financial Industry Challenges [Audio]

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Thomas M Hoenig | Thomas M Hoenig is president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He assumed the role of president on October 1, 1991, making him the longest serving of the 12 current regional Federal Reserve Bank presidents. He is senior member of the Federal Reserve System's Federal Open Market Committee, the key body with authority over national monetary policy in the United States.

Cities and Climate Change [Audio]

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Joan Clos | Editor's note: We apologise for the poor audio quality throughout the question and answer session. Urban areas will have to play an increasingly important role as part of strategies addressing global climate change: due to their wealth, they disproportionately contribute to global carbon emissions. At the same time, dense, compact cities have repeatedly shown to be far more carbon efficient than other settlement types of similar affluence. The need for urban areas to adapt to some of the unavoidable consequences of climate change is acute due to the particular threats of extreme weather that come with it. Without addressing the risks associated with complex urban systems and infrastructure, an ever-increasing urban population might end up living in the more vulnerable locations of cities and mega-cities, potential disaster traps. Joan Clos, United Nations Under Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-HABITAT examines climate change in an urban context and discusses UN Habitat’s new Global Report on Human Settlements: Cities and Climate Change.

A Vision of the Next Economy: from macro to metro [Audio]

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ricky Burdett, Bruce Katz | LSE Cities and the Brookings Institution have carried out new research on how cities and metropolitan areas are responding to current economic challenges. Ricky Burdett will discuss how selected European and Asian cities - Torino, Barcelona, Munch and Seoul - have overcome crises in the recent past and shown significant progress in urban economic development over the past two decades. Bruce Katz will outline a vision of the next American economy, one that is driven by exports, powered by low carbon, fueled by innovation and rich with opportunity and led by major metropolitan areas, which concentrate the nation's economic assets. This will include connecting lessons of economic restructuring from abroad to the challenges facing US metros. A central finding of the research is that cities will continue to play a critical role in creating and sustaining stable economies that foster social inclusion and environmental equity, but only if metropolitan governance is active and aligned, and cities continue to invest in social capital, job creation and quality of place. Ricky Burdett is Professor of Urban Studies at LSE and Director of LSE Cities. Bruce Katz is Vice President at the Brookings Institution and Founding Director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, and a Visiting Professor of Social Policy at LSE. Alexandra Jones is Chief Executive of the Centre for Cities. LSE Cities is an international centre that carries out research, education, outreach and advisory activities in the urban field. The recently established centre (1 January 2010) builds on the interdisciplinary work of the Urban Age, extending its partnership with Deutsche Bank's Alfred Herrhausen Society for a further five-year period. LSE Cities extends LSE's century-old commitment to improving our understanding of urban society, by studying how the built environment has profound consequences on the shape of society in an increasingly urbanised world where over 50% of people live in cities. LSE Works is a new series of public lectures, sponsored by SAGE publications, that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's 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 online.

US Energy Policy and International Security [Audio]

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Senator Lindsey O. Graham | Lindsey O. Graham was elected to serve as United States Senator on November 5, 2002. He serves on five committees in the U.S. Senate: Appropriations, Armed Services, Aging, Budget and Judiciary. A native South Carolinian, Graham grew up in Central, graduated from D.W. Daniel High School, and earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Graham logged six-and-a-half years of service on active duty as an Air Force lawyer. From 1984-1988, he was assigned overseas and served at Rhein Mein Air Force Base in Germany. Upon leaving the active duty Air Force in 1989, Graham joined the South Carolina Air National Guard where he served until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994. During the first Gulf War, Graham was called to active duty and served state-side at McEntire Air National Guard Base as Staff Judge Advocate. He received a commendation medal for his service at McEntire. Since 1995, Graham has continued to serve his country in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and is one of only three U.S. Senators currently serving in the Guard or Reserves. He is a colonel and is assigned as a Senior Instructor at the Air Force JAG School.

Security: Present and Future Challenges [Audio]

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, Professor Mary Kaldor | The inter-relationship between global and national security is a feature of our connected world. Rapid change and uncertainty in the global strategic environment is bringing new security challenges. Emerging powers are morphing into future strategic competitors, competition for resources is increasing, non state actors are challenging state assumptions about security and the effectiveness of supranational institutions is being questioned. The potential for challenges to other states to impact upon our national interests is becoming better understood. At the same time, more traditional threats to defence and security cannot be discounted. States need to think afresh about the scope and delivery of their responsibilities for the security and well being of their citizens. Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff of the Royal Navy, considers the implications for states, now and in the future. Mary Kaldor is Professor and Co-director of LSE Global Governance, LSE. David Held is Graham Wallace Professor of Political Science and Co-Director, Centre for the Study of Global Governance, LSE.

Exorbitant Privilege: The Rise and Fall of the Dollar [Audio]

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Barry Eichengreen | The dollar, the world's international reserve currency for over eighty years, has been a pillar of American economic hegemony. In the words of one critic, the dollar possessed an "exorbitant privilege" in international finance that reinforced U.S. economic power. In Exorbitant Privilege, eminent economist Barry Eichengreen explains how the dollar rose to the top of the monetary order before turning to the current situation. Barry Eichengreen is Professor of Political Science and Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. He has written for the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, and other publications. This event celebrates the publication of his latest book Exorbitant Privilege: The Rise and Fall of the Dollar.

The International Insertion of Uruguay in the world [Audio]

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Luis Almagro | Editor's note: There is a very short gap in the podcast recording at 51:58 owing to a technical fault. Foreign Minister Almagro will outline the Uruguayan Government's Policies on International Relations, focusing on the Southern Cone sub-region, Latin America and the world. Dr Almagro will highlight the positive outcome already achieved by the current Government, with regard to the country's attractive investor-friendly policies, its strategic geographical location as a financial hub in the Southern Cone, as well as its development in the fields of Science, Technology and Innovation. Luis Almagro was appointed Foreign Minister by President Mujica in March 2010. A career diplomat and trained as a lawyer. He was a supporter of the National Party in his younger days before moving to the Frente Amplio. He joined the MFA in 1987. Diplomatic postings include Ambassador to China (2007 to 2010); Bonn (1998-2003) and Iran (1991-96). In the MFA in Montevideo he worked in the Minister's private office (1997-98) and was Deputy Director for International Economic Affairs in 2005. In 2006 he went to work for then Agriculture Minister José Mujica as head of the Ministry's International Affairs Unit. He is keen to promote commercial diplomacy in the foreign service and improve professionalism.

Mexico's Fight for Security: Actions and Achievements [Audio]

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alejandro Poiré | Alejandro Poiré is the National Security Spokesman, Presidencia de la República.

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity [Audio]

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Pavan Sukhdev | Pavan Sukhdev is Study Leader for the G8+5 commissioned report on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), a hugely influential global study launched in Nagoya in October 2010. He is also Special Advisor and Head of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Green Economy Initiative. Prior to his work for TEEB and UNEP, Pavan was Head of Deutsche Bank's Global Markets Business in India and a founding member of the Green Indian States Trust (GIST).

The Mexican Economy and Future Prospects [Audio]

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ernesto Cordero | Ernesto Cordero is the Mexican Minister of Finance. This event marks the inauguration of Mexico Today Economic Prospects and Public Security, a week long conference of public events.

The Globalisation Paradox – Why Global Markets, States, and Democracy Can't Coexist [Audio]

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Dani Rodrik | Managing globalisation requires that we get the balance between markets and regulation and between the global economy and the nation-state right. A healthy globalisation is one that is not pushed too far. Esteemed economist Dani Rodrik examines the pressure points in the global economy and what can be done about them, and looks at the situation from its seventeenth-century origins through the milestones of the gold standard, the Bretton Woods Agreement, and the Washington Consensus, to the present day. Dani Rodrik is Rafiq Hariri Professor of International Political Economy at John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He is one of the world's top economists, well known for his original and prescient analyses of globalisation and economic development. The book The Globalization Paradox is published by Oxford University Press this month. Dani Rodrik will be signing copies at the event. Global Policy is an innovative and interdisciplinary journal bringing together world class academics and leading practitioners to analyse both public and private solutions to global problems and issues.

The Unfinished Global Revolution [Audio]

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Malloch Brown | The dramatic shifts underway in global economic, political and social society are leading to new stress points. Both at the global level as a country like China pushes its way to the top of the table and at the national level as power shifts, not just between countries but within countries as rapid wealth creation, and elsewhere destruction, creates new local winners and losers. Again China is a good example. Mark Malloch-Brown will then argue that rather than just obsessing over elusive, usually wrong, predictions about who the global and local winners and losers are, we have to accept change is now a constant and we need flexible new ways of managing our global and national affairs, whoever is up or down, that recognise that much of the old intergovernmental system is breaking down and leaving us dangerously ungoverned as change and global integration accelerates. Mark Malloch-Brown has held a unique set of positions across the heights of the international system. After leaving a career in journalism, he served as a World Bank vice president and as the head of the United Nations Development Program and deputy secretary-general to Secretary General Kofi Annan. Most recently, he was minister for Africa, Asia, and the UN in the government of Gordon Brown. Jeffrey Sachs named him one of Time Magazine's 100 Leaders and Revolutionaries.

Grasshoppers, Ants and Locusts: the future of the world economy [Audio]

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Martin Wolf | The financial crisis was the product of an unstable interaction between ants (excess savers), grasshoppers (excess borrowers) and locusts (the financial sector that intermediated between the two). In view of this history, is the current recovery solidly built? Or do the weaknesses the crisis revealed remain pervasive? Martin Wolf is the associate editor and chief economics commentator at the Financial Times.

Italy 150 Years On: Was Unification a Mistake? [Audio]

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Gilmour, Marco Simoni | Italy today has the seventh largest economy in the world. Yet despite its economic and cultural riches, it has never achieved a successful political system. Does the blame lie with its founders? Was Italy predestined to be a failed nation state? David Gilmour, the author of The Pursuit of Italy, is a much-admired historian whose books include three prize-winning biographies, The Last Leopard: A Life of Giuseppe di Lampedusa, Curzon and The Long Recessional: The Imperial Life of Rudyard Kipling. He has written on Italy for numerous publications including the TLS, the New York Review of Books, the Sunday Times and the Spectator. Dr Marco Simoni is a lecturer in European Political Economy and (until August 2011) a British Academy post-doctoral fellow at the European Institute. He received his PhD in Political Economy from the European Institute, LSE in 2006 and his Laurea cum laude in Political Science and Political Economy (Masters degree with distinction) from the Università di Roma “La Sapienza” in 2000. His research interests revolve around topics of comparative capitalism, mostly the role of large organizations, such as trade unions, political parties, as well as their interaction with governments. His research explores both the determinants of their strategies and their impact on different measures of economic performance.

The Globalisation of the Business of English law [Audio]

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Stuart Popham | Stuart Popham will discuss many of the changes which he has seen in his 35 year career. Stuart Popham is the senior partner of Clifford Chance LLP, worldwide.

OECD at 50, Better Policies for Better Lives: Growth, Skills and Jobs [Audio]

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Vince Cable, Howard Davies, Angel Gurria | Now in its 50th year, the OECD has established itself as the leading international economic organisation for socio-economic analysis, best practice policy based on peer review, benchmarking and internationally comparable indicators and statistics. Its achievements have made a major contribution to both economic development within its membership and global economic issues. Bringing together business, think–tanks, academia, government and the media, the seminar will address the economic challenges facing policy makers working to transition the world economy from crisis to a period of strong, sustainable and balanced growth. The seminar will also foster a debate on future challenges that tomorrow’s economic policy makers will face, as the OECD looks forward to the next 50 years.

Changes in Labour Market Inequality [Audio]

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Stephen Machin | In this lecture, the third in a series to celebrate 21 years of the CEP, Stephen Machin surveys significant research findings on wage inequality that have emerged from the Centre over the past three decades. Stephen Machin is director of research at CEP, and professor of economics at University College London.

The Emerging Powers, the EU and Global Governance [Audio]

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Charles Grant | China and other emerging powers are starting to transform the institutions of global governance. Can the EU exert any influence on the emerging international system? Charles Grant is director of the Centre for European Reform.

Triumph of the City: how our greatest invention makes us richer, smarter, greener, healthier and happier [Audio]

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Edward Glaeser | Building and maintaining cities is difficult and density has costs, but in this presentation Professor Edward Glaeser will argue that these costs are worth bearing, because whether in London’s ornate arcades or Rio’s fractious favelas, whether in the high rises of Hong Kong or the dusty workplaces of Dharavi, our culture, our prosperity, and our freedom are all ultimately gifts of people living, working, and thinking together – the ultimate triumph of the city. Edward Glaeser is the Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics at Harvard. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s most exciting urban thinkers. Travelling from city to city, speaking to planners and politicians across the globe, he uncovers questions large and small whose answers are deeply significant. His new book, Triumph of the City, is available on 18th March 2011.

Trust and education: a way out of corruption - A Public Lecture by Antanas Mockus Sivickas [Audio]

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Antanas Mockus Sivickas | Corruption and generalized mistrust against public officers and against fellow citizens are mayor problem in several Latin-American Cities. This mistrust could be a consequence of corruption. But it could also be a cause. Surveys show that teachers are one of the most trustable categories of citizens. Understanding that at least part of government action is teaching might be a solution. Very elementary education exercises linked to strict anti/patronage behaviors implemented in Bogota seemed to be helpful in the fight against corruption (Cultura ciudadana, 1995/2003). Last year, during presidential election, social networks made possible a horizontal learning between high autonomous and involved electors and campaigners. Messages such as "life is sacred" and "public resources, sacred resources" helped foster basic human rights and promoted meritocracy against violence, clientelism and other forms of corruption. Antanas Mockus Sivickas is former Mayor of Bogota, being elected for office in two different periods, former President of the National University of Colombia and Associated Teacher of the Sciences Faculty in the same institution. Mr. Mockus, has been a Robert F. Kennedy Visiting Professor of Latin American Studies at the David Rockefeller Canter for Latin American Studies at Harvard University. He has also been a visitor Fellow at the Nuffiel College, Oxford University. Mr. Mockus, holds a BA degree in Mathematics from the Universit de Bourgogne, Dijon, France. He also has a MA degree in Philosophy from the National University of Colombia. He is an honorary doctorate recipient of the National University of Colombia and of the Universit Paris Diderot-Paris VII. He has been a researcher in the Science Faculty of the National University of Colombia and in the in Center for the Political International Relations Studies (IEPRI) at the same university. Nowadays he is the cofounder of the Colombian Green Party, having represented that political formation during the last presidential elections in Colombia held in the year 2010. During this process, Mr. Mockus gained the second highest ballot, earning more than 3,500,000 votes. His more recent researches have turned principally in the study of coexistence and the relation between law, moral and culture.

Buying Low, Flying High: carbon offsets and partial compliance [Audio]

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Kai Spiekermann | Many airlines allow their customers to 'offset' the emissions caused by flying. Is it permissible to fly purely for pleasure as long as we buy carbon offsets? Kai Spiekermann is lecturer in political philosophy at LSE's Department of Government.

Gender and Poverty in the 21st Century [Audio]

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Diane Elson, Professor Nancy Folbre, Professor Maxine Molyneux | Each speaker will briefly reflect on a theme inspired by or departing from the International Handbook of Gender and Poverty by Sylvia Chant, after which there will be a question and answer session with the audience. Diane Elson is professor of sociology at the University of Essex. Nancy Folbre is professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Maxine Molyneux is professor of sociology and director of the Institute for the Study of the Americas, at the School of Advanced Study, University of London. This event is supported by the LSE Annual Fund. There will be a reception in the Atrium after the lecture open to all audience members.

Philosophy in the Public World [Audio]

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Anthony Grayling | Philosophy has an important role in public life. Anthony Grayling is one of the most prominent public faces of philosophy in the UK. He is professor of philosophy at Birkbeck College and a supernumerary fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford.

21st Century Statecraft [Audio]

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alec Ross | Technology and innovation have changed the conditions for statecraft in the 21st century. Just as the internet has changed economics, culture, and politics, it is also transforming the practice of foreign policy. It is not simply the fact that more people are using ever more sophisticated technologies; the structural and demographic changes that have accompanied these quantum leaps in connection technologies are highly disruptive. Recent events in North Africa and the Middle East have put a spotlight on these phenomena. The United States is responding to these shifts in international relations by extending the reach of our diplomacy beyond government-to-government communications. We are adapting our statecraft by reshaping our development and diplomatic agendas to meet old challenges in new ways and by deploying one of America's great assets – innovation. This is 21st Century Statecraft – complementing traditional foreign policy tools with newly innovated and adapted instruments of statecraft that fully leverage the networks, technologies, and demographics of our interconnected world. Alec Ross serves as Senior Advisor for Innovation in the Office of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In this role, Alec is tasked with maximizing the potential of technology in service of America's diplomatic and development goals. Prior to his service at the State Department, Alec worked on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team and served as Convener for Obama for America's Technology, Media & Telecommunications Policy Committee. In 2000, Alec Ross and three colleagues co-founded One Economy, a global nonprofit that uses innovative approaches to deliver the power of technology and information about education, jobs, health care and other vital issues to low-income people. During his eight years at One Economy, it grew from a team of four people working in a basement to the world's largest digital divide organization, with programs on four continents. Alec started his career as a sixth grade teacher in inner-city Baltimore through Teach for America. He is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Climate Change needs Climate Justice [Audio]

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mary Robinson | The debate on climate change is moving from stopping it to how best to manage its effects. Climate justice links human rights and development to achieve a human-centered approach to the issue, safeguarding the rights of the most vulnerable and sharing the burdens and benefits of climate change and its resolution equitably and fairly. Mary Robinson was president of Ireland (1990-1997) and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002).

Public Service Broadcasting and Public Value: the remaining challenges for the BBC [Audio]

Wed, 9 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Michael Lyons | The out-going chairman of the BBC's governing body will give his view on the future of the corporation and its role in British society. Michael Lyons is the outgoing chairman of the BBC Trust.

The Human Sciences in the 'Age of Biology' – revitalising sociology [Audio]

Tue, 8 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nikolas Rose | Thanks to the insights of genomics and neuroscience we now understand ourselves in radically new ways. Is a new figure of the human, and of the social, taking shape in the 21st century? Nikolas Rose is professor of sociology and director of BIOS at LSE.

Why is the European Left Losing Elections? [Audio]

Tue, 8 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Miliband MP | For the first time since First World War, governments in Britain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and Italy come from the centre-right. Is this just an accidental quirk of fate or is it more serious? David Miliband has worked at the top of UK government and politics for over 15 years. He was the youngest Foreign Secretary in thirty years from 2007 to 2010. As Secretary of State for the Environment he pioneered the world's first legally binding emissions reduction Bill. As Minister for Schools he was recognised as a leader of reform. He led the policy renewal of Britain's Labour Party under Tony Blair from 1994 to 2001. He is currently Member of Parliament for South Shields and is married to violinist Louise Shackelton. Since its foundation in 1930, The Political Quarterly has explored and debated the key issues of the day. It is dedicated to political and social reform and has long acted as a conduit between policy-makers, commentators and academics. The Political Quarterly addresses current issues through serious and thought-provoking articles, written in clear jargon-free English.

The Economic Future of the European Union [Audio]

Mon, 7 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Bruton | John Bruton is chair of IFSC Ireland. He was EU ambassador to the US from 2004 to 2009, and was Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland from 1994 to 1997.

Israeli Society and the Occupation [Audio]

Mon, 7 Mar 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Gideon Levy | Editor's note: We apologise for the poor audio quality of the podcast. Gideon Levy is a Haaretz columnist and a member of the newspaper's editorial board. In his lecture he will explore how Israeli society deals with the occupation and with the international criticism of this. He will also examine the role of the Israeli media in supporting the occupation. Gideon Levy joined Haaretz in 1982, and spent four years as the newspaper's deputy editor. He is the author of the weekly Twilight Zone feature, which covers the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza over the last 25 years, as well as the writer of political editorials for the newspaper. Levy was the recipient of the Euro-Med Journalist Prize for 2008; the Leipzig Freedom Prize in 2001; the Israeli Journalists' Union Prize in 1997; and The Association of Human Rights in Israel Award for 1996. His new book, The Punishment of Gaza, has just been published by Verso Publishing House in London and New York.

Why Human Rights and Democracy are Critical to overcome Poverty [Audio]

Mon, 7 Mar 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Gunilla Carlsson | Although the overall trend in reaching the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) is positive we still face major challenges in many places of the world. Millions of people suffer from hunger and lack of access to safe drinking water. Africa is particularly hard-hit. Governments that pursue democratic development hand-in-hand with human rights stand a better chance of achieving the Millennium Development Goals. How can we ensure that the developed world delivers on their promises? How can we further promote democracy development and human rights in developing countries? Gunilla Carlsson serves as the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation. She has been a member of the Swedish Parliament since 2002 and is deputy chairman of the Moderate Party. Carlsson served as MEP from 1995 and 2002.

Britain: a country divided? [Audio]

Thu, 3 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Hills, Dr Polly Vizard, Professor Sir Tony Atkinson, David Darton | At the centre of CASE's work is the understanding of different aspects of inequality and the impacts of public policy on them. At this event, John Hills and Polly Vizard will present findings from the detailed analysis of economic inequalities carried out by the National Equality Panel, and across wider dimensions using the Equality Measurement Framework, as developed by CASE and its partners for the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Government Equalities Office. With "fairness" and "equality of opportunity" at the heart of the aspirations of the Coalition Government, what does their starting point look like and how should inequality be evaluated as we move forward? John Hills is director of CASE and professor of social policy at LSE. Polly Vizard is a research fellow at CASE. Professor Sir Tony Atkinson is centennial professor in the Department of Economics at LSE. David Darton is Director of Foresight at the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) established in October 1997 with funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is a multi-disciplinary research centre located within the Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD) at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Its focus is on exploration of different dimensions of social disadvantage, particularly from longitudinal and neighbourhood perspectives, and examination of the impact of public policy. LSE Works is a new series of public lectures, sponsored by SAGE publications, that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's 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 online.

The Doha Round is Alive; and more important than ever [Audio]

Thu, 3 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Brittan | Since 2008 it has looked to many as if the Doha Round trade negotiations were dead, or at best comatose. At the G20 Summit last November, world leaders gave it a shot in the arm, and there are now significant signs of life in Geneva. If concluded, it would provide an insurance policy against future protectionism and economic benefits estimated at over $360 billion. The challenge is to realise the window of opportunity in 2011 in order to seal the deal. On the last day of his 6 month assignment Lord Brittan, Trade Advisor to the Prime Minister, presents his unique perspective on the importance of an open global economy, and in particular the urgent need to conclude the DDA. Lord Brittan has been Vice Chairman of UBS Investment Bank since 2000 but has taken leave of absence to carry out his assignment as Trade Adviser to the Prime Minister. He was previously a Member of the European Commission from 1989 to 1999, when he was involved in both the negotiations that created the WTO and concluded the Uruguay Round. From 1974 to 1989 he was a Member of Parliament, serving in Thatcher's government as Minister of State at the Home Office, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

Human Security and EU Foreign Policy: Concepts, Impact, Implications [Audio]

Thu, 3 Mar 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Mary Kaldor, Javier Solana | This event will reflect on the work of the Human Security Study Group at LSE since 2004 and its impact in the development of European foreign and security policy. Mary Kaldor is professor of global governance at the Department of International Development and co-director of LSE Global Governance, London School of Economics & Political Science. Javier Solana is senior visiting professor at LSE Global Governance and former secretary general of NATO, European Union high representative for common foreign and security policy and secretary-general of the Council of the European Union. LSE Global Governance is a leading research centre dedicated to research, analysis and dissemination about global governance. Based at the London School of Economics, LSE Global Governance aims to increase understanding and knowledge of global issues, to encourage interaction between academics, policy makers, journalists and activists, and to propose solutions. LSE Works is a new series of public lectures, sponsored by SAGE publications, that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's 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 online.

Good Life in Hard Times [Audio]

Wed, 2 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Archbishop Vincent Nichols | Archbishop Nichols will be speaking about the importance of religious freedom, and arguing that promoting religious freedom increases our capacity to do good in the public square. He will also be drawing out some implications from Catholic social teaching for a richer understanding of human dignity and the role of the state and the market in serving human needs. Vincent Nichols is the 11th Archbishop of Westminster. He was elected president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales by unanimous acclamation on 30 April 2009.

Out of Europe? The United States in an Asian age [Audio]

Wed, 2 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Cox, Professor Arne Westad | Niall Ferguson argues that the world is now being shaped more by the emerging economies of the East than by the once dominant West. But within the West another kind of power shift is taking place, one that leads to the growing irrelevance of Europe. Is this true? And does it really matter? Michael Cox is professor of international relations at LSE and codirector of LSE IDEAS. Arne Westad is professor of international history at LSE and co-director of LSE IDEAS. Niall Ferguson is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS for 2010-11.

Has Fairtrade Asked for Enough? [Audio]

Tue, 1 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Adam Brett, Deborah Doane, Julia Clark, Robin Murray | In this discussion event, a range of speakers look back over 15 years of the Fairtrade Mark and consider whether the movement for a fairer trading system has been ambitious enough. Is Fairtrade catalysing broader social change? Should Fairtrade be working with big corporates and retailers? Is Fairtrade moving producers up the value chain? Is it time to make the rules harder? Adam Brett co-founded Tropical Wholefoods, and is a director of Fullwell Mill, and the Out of this World UK healthfood retailing chain. He has been a self employed entrepreneur since 1990, working on the development of fair trade food businesses in Uganda, Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Zanzibar and Zambia. Deborah Doane is Director of the World Development Movement, which campaigns for justice and equality for the world's poor. Deborah was a founder and trustee of AntiApathy, and has recently joined the Board of the Fairtrade Foundation. Julia Clark is a consultant. As Head of Marketing at Tate & Lyle Sugars, she led the switch of the company's entire retail sugar range to Fairtrade in 2008. At the time this was the largest ever commitment to Fairtrade by any major UK food or drink brand. Robin Murray is an industrial economist and a co-founder and board member of Twin Trading. Twin has established a number of pioneering producer-owned Fairtrade companies, notably Cafédirect, Divine Chocolate, Agrofair UK and Liberation Nuts.

Income Distribution and Social Change after 50 years [Audio]

Tue, 1 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sir Tony Atkinson | Fifty years ago, it was believed that income inequality was falling and that poverty had largely been eliminated. This lecture returns to Richard Titmuss' masterly crossexamination of the evidence about income inequality and argues that we have much to learn, but also to add. Tony Atkinson is the centennial professor at LSE. His most recent book is Top Incomes: a global perspective.

Nuclear Arms and Human Rights [Audio]

Tue, 1 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Niall Ferguson | The decisive breakthroughs in the Cold War occurred in seemingly unrelated fields – nuclear arms control and human rights. But was the collapse of communism a reflection of imperial overstretch or the result of liberal aspirations for freedom? This event celebrates the publication of Professor Ferguson's new book Civilization: The West and the Rest. Niall Ferguson is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS for 2010-11.

The Impact of Politics on Economy in Turkey - in Turkish [Audio]

Tue, 1 Mar 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu | Mr. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu MP, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party in Turkey, is visiting LSE only months before Turkey goes to the polls in a national parliamentary election. Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu will present and discuss his party's views on political, economic, and social aspects of Turkey. He will specifically address the interrelations between politics and economy in Turkey.

A Perfect Storm in the Arab World? [Audio]

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Fawaz Gerges | Regardless of the outcome of events in Egypt, for Arabs, psychologically and symbolically, this is their Berlin Wall moment. They are on the brink of a democratic wave similar to the one that swept through Eastern Europe more than 20 years ago, hastening the Soviet Union's collapse. The Arab intifada has put to rest the claim that Islam and Muslims are incompatible with democracy. The democratic virus is mutating and will probably give birth to a new language - and a new era - of politics in the Arab world. Fawaz A. Gerges is a Professor of Middle Eastern Politics and International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He also holds the Emirates Chair of the Contemporary Middle East and is the Director of the Middle East Centre at LSE.

Moral Error Theory and Moral Scepticism [Audio]

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Hallvard Lillehammer, Dr Bart Streumer | Is moral thought embroiled in some kind of error? And is the error attributable to moral thought as such or to those who interpret it as erroneous? Hallvard Lillehammer is senior lecturer and Sidgwick Lecturer in Philosophy at Cambridge University. Bart Streumer is lecturer in philosophy at the University of Reading.

The Lure of Authority: Motivation and Incentive Effects of Power [Audio]

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ernst Fehr | Authority and power permeate political, social, and economic life - yet there is limited empirical knowledge about the motivational origins and consequences of authority. Based on an experimental approach, Ernst Fehr's lecture will explore the psychological consequences of authority for important economic interactions. He will document the human desire to exercise authority, the motivation-enhancing effect of possessing authority and the detrimental motivational effects of a lack of authority. Ernst Fehr is director of the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich. He has conducted influential research on the role of social preferences in competition, cooperation and incentive provision.

Documenting China: Being a Professional Photographer in the Middle Kingdom [Audio]

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ryan Pyle | Canadian born, award winning, documentary photographer Ryan Pyle first visited China in 2001. After a 3 month trip around the country he was hooked. He has never left since. It was very much Ryan's first trip to China that inspired him to enter the discipline of photography, and since then his imagery has graced the pages of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, Fortune, The Sunday Times Magazine and the Financial Times Magazine. Ryan will visit the LSE to speak about his work, his career to date and what it is like working in China for the world's leading publications. Dr Bingchun Meng is a Lecturer in the department of Media and Communications at LSE.

Catch-Up History and the Cold War [Audio]

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Peter Hennessy | World-renowned expert on Cold War intelligence and espionage Peter Hennessy will address recently declassified documents and how history can help us 'catch-up' with the threats of today. Peter Hennessy is Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at QMUL and was recently elected a Fellow of the British Academy as well as being an Honorary Fellow of LSE. Before joining the Department in 1992, he was a journalist for twenty years with spells on The Times as a leader writer and Whitehall Correspondent, The Financial Times as its Lobby Correspondent at Westminster and The Economist. He was a regular presenter of the BBC Radio 4 Analysis programme from 1987 to 1992. In 1986 he was a co-founder of the Institute of Contemporary British History. His latest book is an updated version of his book The Secret State.

Jeffrey Boloten on The State of the Global Art Market 2011 [Audio]

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jeffrey Boloten | As part of HRL Contemporary's collaboration with the LSE, we are delighted to present our first lecture examining the relationship between art and commerce. Jeffrey Boloten, Managing Director of ArtInsight will be talking on the current state of the global art market. An expert in this area, Boloten will use recent research and data to analyse the international art system and its functions from a macro perspective. The slippery subjects of how value is ascertained in the art world and the definition of its meaning will be discussed. Boloten will relate these themes to the recent economic crisis and its effect on global art markets. This will incorporate both established art scenes as well as news and analysis of emerging international markets.

The Global Chaos of Love [Audio]

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ulrich Beck, Professor Lynn Jamieson | In the global age there are increasing numbers of long-distance relationships, bi-national couples, marriage migrants, foreign domestic workers and fertility tourists. What are their common characteristics? Ulrich Beck is the British Journal of Sociology LSE Centennial Professor.

Animal Minds [Audio]

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nicola Clayton, Professor Erica Fudge, Professor Gregory Radick | This panel discussion will provide historical and contemporary perspectives on animal cognition and will consider the challenges facing the study of animal minds. Nicola Clayton is professor of comparative cognition at the University of Cambridge, and Fellow of the Royal Society. Erica Fudge is professor of English studies in the School of Humanities at the University of Strathclyde. Gregory Radick is professor of history and philosophy of science at the University of Leeds.

Can Middle East peace be imposed? [Audio]

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Henry Siegman | Henry Siegman is president of the U.S./Middle East Project, an initiative focused on U.S.-Middle East policy and the Israel-Palestine conflict, launched by the Council on Foreign Relations in 1994. The organization was established as an independent policy institute in 2006 under the chairmanship of General Brent Scowcroft. Mr Siegman is also a visiting research professor at the Sir Joseph Hotung Middle East Program of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and a consultant for the Norwegian Peacebuilding Centre (Noref) in Oslo. Mr Siegman has published extensively on the Middle East peace process and has been consulted by governments, international agencies, and non-governmental organizations.

Literary Festival 2011 - Literature and Islamophobia: Muslima Authors Speak Out [Audio]

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Shelina Zahra Janmohamed, Senay Özdemir, Naema Tahir | There are few places in Europe in which the voices of multiculturalism and Islamophobia have clashed more forcefully than in the Netherlands, often in the most dramatic ways. To name just a few, Pim Fortuyn, Theo Van Gogh, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and most recently Geert Wilders have been very much in the international press over the last decade. In the UK we are now 14 years on from the publication of the influential Runnymede Trust report Islamophobia: a Challenge for us All which sets out an agenda for overcoming social exclusion of British Muslims. Fiction writers from Muslim backgrounds have played an important role in the debate about multiculturalism and Islamophobia. We will explore how they see their art as a tool to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue and political discourse about integration.

Literary Festival 2011 - The Immortalization Commission: Science and the Strange Quest to Cheat Death [Audio]

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Gray | During the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century science became the vehicle for an assault on death. The power of knowledge was summoned to free humans of their mortality. Science was used against science and became a channel for faith. John Gray is most recently the acclaimed author of Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia, and Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals. Having been Professor of Politics at Oxford, Visiting Professor at Harvard and Yale and Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics, he now writes full time. His selected writings, Gray’s Anatomy, were published by Penguin in 2009. The Immortalization Commission: Science and the Strange Quest to Cheat Death is published in February 2011.

Literary Festival 2011 - Mirrors of Violence: Representations of Conflict in Contemporary Subcontinental Literature [Audio]

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Tahmima Anam, Mirza Waheed | A new generation of writers from the subcontinent has been producing exciting work on the region's armed conflicts. This panel features two such writers: Tahmima Anam, author of A Golden Age, a novel about the 1971 Bangladesh war, and Mirza Waheed, author of The Collaborator, a novel about the ongoing conflict in Kashmir. Anam and Waheed will be in conversation with Sumantra Bose, professor of international and comparative politics at LSE.

Literary Festival 2011 - New technologies and the Reinvention of the Author [Audio]

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 15:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sam Leith, Lionel Shriver, Nigel Warburton | With rapid developments in communication and publication technologies, the book – as conventionally conceived – is no longer the only point of connection between writers and their audiences. New media cross many geographical borders with ease, creating potentially global readerships. New communication technologies empower audiences to answer back, dissolving the traditional borders between writers and readers. And with this, the boundaries between forms of writing begin to be reconfigured. How do writers and readers of fiction and sustained non-fiction relate to each other in this new space? What does technology mean for the future of the author?

Literary Festival 2011 - Through the Soviet Looking-Glass [Audio]

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 14:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Francis Spufford | At first sight, the USSR of the 1950s and 1960s is a formidably remote and strange place for an early 21st-century western observer to try to inhabit: ideological, materially alien, suffused with obsolete expectations, and operating in its daily life and economic life according to rules that eerily reverse our own. But the reward for crossing this particular imaginative border, argues Francis Spufford, is the discovery, in the mirrorworld of the Soviet Union, of deeply recognisable human behaviour, and deeply familiar human hopes. Francis Spufford, a former Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year (1997), has edited two acclaimed literary anthologies and a collection of essays about the history of technology. His books include I May Be Some Time, which won the Writers' Guild Award for Best Non-Fiction Book of 1996, the Banff Mountain Book Prize and a Somerset Maugham Award, The Child That Books Built, Backroom Boys, and most recently Red Plenty. In 2007 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He teaches writing at Goldsmiths College.

Literary Festival 2011 - Placing Mobilities [Audio]

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Brian Chikwava, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Olumide Popoola | This panel will consider a number of complementary and competing themes around the topic of diaspora and place. Particular places, and perhaps especially cities, consist of large diasporic populations often represented as indications of cosmopolitanism, multiculturalism and conviviality. Diasporas may be formed through forced or voluntary movements, leaving behind certain places but having often powerful relationships to them, and creating new senses of place elsewhere. Ideas of diaspora, as well as travel, movement, and exile, have become important subjects and tropes within contemporary literature. Notions of longing and belonging are perhaps most discreetly and passionately played out in the novel, that may be biographical to the life of the author as exile and/or ‘global cosmopolitan’. How we perceive London, New York or Johannesburg (as well as smaller towns) may be informed by the authorial gaze on the city by writers.

Literary Festival 2011 - The Four Walls of My Freedom [Audio]

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 12:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Donna Thomson, Geraldine Bedell | Donna Thomson will discuss her book, The Four Walls of My Freedom, which describes her family's experience of coping with her son's cerebral palsy. Her own encounter with adversity takes on new meaning when viewed through the lens of Professor Amartya Sen and other philosophers' roadmaps of how to realize a good life against all odds. This lens includes not only people with disability, but also the enormous generation of post-WWII Baby Boomers who are beginning to sense the health care crisis that is looming as they deal with their own aging and increasingly infirm parents. Geraldine Bedell is an author and critic. She is currently working on developing a new project for mumsnet and is the founder of the website Agebomb. She has been a writer The Observer and The Independent on Sunday. She has also written for The Times, Telegraph, Mail and Express, and for many women's and general interest magazines.

Literary Festival 2011 - Reality Hunger [Audio]

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Geoff Dyer, Robert Hudson, David Shields | Is the novel dead? Is art theft? Can you copyright reality? David Sheilds’s Reality Hunger questions every assumption we ever made about art, the novel, journalism, poetry, film, TV, rap, stand-up, graffiti, sampling, plagiarism, writing, and reading. The questions Shields addresses- the bending of form and genre, the lure and blur of the real- play out constantly around us, and Reality Hunger is a radical reframing of how we might think about this 'truthiness'. This discussion of Shields' manifesto will explore the complexities of art and literature in the 21st Century. Geoff Dyer is the author of Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi and three previous novels, as well as seven other non-fiction books. Robert Hudson is the author of The Kilburn Social Club. He has a PhD in history and is currently writing a historical novel, which keeps him up at night. He has written extensively for journals including the Financial Times and the Guardian, on topics including the social aspects of digital media. David Shields is the author of ten books, including Reality Hunger: A Manifesto|, and the New York Times bestseller The Thing About Life Is That One Day You’ll Be Dead.

Literary Festival 2011 - Crossing Borders: Migration in Women's Writing in Poland [Audio]

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 10:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ursula Chowaniec, Izabela Filipiak, Grazyna Plebanek | Three female Polish authors discuss migration in women's writing in Poland. Urszula Chowaniec is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Cultural Studies Andrzej Frycz-Modrzewski Cracow Academy in Poland. Izabela Filipiak is an author of several books of fiction and nonfiction who debuted after the fall of the iron curtain in Poland. Grazyna Plebanek – writer, author of best-selling novels Illegal Liaisons (WAB 2010) and Girls from Portofino (WAB 2005) as well as Box of Stilettos (2002, WAB 2006) and A Girl Called Przystupa. This LSE Literary Festival discussion was supported by The Polish Cultural Institute - part of the Polish diplomatic mission in the UK, tasked with the aim of promoting and fostering an understanding of Polish culture throughout the country.

Literary Festival 2011 - New Ways to Witness Wars [Audio]

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): James Brabazon, Jill McGivering, Ed Vulliamy | Three of the best British conflict reporters describe three very different ways to tell the stories of three very different war-zones. Fiction, biography and reportage are used to tell gripping narratives of some of the most brutal places in the world. These are the deep, nasty, real stories of Mexico’s drug wars, an African coup, and the so-called war on terror in Afghanistan. One is a novel, another a personal biography and another a searing piece of investigation. Each brings a fresh perspective to the strange new wars of the 21st century. James Brabazon is an award winning frontline journalist and documentary filmmaker and the author of My Friend the Mercenary about one of Africa’s most notorious mercenaries - his friend Nick du Toit. Jill McGivering is a BBC Correspondent who has covered the world from Afghanistan to Washington. Her first work of fiction, The Last Kestral, is about a female war reporter on assignment in Helmand Province. Ed Vulliamy is an international correspondent who has covered conflicts such as Bosnia and Iraq for The Guardian and Observer newspapers. His latest book Amexica tackles the drugs war in Mexico.

Literary Festival 2011 - Writing Across Borders: Empathy in the Age of Conflict [Audio]

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Elif Shafak | Storytelling is an ancient and universal art at the heart of which lies the need to imagine and the ability to empathize with others. In a world beset with cultural clashes, misunderstandings and invisible ghettoes, stories keep connecting us across worlds, across words. Women have always been great storytellers in my country, and yet the written culture is still "a man's world". Why do fewer women write even though they compose the majority of fiction readers today? How can stories connect us across boundaries - be it national, religious or gender boundaries. Elif Shafak is a Turkish writer and the best-selling female novelist in Turkey. She has published novels written in Turkish as well as English, including The Bastard of Istanbul which was longlisted for the Orange prize.

India and China: Competition, Co-operation or conflict? [Audio]

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Shashi Tharoor | This lecture is part of India Week 2011. Dr Shashi Tharoor is an elected Member of Parliament and a former Minister of State for External Affairs in the Government of India. A prize-winning author of twelve books, both fiction and non-fiction, he is also a widely-published critic, commentator and columnist. In 2007 he concluded a nearly 29-year career with the United Nations, including working for refugees in South-East Asia at the peak of the "boat people" crisis, handling peace-keeping operations in the former Yugoslavia, and culminating as the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. In 2006 he was India's candidate to succeed Kofi Annan as UN Secretary-General, and emerged a strong second out of seven contenders. Dr Tharoor earned his Ph.D. at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at the age of 22, and was named by the World Economic Forum in Davos in 1998 as a Global Leader of Tomorrow. Among his many awards is the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, India's highest honour for overseas Indians.

Literary Festival 2011 - Sketching Society: the communicative power of the comic strip in a global age [Audio]

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Steve Bell, Bryan Talbot | Editor's note: Unfortunately the last few minutes of the question and answer session are missing from the podcast In an interconnected world where culture can transcend borders, the impact of a single drawn image can reverberate around the globe. And yet the humble comic strip, unless making headlines, is frequently overlooked as a source of social commentary. Led by two of Britain¹s most lauded practitioners, this discussion will explore the role of the cartoonist and graphic novelist in the public sphere. Is the comic strip a powerful means of communication illuminating our global civil society, a tool of political satire and social commentary, or simply a story telling device for children?

Literary Festival 2011 - Facts are Subversive: crossing the borders between history and journalism [Audio]

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Timothy Garton Ash | The border between journalism and academic history is a minefield. Timothy Garton Ash has been crossing it stubbornly for the last thirty years, attempting to combine the crafts of journalist and historian, writing what he calls ‘history of the present’. Taking examples from his most recent book, Facts are Subversive, he talks about the delights and pitfalls of this mongrel craft. Timothy Garton Ash is the author of nine books of political writing or ‘history of the present’, which have charted the transformation of Europe over the last thirty years. They include The Polish Revolution: Solidarity, We the People, The File: A Personal History, and, most recently, Facts are Subversive: Political Writing from a Decade without a Name (Atlantic Books). He is Professor of European Studies at the University of Oxford, Isaiah Berlin Professorial Fellow at St Antony’s College, Oxford, and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

Literary Festival 2011 - The Making of Bestsellers [Audio]

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Thompson, Andrew Franklin | The world of book publishing is going through turbulent times. For nearly five centuries the methods and practices of book publishing remained largely unchanged, but at the dawn of the 21st Century the industry finds itself faced with perhaps the greatest challenges since Gutenberg. A combination of economic pressures and technological change is forcing publishers to alter their practices and think hard about the future of the book. In his book, Merchants of Culture|, the first major study of trade publishing for 30 years, Thompson situates the current challenges facing the industry in an historical context, analyzing the transformation of trade publishing in the United States and Britain since the 1960s. He gives a detailed account of how the world of trade publishing really works, dissecting the roles of publishers, agents and booksellers and showing how their practices are shaped by a field that has a distinctive structure and dynamic. In this discussion Thompson will show how an understanding of the publishing world can shed light on what makes a bestseller today and he will reflect on the key challenges facing publishers and writers as the book - one of the oldest of our cultural artefacts - enters the digital age.

Where is Future Growth Going to Come From? [Audio]

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Van Reenen, Professor Jonathan Haskel | Where will the sources of new growth come from in the wake of the financial crisis and recession? What is the role of education, labour markets and government policy in supporting this growth?John Van Reenen has been professor of economics at LSE and the director of the Centre for Economic Performance, since October 2003.Jonathan Haskel is a Professor of Economics at Imperial College Business School based in the Healthcare Management and Innovation and Enterprise Group.The CEP is an interdisciplinary research centre at the LSE Research Laboratory. It was established by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) in 1990 and is now one of the leading economic research groups in Europe. The CEP studies the determinants of economic performance at the level of the company, the nation and the global economy by focusing on the major links between globalisation, technology and institutions (above all the educational system and the labour market) and their impact on productivity, inequality, employment, stability and wellbeing.LSE Works is a new series of public lectures, sponsored by SAGE publications, that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's 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 online.

Literary Festival 2011 - Adaptation in an age of Digitisation: its fans, practitioners and foes [Audio]

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Shakuntala Banaji, Professor Andrew Burn, Blake Morrison | This provocative panel centres on the range of adaptations practised in today’s diverse multimedia landscape. These include adaptations of format (book to screen, game to film, short-story to stage) and adaptations of place, time and culture (Shakespeare into Hindi film). The panel will ask: How and why do such adaptations retain the original flavour and appeal to wide audiences? Is something lost in the process? Shakuntala Banaji lectures in International Media and Film in the Media and Communications Department at the LSE. Andrew Burn is Professor of Media Education at the Institute of Education. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, former Chair of the Poetry Book Society and Vice-Chair of PEN, Blake Morrison has written fiction, poetry, journalism, literary criticism and libretti, as well as adapting plays for the stage.

Literary Festival 2011 - Science Fiction and International Orders [Audio]

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Paul McAuley, Ken McLeod | The study of popular culture has always been a feature of the social sciences as well as of the humanities – indeed, the social sciences have often been in advance of the humanities in this area, more willing to recognise the importance of genres that are frowned upon by the arts establishment. This event will bring together a number of writers of imaginative fiction and academics who have written in this field. Jon Courtney Grimwood is an award-winning author, recently novels include Felaheen|, which won the BSFA Award for Best Novel, End of the World Blues, which also won the BSFA award and The Fallen Blade, the first of three novels set in an alternate 15th-century Venice. Ken MacLeod is a Scottish science fiction writer, whose award-winning books include the Engines of Light trilogy and most recently The Restoration Game. Paul McAuley won the Philip K. Dick Award for his first novel and has gone on to win the Arthur C. Clarke, British Fantasy, Sidewise and John W. Campbell Awards. He gave up his position as a research biologist to write full-time. His novels include Fairyland, The Quiet War and Gardens of the Sun. He lives in London. You can find his blog at: http://www.unlikelyworlds.blogspot.com

Literary Festival 2011 - This House Believes that the Future of Rights is Left not Right [Audio]

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Davis MP, Professor Conor Gearty | For the past twenty weeks Conor Gearty has been writing a collaborative book online, at www.therightsfuture.com, with an essay appearing weekly alongside regular longer items and occasional brief remarks on current affairs, with each post being open for comment from the general public. Many have replied with dedication and commitment. The result is a series of essays, discussions and critical engagements addressing such issues as the meaning of human rights, the relationship between human rights and political action, and the role of religion in human rights. Essays have included 'Do trees have rights?' and 'Up with the Unions!'. The project started with a manifesto and it will end with will end with this debate about what the right or best future for human rights might be.David Davis is Conservative MP for Haltemprice and Howden and is a noted defender of civil liberties. Conor Gearty is professor of human rights law at LSE and was for seven years the director of LSE's centre for the study of human rights. He has written many books on civil liberties and human rights, the next one being (with Virginia Mantouvalou) Debating Social Rights, published by Hart. He is also a Barrister at Matrix Chambers.

An Evening with Bjørn Lomborg: Putting Global Warming into Perspective [Audio]

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Bjørn Lomborg, Dimitri Zenghelis | Global warming is real, but it is often presented one-sided and in exaggerated form. This leads to bad policies that will do little to tackle the warming at extremely high cost, as evidenced by the Kyoto protocol and the new EU promises. The breakdown at Copenhagen shows that we need smarter solutions focused on getting long-term solutions like renewables that are cheaper than fossil fuels. And finally, we should remember, that if we really want to help the world, there are many other and better things we could focus on first, like malnutrition, free trade, vaccines, education, agricultural technology, education etc.Bjørn Lomborg is adjunct professor at the Copenhagen Business School. He is the organiser of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, which brings together some of the world's top economists, including 5 Nobel laureates, to set priorities for the world. Time magazine named Lomborg one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2004. In 2008 he was named "one of the 50 people who could save the planet" by the UK Guardian; "one of the top 100 public intellectuals" by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazine; and "one of the world's 75 most influential people of the 21st century" by Esquire.Dimitri Zenghelis is a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute at the LSE and an Associate Fellow at Chatham House. He is also a Senior Economic Advisor to Cisco's long term innovation group. Previously, he headed the Stern Review Team at the Office of Climate Change, London, and was one of the authors of the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, commissioned by the then Chancellor Gordon Brown. Before working on climate change, Dimitri was Head of Economic Forecasting at HM Treasury.

Literary Festival 2011 - Storylines and Songscapes: Celebrating Tagore's short stories [Audio]

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Various speakers and artists - see the event listing on the LSE website for details | Celebrating Rabindranath Tagore's 150th anniversary, this production marks his seminal contribution to Indian fiction with his short stories. The presentation includes a reading of four short stories in English translations, live music and dance, and film clips. This project celebrates the art of storytelling and live reading, the beauty of Tagore’s little gems. The readings are punctuated with appropriate music and songs and film excerpts illustrate the visual potential of these stories. The audience engages with the connections made between the spoken word, song and visual image -a stimulating and sensory experience as offered by the best short stories.

Representing Atrocity: distant suffering and the politics of pity [Audio]

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lilie Chouliaraki, Professor Stjepan Mestrovic, Dr Irene Bruna Seu | Humanitarian campaigns create a 'politics of pity' that transforms the way we think about our moral responsibility for distant suffering. What is the impact on the relationship between knowing and acting? Lilie Chouliaraki is professor of media and communications at LSE. Stjepan Mestrovic is professor of sociology at Texas A&M University. Irene Bruna Seu is senior lecturer in the Department of Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck, University of London.

Kapuscinski Lecture: How to respond to global threats in the decade ahead [Audio]

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Jan Pronk | Editor's note: We apologise for the audio interference that can be heard in parts of this lecture The lectures honour the name of Kapuscinski, a Polish journalist and writer known as the Voice of the Poor, who died in 2007. The project is a joint initiative of the European Commission and the United Nations Development Programme.Present challenges (such as climate change and economic dualism) are structural. They are larger than before. They last longer, not only because they are mutually related and reinforce each other, but also because they are not addressed coherently. However, we should be more concerned about the fact that we have dismantled our capacity to deal with those challenges, rather than by the challenges themselves.Capacity innovation should serve the interest of in particular two categories of people. First, the poorest of the poor. In the production systems of today, which are primarily based on capital and technology, rather than people and nature, the poor are more exploited and excluded than in earlier phases of world capitalism. Second: the yet unborn, the future generations, our grand children and great-grand children. People in the underbelly of the world's economy and people that will come out of the shadows of the future have one thing in common: they do not have a voice. But they have a claim.Jan Pronkis Professor Emeritus at the International Institute of Social Studies of the Erasmus University, The Hague.Tim Allen is Professor in Development Anthropology at the Department of International Developmen at LSE.

Impact, Concerns and Future of Political Transitions in Latin America [Audio]

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Carlos Mesa | Editor's note: The audio podcast is in Spanish. Having worked for the government from 2000, Carlos Mesa Gisbert was President of Bolivia from 2003 to 2005. His presidency focussed on constitutional reform to increase political representation and participation of citizen groups and indigenous people; Bolivian decentralization; and strengthening relations with other Latin American countries. As an academic and journalist Carlos Mesa has published extensively on the political process in Bolivia and Latin America more broadly, and is responsible for having establishing several of Bolivia’s most wide-reaching and respected media channels. Accolades reflecting his achievements include an honorary doctorate awarded by Bolivia’s Universidad Autónoma del Beni.

Soul Dust: the magic of consciousness [Audio]

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nicholas Humphrey | How is consciousness possible? What biological purpose does it serve? Nicholas Humphrey has a radical new theory. Consciousness, he argues, is nothing less than a magical-mystery show that we stage inside our own heads – paving the way for spirituality, and allowing us to reap the rewards, and anxieties, of living in the 'soul niche'. Nicholas Humphrey is emeritus professor of psychology at LSE. His many books include A History of the Mind, Leaps of Faith and, most recently, Soul Dust. This lecture is supported by the LSE Annual Fund.

The Nobel Lecture: Equilibrium in the Labour Market with Search Frictions [Audio]

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Christopher Pissarides | Editor's note: Content Copyright: © The Nobel Foundation 2010. We apologise for the poor audio quality during the first few minutes of the video. Christopher Pissarides was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize for Economic Sciences in 2010 (jointly with Peter Diamond and Dale Mortensen) for their work on the economics of unemployment, especially job flows and the effect of being out of work. Christopher Pissarides is professor of economics at LSE and holder of the Norman Sosnow Chair in Economics.

The Foreign Policy of Modern Russia: The Prospects for Russian British Relations [Audio]

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sergey Lavrov | Sergey Lavrov is Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Prior to this he served from 1994-2004 as Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation at the United Nations. He graduated from the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Moscow State Institute of International Relations, beginning his diplomatic career at the Soviet Embassy in Sri Lanka. This event is the opening lecture in Russian Business Week organised by the LSESU Russian Business Society which runs from 15-18 February.

How Life In The Internet Changes The Practice Of Macroeconomics [Audio]

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Edward Hugh | A surprising feature of economic analysis of the current crisis has been the pivotal role played by a small number of bloggers, often positioned far from the academic mainstream. This event will feature one of the top bloggers on the Euro Crisis who will discuss the role the bloggers have played in our understanding of the current Euro Crisis, and in what ways having more data in our hard drive than the sum total of all previous economists changes our understanding of macroeconomics. Edward Hugh is an independent macro economist based in Barcelona. He studied at the LSE, where he obtained his BSc (econ). He then went to Manchester University where he was awarded an MSc in the philosophy and sociology of science. He subsequently persued doctoral studies there for a thesis which was never completed. He is a regular contributor to a number of weblogs, including A Fistful of Euros, Roubini Global Economics Monitor, Global Economy Matters and Demography Matters. He also has an active and widely followed Facebook community. For more information on Edward Hugh see the recent profile in the New York Times. Luis Garicano is a Professor of Economics and Strategy at the LSE's departments of Management and Economics.

Climate Forecasting with Chaos, or Chaos in Climate Forecasting? [Audio]

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Roman Frigg | Predicting how climate change will affect us is of paramount importance, yet it is beset with both practical and conceptual problems. This lecture explores the impact that chaos has on what we can reasonably assert on the basis of climate models. Roman Frigg is deputy director of the Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Sciences, LSE.

The economics of Palestinian-Israeli peace [Audio]

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ephraim Kleiman | Ephraim Kleiman is Don Patinkin Emeritus Professor of Economics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and holds a PhD from the London School of Economics. After serving briefly with the Israel Finance Ministry, he joined the Economics Department of the Hebrew University in 1963. He has held visiting appointments at universities and research institutes in the U.S., the U.K, Sweden and Australia. He has been Visiting Professor of Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1995, Senior Fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington in 1996, Academic Visitor at the London School of Economics in 1999 and Visiting Professor of Economics at MIT in the Fall terms of 2001 and 2003.Dr. Kleiman's research interests over the years included international trade, public finance, and history of economic thought, as well as the role of wage and financial indexation under inflation. A long-time student of the Palestinian economy and of its relationships with Israel, He has participated over the last 25 years in many both formal and Track II Israeli-Palestinian discussions, as well as in various task forces searching for solutions to the Middle Eastern conflict. He also served as the senior economic advisor to the Israeli delegation at the Israel-PLO economic negotiations in Paris in 1993/94.

Uprising: will emerging markets shape or shake the world economy [Audio]

Wed, 9 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): George Magnus | George Magnus will look at China and emerging markets from a post-financial crisis perspective, inviting us to reconsider how they will adapt to a new world economy. What reforms are needed to meet global goals? George Magnus is senior economic advisor at UBS Investment Bank, London. His latest book is Uprising: will emerging markets shapes or stoke the world economy.

Absolute beginners: behavioural economics and human happiness [Audio]

Tue, 8 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Dolan | In Absolute Beginners by The Jam, Paul Weller sang "I need the strength to go and get what I want". The problem is that we often want things that do not improve our wellbeing. Or at least that is what we think the evidence is telling us. This lecture explores the sources of our mistakes and the robustness of the evidence. It considers the implications for public policy of us being absolute beginners about the sources of our wellbeing. Paul Dolan is a Professor in the Department of Social Policy, LSE. He is the chief academic advisor on economic appraisal to the Government Economic Service and a seconded member of the Behavioural Insight Team in the Cabinet Office.

The Have and Have Nots [Audio]

Tue, 8 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Branko Milanovic | Inequality is a surprisingly slippery issue, involving not just straightforward comparisons of individuals, but also comparisons of price and consumption differences around the world – and over time. In this lecture Branko Milanovic, the lead economist at the World Bank's research division, will approach the issue in a new and innovative way, focusing on inequality in income and wealth in different time periods and contexts: from inequality in Roman times (and how it compared with inequality today), to depictions of wealth inequality in literature (Pride and Prejudice and Anna Karenina), to inequality across generations of a single family (the three generations of Obamas illustrating this theme). As for global inequality today, the talk will examine its main cause (differences in average incomes between countries), the role China and India might play, and, perhaps most importantly, whether global inequality matters at all, and if does, what can we do to reduce it. Branko Milanovic is one of the world's leading experts on inequality. He is lead economist at the World Bank's research division in Washington DC, a visiting fellow at All Souls College, Oxford, and the author of The Haves and Have Nots: A Brief and Idiosyncratic History of Global Inequality.

On Forgiveness [Audio]

Mon, 7 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Tom Farrow, Professor Raimond Gaita | What role does forgiveness play in our private lives and in politics? And can neuroscience contribute to a more nuanced understanding of our ability to forgive? Tom Farrow is a senior lecturer in psychiatric neuroimaging in the Medical School at the University of Sheffield and a honorary NHS clinical scientist. Raimond Gaita is professor of moral philosophy at King's College London.

Growing the aid budget at a time of deficit reduction: moral imperative and political challenge [Audio]

Thu, 3 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Harriet Harman MP | The three main political parties have committed to the target of spending 0.7 per cent of Britain's Gross National Income on overseas aid from 2013. But, at a time when the government are embarking on a programme of deficit reduction, that political consensus cannot be allowed to lead to complacency. Harriet Harman MP, Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, will set out the arguments for overseas aid and, in a changing economic and political environment, the political challenge of increasing the aid budget. Harriet Harman QC MP is the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, a position she has held since October 2010. She is also Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, a post she was elected to in 2007, and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister. She has previously served in the Government as Leader of the House of Commons, Secretary of State for Equalities, Solicitor General and Minister of Justice. She has been the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham since 1982.

Why Indians Win in Business [Audio]

Thu, 3 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Patrick French | Award-winning historian Patrick French looks at the cultural roots of India's transformation: how a stagnant planned economy has become an entrepreneurial powerhouse, who gets super-rich and who remains super-poor - and why. Patrick French is the author of The World Is What It Is, Liberty or Death and Tibet, Tibet. This event marks the publication of his new book, India: A Portrait.

Peace Vs. Women's Rights in Afghanistan: Compatible or Contradicting Concepts? [Audio]

Wed, 2 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Zainab Salbi | The talk will focus on the dichotomy of how peace and women's rights in Afghanistan are currently mutually exclusive. Zainab Salbi will address the issue on whether peace and women's rights go together in Afghanistan - is it possible to have both in this country or do they contradict each other and therefore are not attainable simultaneously? Zainab Salbi is founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a grassroots humanitarian and development organization helping women survivors of wars rebuild their lives. Mary Kaldor is professor of Global Governance and Co-Director, Centre for the Study of Global Governance, LSE.

The Role of Education in Greece's Recovery [Audio]

Wed, 2 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Anna Diamantopoulou | With the economic crisis in Greece, the government is embarking on an ambitious set of domestic reforms. What is the role of education in enhancing Greece's international competitiveness? Can Greece achieve the target of doubling R&D expenditure by 2020? Can the government realise its controversial reforms in the university sector and will they bring Greece closer to the rest of Europe? Anna Diamantopoulou is the minister for education, lifelong learning and religious affairs in Greece.

The Changing Geostrategic Landscape in the Middle East [Audio]

Wed, 2 Feb 2011 15:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Mohammed Ayoob, Patrick Seale, Professor Avi Shlaim | The new Middle East Centre at LSE is holding a public symposium and reception to welcome Middle East specialists to LSE and to promote the work of the centre. Professor Mohammed Ayoob of Michigan State University will present his analysis of the geostrategic landscape of the region. Professor Avi Shlaim of St Antony's College will respond. The event will be chaired by Dr Hassan Hakimian of SOAS.

The City of London and its Tax Haven Empire [Audio]

Tue, 1 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Maurice Glasman, Nicholas Shaxson | The City of London is an offshore island inside the British nation state, floating partly free from the democratic rules and restraints that bind the rest of us and fed by a network of tax havens around the world. Nicholas Shaxson and Maurice Glasman look at how this secretive network emerged and came to underpin the City's fearsome political and economic powers today. Maurice Glasman, recently appointed Labour Peer and Reader in Political Theory at London Metropolitan University. He is the author of Unnecessary Suffering. Nicholas Shaxson is the author of Treasure Islands: tax havens and the men who stole the world (Bodley Head) and Poisoned Wells, the Dirty Politics of African Oil, an associate fellow of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and an experienced journalist. Dr Ian Roxan is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the Department of Law at LSE.

Phase Three of the Global Crisis [Audio]

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Paul Mason | As countries adopt competitive exit strategies from the global crisis Paul Mason surveys the political economy of a flat recovery. He argues that mainstream economics have still refused to draw the lessons of asset price bubbles and situates the divergent recovery, east and west, within a long-wave explanation of the crisis. Paul Mason is the award-winning economics editor of BBC Newsnight, covering an agenda he describes as 'profit, people and planet' and author of the Idle Scrawl blog , which was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2009. His first book, Live Working or Die Fighting: How the Working Class Went Global, was longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award. This event marks the publication of his latest book Meltdown: The End of the Age of Greed.

Big Society and Social Policy in Britain: a panel discussion [Audio]

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Frances Crook, Professor David Lewis, Rory Stewart MP, Karl Wilding | In 2010 prime minister David Cameron introduced the idea of the Big Society. It is yet unclear what this actually means, let alone what impact it will have on social policy in Britain or overseas. This panel will examine these questions and discuss their views on the Big Society. Frances Crook is the appointed director of the Howard League for Penal Reform. She was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Years Honours list 2010. She is a Senior Visiting Fellow at LSE. David Lewis is professor of social policy and development at LSE.Rory Stewart is the member of Parliament for Penrith and the Border. Karl Wilding is NCVO's head of research. He is an honorary visiting fellow at Cass Business School's Centre for Charity Effectiveness.

The Human Economy: an ongoing international project [Audio]

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Keith Hart | Eminent anthropologist Keith Hart will be talking about his book, The Human Economy, which gives readers a new economic perspective, covering topics ranging from globalisation to corporate social responsibility. Keith Hart is emeritus professor at Goldsmith's College and honorary professor at the University of Kwazulu Natal.

African Urbanism [Audio]

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Edgar Pieterse | Africa is the fastest urbanising region in the world, and has become the focus of increasing attention from architects and planners, academics, development agencies and urban think-tanks. Professor Edgar Pieterse argues for a new way of thinking about African cities to accompany this surge of interest and to replace traditional views of African cities as sites of absence and neglect. Rapid urbanisation along with impressive economic growth rates for much of the Continent represents an interesting moment to take stock of how academic discourses capture and animate African urbanism. Edgar Pieterse is holder of the NRF South African Research Chair in Urban Policy. He directs the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town. Philipp Rode is executive director of LSE Cities.

America's Wars in the Muslim World [Audio]

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Alia Brahimi, Professor Fawaz Gerges, Nir Rosen | This event celebrates the publication of Aftermath by Nir Rosen and Jihad and Just War in the War on Terror by Alia Brahimi. While Rosen chronicles the devastating consequences on the ground, Brahimi explores the problematic ideology driving the leaders above. Alia Brahimi is a research fellow at LSE Global Governance and a senior research associate of the Changing Character of War programme at the University of Oxford. Fawaz Gerges is the director of the Middle East Centre at LSE. Nir Rosen is a freelance writer, photographer and filmmaker who has worked in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia.

Kuwait Programme seminar: Post-American Iraq and Gulf security [Audio]

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 10:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Nir Rosen, Dr Kristian Ulrichsen | Nir Rosen is a journalist and fellow at the Center on Law and Security at NYU School of Law; he is also the author of Aftermath: Following the Bloodshed of America's Wars in the Muslim World. Dr Kristian Ulrichsen is the Deputy Director of the Kuwait Programme.

The Future of Global Economic Governance [Audio]

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Robert Wade | How have changes in world power been translated into governing bodies like the G20, the World Bank and the IMF? The reality is less than meets the eye, and stalemates lie ahead. Robert Wade is professor of political economy and development in the Department of International Development, LSE.

The Naked Scientist [Audio]

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Chris Smith | Dr Chris Smith explores present-day predicaments and tomorrow's technologies, from the most surprising facts to the most innovative new inventions, from staggering stats to serious developments that will transform the world around us. Chris Smith is a medical doctor and scientist, employed as a specialist registrar and clinical lecturer in virology at Cambridge University. He is also the founder and driving force behind The Naked Scientist, a live weekly radio talkback show aired by the BBC.

Trapped by the Past? Institutional Legacies and African Development [Audio]

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Gareth Austin, Professor Joseph Inikori, Professor James Robinson | The relative poverty of Sub-Saharan Africa today is often attributed to the malevolent legacies of its past. This forum draws together three leading contributors to the ongoing debate about institutional legacies which still affect African development. Gareth Austin is professor of international history at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva. Joseph Inikori is professor of history at the University of Rochester. James Robinson is the David Florence Professor of Government at Harvard University.

China's Stimulus: path to sustainable growth or bubble machine? [Audio]

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nicholas Lardy | Nicholas Lardy will address charges that China's recent stimulus program was flawed by, among other things, a massive increase in bank lending; the creation of a property bubble, and the weakening of market forces. Nicholas Lardy is the Anthony M Solomon Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. This event is sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank.

European Questions – Turkish Angles: Europe's secularity [Audio]

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Madeley, Professor Philippe Marliere, Professor Hakan Yilmaz | This series of events explores how our understanding of Europe's identity can be enhanced and developed in a new way by taking in a distinctively Turkish perspective. John Madeley is a senior lecturer at LSE's Government Department. Philippe Marliere is professor in French and European politics at UCL. Hakan Yilmaz is professor of political science at Bogaziçi University, Istanbul.

How did London Get Away With it? The Recession and the North-South Divide [Audio]

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Henry G Overman, Professor Ian Gordon, Alex Jones, Hamish McRae | It was widely expected that London would, in the short to medium run, be the most severely hit of the UK regions in the recession initiated by the 2007-08 financial crisis. This lecture considers why this did not happen. Henry G Overman is professor of economic geography at LSE and director of the Spatial Economics Research Centre. Ian Gordon is professor of human geography at LSE. Alex Jones is chief executive of the Centre for Cities. Hamish McRae is an associate editor of The Independent. LSE Works is a new series of public lectures, sponsored by SAGE publications, that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's Research Centres. In each session, LSE academics will present key research findings, demonstrating where appropriate the implications of their studies for public policy. The next LSE Works lecture is Where is Future Growth Going to Come From?

How the West Was Lost: fifty years of economic folly and the stark choices ahead [Audio]

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dambisa Moyo | This event celebrates the publication of Dambisa Moyo's new book How the West Was Lost: Fifty Years of Economic Folly and the Stark Choices Ahead. Dambisa Moyo is an international economist who writes on the macroeconomy and global affairs. She is the author of critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working.

Latvia Turns the Corner [Audio]

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Valdis Dombrovskis | After years of unsustainable growth and profligate spending, in 2009 Latvia experienced the deepest economic crisis in the European Union, with a GDP fall of 18%. Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis came to power facing the daunting task of averting bankruptcy. Severe austerity measures, combined with an international loan package, have yielded results – in 2010 Latvia's recession ended and economic growth is expected to resume in 2011. In this lecture, the Prime Minister will outline the tough choices he had to make in order for Latvia to recover and grow. Valdis Dombrovskis is Prime Minister of Latvia. He studied physics and economics in Latvia, Germany and the US before entering political life. As a founding member of the 'New Era' party, Valdis Dombrovskis has been Latvia's Minister of Finance 2002-2004, member of the European Parliament 2004-2009, and Prime Minister since March 2009.

Eating Animals [Audio]

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jonathan Safran Foer, Kristina Musholt | Eating Animals is an exhaustively-argued account of one man's decade-long struggle with vegetarianism. Part memoir, part exposé, the book examines the topics of factory farming and commercial fisheries and explores the cultural significance of food. Jonathan Safran Foer is the author of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Everything Is Illuminated, which won the National Jewish Book Award and the Guardian First Book Award.Kristina Musholt is deputy director of the Forum for European Philosophy and fellow in the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, LSE.

The Net Delusion: Does free information mean free people? [Audio]

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Evgeny Morozov | At the start of the twenty-first century we were promised that the internet would liberate the world. We could come together as never before, and from Iran's 'twitter revolution' to Facebook 'activism', technological innovation would spread democracy to oppressed peoples everywhere. We couldn't have been more wrong. Morozov destroys this myth, arguing that 'internet freedom' is an illusion, and that technology has failed to help protect people's rights. Not only that – in many cases the internet is actually helping authoritarian regimes. From China to Russia to Iran, oppressive governments are using cyberspace to stifle dissent: planting clandestine propaganda, employing sophisticated digital censorship and using online surveillance. We are all being manipulated in more subtle ways too – becoming pacified by the net, instead of truly engaging. This event marks the publication of Evgeny Morozov's new book The Net Delusion: How Not to Liberate The World.

The Grand Strategy of Detente [Audio]

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Niall Ferguson | 'Nixon goes to China' shattered the façade of Communist unity and dug the United States out of the hole it found itself in at the end of the 1960s. Critics have seen Nixon and Kissinger's policy as morally compromised, but was it actually the key to America's victory in the Cold War? Niall Ferguson is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS for 2010-11.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL): Prerequisites for Injustice? [Audio]

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Omar Nashabe | Editor's note: Unfortunately the first few minutes of the lecture are missing from the podcast. The indictment of the STL in the Hariri assassination case is expected to be filed soon. However there are suspicions that the judicial process has been politically manipulated. This lecture will attempt to show that there have been serious flaws in the STL as an international mechanism for achieving justice. Omar Nashabe received a PhD in Criminal Justice; he serves as editor of the justice section of al-Akhbar newspaper and advisor on human rights and prisons to the Lebanese government. In 2007 he published The Roumieh Prison, if it could speak [in Arabic] with Dar as-Saqi, Beirut/London.

Environmental Diplomacy [Audio]

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr René Castro | René Castro is the Minister for Foreign Affairs for Costa Rica. He obtained his Masters and PhD from Harvard University. His research focused on the design and development of an environmentally sustainable economy and management of natural resources. He had previously obtained a BSc in civil engineering from Universidad de Costa Rica. Dr Castro has also been Minister of Energy and the Environment, Vice Minister of the Interior, Director of the National Transport Institute, President of the Municipal Council for San Jose. Dr Castro led the Costa Rican delegations to the Biodiversity, Ozone and Climate Change Conventions, negotiated Costa Rica’s debt-for-nature swaps with Spain and Canada, and has served as advisor to other countries in their own negotiations. He was in charge of the first carbon trading transaction done in the world. Dr Castro is a professor at INCAE, and has lectured at Harvard, Columbia, Yale, MIT in the USA and at EHT in Switzerland and other universities around the world. He is the author of various books and articles, both in Spanish and English, on the relationship between the environment, politics and infrastructure.

Gender, Words and Power: meanings of inequality at a time of neo-liberalism [Audio]

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Mary Evans | This lecture explores changing vocabularies of feminism and the possibilities of a new political language and new forms of politics. Mary Evans is LSE centennial professor attached to the Gender Institute from 2010 to 2013.

The Naked City [Audio]

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sharon Zukin | Renowned sociologist Sharon Zukin will discuss her latest book, The Naked City: the death and life of authentic urban places, which explores the gentrification of cities. Sharon Zukin is professor of sociology at Brooklyn College and City University Graduate Center.

The Tensions of International Power: Restructuring in a Shifting Global Economy [Audio]

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Danny Quah | Does economic strength determine global power? How long can under-performing economies continue to claim world political leadership? Danny Quah presents the arguments and evaluates the evidence. Danny Quah is professor of economics at LSE and co-director of LSE Global Governance.

2011 Global Civil Society Yearbook launch [Audio]

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Pierre Calame, Judy El-Bushra, Dr Hakan Seckinelgin | The 2011 Yearbook provides a critical examination of the ways global civil society promotes and delivers social justice. How does the 'global' make a difference to traditional concepts of social justice? Pierre Calame is director of the Fondation Charles Léopold Mayer for the Progress of Humankind. Judy El-Bushra is Programme Manager of Africa Great Lakes Region and Researcher at International Alert. Hakan Seckinelgin is a lecturer in international social policy in the department of social policy at LSE.

A European Contract Law: a cuckoo in the nest? [Audio]

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Hugh Beale | A European Commission consultation paper suggests a single 'European' law of contract for businesses and consumers across Europe, which might supplant English law. Why? Hugh Beale is professor of law at the University of Warwick. He was appointed Honorary QC in 2002.

Israeli Academic Boycott: Helpful or Harmful? [Audio]

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr John Chalcraft, Professor Daniel Hochhauser | This is a joint event hosted by the LSESU Palestine Society and LSESU Israel Society, this debate will be centred around the following motion: "This house believes in an academic boycott of Israel". John Chalcraft graduated with a starred first in history (M.A. Hons) from Gonville and Caius college Cambridge in 1992. He then did post-graduate work at Harvard, Oxford and New York University, from where he received his doctorate with distinction in the modern history of the Middle East in January 2001. He held a Research Fellowship at Caius college (1999-2000) and was a Lecturer in Modern Middle Eastern History in the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Edinburgh University from 2000-05. He is currently reader in the History and Politics of Empire/Imperialism in the Department of Government at the LSE. He is interested in the popular history of the Middle East and the global South, migration, uneven capitalism, imperialism, political contention, and counterhegemony. Daniel Hochhauser is Kathleen Ferrier Professor of Medical Oncology at UCL. He is a consultant medical oncologist at UCLH specialising in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer.

The Future for Media Policy [Audio]

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jeremy Hunt MP | At a time when there are major media policy decisions being made in government, the secretary of state will outline his vision of the creative industry landscape in conversation with leading media commentator Raymond Snoddy. Jeremy Hunt is UK Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport. He was elected as MP for South West Surrey in May 2005. He was formerly Shadow Culture Secretary (2007-2010) and Shadow Minister for Disabled People (2005 - 2007). Before his election as an MP, Mr Hunt ran his own educational publishing business, Hotcourses. He also set up a charity to help AIDS orphans in Africa in which he continues to play an active role.

The Long History of Dietetics: thinking sociologically about food, knowledge and the self [Audio]

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Steven Shapin | A survey and interpretation of historically changing ideas about food, knowledge, and the self. Steven Shapin is Franklin L Ford Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University.

The Meaning of Life [Audio]

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Robert Rowland Smith | From Plato through Monty Python to Terry Eagleton and beyond, the question of the meaning of life has been a source of both mystery and mirth. In this lecture, based on his new book Driving with Plato, Robert Rowland Smith breaks life down into its milestones from cradle to grave: what does it mean not just to be born and to die, but to learn to talk, to lose your virginity or have a mid-life crisis? Robert Rowland Smith began his career as a Prize Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford before becoming a partner in a management consultancy. He now consults independently, has a column on moral dilemmas in the Sunday Times and contributes to BBC television and radio. His last book was Breakfast with Socrates, recently translated into sixteen languages.

Politics, Power, Cities [Audio]

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Enrique Peñalosa | Enrique Peñalosa, former Mayor of Bogotá and one of the world's most challenging urban thinkers, describes the urgent need for governments to create socially inclusive and well-designed transport systems, public spaces and cities. Addressing mobility, public space, equity, quality of life and social inclusion, Peñalosa will propose that inequality and exclusion are the main causes of the problems that affect cities in developing countries, particularly issues relating to mobility and sustainability. Enrique Peñalosa was mayor of Bogotá, 1998-2001, and now acts as a consultant on urban vision. His advisory work concentrates on sustainability, mobility, equity, public space and quality of life.

Facing Disaster In the Middle East: Do We Have Only Bad Options? [Audio]

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Stephen Kinzer | American and European policies toward the Middle East have produced a region immersed in violence, terror, anger and oppression. Yet although new and terrifying threats are emerging from the region, new opportunities also present themselves. To seize on them, the West needs to change policies that were shaped for the Cold War. Kinzer offers ideas for a new approach to the world's most turbulent region. Stephen Kinzer is the author of Reset Middle East(I.B.Tauris), All the Shah's Men and Overthrow among others. An award-winning foreign correspondent, he served as The New York Times bureau chief in Turkey. He teaches international relations at Boston University, contributes to The New York Review of Books and writes a world affairs column for The Guardian.

The Naked Swimmer: Can Spain (and the Euro) overcome this crisis? [Audio]

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Luis Garicano | Spain is widely considered the weak link in the Euro construction. We examine the validity of this assumption by analysing the origins and evolution of the current crisis and the growth perspectives of Spain. Luis Garicano is a Professor of Economics and Strategy at the LSE's departments of Management and Economics. Through the Madrid based FEDEA foundation, he has been involved in efforts to promote structural reforms in the Spanish Economy. In particular he has co-authored proposals to reform the labor markets, housing markets, and the pension and health systems, as well as a recent study with McKinsey on the Growth perspectives for the Spanish economy. He co-edits the most widely read economics blog in Spanish, NadaesGratis.

The Moral Importance of the Difference between the Unity of the Individual and the Separateness of Persons [Audio]

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Alex Voorhoeve | Individual lives have a unity that the lives of separate individuals do not. This truism has radical, and not fully appreciated, implications for distributive ethics. Alex Voorhoeve is senior lecturer in philosophy at LSE's Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method.

Valuing the Humanities [Audio]

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor James Ladyman, Professor Martha Nussbaum, Lord Rees of Ludlow, Richard Smith | James Ladyman is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bristol and co-editor of the British Journal of the Philosophy of Science. Martha Nussbaum is Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago. Lord Rees of Ludlow is President of the Royal Society, Astronomer Royal and Master of Trinity College Cambridge. Richard Smith is a Former editor of the British Medical Journal and Director of the Ovations Institute. Mark Lawson from BBC Radio 4 and The Guardian.

Conflicts, Civil Society, and Democratic Development in Burma [Audio]

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Professor Timothy Garton Ash, Professor Mary Kaldor, Amartya Sen, Maung Zarni and others | Editor's note: We apologise for the poor audio quality in some parts of the lecture, there were some technical difficulties with the live video link and unfortunately the recording stops short of end of the lecture. Aung San Suu Kyi, the recently released Burmese opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate, speaks live via videolink and telephone from Burma to an audience of LSE academics and students about Myanmar's generals, why they maintain power, the country's youth, and puts forward her vision for Myanmar.

Some Mistakes about Preferences [Audio]

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Daniel Hausman | Preferences are the central notion in mainstream economic theory, yet economists say little about what preferences are. This talk argues that preferences in mainstream positive economics are comparative evaluations with respect to everything relevant to value or choice, and it argues against three mistaken views of preferences: (1) that they are matters of taste, concerning which rational assessment is inappropriate, (2) that preferences coincide with judgments of expected self-interested benefit, and (3) that preferences can be defined in terms of choices. Daniel Hausman is Herbert A. Simon Professor in the department of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

European democracies and human rights: from present failures to future protection [Audio]

Thu, 9 Dec 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Thomas Hammarberg | In a lecture marking UN International Human Rights Day, Thomas Hammarberg discusses the gap between human rights standards and realities in the EU. Thomas Hammarberg was elected Commissioner for Human Rights on 5 October 2005 by the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly. He took up his position on 1 April 2006, succeeding the first commissioner, Mr Alvaro Gil-Robles. Prior to his appointment, he spent several decades working on the advancement of human rights in Europe and worldwide.

Unbelonging [Audio]

Wed, 8 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ranjana Khanna | More often than not, a sense of belonging to a nation or a community has been deemed or imagined positive. This talk explores how many contemporary artists use and cite different forms of technology as a way of proposing a state of unbelonging. Ranjana Khanna is a Professor of English, Literature, & Women's Studies and Margaret Taylor Smith Director of Women's Studies at Duke University.

Beyond the Crash: An evening in discussion about the new book by Gordon Brown [Audio]

Tue, 7 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Gordon Brown | The financial crisis has held the world firmly in its grip since it began in 2007. In his three years in office, the former Prime Minister was at the centre of the world's response to the crisis. In his new book Beyond the Crash, Brown will offer an insight into the events that led to the financial downward spiral and the reactions of world leaders as they took steps to avoid further disaster. Long admired for his grasp of economic issues, Brown offers measures he believes should be adopted to secure jobs and justice. Beyond the Crash offers a unique perspective on the financial crisis as well as innovative ideas that will help create a sound economic future and will help readers understand what really has happened to our economy.

Rationality in the Social Sciences: black box, empty box, or both [Audio]

Tue, 7 Dec 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nicholas Baigent | Nicholas Baigent is professor at the Institute of Public Economics at Graz University and president of the Central European Program in Economic Theory.

Europe in 2011 and beyond [Audio]

Tue, 7 Dec 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): János Martonyi | János Martonyi is the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Hungary, which assumes the Presidency of the European Union on 1 January 2011. Mr Martonyi has been Foreign Minister since May 2010. He is actively involved in politics as the President of the Free Europe Centre for European Integration of the Fidesz Hungarian Civic Union, a member of the Executive Board of the Centre for European Studies, a foundation of the European People's Party based in Brussels, a member of the Batthyány Society of Professors and a member of the advisory board of the weekly Heti Válasz. He is a permanent guest of the Fidesz presidium, a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, and Chairman of the Nézopont Institute, Budapest.

Asylum: The Concept and the Practice [Audio]

Mon, 6 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ranjana Khanna | In "Asylum: The Concept and the Practice," Professor Khanna will analyse conceptual links among different sites designated by the term "asylum." Extending insights concerning one institutional setting (the mental asylum) to asylum's most expansive version (the nation), she will highlight the manner in which asylums are bound not only by borders but also by strict rules. Ranjana Khanna is a Professor of English, Literature, & Women's Studies and Margaret Taylor Smith Director of Women's Studies at Duke University.

What Europe Means to Me [Audio]

Mon, 6 Dec 2010 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jerzy Buzek, Professor Norman Davies | Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament and former prime minister of Poland, in conversation with Professor Norman Davies, author of Europe: a History and God's Playground, a History of Poland.

SIPRI Yearbook 2010 Seminar on Nuclear Weapons in Europe [Audio]

Thu, 2 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Browne, Dr Bates Gill, Professor Mary Kaldor, Baroness Shirley Williams | London launch of the 2010 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook on Nuclear Weapons in Europe, which this year considers world military expenditure increases despite the financial crisis. Lord Browne of Ladyton is convenor of the Top Level Group. He served as parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office 2001-03; Secretary of State for: Defence 2006-08, Scotland 2007-08 and was the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to Sri Lanka 2009. Bates Gill is director of SIPRI. Mary Kaldor is co-director of LSE Global Governance. Shirley Williams served as adviser on Nuclear Proliferation to prime minister Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010. She served as leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords from 2001-2004. She is also Professor Emerita of Electoral Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process: prospects for 2011 and beyond [Audio]

Thu, 2 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Yezid Sayigh | Professor Sayigh will examine Palestinian political dynamics, as a critical element in what will happen in the wider context of relations with Israel and of what outside powers can or should do. Yezid Sayigh is professor of Middle East Studies, King's College London. In 1990-1994 he was an advisor and negotiator in the Palestinian delegation to the peace talks with Israel, and has been a consultant on the permanent status negotiations and on Palestinian reform since 1998. His most recent publications include Policing the People, Building the State: Authoritarian transformation in the West Bank and Gaza, Carnegie Paper, 2010 (forthcoming); Hamas Rule in Gaza: Three Years On, Middle East Brief, No. 41, Crown Center for Middle East Studies, March 2010; "Fixing Broken Windows:" Security Sector Reform in Palestine, Lebanon, and Yemen, Carnegie Paper, October 2009; and 'Inducing a failed state in Palestine', Survival, Vol. 49, No. 3, Autumn 2007.

Psychoanalysis Outside of the Clinic [Audio]

Wed, 1 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Christian Ingo Lenz Dunker, Professor Stephen Frosh, Professor Ian Parker | This debate will discuss this use of psychoanalytic thought, and its limitations, with reference to the world of politics, social psychology, philosophy and psychosocial studies. Christian Ingo Lenz Dunker is a professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology of the University of São Paulo, and a practising psychoanalyst. Stephen Frosh is the pro-vice master and head of the Department of Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck College. Ian Parker is professor of psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University.

War in the Borderlands [Audio]

Wed, 1 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Derek Gregory | Professor Gregory discusses the evolving character of conflicts in the borderlands of former empires and the blurring of the conceptual borders of war itself. Derek Gregory is professor of geography, University of British Columbia, and author of The Colonial Present: Afghanistan, Palestine, and Iraq.

Africa and the World: the view from Washington [Audio]

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Wolpe | Ambassador Wolpe will comment on the Obama Administration's Africa policy and its perceptions of the continent's place in the international community today. Howard Wolpe is former special envoy to the Great Lakes Region for President Barack Obama. Dr Chris Alden is Co-Head of the Africa International Affairs Programme at LSE IDEAS. Michael Cox is Professor of International Relations at the Department of International Relations at LSE.

The Importance of Being Independent: a regulator and female lawyer's view [Audio]

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dame Janet Gaymer | Law aspires to independence, and the value of the rule of law is closely associated with that independence. This is the final event in the Independence of Law? lecture series. Janet Gaymer is commissioner for public appointments in England and Wales and former senior partner of Simmons & Simmons.

The Sixth Crisis: Iran, Israel, America, and the Rumors of War [Audio]

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Dana H. Allin | Dr. Allin will speak on the tangle of Middle East crises: Iran's growing nuclear challenge, the impasse on Israel-Palestine, and the consequences of both for President Obama's efforts to recast America's relations with the world's Muslims. This event marks the publication of Dr Allin's latest book The Sixth Crisis: Iran, Israel, America, and the Rumors of War. Dana H. Allin is Editor, Survival, and Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy and Transatlantic Affairs at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London. He is also Adjunct Professor of European Studies at the Bologna Center of the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), The Johns Hopkins University.

Are the New Conservatives conservative? [Audio]

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Daniel Finkelstein, Professor Roger Scruton | The newly reinvigorated Tories describe themselves as liberal, progressive, and even radical. But these ideas have long been an anathema to conservative thinkers. Are the new Conservatives really conservative? Daniel Finkelstein is executive editor and chief leader writer at The Times and is an LSE alumnus. Roger Scruton is resident researcher at the American Enterprise Institute and visiting professor in philosophy, Oxford University.

Zombie Economics: How Dead Ideas Still Walk among Us [Audio]

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Quiggin | The recent financial crisis laid bare many of the assumptions behind market liberalism--the theory that market-based solutions are always best, regardless of the problem. For decades, their advocates dominated mainstream economics, and their influence created a system where an unthinking faith in markets led many to view speculative investments as fundamentally safe. The crisis seemed to have killed off these ideas, but they still live on in the minds of many-- even some of those charged with cleaning up the mess. John Quiggin explains how these dead ideas still walk among us--and why we must find a way to kill them once and for all if we are to avoid an even bigger financial crisis in the future. John Quiggin is professor of economics at the University of Queensland in Australia.

Unilaterally Appointed Arbitrators - A Good Idea? [Audio]

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Jan Paulsson, Alexis Mourre | Jan Paulsson's recent paper on "Moral Hazard in International Arbitration" questioning the usefulness of having parties themselves appoint "their" arbitrators has stirred much controversy and will be challenged at this event by Alexis Mourre. Prof. Paulsson is Centennial Professor of Law at LSE, co-head of the international arbitration practice of Freshfields LLP and one of the world's leading arbitrators. Alexis Mourre is partner at Castaldi Mourre & Partners in Paris and a leading French specialist in international arbitration.

The Third World's War [Audio]

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Niall Ferguson | Although never a "hot" war between the superpowers, the Cold War was waged partly through a series of proxy wars in Third World countries from Guatemala to Korea to Vietnam. Although a great deal of attention has been devoted to a select number of U.S. Interventions in the Third World, there is an urgent need to see the "Third World's War" in perspective, showing how successful the Soviet Union was in pursuing a strategy of fomenting revolution and how consistently successive U.S. administrations behaved in response. Professor Niall Ferguson is the Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs for the 2010-2011 academic year.

EU as a global player: reality or illusion? [Audio]

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Danilo Türk | Dr Danilo Türk is President of the Republic of Slovenia. Dr Türk assumed the position of Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations in 1992. Following the successful conclusion of Slovenia's term (from 1998 to 1999) as non-permanent member of the Security Council, Mr Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Organisation, appointed Dr Türk as Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs. For more than five years his tasks included analytical and consulting activity relating to the crisis situations of the time. After thirteen years in New York Dr Türk returned to Slovenia in the summer of 2005. He resumed teaching International Law and related subjects at the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana, from May 2006 he served as Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law. On 11 November 2007 he was elected President of the Republic of Slovenia by 68,03% votes and was inaugurated in the National Assembly on 22 December 2007.

Believing Cassandra: how to be an optimist in a pessimist's world [Audio]

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alan AtKisson | Coinciding with the reprint of Alan’s classic book, this event will look at how to build a bridge over the sea of despair, and show how to catch the wave to an enticing, sustainable future. Alan will discuss the pioneers who created the ideas, techniques and practices of sustainable living - the people who prove Cassandra's warnings wrong, by believing in them, and taking strategic action. Alan AtKisson is president and CEO of The AtKisson Group, an international sustainability consultancy to business and government.

Revisiting the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain: the Parekh Report 10 years on [Audio]

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Bhikhu Parekh | A decade after the groundbreaking Runnymede Trust 'Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain' report, its chair, Lord Parekh, revisits the issues of race equality and multiculturalism in Britain. Bhikhu Parekh is emeritus fellow of political theory at the University of Hull and a fellow of the British Academy.

Research in the Humanities: The Very Idea [Audio]

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Simon Glendinning | Simon Glendinning is reader in European philosophy at the European Institute, LSE, and director of the Forum for European Philosophy.

How to Avoid Financial Crises in the Future [Audio]

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Costas Markides | Lots of people did many stupid things for us to get into the current financial mess. Now, the government is stepping up efforts to impose stricter financial regulations to ensure that such things do not happen in future. Will more regulation work? If history is any guide, the answer is no. Over the last 100 years, we've had a financial crisis every 15-20 years. Every time one took place, the government would step in and impose more regulation - only for another crisis to occur 15-20 years later. Why is that? Costas Markides is the Robert P. Bauman Chair of Strategic Leadership at the London Business School.

Television Beyond Frontiers: reflections on public service broadcasting in a digital Europe [Audio]

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Caroline Pauwels, Dr Damian Tambini | The cornerstone of European media policy, public service broadcasting has long been characterised by transitions, questioning and criticism. Now convergence, media cross-over, EU interference and new public service management theories affect its very chances of survival. Caroline Pauwels is the head of the Institute for Broadband Technologies/Studies on Media, Information and Telecommunications at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and was appointed media commissioner by the Flemish Government for the public service broadcaster VRT. Damian Tambini is a senior lecturer in the Department of Media and Communications, LSE.

What has the financial crisis taught Europe? [Audio]

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Simeon Djankov | The recent financial crisis has uncovered several weaknesses in Europe's regulatory system. Belatedly, the European Commission has tried to fix these weaknesses with extensive new regulation, including the creation of several new institutions. Simeon Djankov Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Bulgaria will in this lecture offer an analysis of the most recent developments as well as a perspective on how the financial sector in Europe, and its regulation, will look like in the coming years.

Lagos: Confronting Change in a Global Megacity [Audio]

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Babatunde Fashola | Lagos is one the fastest growing cities in Africa, and the seventh fastest growing city in the world. Governor Babatunde Fashola discusses how his administration is managing rapid urbanization and growth of this 17.5 million city, the engine of Nigeria's economy. Central to his strategy is the view that cities must pursue a bottom-up approach to solve the environmental and social challenges of the contemporary city. Babatunde Fashola is the youngest Governor of Lagos State in the History of Nigeria and a lawyer by profession.

Balkans 2020: The Ministerial Debate [Audio]

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Vuk Jeremić, Nickolay Mladenov | 'Balkans 2020: The Ministerial Debate' marks the launch of the Balkan International Affairs Programme at LSE IDEAS. The foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Serbia will identify the issues the region faces today and offer their vision of the Balkans in 2020. Can present challenges endanger the region's fragile stability or, will the Balkans forever shed the infamous attribute of being the "powder keg of Europe"? Vuk Jeremić was sworn in as minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Serbia on May 15 2007. Nickolay Evtimov Mladenov was appointed minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria by the 41st National Assembly on January 27 2010.

Impunity in Cambodia [Audio]

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Brad Adams, Margo Picken, Simon Taylor | Senior leaders of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime of Democratic Kampuchea are now on trial in Cambodia for the crimes committed between 1975 and 1979 when two million people are estimated to have died. Will these trials help to break the impunity that has characterised Cambodia's recent history and which continues today? Brad Adams is executive director of Human Rights Watch's Asia Division and is a general expert on Asia. Simon Taylor is one of three co-founder/directors of Global Witness, a London and Washington DC based NGO which investigates and campaigns to prevent natural resource-related conflict and corruption and associated environmental and human rights abuses. Margo Picken has worked in the field of human rights for much of her professional career. Most recently, she worked for the United Nations as director of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia from 2001 to 2007.

Zero-Sum World: power and prosperity in the age of anxiety [Audio]

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Gideon Rachman | In this lecture to mark the publication of his new book Zero-Sum World: Power and Prosperity in the Age of Anxiety, Gideon Rachman argues that the global economic crisis has changed the logic of international relations and ushered in a new and more dangerous era. This will be characterised by rising tensions between America and China and a failure to deal effectively with global problems such as climate change and nuclear proliferation. Gideon Rachman is the chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times.

Trying to Quantify Uncertainty [Audio]

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Spiegelhalter | Editor's note: We apologise for the poor audio quality in the question and answer session of this podcast. There has been a traditional division between 'risk', which can be quantified using probability distributions, and 'uncertainty', which is the surrounding mess of doubt, disagreement and ignorance. Spiegelhalter will use examples from swine flu to climate change to illustrate different approaches to dealing with uncertainty, from ignoring it to trying to fully quantify it, and conclude that we should all try to be aware and open about the magnitude and potential consequences of our ignorance. David Spiegelhalter is Winton Professor of the Public Understanding of Risk at the University of Cambridge as well as senior scientist in the MRC Biostatistics Unit.

How serious a threat does Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula represent to Yemen and the West? [Audio]

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Fawaz Gerges | Fawaz A. Gerges is a Professor of Middle Eastern Politics and International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He also holds the Emirates Chair of the Contemporary Middle East and is the Director of the Middle East Centre at LSE. Gerges is author of two recently acclaimed books: Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy (Harcourt Press, 2007), and The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global (Cambridge University Press, 2005). The Washington Post selected The Far Enemy as one of the best 15 books published in the field. Journey of the Jihadist was on the best-selling list of Barnes and Nobles and Foreign Affairs Magazine for several months.

Restoring Growth [Audio]

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Van Reenen | The financial crisis and the great recession dealt the global economy a massive shock. How can growth be put back on a sustainable path? What policy lessons have we learned? And how should Britain respond? John Van Reenen is professor of economics at LSE and the director of the Centre for Economic Performance.

The Verdict: did Labour change Britain? [Audio]

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Polly Toynbee, David Walker | We've had Mandelson's memoirs, Blair's book and Brown biographies: in this lecture Polly Toynbee and David Walker look at what the Labour government in power from 1997 meant for people's lives by charting what it accomplished. Polly Toynbee is an author and a political and social commentator for the Guardian. David Walker edits Public and was formerly chief leader writer of the Independent. They are co-authors of 'The Verdict: Did Labour Change Britain?'

Superpower? The Amazing Race Between China's Hare and India's Tortoise [Audio]

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Raghav Bahl | After decades working with foreign investors, multinationals, and his own native government, Raghav Bahl knows that most of the world underestimates and largely misunderstands India and its potential in the global economy, particularly when set against its neighbor and economic powerhouse China. In his new book 'Superpower?' he takes a close look at who is likely to dominate the world over the next decade - India or China - and provides an incisive and in-depth analysis about the race to superpower status between the two Asian giants.

A Lecture by Álvaro García Linera, Vice President of Bolivia [Audio]

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Álvaro García Linera | The LSE IDEAS Latin America International Affairs Programme is pleased to announce a lecture by Bolivia's vice president Álvaro García Linera as part of its 2010-11 International Peace and Security in Latin America events series.

Galileo and the Infinite Universe: science, heresy, and the Inquisition [Audio]

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Wootton | Galileo was convicted in 1633 of defending Copernicanism, but he was also seeking to undermine Christianity. Professor Wootton will show that Galileo was no Christian, and that he welcomed the idea of an infinite universe with other inhabited worlds because he wanted to show that the universe was not made for man. David Wootton is Anniversary Professor of History at the University of York, author of Bad Medicine: doctors doing harm since Hippocrates and most recently Galileo: watcher of the skies.

Risk as Feeling: New Perspectives on Risk Perception [Audio]

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Paul Slovic | Editor's note: We apologise for the poor audio quality of this podcast. Dr. Slovic will describe the laboratory experiments that led to the concept of risk as feelings and illustrate some insights gleaned from this perspective for behaviors as diverse as cigarette smoking and apathy toward large scale natural and human caused disasters. Dr. Slovic studies judgment and decision processes with an emphasis on decision making under conditions of risk. His work examines fundamental issues such as the influence of affect on judgments and decisions. For further information visit Dr. Slovic's website: www.decisionresearch.org.

Dignified Foreign Policy [Audio]

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alexander Stubb | Alexander Stubb, Finland's Foreign Minister is a graduate of the LSE. He became Minister for Foreign Affairs in April 2008. Before that he served for four years as a member of the European Parliament.

Kuwait Programme seminar: The Gulf and the Knowledge Economy [Audio]

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Will Hutton, Dr Christopher Davidson | Will Hutton, executive vice chair of the Work Foundation, former editor in chief of The Observer. Dr Christopher Davidson, senior lecturer at the Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Durham University.

Hegemony and International Society [Audio]

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ian Clark | International relations theory is weak on how international order is managed under a preponderance of power. This lecture explores the notion of hegemony as a theoretical solution, and develops the thought of Martin Wight in this respect. Ian Clark is E H Carr Professor of International Politics at the University of Aberystwyth and a fellow of the British Academy.

Ten Years After Milosevic: How can Serbia Contribute to the Stabilisation of the Western Balkans? [Audio]

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Zoran Vujic, Zoran Jeftic, Sonja Stojanovic, Bojan Brkic | Zoran Vujic is Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs. Zoran Jeftic is Deputy Minister of Defence. Sonja Stojanovic is Director of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy. Bojan Brkic is Deputy Editor in Chief of Radio Television Serbia.

The Wisdom of Bees [Audio]

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Michael O'Malley | When Michael O'Malley first took up beekeeping he thought it would be a nice hobby to share with his son. But he noticed that bees not only work together to achieve a common goal but, in the process, create a remarkably productive organisation. O'Malley's new book The Wisdom of Bees shows what bees can teach managers and provides insight into decision-making, communication and forward planning. This event celebrates the publication of Michael O'Malleys new book The Wisdom of Bees: What the Hive Can Teach Business about Leadership, Efficiency, and Growth.

Investment Treaty Law after Lisbon [Audio]

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr. Steve Woolcock, Dr. Jan Kleinheisterkamp and others | The workshop will present a recent study for the European Parliament on the Commissions communication and draft Regulation on the future of investment treaty law after Lisbon, with commentators from the EU Commission, the UK government and investment arbitration practice. Dr Steve Woolcock is the director of the International Trade Policy Unit of the LSE International Relations Department. Dr. Jan Kleinheisterkamp is heading the Transnational Law Project of the LSE Law Department.

Talking to the Enemy: Violent Extremism, Sacred Values, and What it Means to Be Human [Audio]

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Scott Atran | Editor's note: Unfortunately the first few minutes of the introduction are missing from the podcast. In this lecture Scott Atran will talk about his new book Talking to the Enemy |which is a courageous exploration of one of the most contentious issues of modern times. Scott Atran asks a question that he is uniquely qualified to answer: Why would someone take their own life through suicide bombing?

Employees First, Customers Second: Turning Conventional Management Upside Down [Audio]

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Vineet Nayar | Differentiation is crucial to maintaining and growing market share. But many organisations lack the courage to look inwards and discover exactly what their competitive advantage is and change accordingly. However, 5 years ago the Delhi-based IT Service provider HCL Technologies started on a change journey that identified exactly where their strengths and weaknesses lay and culminated in an entirely new management philosophy and organisational culture - one in which, for example, employees are not only accountable to managers but managers are accountable to employees. In this session Vineet Nayar explains the reasoning and methodologies and the dramatic impact the philosophy has had on company results. Vineet Nayar is Chief Executive Officer and whole time Board Director of HCL Technologies Ltd.

Sustainability Living in Practice [Audio]

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Satish Kumar | When he was nine Satish joined the wandering brotherhood of Jain monks. At 18, he became a campaigner for land reform, working to turn Gandhi's vision of renewed India and a peaceful world into reality. Satish Kumar is a visiting fellow at Schumacher College, a residential centre for study of ecological and spiritual values. He founded the Small School, with ecological and spiritual values in its curriculum.

Valuing the Environment [Audio]

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Eric Martin | Eric Martin is a fellow in the Centre for Philosophy of the Natural and Social Sciences, LSE.

Welfare State Reform Over the (Very) Long-run [Audio]

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Pierson, Professor Anton Hemerijck, Professor Julian le Grand | The lecture and panel discussion celebrate the T H Marshall Fellowship scheme, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, which has been running for seven years. The event also launches the Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State |and will be followed by a reception. Paul Pierson has been a professor of public policy and holder of the Avice Sarint Chair of Public Policy at Berkeley since 2004. Anton Hemerijck is secretary of the Scientific Council for Government Policy in the Netherlands, and is Professor of Comparative Analysis of the European Welfare State at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. Julian le Grand is Titmuss Professor of Social Policy at LSE. Howard Glennerster is Professor Emeritus of Social Policy at LSE.

Towards a New Financial System [Audio]

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): José Viñals | Editor's note: Unfortunately this lecture was interrupted by a fire alarm, the first 35 minutes of the lecture have been recorded. José Viñals was appointed to the position of Financial Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department of the International Monetary Fund on April 15, 2009. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Viñals was Deputy Governor at the Bank of Spain from July 2006.

Greece is Changing [Audio]

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): George Papaconstantinou | The Greek sovereign debt crisis of 2010 has received world-wide attention and has elicited unprecedented action by the European Union and its member governments as well as by the IMF. Greece is now obliged to follow the terms of the 'Memorandum' agreed with the 'bail-out' loan it has received. Is Greek economic policy on track? What are its future prospects?

The Regime Complex for Climate Change [Audio]

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Robert O Keohane | There is no integrated regime governing efforts to limit climate change. Instead, there is a 'regime complex'… but can this work to resolve climate change? Robert Keohane is professor of international affairs, Princeton University, and the author of After Hegemony.

Freedom and Agency [Audio]

Thu, 4 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Patrick Haggard, Dr Amber Jacobs, Professor Thomas Pink | Is freedom part of human nature? And how can freedom be both a human power and a human right? Patrick Haggard is a professor at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and in the Department of Psychology, UCL. Amber Jacobs is a lecturer in the Department of Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck, University of London. Thomas Pink is a professor of philosophy at King's College London.

Seeking Justice for Crimes Against Humanity: the Case of Argentina [Audio]

Thu, 4 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Judge Sergio Gabriel Torres | Under the military government of 1976-1983, Argentina suffered massive and systematic violations of human rights, the consequences of which still linger today. Sergio Torres is a federal judge, presiding over a case that involves more than 800 incidents of illegal detentions, torture, disappearances and deaths. Chetan Bhatt is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights, LSE.

The State of the World Economy [Audio]

Thu, 4 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Olivier Blanchard | A strong and sustained world recovery requires two rebalancing acts. Internal, with a shift, in advanced countries, from fiscal support to private demand. External, with an increase in net exports in deficit countries, notably the US, and a decrease in net exports in surplus countries, notably China. Policy should be aimed at increasing their pace. This lecture is one in a series of lectures to celebrate 21 years of the Centre for Economic Performance. Olivier Blanchard is Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department at the IMF and has worked closely with the CEP over the last 25 years.

Fred Halliday - an intellectual appreciation [Audio]

Wed, 3 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Cox, Howard Davies, Professor Fawaz Gerges, Professor Christopher Hill, Professor Margot Light, Dr Justin Rosenberg | This public event is an intellectual appreciation of Professor Fred Halliday who worked at the London School of Economics and Political Science for more than 20 years and who sadly passed away in April 2010. Michael Cox is professor of international relations at LSE. Howard Davies is director of LSE. Fawaz Gerges is professor of middle eastern politics and international relations at LSE. Christopher Hill is Sir Patrick Sheehy Professor of International Relations, University of Cambridge. Margot Light is professor emeritus in the Department of International Relations, LSE. Justin Rosenberg is a reader in international relations at the University of Sussex.

A talk by Saad Hariri [Audio]

Tue, 2 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Saad Hariri | Editor's note: Unfortunately the first few minutes of the introduction are missing from the podcast. Saad Hariri is President of the Council of Ministers of the Lebanese Republic, a position he has held since November 2009. He is the leader of the Future Movement, which currently holds the majority in Lebanon's parliament. He entered the political domain in 2005 following the assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. Prior to politics, he held several high level roles in business as Chairman of the Executive Committee of Oger Telecom, Chairman of Omnia Holdings and a board member of Oger International Entreprise de Travaux Internationaux. Saad graduated with a degree in International Business from Georgetown University in 1992.

Them and Us: why we need a fair society [Audio]

Tue, 2 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Will Hutton | Will Hutton discusses the issues raised in his new book 'Them and Us: politics, greed and inequality' – why we need a fair society. Will Hutton is the executive vice-chair of The Work Foundation and senior visiting fellow at LSE Global Governance.

Where Good Ideas Come From [Audio]

Tue, 2 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Steven Johnson | Steven Johnson has spent twenty years immersed in creative industries, was active at the dawn of the internet and has a unique perspective that draws on his fluency in fields ranging from neurobiology to new media. In his new book, he identifies the key principles to the genesis of great ideas, from the cultivation of hunches to the importance of connectivity and how best to make use of new technologies. By recognising where and how patterns of creativity occur – whether within a school, a software platform or a social movement – he shows how we can make more of our ideas good ones. This event celebrates the publication of his latest book 'Where Good Ideas Come From: A Natural History of Innovation'.

Green Growth: the transition to a sustainable economy [Audio]

Tue, 2 Nov 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Chris Huhne MP | In this keynote talk Chris Huhne will set out the economic need for low-carbon growth as an essential path out of recession. He will argue that the need to urgently renew and decarbonise our energy supply, and to upgrade our ageing and inefficient buildings, will not just provide an economic boost but also help to create a more balanced, resilient and sustainable British economy. Chris Huhne is Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, and the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Eastleigh since 2005.

European Questions – Turkish angles: Europe's citizens [Audio]

Mon, 1 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard Bellamy, Professor Thomas Diez, Maurice Fraser | Editor's note: Unfortunately the last few minutes of the lecture are missing from the podcast. This series of events explores how our understanding of Europe's identity can be enhanced and developed in a new way by taking in a distinctively Turkish perspective. Richard Bellamy is professor of political science and director of the School of Public Policy at UCL. Thomas Diez is professor of political science and international relations at the University of Tübingen. Maurice Fraser is a senior fellow in European politics at the European Institute, LSE.

Lady Chatterley's Lover: Fifty years on [Audio]

Mon, 1 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Hutchinson QC, Helena Kennedy QC, Geoffrey Robertson QC | Editor's note: This lecture contains sexually explicit language and/or profanity, please do not download if you may be offended. On 2nd November 1960 the jury at the Old Bailey acquitted Penguin Books of obscenity for publishing an uncensored version of D.H. Lawrence's controversial novel. Geoffrey Robertson QC and a panel explore the impact of the trial on our current laws and assumptions on freedom of expression. This event is in association with Doughty Street Chambers and English PEN.

The Polish Question at the End of the First World War [Audio]

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Anita J Prazmowska | When the First World War broke out many assumed that it would inevitably lead to the re-emergence of a Polish state. As the war drew to an end the battle for Poland commenced on several fronts, both diplomatic and military. In the end, an independent Polish state would bear the mark of the way Poland re-emerged, placing the importance of nationalism above the need to build a modern democratic state. Anita J Prazmowska is professor of international history at LSE. She is the author of a number of monographs on Poland's place in European politics.

Celebrating the Work and Legacy of Professor Lord Meghnad Desai [Audio]

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Charles Goodhart, Professor Amartya Sen, Dr Purna Sen, Clare Short | In the year of his 70th birthday a panel of leading scholars discuss themes arising from Lord Desai's extensive work in the social sciences, his passionate commitment to the freedom and wellbeing of individuals, and optimism about human progress and globalisation.

Financial Crisis and Economic Recession [Audio]

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Jesús Huerta de Soto | The current financial and economic situation of the world should be analysed from the point of view of the Austrian Business Cycle Theory as developed by Mises and Hayek. Professor Huerta De Soto will present innovative solutions to the banking crisis and credit crunch working within the tradition of the Austrian School masters, Mises and Hayek. He will also unveil his proposal for similar legislative change that the "Peel Act" or Bank Charter Act of 1844 achieved with regards to the over issue of promissory notes to gold, but with respect to the over issue of credit. The consequences of doing this should create a climate of financial stability and an opportunity to totally restructure the national debt (potentially pay it off).

State of Emergency: The Way We Were, Britain 1970-1974 [Audio]

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dominic Sandbrook | The beginning of the 1970s saw Britain tottering on the brink of an abyss. Yet this time of immense unrest was also one of astonishing creativity and innovation, which helped shape society as we know it today. For perhaps the last time in our history Britain experienced the shock of the new, from celebrity footballers and the pornography boom to high street curry houses and foreign holidays. Dominic Sandbrook was born in Shropshire in 1974, an indirect result of the Heath government's three-day week giving couples more leisure time. Formerly a history lecturer at Sheffield and fellow of the Rothermere Institute, University of Oxford, he is now a well-known author, commentator and broadcaster. This event celebrates the publication of his new book, 'State of Emergency: The Way We Were, Britain 1970-1974'.

African Whistle-blowers: fighting corruption from the inside [Audio]

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Githongo | Efforts to tackle corruption in Africa tend to focus on international initiatives, but it is local struggles for public accountability that often have the most impact. John Githongo, a former journalist and management consultant, was the Kenyan Permanent Secretary in charge of Governance and Ethics from 2003-2005, and a founding member of the Kenyan chapter of Transparency International.

Re-engineering the Economy for Real People [Audio]

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Samantha Heath | In the face of current economic and climatic challenges, decarbonising the economy sometimes amounts to little more than tweaking the supply chain. Samantha Heath will pose the questions that Londoners need to consider before we can transform our behaviour to produce an economy suitable for real people. Samantha Heath is director of London Sustainability Exchange, a member and former co-chair of the London Sustainable Development Commission, and a member of the London Energy Partnership.

Evidence: philosophy of science meets medicine [Audio]

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Worrall | Editor's note: Unfortunately the last few minutes of the lecture are missing from the podcast. Medics now insist that treatment decisions should be evidence based. Generally this must be right. But evidence based medicine has sometimes got the details wrong: philosophers of science can help. John Worrall is professor of philosophy of science at LSE's Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method.

European Questions - Turkish Angles: Europe's history [Audio]

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Stephen Houlgate, Professor Şevket Pamuk, Professor Donald Sassoon | Editor's note: Unfortunately the last few minutes of the lecture are missing from the podcast. These events explore how our understanding of Europe's identity can be enhanced and developed in a new way by taking in a distinctively Turkish perspective. Stephen Houlgate is professor of philosophy at the University of Warwick. Şevket Pamuk is professor of contemporary Turkish studies at the European Institute, LSE. Donald Sassoon is professor of comparative European history at Queen Mary, University of London.

MacroWikinomics: Rebooting Business and the World [Audio]

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Don Tapscott | Don Tapscott is an internationally renowned authority on the strategic impact of information technology on innovation, marketing and talent. He is a hugely successful author whose books include the international bestseller, 'Wikinomics'. He will be in the UK for the release of his new book 'MacroWikinomics: Rebooting Business and the World'. Don Tapscott explains how the current economic crisis is transforming society, business and markets, and where the opportunities are for thriving in the face of the downturn.

A Conversation with James Caan [Audio]

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): James Caan | A recession can uncover some great entrepreneurial talent and surprising opportunities. The speakers will explore how we can make the UK more entrepreneurial, what are the key components in creating a successful business, the major pitfalls and what are the emerging sectors for people to capitalise on. They will also debate whether an entrepreneurship can be taught or is a part of genetic make up. James Caan is one of the UK's most successful and dynamic entrepreneurs. He is now CEO of private equity company, Hamilton Bradshaw, and famous panellist on BBC's Dragons' Den. Saul Estrin is head of the Department of Management, LSE.

Staying Safe Online (21/10/2010) [Audio]

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Stephan Freeman, Dr Steve March | LSE IT Services is pleased to present a series of evenings (19, 20 and 21 October) to help promote awareness of information security issues that are relevant to every person that uses the Internet. With the increasing use of computers and information technology in our everyday lives, the number of threats that people face on the Internet everyday has also increased. This series is set to show what some of those threats are, how you can protect yourselves and what other people are doing to protect us. Dr Steve March will be talking about the role of Government in staying safe online. Steve March is the deputy director of the Office of Cyber Security & Information Assurance at the Cabinet Office and director of GetSafeOnline. Stephan Freeman is the information security manager at the London School of Economics and Political Science, responsible for implementing information security in a challenging environment, from the ground up.

The Great Brain Race: Rise of the Global Education Marketplace [Audio]

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ben Wildavsky | In a worldwide educational marketplace, international competition to build the best universities and attract the brightest minds is more intense than ever. In his lecture based around his book, 'The Great Brain Race', Ben Wildavsky argues that the globalisation of higher education should be welcomed, not feared. Ben Wildavsky is a senior fellow in research and policy at the Kauffman Foundation and author of The Great Brain Race: How Global Universities Are Reshaping the World (Princeton University Press, 2010).

Jilted Generation: How Britain Bankrupted Its Youth [Audio]

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ed Howker, Shiv Malik | Why can so few young people afford to buy a house? Why do even top graduates struggle to find jobs? Why does politics – from voting to protesting – seem so pointless? Why is Britain not just 'broken' but also broke? Twenty-something journalists Ed Howker and Shiv Malik tell the sad, maddening story of how their generation's future is being strangled by the culture of short-termism.

Staying Safe Online (20/10/2010) [Audio]

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Blunkett | LSE IT Services is pleased to present a series of evenings (19, 20 and 21 October) to help promote awareness of information security issues that are relevant to every person that uses the Internet. With the increasing use of computers and information technology in our everyday lives, the number of threats that people face on the Internet everyday has also increased. This series is set to show what some of those threats are, how you can protect yourselves and what other people are doing to protect us. David Blunkett will deliver a keynote speech on staying safe online.

The Displaced and Dispossessed of Darfur [Audio]

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Hagan | Editor's note: We apologise for the poor audio quality of this podcast. In addition to 300,000 deaths, the Darfur genocide has forced the displacement of about 3,000,000 people. John Hagan examines this through the application of social historical methods. John Hagan is John D MacArthur Professor of Sociology and Law at Northwestern University and co-director of the Center on Law and Globalization at the American Bar Foundation in Chicago. Tim Allen is professor of developmental anthropology in LSE's Department of International Development.

Staying Safe Online (19/10/2010) [Audio]

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Bob Ayers, Rob Carolina | LSE IT Services is pleased to present a series of evenings (19, 20 and 21 October) to help promote awareness of information security issues that are relevant to every person that uses the Internet. With the increasing use of computers and information technology in our everyday lives, the number of threats that people face on the Internet everyday has also increased. This series is set to show what some of those threats are, how you can protect yourselves and what other people are doing to protect us. Bob Ayers will give a presentation on the privacy aspect of Internet usage. Rob Carolina will describe how laws around the world apply to your use of the Internet. He will also explain why the Cyberspace "Frontier" is now closed, why the Internet does have borders, and how the Internet has entered an age of de-globalisation.

The New Machiavelli: How to Wield Power in the Modern World [Audio]

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jonathan Powell | Taking the lessons Machiavelli derived from his experience as an official in fifteenth-century Florence, Powell shows how these lessons can still apply today. Illustrating each of Machiavelli's maxims with a description of events that occurred during Tony Blair's time as Prime Minister, The New Machiavelli is designed to be The Prince for modern times.

Europe in the new energy world order [Audio]

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lykke Friis | The cold war era was characterised by a bipolarity based on ideologies and nuclear arms. The post cold war era will increasingly be defined by energy. Power and economic welfare will depend on a country's or region's access to the world's decreasing fossil fuels or the development of renewable energy. In this lecture, the Danish Minister of Climate and Energy focuses on Europe's chances to prosper in this new energy world order. Lykke Friis is the Danish Minister for Climate and Energy and Minister for Gender Equality a well known scholar of European Politics and a former adjunct professor and prorector of Copenhagen University. She is an alumna of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The Chilean Way to Development [Audio]

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sebastián Piñera Echenique | Sebastián Piñera Echenique is President of the Republic of Chile, a position he has held since being sworn in on 11 March 2010. He graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile as a Commercial Engineer with a minor in Economics and also received a Masters and Doctorate degree from the University of Harvard in the United States.

The Political Economy of the Cold War [Audio]

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Niall Ferguson | At its heart the Cold War was a competition between two economic systems. Despite having in common a "military-industrial complex", they were profoundly different in the degree of freedom they offered their citizens, the living standards they were able to achieve and the pace of technological innovation they could sustain. In this first lecture, Niall Ferguson compares and contrasts the United States and the Soviet Union in the Cold War and asks how far the outcome of the Cold War was economically determined from the outset. In particular, what role did commercial and financial globalisation play in enhancing U.S. power in the world? And how serious a threat did inflation pose to the United States in the 1970s? Professor Niall Ferguson is the Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs for the 2010-2011 academic year.

The Quest for Meaning [Audio]

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Tariq Ramadan | In this public lecture Tariq Ramadan, philosopher and Islamic scholar will talk about his new book 'The Quest for Meaning' in which he invites the reader to join him on a journey to the deep ocean of religious, secular, and indigenous spiritual traditions to explore the most pressing contemporary issues. Tariq Ramadan is Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University (Oriental Institute, St Antony's College).

The Global Challenge: No facts [Audio]

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Hernando de Soto | The Global Policy dialogues are a unique series of exchanges bringing together today's most preeminent scholars and practitioners to discuss pressing questions of policy, with the aim of advancing our understanding of the underlying issues and offering innovative solutions to global challenges. Hernando de Soto is currently President of the ILD —headquartered in Lima, Peru— considered by The Economist as one of the two most important think tanks in the world.

Towards an Indian Renaissance: Building Institutions of Excellence [Audio]

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Nita Ambani, Professor Lord Stern | India is at the vanguard of epoch-making economic and social transformation. A country of glorious heritage and enormous diversity, where a sixth of humanity lives, India is looking to leapfrog on the strength of its unique endowment - a burgeoning and an incredibly huge young population. This demographic dividend, this soft power will drive the nation's trail-blazing journey to global leadership. The national aspiration is high and the key to leveraging this opportunity hinges on its capacity to harness the power of knowledge. Nita M. Ambani is the Chairperson of Reliance Foundation, Chairperson of Dhirubhai Ambani International School and Chairperson of IMG-Reliance joint venture. Nicholas Stern is IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government, Director of the India Observatory and Chairman of the Asia Research Centre at the LSE.

Financial Reform in China [Audio]

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies | In the 6th of an annual series of lectures, Howard Davies reviews the development of the Chinese financial system over the last year. He has been a member of the International Advisory Board of the Chinese banking regulator since 2003 and has observed the dramatic changes in Chinese banks at first hand. The Chinese system has been remarkably insulated from the crisis. What does that mean for the future? Will China turn its back on free-market financial reform? Howard Davies is director of LSE. Prior to this, from 1997-2003 he was Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, the single regulator for the UK financial sector, which was created under his leadership from nine separate regulatory agencies. From 1995-1997 he was Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. His latest books include The 'Financial Crisis: Who is to Blame?' and 'Banking on the Future: the fall and rise of central banking'.

Expiring or Expanding? international economic organisations and the restructuring of world power [Audio]

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ngaire Woods | Ngaire Woods is professor of international political economy and director of the Global Economic Governance Programme, University College, Oxford.

Lionel Robbins Memorial Lectures - Economic Freedom and Public Policy: Economics as a Moral Discipline [Audio]

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Turner | Lord Turner will deliver the 2010 Lionel Robbins Memorial Lecture Series, running for three consecutive evenings (11/12/13 October). The overall theme of the 3 lectures is Economics after the Crisis. Amid the financial crash there was much talk of a crisis of capitalism and the need for a revolution in economics. Two years on much work is in hand to reform global financial regulation, but it is not clear that the crisis will produce change as radical as initially supposed. Adair Turner will argue, however, that the crisis should provoke us to think deeply about the conventional wisdom of the last several decades in which economic growth maximisation is the clear objective of economic policy, and market liberalisation, including in financial markets, the universally applicable means.

Power Shift: West to East [Audio]

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Cox, Professor Arne Westad | The world is tilting away from the West to the East, from the United States to China, from the Transatlantic to the Pacific. Or is it? LSE experts with very different answers to these questions will battle it out in an open forum. Professor Michael Cox is Co- Director of LSE IDEAS and Professor of International Relations at LSE. Professor Westad is a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and an expert on Chinese international affairs.

Wealth Creation in Developing Countries [Audio]

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrew Mitchell, Professor Paul Collier | This event marks the launch of a new DFID approach to private sector investment in developing countries and is the Department's first high profile outreach to the business community since the formation of the new coalition government. The event is presented in partnership with the Financial Times magazines The Banker and This is Africa. Andrew Mitchell is Secretary of State for International Development. Paul Collier is Professor of Economics at Oxford University and academic co-director of the International Growth Centre.

Lionel Robbins Memorial Lectures - Market Efficiency and Rationality: Why Financial Markets are Different [Audio]

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Green Social Advertising [Audio]

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Luc Bovens | Editor's note: Unfortunately the last few minutes of the lecture are missing from the podcast. What are the aims and methods of green social advertising? Is it distinct from green nudges? Does it respect the sensitivities and the autonomy of the viewer? Luc Bovens is professor of philosophy at LSE's Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method.

A Call for Judgment: sensible finance for a dynamic economy [Audio]

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Amar Bhide | Our prosperity requires the enterprise of innumerable individuals and businesses who exercise their imagination and judgment—and bear responsibility for outcomes. And widespread enterprise is fostered through dialogue and relationships, not merely prices in anonymous markets. Yet in the last several decades finance has become increasingly centralised, distanced, and mechanistic. Bhide's lecture explains how bad theories and mis-regulation led to this dangerous divergence between the real economy and finance.

Fanatacism [Audio]

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Robert Eaglestone, Dr Alberto Toscano | Alberto Toscano will be debating his counter-history of fanaticism, in which he argues that fanaticism has played a critical role in forming modern politics. Robert Eaglestone is professor of contemporary literature and thought at Royal Holloway, University of London. Alberto Toscano is senior lecturer in sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Lionel Robbins Memorial Lectures - Economic Growth, Human Welfare and Inequality [Audio]

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Sustainability Enterprise: the future for business [Audio]

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sara Parkin | This lecture will consider the future for business and discuss the role of social enterprises, the future of universities and the links between them. Sara Parkin is a founder-director and trustee of Forum for the Future. Her latest book is The Positive Deviant: sustainability leadership in a perverse world.

Press Conference: Nobel Prize for Economics awarded to Christopher Pissarides [Audio]

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Christopher Pissarides | A press conference to mark the award of the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences to LSE professor Christopher Pissarides. He won the 2010 prize jointly for his work on the economics of unemployment, especially job flows and the effects of being out of work. He shares the prize with Peter Diamond from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Dale Mortensen from Northwestern University.

PhD Forum for Finance and Economics in China 2010 [Audio]

Sat, 9 Oct 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Liao Min, Professor Richard Portes, Professor Danny Quah, Xiao Gang Tian, Professor Shujie Yao | The main theme of this forum is Chinese Financial Reform and 'Sustainable Economic Development Under the Global Crisis'. New perspectives on what we can learn from China and what China might learn from the global financial crisis will be discussed.

Brown at 10 [Audio]

Thu, 7 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Anthony Seldon | Gordon Brown's three years at No.10 were the most turbulent of any premiership in the postwar history of Downing Street. In 'Brown at 10', Anthony Seldon tells for the first time the full, compelling story of the astonishing end of Gordon Brown's tenure, and with it the demise of the New Labour project. This will be a frank, authentic and penetrating account of a remarkable political era by one of Britain's foremost political and social commentators.

Greatness and Limits of the West: reflections on an uncompleted project [Audio]

Thu, 7 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Emeritus Heinrich August Winkler | A lecture to mark the intellectual legacy of Ralf Dahrendorf, director of LSE from 1974 to 1984, and one of Europe's most eminent sociologists and public servants of the post-War period. Lord Dahrendorf passed away in June 2009. Heinrich August Winkler is an internationally acclaimed scholar and one of the most distinguished historians of modern Germany.

The Economist as Philosopher: Adam Smith and John Maynard Keynes on human nature, social progress and economic change [Audio]

Wed, 6 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Nicholas Phillipson, Professor Lord Skidelsky | Robert Skidelsky and Nicholas Phillipson discuss how the philosophies of Keynes and Smith helped shape their influential economic ideas and examine how each has influenced social and political change.

The Rights' Future [Audio]

Wed, 6 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Costas Douzinas, Professor Conor Gearty, Professor Francesca Klug, David Lammy | Conor Gearty joins invited guests to initiate 'The Rights' Future' a collaborative writing project aimed at the production of a book to be launched at LSE's literary festival early in 2011. Starting this evening with his RIGHTS' MANIFESTO, Gearty will release a series of weekly essays onto the web which will probe the history of human rights, address their present state in the world and map out some of the possible futures that await this morally important but highly contested phrase.

Steering the British Economy [Audio]

Wed, 6 Oct 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies | Howard Davies delivers an orientation lecture to LSE students giving an insiders perspective on monetary policy and the mechanics of policy making. Howard Davies is the Director of LSE.

23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism [Audio]

Tue, 5 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ha-Joon Chang | We may like or dislike capitalism, but surely we all know how it works. Right? Wrong. Today, most arguments about capitalism are dominated by free-market ideology and unfounded assumptions that parade as 'facts'. This lecture in which Ha-Joon Chang will talk about his new book 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism| tells the story of capitalism as it is and shows how capitalism as we know it can be, and should be, made better.

Getting More [Audio]

Tue, 5 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Stuart Diamond | You're always negotiating. Whether making a business deal, talking to friends or even driving a car, negotiation is going on. And most of us are terrible at it. Experts tell us to negotiate as if we live in a rational world. But people can be angry, fearful and irrational. To achieve your goals you have to be able to deal with the unpredictable. Negotiation expert Stuart Diamond reveals the real secrets behind getting more in any negotiation - whatever 'more' means to you - in his new book Getting More|, published on the 7th October by Portfolio Penguin, and joins us at LSE to offer accessible, jargon-free and innovative insights into negotiation.

The New Nobility: The Restoration of Russia's Security State and the Enduring Legacy of the KGB [Audio]

Tue, 5 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrei Soldatov | Andrei Soldatov – a journalist who has covered Russia's security services for more than a decade – penetrates the secret world of the FSB to illustrate how, abetted by their most famous alumnus Vladimir Putin, the security services were given unprecedented rein, and emerged a more shadowy and powerful force than the Soviet KGB. Andrei Soldatov and his The New Nobility co-author Irina Borogan are-founders of Agentura.ru, a highly respected website covering the Russian security services. Soldatov and Borogan worked for Novaya Gazeta from January 2006 to November 2008.

Seizing the Opportunity of the Cloud: the Next Wave of Business Growth [Audio]

Tue, 5 Oct 2010 08:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Steve Ballmer | The pervasive nature of technology and the ever increasing pace of development are rapidly changing the way we work, live and play. These changes bring enormous opportunity for individuals, organisations and society. For more than three decades, Microsoft, and current CEO Steve Ballmer, have played a vital role in leading a technology industry that has transformed the world of business in dramatic fashion. In one of the opening public lectures of the LSE term, Ballmer will discuss what's next, how cloud computing is radically altering paradigms, and new business opportunities enabled by the cloud. Steve Ballmer is Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft Corporation. He joined Microsoft in 1980 as the first business manager hired by Bill Gates. Since then, Ballmer's leadership and passion have become hallmarks of his tenure at the company. Ballmer and the company's business and technical leaders are focused on continuing Microsoft's innovation and leadership across each of the company's core businesses. Variously described as ebullient, focused, funny, passionate, sincere, hard-charging and dynamic, Ballmer has infused Microsoft with his own brand of energetic leadership, vision and spirit over the years.

Capitalism: can it ever be moral? [Audio]

Mon, 4 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Larry Elliot, Jon Cruddas MP, Professor Chandran Kukathas | Is it possible – or desirable – to reform capitalism so that it behaves better? A panel of speakers discuss the issues raised in Larry Elliot's new book Crisis and Recovery: ethics, economics and justice| (cowritten with Rowan Williams). Larry Elliott is the economics editor of The Guardian. Jon Cruddas is the Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham. Professor Chandran Kukathas holds the chair of Political Theory in the Department of Government at LSE. He is the author of The Liberal Archipelago: A Theory of Diversity and Freedom, Rawls: A Theory of Justice and Its Critics (with Philip Petit), and Hayek and Modern Liberalism.

Hong Kong's changing financial landscape [Audio]

Mon, 4 Oct 2010 17:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Tsang Chun Wah | John Tsang Chun Wah, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will discuss post-financial crisis changes to Hong Kong's financial services sector and the potential benefits of these changes to markets around the world. How can Hong Kong maintain its competitive edge as an international financial and business centre in Asia?

Can we still afford Europe? [Audio]

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Janusz Lewandowski | With its member states cutting spending sharply, what are the prospects for the EU's budget to 2020? Will Europe be able to meet pressing global challenges? Janusz Lewandowski is European commissioner for financial programming and budget, a position he has held since February 2010. He served as Polish Minister for Privatisation in 1991, and from 1992-93. He received both his Phd (economics) and Masters degree (economics) from the University of Gdańsk.

Lloyd George - the great outsider [Audio]

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Hattersley | David Lloyd George became the authentic radical of British politics in part because of intellectual conviction, but, more significantly, because his birth and upbringing had made him contemptuous of the establishment and its values. He did not so much break the rules of conventional society and politics as refuse to acknowledge their existence. He remained an "outsider" to the end. This event celebrates the publication of Lord Hattersley's new book David Lloyd George: The Great Outsider.

'It's my body and I'll do what I Like with it' Bodies as possessions and objects [Audio]

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Anne Phillips | We commonly use the language of body ownership as a way of claiming personal rights, though we do not normally mean it literally. Most people feel uneasy about markets in sexual or reproductive services, and though there is a substantial global trade in body tissues, the illicit trade in live human organs is widely condemned. But what, if any, is the problem with treating bodies as resources and/or possessions? Is there something about the body that makes it particularly inappropriate to apply to it the language of property, commodities, and things? Or is thinking the body special a kind of sentimentalism that blocks clear thinking about matters such as prostitution, surrogate motherhood, or the sale of spare kidneys?

Staying Power: Six Enduring Principles for Managing Strategy & Innovation in an Uncertain World [Audio]

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael A. Cusumano | This is an overview of Professor Cusumano's new book Staying Power: Six Enduring Principles for Managing Strategy and Innovation in an Uncertain World|, prepared for the 2009 Oxford Clarendon Lectures in Management Studies. The focus is on how managers can tackle the simultaneous challenge of "innovation and commoditization" in markets often subject to unpredictable change and disruption. Professor Cusumano positions each principle against other concepts associated with 'best practices' and competitive advantage but which he believes are less valuable than they seem.

The Financial Crisis: Who is to Blame? [Audio]

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Daves, Robert Peston | There is still no consensus on who or what caused the financial crisis which engulfed the world, beginning in the summer of 2007. A huge number of suspects have been identified, from greedy investment bankers, through feckless borrowers, dilatory regulators and myopic central bankers to violent video games and high levels of testosterone among the denizens of trading floors. There is not even agreement on whether the crisis shows a need for more government intervention in markets, or less: some maintain that government encouragement of home ownership lay at the heart of the problem in the US, in particular. In this public event to mark the launch of his new book 'The Financial Crisis: Who is to Blame?' Howard Davies charts a course through these arguments, and the evidence advanced for each of them.

Private Equity: leveraged expertise or leveraged bets? [Audio]

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Ulf Axelson | Dr Axelson draws from leading academic research to shed light on the controversial role of private equity in the economy.

IGC Growth Week 2010 - Domestic Resource Mobilisation and Growth [Audio]

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Nadeem ul Haque, Michael Keen, Dr Masihur Rahman, Rama Sithanen, Professor Joel Slemrod | To reduce reliance on foreign aid and financial inflows, policymakers across the developing world are seeking to improve domestic resource mobilisation. But doing so effectively and efficiently presents a huge policy challenge. More is at stake, however, than just revenue raising to fund socially valuable investments. Effective fiscal systems are a core element of state building and a barometer of state legitimacy and effectiveness.

On Writing: High, Low, and everything in Between [Audio]

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Simon Schama | Simon Schama's latest book a selection of his writings titled Scribble, Scribble, Scribble, explores, amongst other subjects, Shakespeare, contemporary art, Hurricane Katrina, cheese soufflés, "The Fate of Eloquence in the age of Ozzy Osbourne," Barack Obama and baseball.

IGC Growth Week 2010 - Reforming Educational Systems [Audio]

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Kremer, Professor George Imbanga Godia, Professor Geeta Kingdon, Dr Lansana Nyalley, Professor James Tooley | Michael Kremer discusses issues surrounding reform of education systems in developing countries based on evidence from studies on incentive mechanisms, peer effects and other interventions.

Ken Clarke – An interview with Mr Justice Cranston [Audio]

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Kenneth Clarke | As part of the Legal Biographies Project lecture programme Mr Justice Cranston will be interviewing Ken Clarke, QC, MP, Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor about his legal and political career. Kenneth Clarke QC MP was appointed as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice on 12 May 2010. He was born in 1940 and educated at Nottingham High School and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He is a barrister-at-law, having been called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1963 and becoming QC in 1980. He has previously served as Chancellor, Home Secretary, Secretary of State for Health, and Secretary of State for Education and Science. In Opposition he served as shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

IGC Growth Week 2010 - Industrial Revolution or Agricultural Revolution? [Audio]

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ernest Aryeetey, Ijaz Nabi, Professor Mark Rosenzweig, Paul Romer, Professor John Sutton | A distinguished panel tackles controversial and highly significant questions regarding the relative importance of industrial and agricultural revolution in the developing countries today, for both economic growth and wider development.

IGC Growth Week 2010 - Industrial Productivity [Audio]

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Chang-Tai Hsieh, Rasheed Adegbenro, Ludovico Alcorta, Professor Haroon Bhorat | What do we know about the importance of industrial productivity to a country's standards of living, both in absolute terms and relative to agricultural productivity, to improvements in capital intensity and to improvements in schooling? What do we know about the sources of industrial productivity growth, especially in the developing world? Drawing on evidence from India, China, and Mexico, Chang-Tai Hsieh delivers the second policy lecture of Growth Week 2010. He is joined in discussion by a distinguished panel.

IGC Growth Week 2010 - Mobile Phones for Development [Audio]

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Jenny Aker, Ken Banks, Dawn Haig-Thomas | Mobile phones have the potential to contribute significantly to economic growth in the developing world, in both the private and public sector. From improving market information for fish traders in Lake Victoria, to enabling medical outreach services in rural South Asia, the mobile is a versatile and adaptable tool. What impact can mobiles have on those previously excluded from financial services and communications networks? Which policies will help turn the promise of mobiles into real benefits for the poorest people? This session, moderated by Diane Coyle, OBE, of Enlightenment Economics, features a panel of researchers and practitioners sharing ideas and experience from the field, discussing a range of case studies from literacy and conditional cash transfer programs in Niger to SMS-based communications for rural hospitals in Malawi.

IGC Growth Week 2010 - Managing Natural Resource Rents: China and Africa [Audio]

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Collier, Dr Christopher Alden, Dr Gobind Nankani, Alan Winters | Is China's strategy - of negotiating deals in which resources are exchanged for infrastructure - mutually beneficial, or a new variant of the plunder of Africa? China 'asks no questions' of African governments: is that respectful of African sovereignty or an abrogation of responsibility?

The Future of IT in India [Audio]

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): S.D. Shibulal | S.D. Shibulal is one of the co-founders and member of the Board of Directors of Infosys Technologies Limited. Shibu, as he is fondly called, has over three decades of IT leadership experience. He has played a pivotal role in the Infosys journey and a signal role in the evolution of the Global Delivery Model which is now the de-facto industry standard for delivery for outsourced IT services.

Employment, labour markets, and development [Audio]

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Heiner Flassbeck | Launch Lecture of the UNCTAD Trade and Development Report 2010. As nations struggle with what they fear will be a "jobless recovery" from the global recession, the report studies how employment can be raised in developing countries and how the participation of the majority of the population in economic growth can be warranted. The report recommends a fundamental change in the assignment of economic policies to allow for growth, inclusion, high employment and monetary stability at the same time. Dr Heiner Flassbeck is Honorary Professor of Hamburg University and Director, Division on Globalization and Development Strategies, UNCTAD secretariat. He is the leader of the team preparing the Trade and Development Report. Previously, he was the Vice-Minister of Finance in Germany and Chief Economist of the German Institute of Economic Research in Berlin. Robert Wade is Professor of Political Economy and Development in the Department of International Development at LSE.

The Case of the Pope: Vatican Accountability for Human Rights Abuse [Audio]

Wed, 8 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Geoffrey Robertson | Editor's note: This lecture contains sexually explicit language and/or profanity, please do not download if you may be offended. The Case of the Pope delivers a devastating indictment of the way the Vatican has run a secret legal system that has shielded paedophile priests from criminal trial around the world. Is the Pope morally responsible or legally liable under domestic or international law for the negligence that has allowed so many terrible crimes to go unpunished? Should he and his seat of power, the Holy See, continue to enjoy an immunity that places them above the law? To what extent do Vatican dogmas conflict with human rights treatise, and why has the United Nations allowed this church – alone of religions and NGOs – a privileged platform to promote them? Geoffrey Robertson QC demonstrates a deep respect for the good works of Catholics and their church. But, he argues, unless Pope Benedict XVI can divest himself of the beguilements of statehood and devotion to obsolete canon law, the Vatican will remain in grave breach of the convention on the Right of the Child and in some other respects, an enemy of human rights. This event marks the publication of Geoffrey Robertson's new book 'The Case of the Pope: Vatican Accountability for Human Rights Abuse.'

The Quest for Meaning [Audio]

Mon, 2 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Tariq Ramadan | In this public lecture Tariq Ramadan, philosopher and Islamic scholar will talk about his new book The Quest for Meaning |in which he invites the reader to join him on a journey to the deep ocean of religious, secular, and indigenous spiritual traditions to explore the most pressing contemporary issues. Along the way, Ramadan interrogates the concepts that frame current debates including: faith and reason, emotions and spirituality, tradition and modernity, freedom, equality, universality, and civilization. He acknowledges the greatest flashpoints and attempts to bridge divergent paths to a common ground between these religious and intellectual traditions. He calls urgently for a deep and meaningful dialogue that leads us to go beyond tolerant co-existence to mutual respect and enrichment.

LSE Summer School 2010 - Contemporary Developments in International Law and the Role of the International Court of Justice [Audio]

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Christopher Greenwood | Sir Christopher Greenwood is a member of the International Court of Justice. Andrew Murray is Reader in Law at the Department of Law at LSE.

LSE Summer School 2010 - Barack Obama and the End of the American Empire [Audio]

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Cox | Michael Cox is Professor of International Relations at LSE.

Why Greece should default [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alan Beattie | Going back to Philip II of Spain in the 16th century, government debt defaults need not be disastrous as long as they accept the reality of their situation. The main problem with Greece is not the prospect of default but the fact that the eurozone has been in denial about its problems. Alan Beattie is the Financial Times world trade editor, he writes about economics, globalisation and development. Born in Chester, he attended a local comprehensive school before graduating from Balliol College, Oxford, with a degree in history. After taking a master's degree in economics at Cambridge, he worked as an economist at the Bank of England and then joined the Financial Times in 1998. This event celebrates the publication of his most recent book, False Economy: A Surprising Economic History of the World published by Penguin.

The Future of Finance And The Theory That Underpins It - 5:00pm Panel Discussion [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Vince Cable, Adair Turner, Andy Haldane, Martin Wolf, Peter Boone, Charles Goodhart, John Kay, Andrew Large, Andrew Smithers, Sushil Wadhwani and Paul Woolley | On July 14th, Bastille Day, twelve leading economists presented their opinions of what is wrong with the world's financial system - and how it should be radically reformed. A new book launched at the Conference - The Future of Finance: The LSE Report - draws together the various strands of their debate.

The Future of Finance And The Theory That Underpins It - 4:30pm Peter Boone [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Peter Boone | On July 14th, Bastille Day, twelve leading economists presented their opinions of what is wrong with the world's financial system - and how it should be radically reformed. A new book launched at the Conference - The Future of Finance: The LSE Report - draws together the various strands of their debate.

The Future of Finance And The Theory That Underpins It - 3:30pm Martin Wolf [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Martin Wolf | On July 14th, Bastille Day, twelve leading economists presented their opinions of what is wrong with the world's financial system - and how it should be radically reformed. A new book launched at the Conference - The Future of Finance: The LSE Report - draws together the various strands of their debate.

The Future of Finance And The Theory That Underpins It - 3:00pm John Kay [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Kay | On July 14th, Bastille Day, twelve leading economists presented their opinions of what is wrong with the world's financial system - and how it should be radically reformed. A new book launched at the Conference - The Future of Finance: The LSE Report - draws together the various strands of their debate.

The Future of Finance And The Theory That Underpins It - 2:30pm Vince Cable [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Vince Cable | On July 14th, Bastille Day, twelve leading economists presented their opinions of what is wrong with the world's financial system - and how it should be radically reformed. A new book launched at the Conference - The Future of Finance: The LSE Report - draws together the various strands of their debate.

The Future of Finance And The Theory That Underpins It - 1:45pm A Smithers & A Large [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrew Smithers, Andrew Large | On July 14th, Bastille Day, twelve leading economists presented their opinions of what is wrong with the world's financial system - and how it should be radically reformed. A new book launched at the Conference - The Future of Finance: The LSE Report - draws together the various strands of their debate.

The Future of Finance And The Theory That Underpins It - 12:45pm Howard Davies [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies | On July 14th, Bastille Day, twelve leading economists presented their opinions of what is wrong with the world's financial system - and how it should be radically reformed. A new book launched at the Conference - The Future of Finance: The LSE Report - draws together the various strands of their debate.

The Future of Finance And The Theory That Underpins It - 12:15pm Charles Goodhart [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Charles Goodhart | On July 14th, Bastille Day, twelve leading economists presented their opinions of what is wrong with the world's financial system - and how it should be radically reformed. A new book launched at the Conference - The Future of Finance: The LSE Report - draws together the various strands of their debate.

The Future of Finance And The Theory That Underpins It - 11:45am Sushil Wadhwani [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sushil Wadhwani | On July 14th, Bastille Day, twelve leading economists presented their opinions of what is wrong with the world's financial system - and how it should be radically reformed. A new book launched at the Conference - The Future of Finance: The LSE Report - draws together the various strands of their debate.

The Future of Finance And The Theory That Underpins It - 11:15am Paul Woolley [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Paul Woolley | On July 14th, Bastille Day, twelve leading economists presented their opinions of what is wrong with the world's financial system - and how it should be radically reformed. A new book launched at the Conference - The Future of Finance: The LSE Report - draws together the various strands of their debate.

The Future of Finance And The Theory That Underpins It - 10:15am Andy Haldane [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andy Haldane | On July 14th, Bastille Day, twelve leading economists presented their opinions of what is wrong with the world's financial system - and how it should be radically reformed. A new book launched at the Conference - The Future of Finance: The LSE Report - draws together the various strands of their debate.

The Future of Finance And The Theory That Underpins It - 9:30am Adair Turner [Audio]

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Adair Turner | On July 14th, Bastille Day, twelve leading economists presented their opinions of what is wrong with the world's financial system - and how it should be radically reformed. A new book launched at the Conference - The Future of Finance: The LSE Report - draws together the various strands of their debate.

Global Challenges for Europe and America [Audio]

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nicholas Burns | Nicholas Burns is Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is Director of the Future of Diplomacy Project and Faculty Chair for the Programs on the Middle East and on India and South Asia. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He was a visiting Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in summer 2008.

LSE Summer School 2010 - Business strategy in a global age [Audio]

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Costas Markides | Costas Markides is the Robert P Bauman Professor of Strategic Leadership at London Business School. Connson Locke is Lecturer in Management at LSE EROB Group.

Global Justice [Audio]

Thu, 8 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Amartya Sen | In the first dialogue of the Global Policy Dialogue series, Amartya Sen and David Held will discuss Sen's new book, The Idea of Justice. Injustices in the contemporary world include global inequities as well as disparities within nations. Understanding the demands of justice in each context requires public reasoning, and the challenges of global justice specifically call for global public reasoning. The Idea of Justice also investigates the contributions of human rights movements to the removal of some of the nastiest cases of injustice in the world in which we live.

The Secret State: preparing for the worst 1945-2009 [Audio]

Wed, 7 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Peter Hennessy | Peter Hennessy will examine the most secret files recently declassified from the Cold War years and contrast the Secret State of the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s with the the new protective state the UK has constructed since 9/11. Peter Hennessy is Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at QMUL and was recently elected a Fellow of the British Academy as well as being an Honorary Fellow of LSE. Before joining the Department in 1992, he was a journalist for twenty years with spells on The Times as a leader writer and Whitehall Correspondent, The Financial Times as its Lobby Correspondent at Westminster and The Economist. He was a regular presenter of the BBC Radio 4 Analysis programme from 1987 to 1992. In 1986 he was a co-founder of the Institute of Contemporary British History.

Living in the End Times [Audio]

Thu, 1 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Slavoj Zizek | There should no longer be any doubt: global capitalism is fast approaching its terminal crisis. In his latest book, Living in the End Times, Slavoj Zizek has identified the four horsemen of this coming apocalypse: the worldwide ecological crisis; imbalances within the economic system; the biogenetic revolution; and exploding social divisions and ruptures. But, he asks, if the end of capitalism seems to many like the end of the world, how is it possible for Western society to face up to the end times? In a major new analysis of our global situation, Slavok Zizek argues that our collective responses to economic Armageddon correspond to the stages of grief: ideological denial, explosions of anger and attempts at bargaining, followed by depression and withdrawal. After passing through this zero-point, we can begin to perceive the crisis as a chance for a new beginning. Or, as Mao Zedong put it, "There is great disorder under heaven, the situation is excellent."

Cognitive Surplus [Audio]

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Clay Shirky | For decades, technology encouraged us to squander our time as passive consumers. Today, tech has finally caught up with human potential. In his new book Cognitive Surplus, Clay Shirky examines the changes we will all enjoy as our untapped resources of talent are put to use at last.

Lithuania 2030 [Audio]

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrius Kubilius | Andrius Kubilius is Prime Minister of Lithuania, a position he has held since November 2008. He also served as Prime Minister between 1999 and 2000. Between 2006 and 2008 he served Deputy Speaker of the Seimas and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs. Prime Minister Kubilius is interested in the political science, history, and the knowledge economy; he is a Chairman of the Policy Committee of the Knowledge Economy Forum. He was a Chairman of the Knowledge Society Council under the President of the Republic of Lithuania in 2001-2003. Kubilius has been Member of the international Advisory Board of the Baltic Development Forum since 2001.

Is Democracy Possible In Fragile States? [Audio]

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Teddy Brett, Professor Paul Collier, Professor James Robinson. | Over the past twenty years many Western development agencies have suggested that good governance, and possibly even democratisation, are key to promoting economic growth and development in poorer countries. The Chinese take a more agnostic view. This panel discussion will discuss both the merits of democratic forms of rule in fragile states and the very possibility of democracy in such contexts.

Art And The Limits Of The Political [Audio]

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Jonathan Lahey Dronsfield | A series of three lectures examining the proposition that contemporary art can go beyond transforming our understanding of the political and build new forms of political and social relations.

Competition And Regulation: Micro-Economic Support For Macro-Economic Recovery [Audio]

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Joaquín Almunia | Joaquín Almunia was appointed Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Competition in February 2010. Prior to this he served as Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs from 2004-2010. From 1997-2000 he was leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).

The Party: The Secret World Of China's Communist Rulers [Audio]

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Richard McGregor | China's political and economic growth in the past three decades is one of astonishing, epochal dimensions. The country has undergone a remarkable transformation on a scale similar to the industrial revolution in the West. The most remarkable part of this transformation, however, has been largely left untold the central role of the Chinese Communist Party. As an organization alone, the Party is a phenomenon of unique scale and power. With more than seventy-three million members, it does more than just rule a country. The Party not only has a grip on every aspect of government, from the largest, richest cities to the smallest far-flung villages in Tibet and Xinjiang, it also presides over all official religions, the media, the military and large state-owned businesses.

Art And The Limits Of The Political [Audio]

Mon, 7 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Herman Rapaport | A series of three lectures examining the proposition that contemporary art can go beyond transforming our understanding of the political and build new forms of political and social relations.

Cities Under Siege [Audio]

Mon, 7 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Stephen Graham | Cities have become the new battleground of our increasingly urban world. From the slums of the global South to the wealthy financial centres of the West, Cities Under Siege traces how political violence now operates through the sites, spaces, infrastructures and symbols of the world's rapidly expanding metropolitan areas. Drawing on a wealth of original research, Graham shows how Western and Israeli militaries and security forces now perceive all urban terrain as a real or imagined conflict zone inhabited by lurking, shadow enemies, and urban inhabitants as targets that need to be continually tracked, scanned, controlled and targeted. He examines the transformation of Western militaries into high-tech urban counter-insurgency forces, the militarization and surveillance of March international borders, the labelling as "terrorist" of democratic dissent and Politics/Geography protests, and the enacting of legislation suspending "normal" civilian law. In doing so, he reveals how the New Military Urbanism now permeates the entire fabric of our urban lives, from subway and transport systems hardwired with high-tech "command and control" systems and the infection of civilian policy with all-pervasive "security" discourses; to the pervasive militarization of popular culture.

Mexico City: Inclusive Actions Towards Sustainability [Audio]

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Marcelo Ebrard | Centrally involved in the shaping of Mexico City since the early 80's, Marcelo Ebrard has lead ambitious and innovative campaigns to face the city's challenges, in relation to public security and environmental sustainability. The lecture will address his government's developmental priorities, making a case for social equality as being at the core of its initiatives to enhance mobility, improve public transport, and restore public space. Social inclusion, it will argue, is a necessary first step for a sustainable future of one Latin America's largest megacities.

A Lecture By Bronislaw Komorowski, Acting President Of Poland And Speaker Of The Polish Parliament [Audio]

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Bronislaw Komorowski | Bronislaw Komorowski, Poland's parliamentary speaker, has been thrust into the role of acting president after the death of Lech Kaczynski in a plane crash in Russia. As Marshal of the Sejm, Poland's lower house of parliament, since November 2007, presidential powers were automatically transferred to Mr Komorowski upon Mr Kaczynski's death.

Climate Change: The City Solution [Audio]

Tue, 1 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ritt Bjerregaard | As mayor of Copenhagen, Ritt Bjerregaard presided over a number of pioneering initiatives - including promoting cycling and low emissions zones - which help demonstrate how cities can provide solutions to global challenges such as climate change

India's Economy: Performance And Challenges [Audio]

Tue, 1 Jun 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Shankar Acharya, Isher Ahluwalia, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Surjit Bhalla, Martin Wolf | India has traversed a long way since the economic reforms of the early 1990s, and is now widely recognized as one of the fastest growing countries in the world. In view of Montek Singh Ahluwalia's key role in crafting reforms which helped integrate India with the world economy, this volume (India's Economy: Performance and Challenges Essays in Honour of Montek Singh Ahluwalia) in his honour brings together essays by leading experts on the Indian economy and on international economic policy. It spans the main features of India's economic development and addresses a wide rang of topics such as growth, inequality, macroeconomic performance, monetary policy, capital markets, infrastructure, human resources, global finance, climate change and international trade.

Europe And North America In A Changing Global Economy [Audio]

Thu, 27 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Carlos Gutierrez | The global financial crisis caused some governments to turn inward. Is protectionism here to stay? What can the US and EU do to stimulate growth and encourage trade?

HIV/AIDS In Uganda: How Anti-Retrovirals Change People's Lives [Audio]

Thu, 27 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Antonieta Medina Lara, Barbara Nyanzi-Wakholi | Until only a few years ago, an AIDS diagnosis in Africa was seen as the harbinger of an inevitable and lingering death. In rich countries, anti-retroviral therapy has made AIDS a manageable condition for most infected people. The challenge has been to provide such treatment in resource constrained settings, particularly in Africa. In a unique study combining sophisticated quantitative and qualitative analysis, Antonieta Medina Lara and Barbara Nyanzi-Wakholi examine the way that the roll out of anti-retroviral medications for HIV/AIDS have changed people's lives in Uganda. In this lecture they report on the detail of their research undertaken as part of the DART (The Development of AntiRetroviral Therapy in Africa) reported in Lancet in December 2009.

The Career-Family Conundrum [Audio]

Thu, 27 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Claudia Goldin | The talk concerns the challenges facing highly-educated young men and women who wish to have families while pursuing careers such as those in business, medicine, law, and academia. The long history of the career and family quest among college graduate women is explored, and relationships between demands in the labor market for workplace flexibility and the response by occupations, firms, and institutions are addressed.

The Ultimate Weapon Is No Weapon: Human Security And The New Rules Of War And Peace [Audio]

Wed, 26 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lieutenant Colonel Shannon D. Beebe, Professor Mary Kaldor, Clare Short, Rory Stewart MP | A panel of speakers explore an idea for stabilising the dangerous neighbourhoods of the world through the implementation of human security ideas. The event celebrates the publication of The Ultimate Weapon is No Weapon: Human Security and the New Rules of War and Peace written by Shannon D Beebe and Professor Mary Kaldor, published by Perseus Books.

Making Research Relevant: Keynote Panel [Audio]

Wed, 26 May 2010 15:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Zack Cooper, Simon Dietz, Sarabajaya Kumar, Sarah Mistry | This keynote panel is part of the LSE PhD Poster Exhibition: Relating Research to Reality hosted on May 26 in the NAB. The panel will speak to the theme of the PhD Poster Exhibition, exploring diverse approaches to engagement between academia and wider society.

A Manifesto For Giant Funds: Resolving The Dysfunctionality Of Finance [Audio]

Tue, 25 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Paul Woolley | Paul Woolley explains why banking has grown so dominant, profitable and prone to crisis. He shows how giant funds, the custodians of social wealth, should act to make finance a better servant to society.

Beirut Normal [Audio]

Tue, 25 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Hashim Sarkis | Is there anything to say about Beirut beyond the obvious, and by now exhausted, lessons of post-war reconstruction and identity politics? What is a "Beirut normal"? Is it worth examining? The lecture puts forward these questions not in order to diminish the city's architectural output but to reveal aspects of the city that have been overwhelmed by the discourses of war and politics. Through a series of specific architectural and urban analyses, the lecture proposes that a certain urbanism could be derived out of seemingly unrelated attributes of the city such as the speculative intensities of development, Beirut's geography between countryside and Mediterranean, and its insatiable pursuit of "a worldly aesthetic."

Libya: Past, Present, And Future [Audio]

Tue, 25 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Saif al-Islam Alqadhafi | Saif al-Islam Alqadhafi is currently Chairman of the Gaddafi International Foundation for Charity and Development based in Tripoli, Libya. He received his Ph.D. from the London School of Economics in 2009. The topic of his thesis was The Role of Civil Society in the Democratization of Global Governance Institutions: From 'Soft Power' to Collective Decision-Making? He received a Masters Degree in Business from Vienna's IMADEC University in 2000. He graduated with BSc in Engineering from Tripoli's Al Fateh University in 1994.

Building Social Business: The New Kind Of Capitalism That Serves Humanity's Most Pressing Needs [Audio]

Tue, 25 May 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Muhammad Yunus | Muhammad Yunus has developed a visionary new dimension for capitalism which he calls "social business". By harnessing the energy of profit-making to the objective of fulfilling human needs, social business creates self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that make the world a better place. In Building Social Business, Professor Yunus shows how social business has gone from being a theory to an inspiring practice, adopted by leading corporations, entrepreneurs and social activists across the world. He also demonstrates how social business transforms lives; offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own; explains how public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model; and shows why social business holds the potential to redeem the failed promise of free-market enterprise.

The Realities And Relevance Of Japan's Great Recession [Audio]

Mon, 24 May 2010 18:39:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Adam S Posen | There is a battle for the future of our planet between profiteers who threaten to destroy natural resources for gain and backward-looking environmental romantics who thwart constructive development. Paul Collier uses his ground-breaking research to offer realistic and sustainable solutions that reconcile the immediate needs of the world's growing population without despoiling the planet for future generations.

The Plundered Planet [Audio]

Mon, 24 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Collier | Cities are the magnets for more than half the world's population. In such urban conditions, architects are increasingly called into debates about environmental and social sustainability, governance, and social inequality. Shaping Cities is an Urban Age public lecture series organised by LSE Cities that identifies the growing complexity of architectural practice in relation to the challenges of exponential urbanism.

HIV/AIDS And Disability: New Research Findings From Kenya [Audio]

Thu, 20 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Sam Tororei | The WHO estimates that 10 per cent of the population in poor countries is disabled. Disabled people have and want sexual lives - and, because of their disabilities, they may also be sexually abused and exploited. In this lecture Dr Sam Tororei from the Nairobi based Regional AIDS Training Network (RATN) will present findings from the most recent research. He will talk about how in Kenya steps are being taken to protect disabled people from sexual abuse while encourage them to lead full sexual lives, this in an environment where HIV infection is an ever present threat. The lecture will be of particular interest to those interested in health, disability, HIV/AIDS, Kenya, gender and sexuality issues.

How Much Does Good Management Matter? Evidence From India [Audio]

Thu, 20 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Roberts | As early as 2005 Roubini speculated that house prices would soon sink the economy, and in 2006 warned the IMF that the The quality of management varies significantly across countries, with less developed countries featuring a large share of poorly managed firms. In a field experiment we explore why so many Indian firms are poorly managed, whether this can be improved and what the effect of better management is on performance. We find strong positive results

The Cultural Practices Of Cognition [Audio]

Thu, 20 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Edwin Hutchins | Edwin Hutchins discusses how the shift to seeing cognition as a biological rather than a logical phenomenon presents challenges and opportunities for understanding the relations between culture and cognition.

We Don't Know How To Solve Global Poverty And That's A Good Thing [Audio]

Wed, 19 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor William Easterly | This lecture argues that occasions when development economists were more certain about 'the solution to global poverty' have often led to harmful consequences for the world's poor in the long-run. Sceptical criticism is a creative force that redirects attention and effort away from centrally-directed expert solutions towards effective decentralised problem-solving.

Financial Crises And Crisis Economics: Past, Present And Future [Audio]

Tue, 18 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nouriel Roubini | As early as 2005 Roubini speculated that house prices would soon sink the economy, and in 2006 warned the IMF that the United States was likely to face a catastrophic housing bust resulting in deep recession. Back then he was nicknamed 'Dr Doom' by the New York Times. In hindsight, economists have called him a prophet.

Full Globalisation As A Positive-Sum Game: Green Demand As An Answer To The Financial Crisis [Audio]

Tue, 18 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Carlota Perez | Drawing lessons from history, this lecture will argue that the potential of information technologies, the challenges of the environment and the scope for re-specialisation in the globalised economy could bring about a sustainable global 'golden age'.

Kinetic City: Designing For Informality In Mumbai [Audio]

Tue, 18 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Rahul Mehrotra. | Mumbai, a Kinetic City, presents a compelling vision that potentially allows us to better understand the blurred lines of contemporary urbanism and the changing roles of people and spaces in urban society. An architecture or urbanism of equality in an increasingly inequitable economic condition requires looking deeper to find a wide range of places to mark and commemorate the cultures of those excluded from the spaces of global flows. These don't necessarily lie in the formal production of architecture, but often challenge it. Here the idea of a city is an elastic urban condition, not a grand vision, but a grand adjustment.

On Narrative And Ritual [Audio]

Fri, 14 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard Sennett, Dr Rowan Williams. | A dialogue between a social philosopher and theologian about ritual and narrative.

Trust, Transparency And Care [Audio]

Fri, 14 May 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Christopher Kelly | The lecture will discuss some of the issues facing the health and social care system following the election.

Richard Sennett: The Sociology Of Public Life - Session 2 [Audio]

Fri, 14 May 2010 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Craig Calhoun, Professor Bruno Latour, Alan Rusbridger, Professor Judy Wajcman, David Adjaye, Professor Geoff Mulgan, Lord Richard Rogers, Polly Toynbee. | Editor's note: Unfortunately, owing to technical difficulties, the last few minutes of session 1 are missing from the audio podcast. In this exciting half-day conference two panels on 'Public Life and Public Policy' and 'Cities and the Public Realm', discuss these themes in the context of the work of Professor Sennett, the eminent sociologist whose recent books include The Culture of the New Capitalism and The Craftsman.

Richard Sennett: The Sociology Of Public Life - Session 1 [Audio]

Fri, 14 May 2010 14:30:00 GMT

China's 21st Century Market Authoritarian Challenge [Audio]

Thu, 13 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Stefan Halper | Beyond the military and economic challenge presented by Beijing, there lies a battle of ideas. China's market authoritarian model promises to shape the developing world in the 21st Century offering both new modes of governance and a path around the West. What does this mean for the Enlightenment ideals that have informed Western progress for some 200 years? What does it mean for the millions seeking a better life across the Third World?

Obliquity: Why Our Goals Are Best Pursued Indirectly [Audio]

Thu, 13 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Kay | Many goals are more likely to be achieved when pursued indirectly: the most profitable companies are not the most aggressive in chasing profits and the wealthiest are not the most materialistic. By understanding the principle of Obliquity we can make better decisions in our personal and professional lives

Frazer Strikes Back From The Armchair [Audio]

Thu, 13 May 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Rane Willerslev | The question which runs throughout this talk can be stated in stark form: is it a mistake to take our interest in an ethnographic phenomenon in the direction of an empirical investigation, when what is really needed with respect to its clarity is an imaginative contemplation of it? It is my overall argument that this is indeed the case and that the Malinowskian recourse to empirical evidence as the ultimate criterion for anthropological knowledge is misguided. Some phenomena dealt with by anthropologists are beyond empirical experience. As examples, I take two classical topics - the 'soul' and 'ritual blood sacrifice'. I will show how both are essentially metaphysical issues, not empirical ones. Understanding them, therefore, is not a question of advancement in the actual material practice of fieldwork, but of the power of the scholar's speculative imagination. This finds an echo in Frazer, the last survivor of the old 'armchair school'. His style of anthropology was marked by a deliberate speculative interrogation of ethnography - a process whereby abstract thinking gives force and meaning to ethnographic observations.

LSE Director's Dialogue with Paul Volcker [Audio]

Thu, 13 May 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies and Paul Volcker | Howard Davies is director of LSE. Prior to this, from 1997-2003 he was Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, the single regulator for the UK financial sector, which was created under his leadership from nine separate regulatory agencies. From 1995-1997 he was Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. His latest book is Banking on the Future: the fall and rise of central banking, written with David Green, which will be launched at LSE at a public debate on 12 May.

Atheists On Religion [Audio]

Wed, 12 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Tim Crane, Professor AC Grayling | For the last 150 years or so European philosophers and sociologists have tended to regard religion as just one more pre-scientific myth and superstition that has had its day, and likely to wither on the vine of History. This view, the secularization thesis, seems today to be in poor shape. Not only does there appear to be no sign of withering, still less a clear path of scientific and rational progress, but religion seems to be reviving. Classic atheist criticisms of religion tend today to sound increasingly strident and dogmatic. In this dialogue two of Britain's leading philosophers who are also convinced atheists will explore the continued attractions of religious belief and its place in a European world whose secular character is itself today in question.

Banking On The Future: The Fall And Rise Of Central Banking [Audio]

Wed, 12 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies, David Green | Not long ago, national central banks were endowed with wide-ranging authority, enormous prestige, and a high degree of independence. Today, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, rethinking their functioning and their modus operandi is both natural and needed. Howard Davies and David Green write on this issue with authority, reflecting their practical experience, political sensitivity, and high analytic skills.

Economics And Politics Post-Lisbon [Audio]

Tue, 11 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Baroness Catherine Ashton | Baroness Catherine Ashton is the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice President of the European Commission. Prior to this she served as European Commissioner for Trade.

Individuals And Groups In Evolutionary Biology [Audio]

Tue, 11 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Samir Okasha | Many animal species live in cooperative groups, but the tension between individual and group welfare is ever-present. Professor Okasha's talk will analyse how evolutionary biologists have theorized about this tension.

Islam Quintet: Night Of The Golden Butterfly [Audio]

Tue, 11 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Tariq Ali | Night of the Golden Butterfly concludes the Islam Quintet-Tariq Ali's award-winning series of historical novels, translated into more than a dozen languages, that has been twenty years in the writing. Completing an epic panorama that began in fifteenth-century Moorish Spain, the latest novel moves between the cities of the twenty-first century, from Lahore to London, from Paris to Beijing

Aftershock: Europe And The Post-Crisis World [Audio]

Mon, 10 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Philippe Legrain | The financial crisis brought the world to the brink of economic breakdown. As bubble turned to bust, Depression loomed. Now bankers' bonuses are back, house prices are rising again and politicians promise recovery while unemployment remains high, debts mount, frictions with China grow and the planet overheats. Is this really sustainable - or do we need to change course?

Transitional Justice In The 21st Century [Audio]

Mon, 10 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Natasa Kandic, Professor Ruti Teitel, David Tolbert. | To mark the official launch of the London Transitional Justice Network, this panel of leading advocates and scholars will explore the unprecedented expansion and challenges for transitional justice in the 21st century.

Do No Harm: International Support For State Building In Fragile Situations [Audio]

Thu, 6 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jon Lømoy, Dr Funmi Olonisakin, Professor James Putzel. | This panel discussion will focus on the January 2010 OECD report Do No Harm: international support for statebuilding in fragile situations, for which CSRC director, James Putzel, is the principal author.

Awakening Giants, Feet of Clay: assessing the economic rise of China and India [Audio]

Wed, 5 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Pranab Bardhan | Professor Pranab Bardhan will deliver two lectures on the evening of 4 and 5 May. In this first lecture he will give a broad critical overview of the main achievements and failures in the two giant economies.

Victims or Survivors? The Emerging Economies and the Economic Crisis [Audio]

Wed, 5 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Thomas Mirow. | 18 months into the worst financial crisis since the 1930s, which countries seem to have made the grade? And how have they done so?

Awakening Giants, Feet of Clay: assessing the economic rise of China and India [Audio]

Tue, 4 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Islam, Secularisms and Law across Europe [Audio]

Tue, 4 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Bowen | This lecture will draw on the understandings of Islam and secularism that have been explored in earlier talks to compare recent processes of social and legal adaptation across Europe, with a focus on the contrast between England and France and further comparisons of North American and German legal cases.

The Coming Global Monetary (Dis)Order [Audio]

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Benjamin Cohen | "After the Great Recession, the global monetary system is in turmoil. Can order be restored?"

The Future of Cities in Britain: a pre-election debate [Audio]

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Tessa Jowell, Lord McNally, Bob Neill | This public debate asks the country's leading parties what their policies are on making Britain's towns and cities more liveable and sustainable. What do their parties' manifestos offer on the built environment, urban development and quality of life? How will the inevitable conflicts between reduction in public expenditure and the need to invest in our urban infrastructure be resolved? What role can British cities play in leading the revolution in the green economy and setting new standards of environmental responsibility?

Red Tory: How Left and Right have Broken Britain and How we can Fix It [Audio]

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Phillip Blond | Conventional politics is at a crossroads. Amid recession, depression, poverty, increasing violence and rising inequality, our current politics is exhausted and inadequate. In Red Tory, Phillip Blond argues that only a radical new political settlement can tackle the problems we face.

The Greek Fiscal Crisis and the Future of the Euro-Zone [Audio]

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor George Alogoskoufis, Professor Wim Koesters, Dr Yannos Papantoniou, Simon Tilford | The fiscal crisis in Greece has received much international coverage. Can Greece correct its financial position and undertake the necessary reforms for future prosperity? What are the implications for the governance of the euro-zone and the future performance of the 'euro'?

The lottery of birth and the role of young people in development [Audio]

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Espen Berg, Zoë Marriage, Bremley Lyngdoh, Andrew Lamb | The panellists will discuss the role of young people in development and what governments and the development community can do to improve the situation of young people living in a poverty environment.

What About Women? [Audio]

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lynne Featherstone, Harriet Harman, Theresa May | Women's votes will determine the result of this closely fought election and all the parties have mounted a media charm offensive to win their support. But is there any policy substance behind their spin? What would the parties' policies in key areas such as the economy, the family, crime and reforming politics mean for women's lives and which party would best progress women's equality and human rights?

'Running While Others Walk': the challenge of African development [Audio]

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Thandika Mkandawire | Africa lags behind other developing nations both economically and by other related social indicators. There is widespread feeling in Africa that, in the words of Nyerere, 'Africa must run while others walk'. The lecture will consider the implications of this task on African scholarship.

The Enigma of Capital [Audio]

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Harvey | For three centuries the capitalist system has shaped western society and conditioned the lives of its people. Capitalism is cyclical - and increasingly bankrupt. Boom-and-bust is its model. Laying bare the follies of the international financial system, eminent academic David Harvey looks at the nature of capitalism and why it's time to call a halt to its unbridled excesses.

Mandela's Way - Lessons on Life [Audio]

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Richard Stengel | For nearly three years Time magazine editor Richard Stengel collaborated with Nelson Mandela on his autobiography and travelled with him everywhere. Eating with him, watching him campaign, hearing him think out loud, Stengel came to know all the different sides of this complex man. He became a cherished friend and colleague. Now he has distilled countless hours of intimate conversation with Mandela into fifteen essential life lessons. In Mandela's Way, he recounts the moments in which 'the grandfather of South Africa' was tested and shares the wisdom he learned.

LSE Asia Forum 2010 - 15:30 - 17:00 - Plenary session: Health care: trust, mistrust, voice or choice? followed by Q&A Session - Closing Remarks - in Chinese [Audio]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Julian Le Grand; Henk Bekedam; Professor Hu Yonghua; Howard Davies | The fifth LSE Asia Forum took place in Beijing on 25-26 March 2010 with the support of the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS). The Forum addressed a wide range of issues of deep interest to policymakers and wider society, under a general theme relating to the recent challenges and changes that have affected the global economy. A key focus of the Forum was on the role of China in tackling the recent challenges, and what lessons can be learnt for the future. 15:30 - 17:00 - Plenary session: Health care: trust, mistrust, voice or choice? presented by Professor Julian Le Grand followed by a question an answer session, followed by closing remarks from Howard Davies.

LSE Asia Forum 2010 - 15:30 - 17:00 - Plenary session: Health care: trust, mistrust, voice or choice? followed by Q&A Session - Closing Remarks - in English [Audio]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:30:00 GMT

LSE Asia Forum 2010 - 14:50 - 15:25 - Q&A Session: Climate change and economic growth - in Chinese [Audio]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:50:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Nicholas Stern of Brentford, Vice Minister Liu He, Zhu Min | The fifth LSE Asia Forum took place in Beijing on 25-26 March 2010 with the support of the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS). The Forum addressed a wide range of issues of deep interest to policymakers and wider society, under a general theme relating to the recent challenges and changes that have affected the global economy. A key focus of the Forum was on the role of China in tackling the recent challenges, and what lessons can be learnt for the future. 14:00 - 14:50 - Climate change and economic growth - question and answer session.

LSE Asia Forum 2010 - 14:50 - 15:25 - Q&A Session: Climate change and economic growth - in English [Audio]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:50:00 GMT

LSE Asia Forum 2010 - 14:00 - 14:50 - Plenary session: Climate change and economic growth - in Chinese [Audio]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Nicholas Stern of Brentford, Vice Minister Liu He, Zhu Min | The fifth LSE Asia Forum took place in Beijing on 25-26 March 2010 with the support of the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS). The Forum addressed a wide range of issues of deep interest to policymakers and wider society, under a general theme relating to the recent challenges and changes that have affected the global economy. A key focus of the Forum was on the role of China in tackling the recent challenges, and what lessons can be learnt for the future. 114:00 - 14:50 - Plenary session: Climate change and economic growth, presented by Professor Lord Nicholas Stern of Brentford.

LSE Asia Forum 2010 - 14:00 - 14:50 - Plenary session: Climate change and economic growth - in English [Audio]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Nicholas Stern of Brentford, Vice Minister Liu He, Zhu Min | The fifth LSE Asia Forum took place in Beijing on 25-26 March 2010 with the support of the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS). The Forum addressed a wide range of issues of deep interest to policymakers and wider society, under a general theme relating to the recent challenges and changes that have affected the global economy. A key focus of the Forum was on the role of China in tackling the recent challenges, and what lessons can be learnt for the future. 114:00 - 14:50 - Plenary session: Climate change and economic growth, presented by Professor Lord Nicholas Stern of Brentford.

LSE Asia Forum 2010 - 11:30 - 12:45 - Plenary session: China: An Emerging Diplomatic Superpower?, followed by Q&A Session - in Chinese [Audio]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Arne Westad, Professor Wang Jisi, Michael Yahuda | The fifth LSE Asia Forum took place in Beijing on 25-26 March 2010 with the support of the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS). The Forum addressed a wide range of issues of deep interest to policymakers and wider society, under a general theme relating to the recent challenges and changes that have affected the global economy. A key focus of the Forum was on the role of China in tackling the recent challenges, and what lessons can be learnt for the future. 1:30 - 12:45 - Plenary session: China: An Emerging Diplomatic Superpower? presented by Professor Arne Westad, followed by a question and answer session.

LSE Asia Forum 2010 - 11:30 - 12:45 - Plenary session: China: An Emerging Diplomatic Superpower?, followed by Q&A Session - in English [Audio]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:30:00 GMT

LSE Asia Forum 2010 - 08:00 - 09:45 - Welcome & Introduction - Keynote Speech - Address by His Royal Highness The Duke of York - in Chinese [Audio]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies; His Excellency Mr Yang Jiechi; His Royal Highness The Duke of York | The fifth LSE Asia Forum took place in Beijing on 25-26 March 2010 with the support of the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS). The Forum addressed a wide range of issues of deep interest to policymakers and wider society, under a general theme relating to the recent challenges and changes that have affected the global economy. A key focus of the Forum was on the role of China in tackling the recent challenges, and what lessons can be learnt for the future. This session comprises the welcome and introduction from Howard Davies, followed by the keynote speech presented by His Excellency Mr Yang Jiechi, followed by an address by His Royal Highness The Duke of York.

LSE Asia Forum 2010 - 08:00 - 09:45 - Welcome & Introduction - Keynote Speech - Address by His Royal Highness The Duke of York - in English [Audio]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:45:00 GMT

LSE Asia Forum 2010 - 08:00 - 09:45 - Welcome & Introduction | Keynote Speech | Address by His Royal Highness The Duke of York - in Chinese [Audio]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies, His Excellency Mr Yang Jiechi, His Royal Highness The Duke of York | The fifth LSE Asia Forum took place in Beijing on 25-26 March 2010 with the support of the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS). The Forum addressed a wide range of issues of deep interest to policymakers and wider society, under a general theme relating to the recent challenges and changes that have affected the global economy. A key focus of the Forum was on the role of China in tackling the recent challenges, and what lessons can be learnt for the future. This session comprises the welcome and introduction from Howard Davies, followed by the keynote speech presented by His Excellency Mr Yang Jiechi, followed by an address by His Royal Highness The Duke of York.

LSE Asia Forum 2010 - 08:00 - 09:45 - Welcome & Introduction | Keynote Speech | Address by His Royal Highness The Duke of York - in English [Audio]

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Entrepreneurship in the Arab world [Audio]

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sheikha Hanadi Al-Thani | The lecture will aim to raise awareness and understanding of the obstacles preventing the full integration of young people in economic life. Sheikha Hanadi will also engage in analyzing and defining the prevalent attitudes toward work and the many societal barriers to employment and entrepreneurship in the Arab world.

The Future of Capitalism and Globalisation: Global Perspectives and a European Agenda [Audio]

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Karel De Gucht, Professor Marc De Vos | The subprime crisis and the global recession are receding. But what will be their long-term consequences? What future awaits globalization, international relations, and the market economy? What are the global trends of crisis policies and what do they mean for the post-crisis world? These fundamental questions will be addressed at an evening debate that will offer both the big global picture and the view from the new EU Commissioner for Trade.

Friendship and Poetry [Audio]

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Vikram Seth | The Colorni lectures are held regularly in memory of Eva Colorni, who taught economics at the former City of London Polytechnic - now incorporated into London Metropolitan University - until her early death in 1985. A collection of the earlier lectures is published by Oxford University Press, under the title Living As Equals. This year's lecture will be delivered by the Indian poet and novelist Vikram Seth.

Religion and Pluralism in a Divided World [Audio]

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Anwar Ibrahim | Anwar Ibrahim is a former Deputy Prime Minister (1993-1998) and Finance Minister (1991-1998) of Malaysia. He was dismissed from office in 1998 and imprisoned after a trial condemned by many critics as a "sham" orchestrated by the government led by Dr Mahathir Mohamed. After serving six years in prison, Anwar was released after the Malaysian courts overturned his conviction. Anwar taught and lectured at Oxford University, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and Georgetown University, lecturing extensively on issues of governance, democracy and contemporary politics in Southeast Asia.

EU Enlargement and the Western Balkans: A Fast Track or Slow Lane [Audio]

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ingeborg Grssle; Tanja Fajon | It has been said that EU enlargement in the Western Balkans is about completing the Union. The key question is when and how to do it. Or whether it can be done at all! This public debate between two experienced MEPs aims to explore the argument from all sides. Ingeborg Grssle is a Member of the European Parliament in Germany and Tanja Fajon is a Member of the European Parliament in Slovenia.

Europe as a Global Actor? A Conversation with Javier Solana [Audio]

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Javier Solana | After ten years of serving as EU High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana reflects on the achievements and challenges ahead for Europe as a global security actor with Professor Mary Kaldor. Javier Solana is a Senior Visiting Professor at the LSE Global Governance. He was formerly the Secretary General of the Council of the EU and EU High Representative for CSFP (October 1999 - December 2009). Prior to that, he was the Secretary General of NATO from 1995 - 1999. He is a former physics professor and long time Spanish cabinet member

Inter-party Debate: Featuring Vince Cable V. Greg Hands V. Labour [Audio]

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Vince Cable MP, Greg Hands MP, James Plaskitt MP | Keeping in context the events that unfolded in the recent economic crisis, the fiscal burden of the associated policies enacted during that period, and with the likely possibility of a general election soon, the LSE Economics Society is proud to play host to an inter-party debate featuring key members from the three main contending parties of this year's General Election.

Requiem for Detroit? [Audio]

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): G. Asenath Andrews, Stuart Gulliver, Bruce Katz, Richard Sennett | Detroit was once America's fourth largest city. Built by the car, with its groundbreaking suburbs, freeways and shopping centres, it was the embodiment of the American dream. With its intense race riots that brought the Army into the city, and violent union struggles against the fierce resistance of Henry Ford and the Big Three, it was also the scene of American 'nightmares'.

New Labour, Xenophobia and Immigration [Audio]

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Arun Kundnani, Nira Yuval-Davis, Joseph Harker | With immigration issues increasingly taking centre-stage during New Labour's tenure in government, and with the electoral success of the BNP and the rise of the Right arguably signalling a resurgence of racism and xenophobia in British society, this event will discuss the relationship between these two contentious developments.

Phoenix Cities - surviving financial, social and environmental turmoil in Europe and the US [Audio]

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Richard Rogers, Bruce Katz, Professor Anne Power, Julia Unwin | This discussion will debate the issues arising from a new book Phoenix Cities which examines seven cities from very different regions of the EU, comparing them with the US experience. Their dramatic decline, intense recovery efforts and actual progress on the ground underline the significance of public underpinning in times of crisis. Innovative enterprises, new-style city leadership, special neighbourhood programme, skills development, environmental reclamation are all explored. The American experience shows that cities left largely to their own devices deliver a slower, more uncertain recovery. The discussion will explore where next for Phoenix Cities, given the economic shocks, the pressures of climate change and the social inequalities that sharply divide these recovering cities.

Beyond Copenhagen [Audio]

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Stern | Nicholas Stern is IG Patel professor of economics and government at LSE and chairman of the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy.

The Empathic Civilization [Audio]

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jeremy Rifkin | At this event Jeremy Rifkin will talk about his latest book The Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis. His book is a sweeping new interpretation of the history of civilization, that looks at the evolution of empathy and the profound ways that it has shaped our development-and is likely to determine our fate as a species.

Meeting Development Challenges in the 21st Century [Audio]

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Helen Clark | In recent times, the challenges of the developing world have been compounded by multiple crises: the food and fuel crises, the global recession, and devastating natural disasters. There is also the huge climate challenge. How can the international community move the development agenda forward, and stay focused on achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015?

Sustainable Business Innovation [Audio]

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Elkington | This lecture will discuss adapting to climate change within a new economic framework. John Elkington is co-founder of think tank SustainAbility and founding partner and director of Volans.

Biomedical Enhancement and the Ethics of Development [Audio]

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Allen Buchanan | It is becoming possible to extend human capacities and perhaps even create new ones through the application of biomedical technologies. Putting biomedical enhancements in a historical context can help us avoid common misunderstandings of ethical issues.

Mind-Body Problems: Science, Fiction, and God [Audio]

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, Professor Steven Pinker | What happens when a novelist and philosopher talks to a cognitive neuroscientist about faith, reason, fiction, and God? Listen in as Rebecca Newberger Goldstein and her husband Steven Pinker explore what Spinoza would say about Darwin, what role fiction should play in intellectual life, whether any of the arguments for the existence of God are any good, and other topics at the interface of literature, science, and philosophy.

The Brahimi Panels: Future Options in Afghanistan [Audio]

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Wazhma Frogh, David Kilcullen, Horia Mosadiq, Michael Semple, Tom Tugendhat | Chaired by distinguished UN diplomat and envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, experts on Afghanistan will discuss the current situation in that country and possibilities for its future during a time of disintegrating support for western military involvement and a resurgent Taliban.

The Risks of Genetically Modifying Human Embryos or Gametes [Audio]

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Allen Buchanan | Many consider genetic modification to be the riskiest mode of biomedical enhancement. The problem of unintended bad consequences is serious, but it is often misrepresented in terms of interference with the 'wisdom of nature' or the handiwork of the 'master engineer' of evolution.

The Brahimi Panels: The Goldstone Report and the Peace Process [Audio]

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ami Ayalon, Professor Christine Chinkin, Karma Nabulsi, Colonel Desmond Travers | This public discussion, chaired by the distinguished UN diplomat and envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, will discuss the findings of the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict and the 'Goldstone Report' that it produced. Panellists will also examine the state of the peace process, and how this might unfold in the future.

The Future Development of International Criminal Justice: An Interdisciplinary Approach [Audio]

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 11:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sang-Hyun Song | Judge Sang-Hyun Song was appointed President of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March, 2009. He initially joined the ICC in 2003, when he became a judge for a term of nine years. President Song has extensive practical and academic experience in the area of court management, criminal procedure, and the law of evidence. For thirty years, he taught as a professor of law at Seoul National University Law School, beginning in 1972. He has also held visiting professorships at a number of law schools, including Harvard, New York University and Melbourne.

Education for Sustainable Development [Audio]

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Tony Juniper | This event will explore the role of universities in driving the sustainability agenda. Tony Juniper is a campaigner, writer, and a senior associate with the Cambridge University Programme for Sustainability Leadership. Professor Janet Hartley is Pro-director for teaching and learning at LSE.

Independent Prosecutors and Democratic Accountability [Audio]

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Ken MacDonald QC | Public prosecutors must be free from political influence to command confidence. But if they are not answerable to politicians, how are they accountable to the public for their work?

Risk versus responsibility in the regulation of the company [Audio]

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr David Kershaw | In this lunchtime series of lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

Studying Islam across times and place: how to compare? [Audio]

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Bowen | We discuss 'Studying Islam across times and place: how to compare?' and this time we subject 'Islam' to an analytical discussion. The anthropological approach advocated here focuses on processes by which Muslims refer back to an Islamic tradition, and employ those references to explain and change the social world. Current debates in Aceh (Indonesia) about how to understand sharî`a provide an initial case study; these debates are then shown to be quite similar to some underway in Western Europe.

Geopolitics and Imperialism: the British Empire and Halford Mackinder 1890-1940 [Audio]

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr John Darwin | It was perhaps no coincidence that Halford Mackinder, the most famous exponent of geopolitical theory, wrote his seminal essay in 1904 when British world power seemed on the verge of a secular crisis. This lecture examines how far the insights contained in Mackinder's four major works explain the geopolitical fortunes of the British world system in its age of blood and iron.

Hamlet Without the Prince of Denmark: how development has disappeared from today's 'development' discourse [Audio]

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ha-Joon Chang | Ha-Joon Chang is a reader in the political economy of development at Cambridge University. This event is supported by the LSE Annual Fund.

Prosperity without Growth [Audio]

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Tim Jackson | This lecture will discuss a new vision of shared prosperity. It will consider the capability of human beings to flourish within the ecological limits of a finite planet. Tim Jackson is professor of sustainable development at the University of Surrey and economics commissioner on the UK Sustainable Development Commission.

Chasing Science: laboratory inquiries, children's brains, family labours [Audio]

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Rayna Rapp | Over the last three decades, an escalating proportion of US school children have been classified for special education. At the same time, scientists have focused increasingly on juvenile brains. This lecture looks at the work of both neuroscientists and psychiatric epidemiologists.

Does the Electric Car have the Juice? [Audio]

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Len Curran, Andrew Heiron | Fierce price competition, painstaking cost-cutting, and widespread volatility is making life in the auto industry incredibly challenging. How has Renault adapted, and where does it see the auto industry heading? As a fledgling technology (and one of the great hopes for reducing global carbon emissions) can any electric car concept overcome such an inhospitable environment? Renault Group Commercial Director Len Curran and Electric Vehicles chief Andrew Heiron will both be offering their insights.

Risk-Based Regulation: Rethinking from a Lawyers' Perspective [Audio]

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Robert Baldwin, Julia Black | In this lunchtime series of lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

Civil Society, Aid and Security [Audio]

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sally Healy, Dr Jeremy Lind, David Peppiat, Elizabeth Winter | The Obama administration has abandoned the term 'War on Terror' and taken steps to undo the worst excesses of the post-9/11 security regime. However the legislation, structures and practices introduced after the attacks remain deeply embedded. The event is followed by the launch of Jude Howell and Jeremy Lind's new book Counter-terrorism, Aid and Civil Society.

The Importance of Alternative Financing: global perspectives on Islamic finance [Audio]

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Stephen Green, Dr. M. Umer Chapra | This lecture discusses the growing role alternative financing arrangements, such as Islamic finance, have on the global financial markets. It explains how morality or faith based forms of finance can continue to enhance modern finance in the future.

Barack Obama and the Muslim World [Audio]

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Gilles Kepel | This lecture will assess how successful President Obama's engagement with the Muslim world has been. Gilles Kepel is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS.

Twenty years of Transformation in CEE: Results, lessons and prospects [Audio]

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Leszek Balcerowicz | Leszek Balcerowicz is an economist, a Professor at the Warsaw School of Economics, Former President of the National Bank of Poland and Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the first non-communist Polish Government after the Second World War.

This Sporting Planet: global sport and global capitalism [Audio]

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Goldblatt | Globalisation has seen sport achieve a hitherto unequalled global cultural significance, but it has also left it in thrall to capitalism. Will economic forces continue to shape sport? David Goldblatt is a writer, broadcaster and teacher. He is author of The Ball is Round: a global history of football.

Counter-Composition: conversations on ethics [Audio]

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Steve Pyke, Dr Alex Voorhoeve | Alex Voorhoeve builds on Plato's arguments for philosophising about ethics in dialogue form. Steve Pyke will describe how he photographs philosophers, including how he approaches his subjects and what his portraits reveal about them.

Jimmy Stewart Is Dead -- Ending the World's Ongoing Financial Plague with Limited Purpose Banking [Audio]

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Laurence J. Kotlikoff | Let's call a spade a spade. Today's financial system, with its limited liability, insider rating, political kickbacks, director sweetheart deals, non disclosure, and internal corporate raiders, was built for hucksters -- hucksters who systematically manufactured and sold trillions in fraudulent securities, grabbed hoards of loot, and left the public to pick up the pieces.

21st Century Challenges: how global crises provide the opportunity to transform the world [Audio]

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Anthony Giddens, Professor David Held, Professor Mary Kaldor, Professor Danny Quah | The world now confronts crises unique in their global character. Distinguished LSE experts argue these crises provide an opportunity to transform the world and to build capacity for responding to extreme global challenges.

How rich are the baby boomers and how poor are their children? [Audio]

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Willetts MP | David Willetts will analyse the distribution of income and wealth between different generations in Britain. He will investigate why the baby boomer generation have done particularly well for both income and wealth. He will then look at why the younger generation face much less favourable economic circumstances. Drawing on his new book The Pinch he will firmly place the issue of fairness between the generations on the political agenda.

Renewing the Left's ideology: what should be the principles and goals of the centre-Left today? [Audio]

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): James Purnell MP | The credit crunch was followed by a consensus on the centre-Left that the world was entering a "progressive moment", and that the financial crisis represented a failure of the ideas of the New Right. Yet, in Europe at least, social democracy has struggled to articulate what the progressive response to the crisis, and has struggled electorally as a consequence. To resolve this paradox, the Left needs to recognise that the financial crisis challenges its received ideology too, and that if it wants to survive electorally, it will need to renew itself intellectually. The lecture will argue that such a renewal can come from re-examining Labour's traditions, and from having the courage to be bolder about goals and methods.

LSE Literary Festival - Speaking of Love [Audio]

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): AS Byatt, Ben Okri, Helen Simpson, Colin Thubron | Four very different writers consider four very different aspects of love: love as enchantment, and love as madness; passion in youth, and compassion in age. They read their favourite passages on love both from their own work, and from the work of others, and, on Valentine's eve, discuss Shakespeare's notion that 'The lunatic, the lover and the poet are of imagination all compact'.

LSE Literary Festival - Animating a Myth for our times: The Lawsuit of the Animals against Humanity [Audio]

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Zeina Frangie-Eyres, Dr Simon Glendinning, Professor Marina Warner, Dr Mark Wright | An event that combines a story-telling of the 1000-year-old eco-fable The Animals' Lawsuit against Humanity with a panel discussion on the story's historical and literary origins; current biodiversity in the midst of species extinction; the philosophical relationship between humans; and animals and the need for a myth for our times.

LSE Literary Festival - Theatre of Action? [Audio]

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Matt Charman, John Caird | Theatre has a rich tradition of raising political issues, as evidenced in LSE founder George Bernard Shaw's work. A discussion between a playwright and director on whether contemporary drama still aims to challenge audiences.

LSE Literary Festival - So Much for That: on illness, death and money [Audio]

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lionel Shriver | Lionel Shriver will be discussing and reading from her new novel So Much for That on the cusp of release in March. Described in HarperCollins's spring catalogue as "about illness, death, and money", Shriver's latest explores four different scenarios with a medical aspect, in a kind of literary "ER". The book examines the catastrophic personal fall-out of America's dysfunctional health-care system, while also raising tough questions that all Western countries are having to wrestle with--the most signal among them: how much money is one life worth?

LSE Literary Festival - Sociology as Literature [Audio]

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard Sennett | Richard Sennett's award winning Sociology of Literature explores the role of narrative in social research and in writing sociology.

LSE Literary Festival - The Arts of Illness [Audio]

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Jane Darcy, Brian Dillon, Sally O'Reilly | Consciousness of our own mortality is at the heart of the human experience, and has long fascinated writers and artists, inspiring quite an obsession with the body and its well-being. This panel will examine the relationship between creativity, illness and the imagination.

LSE Literary Festival - Reading London [Audio]

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Will Alsop, Professor Rosemary Ashton, Leo Hollis, Hans Ulrich Obrist | How do we attempt to understand the sprawling "modern Babylon" that is London, with its layers of social, political and cultural history? Can art, architecture and literature help us to 'read' this complex city?

LSE Literary Festival - Literature and the Sciences: Where do they meet? [Audio]

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Michael Blackburn, Mario Petrucci, Richard Tyrone-Jones | Three poets discuss the interrelationship between art and literature and the social sciences. What are the links between these seemingly polarised disciplines? Does art have any concrete influence on the social and political sciences?

LSE Literary Festival - Jekyll & Hyde: Law, Science, Psychology [Audio]

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 11:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Mary Evans, Professor Nicola Lacey, Robert Mighall, Professor Juliet Mitchell | Robert Louis Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde develops an extraordinarily rich intersection between literary fiction, legal norms and the scientific imagination. This panel discussion brings together legal academics, psychoanalytical theorists and specialists in nineteenth-century literature in a conversation focused on the historical and cultural significance themes in the novel. The discussion will span the emergence of the new science of criminology, late nineteenth-century anxieties about the permeability of social divisions, the consistency of scientific and popular theories of monstrosity, degeneration and depravity, and Stevenson's dismay that he had been turned into a professional author by the success of Jekyll and Hyde.

LSE Literary Festival - War Stories: How to bring the battle to the book? [Audio]

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 10:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Stephen Grey, Andrew Mueller, Ros Wynne-Jones | A discussion of war journalism in its historical context. How the great correspondents of the past managed to tell the world about conflicts around the globe. And how in the digital age, governments and the military seek to prevent free reporting of war. Can we ever really report objectively and openly on war?

LSE Literary Festival - How to write a novel- an introduction for beginners with Justine Mann [Audio]

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 10:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Justine Mann | Does the task of writing a novel both excite and daunt you? Using the political novel as an example, this workshop will examine how to progress from initial ideas to a successful draft. Participants should emerge with an understanding of the task that lies ahead and a greater sense of what is required in terms of structure, characterisation and plot.

Authority, Enjoyment and the Spirits of Capitalism [Audio]

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Yannis Stavrakakis | How is order sustained in capitalist societies? This lecture highlights the mutual engagement between authority, fantasy and enjoyment. Yannis Stavrakakis is associate professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

LSE Literary Festival - Literature and the Academic: Literature as a resource for other disciplines [Audio]

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Richard Bronk, Professor Margot Finn, Dr Neil Vickers | The session examines how the reading of literature can expand the analytical imagination, provide alternative metaphors and supply vital empirical evidence. Three academics from very different disciplines discuss ways in which literature can be invaluable to the broader research community.

LSE Literary Festival - At the margins - are hard times good times for literature? [Audio]

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrew Franklin, John Lanchester, Adrian Wooldridge | The publishing industry has arguably seen its worst financial year in decades, with flagging book sales and dwindling literature coverage in the national press. How will literature will fare in the current climate, and in the years to come? Will major publishers' dwindling revenues mean fewer - and less varied and ambitious - books on the market? Or is this a golden age for hard-edged, gritty recession literature, and incisive coverage of current social and political issues?

LSE Literary Festival - The Fiction of Development? [Audio]

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Giles Foden, Professor David Lewis, Jack Mpanje, Sunny Singh | Do we learn more about global poverty issues and the worlds of international development agencies from works of popular fiction such as Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance or Helen Fielding's Cause Celeb than we do from official reports and academic research? A recently-published paper written by David Lewis, Dennis Rodgers and Michael Woolcock suggests that fiction is an important and sometimes under-recognised source of knowledge about 'development' issues that may offer useful and different insights compared to more standard forms of research publication and policy reports.

LSE Literary Festival - Dance, Text, and Translation: Creating a Dialogue [Audio]

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Helen Thomas, Jasmin Vardimon | Dance is generally concerned with non-verbal bodily communication, while literature is text-based and disembodied. However, the long relationship between dance and text has been explored both through textual interfaces by collapsing the boundaries between different art forms such as physical theatre, dance and literature and within the world of text, these boundaries are negotiated through the body of literature written about dance.

2010: Marking a New Beginning - Bosnia & Herzegovina and South East Europe [Audio]

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Zlatko Lagumdzija | Dr Zlatko Lagumdzija is leader of the Social Democratic Party and a former Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

LSE Literary Festival - How Would a Robot Read a Novel? [Audio]

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Kavita Abraham, Dr Jon Adams, Dr Robert Hudson | Don't judge a book by its cover? Don't be ridiculous. We constantly make judgements on books - from where it appears in a shop, its pretty cover, its heft or subject matter, the praise and criticism we hear about it. Reviewers are even more prejudiced. They know the author, or hate the publisher or, even worse, are a meticulous and lucid expert on the subject. All human readings are subjective. Is there another way? Would an objective reading - some preconceptionless robotic analysis, for instance - be preferable? Is it even possible? And what questions might a robot help us answer?

LSE Literary Festival -The Future of Teen Fiction [Audio]

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Rebecca Clee, Patrick Ness, Alex Scarrow, Mark Walden | The culmination of LSE's second creative writing competition for London state schools, this panel of award-winning and innovative authors, alongside one teenager with her finger on the pulse of young-adult writing, will be discussing, and asking you in the audience, what's in store for teen fiction?

A Broken Middle East: a wasted decade of war on terror [Audio]

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Fawaz A Gerges | Today's Middle East is broken. The crisis of prolonged authoritarianism and failed economic policies have caused chronic poverty, pervasive corruption and the rise of extremism in Arab societies. A wasted decade of war on terror has reinforced widely held perceptions that the West is waging a crusade against Islam and Muslims. Fawaz Gerges is a professor of Middle Eastern politics and international relations at LSE.

Uncertainty and Ambiguity in American Fiscal and Monetary Policies [Audio]

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Thomas J Sargent | Combining an historical approach with macroeconomic theory, Thomas Sargent will discuss ways of thinking about American fiscal and monetary policies - exploring how contradictions have developed and how they have been resolved. Thomas Sargent is professor of economics at New York University and senior fellow at Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Out of the Bretton Woods: Building a World Bank for the 21st Century [Audio]

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Douglas Alexander MP | The first decade of the 21st Century has shown the extent to which we are increasingly interdependent for our prosperity, security and environmental sustainability. Tackling global poverty in today's world is not only a moral imperative, but in our common interest. Douglas Alexander will assess the importance of the World Bank in the fight against poverty, and propose the reforms that are necessary to equip it for the challenges that lie ahead.

Sustainable Housing: how can we save 80 per cent of our energy use in existing homes? [Audio]

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Anne Power | This lecture addresses how we can drastically reduce energy consumption and consequent carbon emissions by considering existing buildings. Anne Power, professor of social policy, is head of LSE Housing and Communities, a research group in the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion.

Freefall [Audio]

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Joseph Stiglitz | Stiglitz lays out not only the course of the financial crisis which began in 2007, but its underlying causes, and shows why much more radical reforms are needed than are currently being contemplated if we are to avoid similar 'systemic' crises in the future. Showing why the bailout has been only marginally effective and how it could have been much more so, and outlines the enormous opportunity - not yet taken - to design a new global financial architecture.

Climate Crunch: making the economics fit [Audio]

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jonathon Porritt | At the beginning of this new decade more people in the US and UK remain unpersuaded by the science of climate change than this time last year. Could it be that people have spotted the yawning gap between the politicians' apocalyptic rhetoric and the bland lifestyle advice to change your light bulbs or drive more slowly? What if there's no solution to climate change without freeing ourselves from our obsession with economic growth?

Economics 0-Reality 1 [Audio]

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Lanchester | Has the credit crunch exposed the futility of academic economics? Should LSE be closed down and converted into something more socially productive? In this lecture John Lanchester challenges the profession of economics with fundamental questions about its purpose and direction.

Europe - the traitor's kiss [Audio]

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Chris Bryant MP | After the recent focus on internal issues, the EU is now turning its attention to global matters. What impact will the emerging economic powerhouses of India, China and Brazil have on Europe's revitalised outward-looking perspective? Chris Bryant MP is UK Minister for Europe.

Online and offline risk - getting young people's experience of the internet into perspective [Audio]

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sonia Livingstone | In this lunchtime series of lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

Doldrums to Downing Street? The Conservative Party's long journey from opposition to the brink of office [Audio]

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Tim Bale | Why did the world's oldest and most successful political party dump Margaret Thatcher only to commit electoral suicide under John Major? Just as importantly, what stopped the Tories getting their act together until David Cameron came along? The answers, Tim Bale shows, are as provocative as the questions.

Eastern Europe and the Balkans: what now? [Audio]

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Tim Judah, Nick Thorpe | After months of renewed celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall, has a new malaise taken over? Are there any indicators of hope in the shadow of the unfinished project? Tim Judah is Balkans correspondent for The Economist. Nick Thorpe is Eastern Europe correspondent for the BBC.

Burquas aren't always blue: Kandahar 1968 - 2010 [Audio]

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Felix Kuehn, Alex Strick van Linschoten | Born in a small village of Kandahar, Abdul Salam Zaeef rose to become a senior member of the Taliban. His memoirs of his former role, recently translated from Pashto and edited by Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn, reveal an extraordinary and provocative counter-narrative to the standard accounts of Afghanistan since 1979. Using My Life with the Taliban as an entry point to discussion at this lunchtime event, Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehnwill explore the history and role of Kandahar: the birthplace of the Taliban movement and focal area for the recently announced military 'surge'.

Delivering a Low Carbon London [Audio]

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Isabel Dedring | Isabel Dedring will discuss developing and implementing a vision for a low carbon London. Isabel Dedring is environment adviser to the Mayor of London. She has also been director of the policy unit at Transport for London.

Secularisms in crisis [Audio]

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Bowen | During the 1980s people living in Europe and North America took cognizance of two major developments in religion and public life. Islam assumed a more prominent role both in majority Muslim societies and in societies of relatively recent residence. And forms of Christianity took on greater public roles in much of the West. These parallel developments have given rise to interrogations on many fronts: concerning the nature of secularism, the proper role of religious commitments in liberal democracies, and the accommodations required for Islam to assume its new role in those democracies. Confusion reigns over how to understand claims made in the name of Islam, or for that matter those made in the name of laïcité, toleration, or multiculturalism. This series of three lectures attempts to address some of these issues from a perspective that is anthropological, political-theoretic, and comparative.

You are not a gadget [Audio]

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jaron Lanier | Available as: mp3 (38 MB; approx 88 minutes)

Uninhibited, Robust and Wide-Open: a free press for a new century [Audio]

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lee Bollinger | Bollinger explores the meaning of freedom of the press in our globalised, internet-dominated era. Lee C. Bollinger became the nineteenth President of Columbia University on June 1, 2002. A prominent advocate of affirmative action, he played a leading role in the twin Supreme Court cases - Grutter v Bollinger and Gratz v Bollinger - that upheld and clarified the importance of diversity as a compelling justification for affirmative action in higher education. A leading First Amendment scholar, he is widely published on freedom of speech and press, and currently serves on the faculty of Columbia Law School.

Electoral Reform in the Wake of the Economic Crisis [Audio]

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Vincent Cable MP | Following the most devastating economic crisis since the Great Depression, electoral and institutional governance reform is high on the agenda of all political parties. Dr Cable identifies major targets for reform. Vince Cable is deputy leader and shadow chancellor of the Liberal Democrats. He is MP for Twickenham.

New Economics [Audio]

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrew Simms | Andrew Simms considers the development of a new sustainable economic model, looking at environmental, social and economic aspects. Andrew Simms is an author and a policy director at the New Economics Foundation. His most recent work is Ecological Debt: global warming and the wealth of nations

Risk, ethics and public sensitivities [Audio]

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor George Gaskell | In this lunchtime series of lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon: Where could Justice go wrong? [Audio]

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Omar Nashabe | The lecture places the crime - the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri - in its socio-political context, considers the process of the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in 2007, focuses on the structural properties of the tribunal, and closes by posing the central unanswered questions facing the same.

Not By Reason Alone [Audio]

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Montek Ahluwalia, Mukesh Ambani, Shobhana Bhartia, Professor Lord Desai, Shekhar Gupta, Ed Luce, Lord Patten, Nand Kishore Singh, Professor Lord Stern | Not by Reason Alone, written by Nand Kishore Singh a member of parliament in the Upper House in India is a comment on the past and present politics of change. This insightful analysis of the political economy of reform is coupled with the understanding that we need to be compassionate, passionate, creative, hopeful, and more. This book and discussion will give the audience an unusual window into the Indian political economy.

Speaking with the Speaker [Audio]

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Bercow, Tony Travers | John Bercow was elected to the post of speaker in June 2009. It followed the resignation of the previous speaker in the wake of the controversy over MP's expenses. Speaker Bercow will discuss his views on parliamentary reform with Tony Travers. Tony Travers is director of LSE London.

The Future of Internet Rights: A Conversation with Industry's Leaders [Audio]

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Richard Allan, Kasey Chappelle, Alma Whitten, Usama M. Fayyad | Will the market and innovation decide the future of the internet, or will the future be led by law and policy? The Internet is rapidly evolving and has mutated in the space of a decade from a static information source to a dynamic organism. In the future its shape will be dramatically different, as the online space moves even further to the centre of almost every aspect of our lives.

Why should social scientists be interested in the Cold War? [Audio]

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Cox | In this lunchtime series of lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

Europe after the European Age: historical reflections [Audio]

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Mark Mazower | What forces have shaped Europe's place in the world over the past two centuries? And how do the challenges of the two 'post-European' epochs - after 1945 and 1989 - compare? Mark Mazower is Ira D Wallach Professor of History at Columbia University.

What kind of economics should we teach? [Audio]

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Geoffrey Hodgson, Professor Albert Marcet, Paul Ormerod, Professor John Sutton | The recent global crisis has lead to questions being asked about whether the kind of economics being taught to students in leading economics departments was responsible for the widespread failure to predict the timing and magnitude of the events that unfolded in 2008. Critiques range from an absence of historical context in mainstream teaching of economics to excessive reliance on mathematical models. This panel brings together four leading economists to debate this issue and to discuss what changes in the economics curriculum and the way that it is delivered are desirable.

Beyond the "Berlusconi Common Sense". A New Model of Politics for the 21st Century [Audio]

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paolo Mancini | Mostly outside Italy, there is a widespread common sense about Berlusconi and his political adventure: he has been able to enter successfully the political arena because of his television empire and because of his unclear links with illegal groups and business. This interpretation is undoubtedly true but it is also a limited one as it is not able to point out all the novelties that Berlusconi may represent. Indeed, the paper argues that the political adventure of the Italian tycoon may be interpreted as a signal of the end of the forms of politics that featured the last two centuries in Europe and that was constructed on the role of the mass parties and their ideological nature. This is not just an Italian phenomenon as many other European leaders underline striking similarities with the Italian Prime Minister. In particular three main features of the new forms of politics that these leaders represent are discussed: 1) commodification of politics; 2) life style politics; 3) televised politics. Examples from other political leaders and theoretical frameworks are provided.

Child Under-nourishment as a Social Predicament [Audio]

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Amartya Sen | This lecture is in honour of Dr Indraprastha Gordhanbhai (I.G) Patel who was the ninth director of the London School of Economics from 1984 to 1990. Amartya Sen is Thomas W. Lamont University Professor, and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, at Harvard University and was until recently the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. He has served as President of the Econometric Society, the Indian Economic Association, the American Economic Association and the International Economic Association. He was formerly Honorary President of OXFAM and is now its Honorary Advisor.

Modernity and the Meaning of Life [Audio]

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Simon Glendinning, Dr Edward Skidelsky | This dialogue will examine the resources left to us to find meaning in our modern day lives. Simon Glendinning is a reader in European philosophy at the European Institute, LSE, and director of the Forum for European Philosophy. Edward Skidelsky is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of Exeter.

The War on Drugs: an upper or downer for development? [Audio]

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Misha Glenny, Michael Hartmann | The panel will discuss the impact of legalising and regulating the international trade in illegal drugs. They will look at whether it would curb crime and war financing, and if it would promote development in fragile states. Misha Glenny is a journalist and author of McMafia: seriously organised crime. Michael Hartmann is manager and senior adviser of the Criminal Justice Programme at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Crisis as Motivation? The Challenges of Sustaining Growth in Southeast Asia [Audio]

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard Doner | Can the dynamic, export-oriented economies of Southeast Asia sustain their growth in light of the global economic crisis? Professor Doner will consider the questions economists typically overlook. Richard Doner is professor of political science at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia

Positive Deviance: the only strategy left for sustainability leadership? [Audio]

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sara Parkin | In the absence of an adequate response to unsustainability by political leaders, it is up to the rest of us to lead the way. Sara Parkin is a founder director of Forum for the Future.

Getting fiscal consolidation right: Lessons from Sweden [Audio]

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Anders Borg | Faced with a record deficit and an accelerating debt, the UK will have to embark on a process of massive fiscal consolidation in order to bring public finances back to sustainability. How is this best done and what lessons can be learned from the Swedish experience of fiscal consolidation in the 1990s? Anders Borg is Minister for Finance in Sweden and has chaired the ECOFIN Council during the 2009 Swedish EU Presidency. He has previously worked as an advisor on monetary policy issues at the Swedish Central Bank and as chief economist at several Swedish banks.

When China Rules the World [Audio]

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Martin Jacques | The years immediately following the end of the Cold War gave rise to the notion that the world was entering yet another American Century. But the next century will be decidedly Chinese and the rest of the world needs to adjust to this fact fast. Martin Jacques is a visiting senior fellow at LSE IDEAS. This event celebrates the publication of his book When China Rules the World: the rise of the middle kingdom and the end of the western world.

Muslims in Modern Europe [Audio]

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Gilles Kepel | This lecture will look at the complex character of the Muslim population in Europe and explain the many different ways in which they see the world around them. Gilles Kepel is the Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS.

Broke: voices from the edge [Audio]

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Various Speakers | Throughout his long life Professor Peter Townsend - a great friend of the Centre, advocate of human rights, and emeritus professor at LSE - worked hard first to prove the existence of poverty in Britain and then to persuade our society not to take such deprivation for granted. Peter Townsend died in June this year and this performance of 'Broke' by Ice and Fire, Actors for Human Rights, is dedicated to his memory. Using dialogue from real-life interviews with people living in poverty in the UK, the actors explore the dismal side-effects of such gross disadvantage - the homelessness, the lack of affordable housing, the unemployment, the debt, and much else besides. The plight of the poor on its own doorstep mocks Britain's aspiration to be an ethical force in the world and a beacon of human rights standards at home. Often unseen and unheard, this performance gives the poor a voice.

The Financial Crisis: How Europe can save the world [Audio]

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): George Soros; Guy Verhofstadt | This public discussion marks the publication of Guy Verhofstadt's latest book The Financial Crisis: How Europe can Save the World. George Soros is Chairman of Soros Fund Management, LLC. He was born in Budapest in 1930. He survived the Nazi occupation and fled communist Hungary in 1947 for England, where he graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He then settled in the United States, where he accumulated a large fortune through an international investment fund he founded and managed. Mr Soros has been active as a philanthropist since 1979, when he began providing funds to help black students attend Capetown University in apartheid South Africa. He has established a network of philanthropic organisations active in more than 50 countries around the world. These organisations are dedicated to promoting the values of democracy and an open society. The foundation network spends about $400 million annually. Mr Soros is the author of ten books. His articles and essays on politics, society, and economics regularly appear in major newspapers and magazines around the world.

The End of Lawyers? [Audio]

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Richard Susskind | Public figures who were once lawyers or law students will speak about how, if at all, their experience of studying, teaching or practising law has been of value to them in their other careers. Richard Susskind is an independent adviser on information technology.

Cyprus: The Settlement Process [Audio]

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mehmet Ali Talat | Mehmet Ali Talat is the Turkish Cypriot Leader. Mehmet Ali Talat was born in Kyrenia on July 6, 1952. Completing his primary and secondary education in Cyprus, Talat graduated from the Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey with an M.Sc.degree in Electrical Engineering.

Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for Christmas [Audio]

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Joel Waldfogel | Christmas is a time of seasonal cheer, family get-togethers, holiday parties, and-gift giving. BUT - How many of us get gifts we like? How many of us give gifts not knowing what recipients want? Waldfogel illustrates how our consumer spending generates vast amounts of economic waste - over £50 billion each winter. He provides solid explanations to show us why it's time to stop the madness and think twice before we start on our Christmas shopping extravaganza. When we buy for ourselves, every pound we spend produces at least a pound in satisfaction, we shop carefully and purchase items that are worth more than they cost. Gift giving is different. We make less-informed choices, max out on credit to buy gifts worth less than the money spent, and leave recipients less than satisfied, creating what Waldfogel calls "deadweight loss." Whilst recognizing the difficulties of altering current trends, Waldfogel offers some alternative gift-giving suggestions.

Happiness around the World: the paradox of happy peasants and miserable millionaires [Audio]

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Carol Graham | The determinants of happiness are remarkably similar around the world, in countries as different as Afghanistan, the U.S, and Chile. Income matters to happiness but only so much; friends, freedom, and employment are good for happiness, while crime, poor health, and divorce are bad. Paradoxically, however, people in places like Afghanistan can be as happy as those in much wealthier and safer ones like Chile. One explanation is the remarkable human capacity to adapt to adversity and hardship. While adaptation may be a good thing for individual wellbeing, it can also result in collective tolerance for bad equilibrium which are difficult for societies to escape from.

Social Theories of Risk and Economic Life [Audio]

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Nigel Dodd | In this lunchtime series of lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

Can Europe Pay its People?: policy options for a continent in transition [Audio]

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Willetts | Demographic change, migration and the fiscal crisis threaten a perfect storm. What are the indicators telling us about the choices we need to make? Can we see gain as well as pain ahead? David Willetts is Conservative MP for Havant and shadow minister for universities and skills.

How China Tackles Climate Change in its Wider Development Agenda [Audio]

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Madam Fu Ying | What is China doing to combat climate change? What challenges are China confronted with in addressing climate change? How China is tackling climate change through international cooperation? Chinese Ambassador Mme FU Ying will share with us China's perspectives on climate change.

The Future of Global Capitalism, Convergence or Divergence Across the World [Audio]

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Cox; Martin Jacques; Professor Robert Wade | This event brings together Martin Jacques, Professor Michael Cox, and Professor Robert Wade to debate the changing nature and form of modern capitalism and to explore some of the challenges that will confront capitalism in the years ahead. Martin Jacques is the author of When China Rules the World: the Rise of the Middle Kingdom and the End of the Western World, and a Senior Visiting Fellow at LSE IDEAS. Michael Cox is professor of international relations and co-director of LSE IDEAS. Robert Wade is Professor of International Political Economy at LSE.

Belonging, Diaspora and Community [Audio]

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Amitav Ghosh | Amitav Ghosh is one of India's most acclaimed authors and cultural commentators. His novels include 'The Glass Palace', 'The Hungry Tide' and his most recent 'Sea of Poppies', the first volume of the Ibis Trilogy. He is also a celebrated travel and non-fiction writer, including such works as 'In an Antique Land' and 'Incendiary Circumstances'.

Deciding our Future in Copenhagen: will the world rise to the challenge of climate change? [Audio]

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Stern | Nick Stern is IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at LSE and chairman of LSE's new Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. He also directs the Asia Research Centre and the India Observatory at LSE. He was Chief Economist of the World Bank (2000-2003), then Head of the UK Government Economic Service and led a Review of the Economics of Climate Change which was published in October 2006. In October 2007 he was appointed to the House of Lords as a non-party political peer.

The Value of Nothing [Audio]

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Raj Patel | "Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing." Credit has crunched, debt has turned toxic, the gears of the world economy have ground to a halt. It's now clear that the market doesn't only get it wrong about sub-prime mortgages; it gets it wrong about everything. We need to ask again one of the most fundamental questions a society ever addresses: why do things cost what they do?

After the Economic Crisis in South East Europe: Back to Business as Usual? [Audio]

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Vladimir Gligorov; Laza Kekic; Peter Sanfey | Vladimir Gligorov is Senior Economist at the Vienna Institute of International Economic Studies. Laza Kekic is Regional Director of Central & Eastern Europe & Director of Country Forecasting Services at the Economist Intelligence Unit. Peter Sanfey is Lead Economist in the Office of the Chief Economist, EBRD.

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work [Audio]

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alain de Botton | This talk will raise a host of questions about the meaning and purpose of work - in particular investigating the effects of industrialisation and modernisation on the individual worker. Alain de Botton is a philosopher, author and entrepreneur.

Creating the Organisms that Evolution Forgot: an 'any questions?' debate on synthetic biology [Audio]

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Phillip Campbell; Professor Paul Freemont; Professor Richard Kitney; Professor Nikolas Rose; Hugh Whittall; Dr James Wilsdon | Bioengineers are trying to create synthetic organisms that do not occur naturally. Is this an amazing scientific feat or something we should be worried about? Phillip Campbell is editor in chief of Nature. Paul Freemont and Richard Kitney are co-directors of the EPSRC Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College. Nikolas Rose is director of the BIOS Centre at LSE. Hugh Whittall is director of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. James Wilsdon is director of the Science Policy Centre at the Royal Society.

Social Science Perspectives on Risk Regulation [Audio]

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Bridget Hutter | In this lunchtime series of lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

Managing Risk and Behaviour in Financial Markets [Audio]

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Julia Black; Professor Charles Goodhart; Professor Michael Power; Dr Paul Woolley | The consequences of banks' risk taking behaviour will be felt by the public finances of many countries for at least another generation. Risk taking behaviour is the lifeblood of financial markets. How can, and should, it be managed? Julia Black is professor of law at LSE. Charles Goodhart is professor emeritus of banking and finance at LSE. Michael Power is professor of accounting at LSE. Paul Woolley is senior fellow at LSE's Paul Woolley Centre for the Study of Capital Market Dysfunctionality.

Sociology and the Financial Crisis: which crisis, and which sociology? [Audio]

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michel Wieviorka | Sociologists have published very little on the present economic crisis. But sociology is not lacking in ways and means to study the crisis in a more general framework of a global mutation over the past 35 years. Michel Wieviorka is professor at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales.

First as Tragedy, Then as Farce: The Double Death of Neoliberalism and the Idea of Communism [Audio]

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Slavoj Zizek | Slavoj Zizek argues that the neoliberalism died twice: first as a political doctrine in the tragedy of the attacks of 9/11; then its farcical collapse as an economic theory when the meltdown at the end of 2008 brought an end to the utopia of global market capitalism. Has this crisis now offered a vital opening for the left to seize the reins of politics and the state?

Arbitration's Fluid Universe [Audio]

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Jan Paulsson | The rise of international arbitration for commercial and investment related disputes has spurred the emergence of a new body of transnational rules that cut across the traditional concepts of legal regulation. Jan Paulsson is centennial professor of law at LSE and co-head of Freshfields' international arbitration and public international law groups.

Jihad: the trail of Political Islam [Audio]

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Gilles Kepel | Political Islam has emerged as one of the great ideologies of the modern world. How did this occur? Will it inevitably lead to conflict with the West? Is a clash of civilizations avoidable? And where is Political Islam heading? Gilles Kepel is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs for 2009-10. Professor Kepel is best known for his books on the Middle East and North Africa, and for his work on Islamism, including Islamism in Europe.

The Silverstone Panel on Digital Natives: A Lost Tribe? [Audio]

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Buckingham; Ranjana Das; Dr Chris Davies; Professor Sonia Livingstone; Dr Rebecca Willet | Enabling media literacy for 'digital natives' - a contradiction in terms? - Professor Sonia Livingstone, Department of Media and Communications, LSE. Talking about their generation: constructions of the digital learner - Professor David Buckingham, Institute of Education. -Q and A- Teenagers using the internet: riders, drivers, dabblers and outsiders - Dr Chris Davies, University of Oxford. Power relations, play and boredom in teens' online interactions - Dr Rebekah Willet, Institute of Education. Panel Reflections - Ranjana Das, POLIS Silverstone Scholar 2009

Climb the Green Ladder: how sustainability can make you and your company more successful [Audio]

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ed Gillespie; Jo Confino | What strategies can individuals within organisations use to make their organisation more successful and sustainable? Ed Gillespie is the co-founder and creative director of Futerra Sustainability Communications. Futerra arose from the frustration of its co-founders, in the late 1990's, with the unsophisticated communications around sustainable development, and the dull and worthy messaging of corporate social responsibility. Supported by a grant from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, they started a major research programme to develop guidelines for sustainability communications, now known as their popular 10 Rules. Ed Gillespie guards against green-wash while putting some fun and passion into sometimes complex messages. His interesting career history includes working for the Natural History Film Unit, as a marine biologist in Australia, New Caledonia and Orkney and on environmental issues for Transport for London. Ed has Masters degrees in both Marine Conservation and Sustainable Development, is a Trustee of Anti-Apathy and writes regularly for The Guardian.

How Markets Fail: The Problem of Rational Irrationality [Audio]

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Cassidy | What caused the recent global financial crisis? Some analysts blame greed, others stupidity, yet others myopia. The real problem is more fundamental, and it relates to the inner logic of a financially driven economy that generates perverse incentives and rewards damaging behaviour.

Can we eliminate nuclear weapons? [Audio]

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ambassador Richard Burt; Kate Hudson; Professor Mary Kaldor; HM Queen Noor | Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall is the time finally right to achieve the elimination of nuclear weapons? Leading proponents of nuclear disarmament discuss why achieving Global Zero - a world without nuclear weapons - is both necessary and realistic.

In Conversation with Amartya Sen [Audio]

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Amartya Sen; Professor Richard Sennett | Nobel Prize winner Professor Amartya Sen will discuss his latest book The Idea of Justice with LSE's Professor Richard Sennett. This major philosophical work by one of the world's leading public intellectuals constructs a new theory of justice, not from abstract ideals or notions of what perfect institutions and rules might be, but from what the results of a system are practically, in the world. It highlights the importance of public reasoning and argues that a system of justice should require the agreement not just of the community which is making laws, but of outsiders who might be affected, or who might have valuable perspectives to offer. The methods and conclusions of the book have implications for many different fields of intellectual activity, not only those connected with justice. It is the most ambitious and wide-ranging book Amartya Sen has yet written.

A Lecture by Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of Norway [Audio]

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jens Stoltenberg | Jens Stoltenberg's Second Government was appointed on 17 October 2005. It is a majority government representing the Labour Party, the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party. It was re-elected in a general election earlier this year. Mr. Stoltenberg was Prime Minister 2000-2001, Minister of Finance 1996-1997 in Thorbjørn Jagland's Government, Minister of Trade and Energy 1993-1996 in Gro Harlem Brundtland's Third Government, and state secretary at the Ministry of the Environment 1990-1991 under Gro Harlem Brundtland's Third Government.

The Road to Copenhagen: a global deal on climate change [Audio]

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ed Miliband | Ed Miliband is Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. He was previously Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, where he was responsible for helping to coordinate work across Government, and leading the Government's efforts to tackle social exclusion, support the Third Sector and coordinate the improvement of public services. From 2006 to 2007, he was Minister for the Third Sector, supporting charities, social enterprises and community organisations.

Risk Sharing and the Employment Relationship [Audio]

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Marsden | In this lunchtime series of lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

Are Europeans Heading Toward the Same Economy? [Audio]

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Yann Algan | Can Europe's variety of economic systems be explained by differences in culture and values? And can such differences survive the homogenising impact of globalisation? Yann Algan is professor of economics at Sciences Po, Paris.

The Future of Christianity [Audio]

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Diarmaid MacCulloch | Barack Obama came to office determined to change America's relations with the Arab and Islamic worlds. The Arab world has responded to his message of "mutual interest and mutual respect" with enthusiasm and conviction. Part of the success of Obama as a communicator lies in the sensitivity he shows to recent Arab history. This lecture will examine the Obama factor in addressing the many challenges facing US policy towards the Mid East, and Arab relations with the world's sole superpower.

What Next? Surviving the 21st Century [Audio]

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Held; Lord Patten | The list of challenges facing the world is proliferating rapidly from climate change to nuclear proliferation and nobody seems to have much of a grip on what is going on. In this public dialogue hosted by Global Policy, a new innovative and interdisciplinary journal, Chris Patten and Professor David Held will discuss what we know in each of these areas and how progress can be made.

Cities, Design and Climate Change [Audio]

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Saskia Sassen; Professor Richard Sennett | With cities contributing upwards of 75 per cent of global carbon emissions, urban design is increasingly important when planning for climate change. This discussion examines the creative urban design solutions coming out of the world's cities. Saskia Sassen is Robert S Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University. Richard Sennett is professor of sociology at LSE and NYU. Jonathon Porritt is the chair of the sustainable development commission and founder and director of Forum for the Future.

Obama and the Arabs: the historical context [Audio]

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Eugene Rogan | Barack Obama came to office determined to change America's relations with the Arab and Islamic worlds. The Arab world has responded to his message of "mutual interest and mutual respect" with enthusiasm and conviction. Part of the success of Obama as a communicator lies in the sensitivity he shows to recent Arab history. This lecture will examine the Obama factor in addressing the many challenges facing US policy towards the Mid East, and Arab relations with the world's sole superpower.

Digital Britain [Audio]

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jeremy Hunt MP; Peter Bazalgette; Professor Robin Mansell; Sacha Deshmukh | Jeremy Hunt MP is the Shadow Communications Minister. Peter Bazalgette is a media entrepreneur. Robin Mansell is a professor of new media and the internet and head of the Department of Media and Communications at the LSE. Sacha Deshmukh is CEO of Mandate Communications. Charlie Beckett is Direcor of Polis. Jeremy Hunt will be joined by Professor Robin Mansell and Peter Bazalgette in a panel discussion about the future of Digital Britain.

Bodies [Audio]

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Susie Orbach | In the past decades the pressure to perfect and redesign our bodies has been unprecedented. Susie Orbach discusses how for many, the body has become the measure of our worth. Susie Orbach is a psychoanalyst and author of Bodies and Fat is a Feminist Issue.

People Power and the End of the Cold War [Audio]

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sir Adam Roberts | Was the end of the Cold War a victory for power politics, or for people power? Twenty years after the opening of the Berlin Wall, debate continues about what factors sealed the fate of the Soviet system in eastern and central Europe, and eventually in the Soviet Union itself. Non-violent popular movements -- especially in Poland, East Germany and Czechoslovakia -- played a significant part in the events. How did they relate to other forms of power, and what was their effect on the shaping of the post-Cold War world?

Research for a World in Transition [Audio]

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Detlof von Winterfeldt | This presentation provides an overview of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis' (IIASA) accomplishments and its new strategy, focussing on policy relevant research on three global problem areas: food and water; energy and climate change; and poverty and equity. Detlof von Winterfeldt is director of IIASA and centennial professor of operational research at LSE.

The Future of Greek Banks: a regional strategy [Audio]

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Takis Arapoglou | How has the banking crisis affected South East Europe? What are the prospects there for foreign banks? What are the implications for the future adaptation of the region into the EU? Takis Arapoglou is chairman and CEO of the National Bank of Greece.

Should management be a social science or a design science? [Audio]

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Barzelay | In this lunchtime series of lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

Them and Us: how capitalism without fairness is capitalism without a future [Audio]

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Will Hutton | Will Hutton is executive vice chair of the Work Foundation taking up this position in mid 2008 having served as chief executive since 2000. He began his career as a stockbroker and investment analyst, before working in BBC TV and radio as a producer and reporter. Prior to joining The Work Foundation, Will spent four years as editor in chief of the Observer and he continues to write a weekly column for the paper.

Rules of Evidence [Audio]

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Hilary Mantel | Public figures who were once lawyers or law students will speak about how, if at all, their experience of studying, teaching or practising law has been of value to them in their other careers. Hilary Mantel is an award winning novelist and an LSE alumnus.

The First Legacy Games: the physical and socio-economic transformation of East London [Audio]

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrew Altman; Councillor Paul Brickell; Professor Ricky Burdett; Roger Taylor | This event explores the planning and physical development of the Olympic Park after the 2012 games as well as the wider socio-economic benefits the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are bringing. Andrew Altman is chief executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company. Paul Brickell is executive member for Olympics and public affairs at Newham council and chief executive of Leaside Regeneration. Ricky Burdett is director of Urban Age at LSE and principal design advisor to the London 2012 Olympics. Roger Taylor is director of the Host Boroughs Unit.

The Reform of the International Financial System: a proposal with the lessons from the crisis [Audio]

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): José María Aznar | A crisis that has impoverished the world has shown the need for an enhanced rules-based framework for the international financial system. More transparency, better regulation, incentives and oversight and a more in depth understanding of the implications of increased financial interdependence in a globalized world are the basis for the reforms needed.

Learning How to Cite Judith Butler [Audio]

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Robyn Wiegman | This lecture explores the production of critical value and competency in contemporary feminist theory. Robyn Wiegman is Professor of Women's Studies and Literature and former Director of the Women's Studies Program at Duke from 2001-2007. Her publications include American Anatomies: Theorizing Race and Gender (1995), Who Can Speak: Identity and Critical Authority (1995), Feminism Beside Itself (1995), AIDS and the National Body (1997), The Futures of American Studies (2002), and Women's Studies on Its Own (2002). Professor Wiegman's research interests include feminist theory, queer theory, American Studies, critical race theory, and film and media studies. She is currently working on two manuscripts: Being in Time With Feminism focuses on the institutionalization of feminism in the U.S. academy; Object Lessons: The U.S. Knowledge Politics of Identity pays attention to relations of identification and affect in the constitution of identity as an academic object of study.

Superfreakonomics [Audio]

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Stephen J Dubner; Professor Steven D Levitt | Freakonomics was a worldwide sensation, selling 4 million copies in 35 languages. Now, four years in the making, arrives the follow up: SuperFreakonomics. Steve Levitt and Stephen Dubner return with a book that is even bolder, funnier, and more surprising than the first. Freakonomics made the world safe to discuss the economics of crack cocaine and the impact of baby names. SuperFreakonomics retains that off-kilter sensibility (comparing, for instance, the relative dangers of driving while drunk versus walking while drunk) but also tackles a host of issues at the very centre of modern society: terrorism, global warming, altruism, and more.

Sexuality and Empire 150 Years On: the Delhi High Court and Macaulay's sodomy offence [Audio]

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Michael Kirby | In 2009, the Delhi High Court in India upheld a challenge to the constitutional validity of s377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalized homosexuality. Michael Kirby will explain why UK lawyers should be engaged in the reform movement as a matter of basic human rights.

China in the Global Economic Crisis [Audio]

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Danny Quah | Through the stress test of this global economic crisis, it is China's performance that has continued to drive the global economy forwards. Is this likely to continue or will the sceptics of China's so-far enduring economic success be finally proven right? Danny Quah is professor of economics at LSE.

Fiction and Reality: writing novels in a world weirder than anything you could make up [Audio]

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Daniel Johnson; Lionel Shriver | Lionel Shriver in conversation with Daniel Johnson. Daniel Johnson is editor of Standpoint. Lionel Shriver is a novelist. Her seventh novel, We Need to Talk About Kevin, won the Orange prize.

The Long and the Short of It [Audio]

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Kay | It is time for the public to take control of the financial system from the people who have paid themselves so much money to lose so much of ours. John Kay is a visiting professor at LSE and columnist with the Financial Times.

Too Big to Fail [Audio]

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrew Ross Sorkin | Andrew Ross Sorkin will take the audience behind the financial crisis and inside various secret meetings and never-before revealed conversations between regulators in Washington DC and London as well as on Wall Street. Sorkin will describe the reporting process of this painstakingly reported narrative; how he was able to gain access to the key players and how they provided him with hundreds of hundreds of pages of internal documents and notes that were the basis of the narrative in Too Big To Fail.

Thinking about Evidence and Risk [Audio]

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Worrall | In this lunchtime series of lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

A Discussion with Janet Napolitano, US Homeland Security Secretary [Audio]

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 16:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Janet Napolitano | Janet Napolitano is the third Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security. Prior to becoming Secretary, Napolitano was in her second term as Governor of Arizona and was recognized as a national leader on homeland security, border security and immigration. She was the first woman to chair the National Governors Association and was named one of the top five governors in the country by Time Magazine. Napolitano was also the first female Attorney General of Arizona and served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona.

India and the US in the age of global warming [Audio]

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Edward Luce | Edward Luce will explore the shared challenges and opportunities facing India and the USA in an age of globalisation. Edward Luce is Washington Bureau Chief of the Financial Times and author of In Spite of the Gods: the strange rise of modern India. Creon Butler works for HM Treasury as Senior Adviser in the International and Finance Directorate. He was the British Deputy High Commissioner in Delhi from 2006 to 2009.

The Roller-coaster Reputation of John Maynard Keynes [Audio]

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Peter Clarke | Keynes is simultaneously the twentieth century's most influential and itsmost controversial economist. Why has his reputation fluctuated in such an extraordinary way? How much relevance do his ideas, formed in the context of the 1920s and 1930s, still have for the problems faced today, particularly by the British and American economies.

Torture and Accountability: where does President Obama go from here? [Audio]

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Karen Greenberg; Professor Philippe Sands | Karen Greenberg and Philippe Sands discuss the issues facing the Obama Administration as it grapples with the consequences of President Bush's 'global war on terror', interrogation practises and other detainee issues, including issues of investigation and criminal liability.

20 Years After the Collapse of the Iron Curtain: have our dreams come true? [Audio]

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jan Krzysztof Bielecki; Jn Carnogursk; Vclav Havel; Gza Jeszenszky; Markus Meckel | Key political leaders from Central Europe will assess whether the hopes and expectations generated by the Iron Curtain's collapse have been fulfilled. Jan Krzysztof Bielecki was prime minister of Poland in 1991. Ján Carnogurský was prime minister of the Slovak Republic. Václav Havel was the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic. Géza Jeszenszky is a politician, diplomat and professor, he has been minister of foreign affairs and ambassador to the United States. Markus Meckel was co-founder of the Social Democratic Party in East Germany and foreign minister of the German Democratic Republic.

Human Rights in the 21st Century [Audio]

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Noam Chomsky | Leading thinker Professor Noam Chomsky considers the state and future of human rights. Noam Chomsky is professor of linguistics at MIT.

Can the Accession Magic Work Again?: the limits to the EU's transformative power in South-Eastern Europe [Audio]

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Heather Grabbe | The prospect of EU membership during post-communist transition worked wonders in many countries. What is different about the process in South-Eastern Europe? Heather Grabbe is director of the Open Society Institute-Brussels and former adviser to EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn.

The Politics of Media and Cultural Policy [Audio]

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Philip Schlesinger | Media and cultural policies are shaped by the few with access to political power. What role can academics play in current policy debates? Philip Schlesinger is director of the Centre for Cultural Policy Research at the University of Glasgow.

The way forward: building a sustainable recovery and driving growth [Audio]

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Xavier Rolet | The last 18 months have seen unprecedented shocks to the financial system which have had significant implications for the wider economy. As we recover, financial services and the stock markets can and should play a vital role in funding a sustainable economic recovery and social development in the UK and worldwide.

The International economy, and the process of the citizen's revolution in Ecuador [Audio]

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): President Rafael Correa Delgado | Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado is the current President of the Republic of Ecuador after being re-elected for a second consecutive term in April 2009, he was first elected in late 2006. He served as Minister of Economy from April 2005- August 2005. President Correa Delgado has a Phd in Economics and a Masters in Economic Sciences both from the University of Illinois as well as a Master of Arts in Economía from the Catholic University of Lovaina the New in Belgium. From 1993 - April 2005 he was Principal Professor of the Department of Economics, "San Francisco de Quito" University, Quito - Ecuador.

Building the Centre-right in Europe: impressions from a lifetime's experience [Audio]

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Wilfried Martens | Centre-right parties dominate at national and European levels. To what do they owe their success - even during this so-called 'crisis of capitalism'? Wilfried Martens is president of the European People's Party and former prime minister of Belgium. This lecture marks the release of his memoirs, I Struggle, I Overcome. Damian Chalmers is Professor of European Union Law based in the Law Department and the European Institute, LSE.

How to Control and Change Individual Behaviour: the world as installation [Audio]

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Saadi Lahlou | Changing individual behavior is a major stake for policies and management, but humans think and act as social beings rather than rational agents. The lecture will introduce Installation Theory, the principles of which can be used for governance. Saadi Lahlou is director of the Institute of Social Psychology at LSE.

The Situation in the Middle East: the view from Israel [Audio]

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Daniel Ayalon | Daniel Ayalon is the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel. He was born in Israel in 1955. He completed his army service in the Armoured Corps with the rank of Captain (res.). He has a B.A. degree in Economics as well as an M.B.A. Daniel Ayalon served as Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, from March 2001 through July 2002, and as Israel's Ambassador to the United States, from July 2002 through November 2006. He has also served as a Member of the Executive Board, University Center, Ariel; Vice Chair of the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce, and a Board Member of the America-Israel Friendship League. He received the Brandeis Award of the Jewish Community of Baltimore in 2005 and the Builder of Jerusalem Award of Aish Hatorah in 2008. Daniel Ayalon was elected to the 18th Knesset in February 2009 on the Yisrael Beitenu list and in April 2009 was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

A Year after the Collapse of Lehmans: where does global capitalism go now? [Audio]

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Andrew Gamble; Will Hutton; Professor Danny Quah | The collapse of Lehman Brothers on September 15, 2008 set off the most acute crisis in the history of capitalism since 1929. Why was Lehmans not saved? Why did its collapse have the massive impact it did? And a year on, how is the capitalist world coping?" Andrew Gamble is a professor at Cambridge University. Will Hutton is chief executive of the Work Foundation. Danny Quah is professor of Economics at LSE. This event is organised in association with the European Consortium for Political Research.

Stuff White People Like - How to find social success with the urban-dwelling middle classes [Audio]

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Christian Lander | When Christian Lander started a blog as a joke he never imagined that his inside joke would turn into a New York Times Bestseller and a piece of internet history with more than 60 million hits to his site. Here Lander investigates, explains and offers advice for anyone wanting to interact with the caucasian persuasion and needing to understand their ways.

The Red Flag: Communism and the Making of the Modern World [Audio]

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr David Priestland | Communism was one of the most powerful political and intellectual movements of the modern world, and its collapse in 1989 had an enormous impact on our views of international affairs and economics. David Priestland argues that we have found it difficult to understand Communism, and the lessons we have learnt have contributed to many recent policy failures, from the 'War on Terror' to extreme neo-liberal economic policies. He revisits the history of Communism, explaining the reasons for its rise and fall, and argues that we need to learn a new set of lessons if we are to avoid the mistakes of the past.

Risk, Behaviour and Applications to Health Policy [Audio]

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Joan Costa-i-Font; Dr Caroline Rudisill | In this lunchtime series of lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

Predictioneer: How to predict the future with game-theory [Audio]

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Bruce Bueno de Mesquita | Hailed as 'the new Nostradamus', Bruce Bueno de Mesquita has been shaking the world of political science to its foundations with his predictions of world events. His systems based on game theory have an astonishing 90%+ ratio of accuracy and are frequently used to shape US foreign-policy decisions on issues such as the terrorist threat to America to the peace process in Northern Ireland. Considered by many to be the most important foreign-policy analyst there is, it is no surprise that he is regularly consulted by the CIA and US Department of Defence. In this lecture Professor Bueno de Mesquita will look at what is needed to reliably anticipate and even alter events in any situation involving negotiation in the shadow of the threat of coercion. He will demonstrate how to bring science to decision making in any situation from personal to professional.

Revolution 1989: what exactly happened? [Audio]

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Victor Sebestyen | How did the mighty Soviet empire collapse so quickly, so completely - and so peacefully? Victor Sebestyen is an author and journalist. This lecture marks the launch of his latest book, Revolution 1989: the fall of the Soviet Empire.

The Crisis of Global Capitalism: ten years on [Audio]

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Gray | The financial upheavals of the past two years have occurred against the background of a decade of crisis in global capitalism. The neo-liberal model has collapsed. What comes next, and what are the geopolitical implications? John Gray is emeritus professor at LSE and author of Gray's Anatomy: selected writings and False Dawn: delusions of global capitalism. This event is supported by the LSE Annual Fund.

UN Ideas that Changed the World [Audio]

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Louis Emmerij; Sir Richard Jolly | UN ideas have more influence and impact than is generally realized, on economic and social development and environment as well as on human rights and peacekeeping. In this well-illustrated lecture, two of the co-directors of the UN Intellectual History Project will present the findings of a ten-year project and launch the summary volume, UN Ideas That Changed the World.

Why I Grew to Love America and You Should Too [Audio]

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Justin Webb | Justin Webb will discuss America politics in the context of British media reporting, particularly in the Bush period and coverage of the recent US elections. Justin Webb is North American editor at the BBC.

Beijing Inside Out: Caochangdi [Audio]

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Robert Mangurian; Mary-Ann Ray | The speakers examine the problems and possibilities of one of many dynamic new urban villages redefining the city of Beijing. Robert Mangurian and Mary-Ann Ray are both Stirling Lecture Prize-winners and principals of StudioWorks Architects in Caochangdi.

The Future of Banking and Financial Regulation [Audio]

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Eric Chaney; Professor Charles Goodhart | What is the future of banking and financial regulation following the global financial crisis? Eric Chaney is chief economist for the AXA group. Charles Goodhart is emeritus professor of economics at LSE. David Webb is professor of finance at LSE.

What is Europe? Where is Europe? [Audio]

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Wallace | Article 233 of the Treaty of Rome declared that 'any European state may apply to join the European Economic Community'. In the 1950s, only West European states were free to make that choice. Since 1989, ten states from what was the former socialist bloc have joined the EU, as well as two Mediterranian island states. Nevertheless, politicians and publics in the 'old' Western Europe still see their region as the core of Europe, and worry about further enlargement of both the EU and NATO. So where does 'Europe' stop? Are there boundaries to future enlargement?

The Cocaine Wars: The Mess We're in and How to Get Out of it [Audio]

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Tom Feiling | Tom Feiling analyses the thinking behind drug prohibition and how and why the strategies embarked on to date have failed so spectacularly. His critique draws on research and interviews he conducted with those with first-hand experience of cocaine and the campaign to prohibit cocaine, for his new book The Candy Machine: How Cocaine Took Over the World. He then looks at the advantages and disadvantages of the alternatives to current anti-drugs policies. Finally, he discusses how a legal, regulated market for cocaine might work in practice.

The Defence of the Realm [Audio]

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Christopher Andrew | For the first time, the British Security Service to mark the centenary of its foundation has opened its archives to an independent historian - Christopher Andrew. He will be at LSE to speak about his book, The Defence of the Realm. The book reveals the precise role of the Security Service in twentieth-century British history, from its foundation by Captain Kell of the British Army in October 1909, through two world wars, up to and including its present roles in counter-espionage and counter-terrorism. The book describes how MI5 has been managed, what its relationship has been with government, where it has triumphed and where it has failed. In all of this no restriction has been placed on the judgements made by the author.

The Government of Uncertainty: how to follow the politics of oil [Audio]

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Tim Mitchell | This lecture explores the politics of oil and how we can seek to understand it, at a time when uncertainty is presenting new challenges to the claims of objective knowledge. Tim Mitchell is professor of Arab studies at Columbia University, New York. Sam Ashenden is managing editor of Economy and Society and senior lecturer in Sociology, Birkbeck College.

China - EU Relations in a Changing New World [Audio]

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ambassador Ma Zhengang | The world today is undergoing tremendous development, changes and adjustments. The international community is facing increasing opportunities and challenges. The present international system and structure are not able to cope with this new situation fully and effectively, and reform is the general demand of the world people at large. Both China and UK are global actors of significant importance. How the two countries should behave in handling the situation? It is a fact that China and UK are different in many aspects. Is it possible for the two countries to join hands in perfecting global governance for the general benefits of the whole world as well as their own? The answer should be, yes, we can.

Cities and the Environment [Audio]

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Peter Head | By changing patterns of urban behaviour, cities can meet the challenges of climate change. How can advanced technologies help create sustainable cities and self-sufficient urban form?

Islam: what I believe [Audio]

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Tariq Ramadan | Tariq Ramadan's latest book, What I Believe, lays out the basic ideas he stands for in clear and accessible prose. He describes the book as a work of clarification, directed at ordinary citizens, politicians, journalist and others who are curious (or sceptical) about his positions. Aware that that he is dealing with emotional issues, Ramadan tries to get past the barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding to speak directly, from the heart, to his Muslim and non-Muslim readers alike.

Beyond Terror and Martyrdom: the future of the Middle East [Audio]

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Gilles Kepel | 9/11 set off a major conflict between the United States and Al Qaeda. How and why did the Bush administration define the issue of terrorism in terms of a 'war on terror' and with what consequences for the stability of a region containing 60% of the world's oil reserves and several of America's more important global allies?

China and Financial Reform [Audio]

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies | Howard Davies sits on the International advisory councils of the China banking and securities regulatory commissions. In the fifth lecture of an annual series he reviews the progress of reform in china's financial markets, and the implications for the rest of the world.

Justice and the Moral Limits of Markets [Audio]

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael J. Sandel | The financial crisis raises hard questions about justice, ethics, and the role of markets. In this lecture, Michael Sandel will examine the moral limits of markets, one of the themes of his new book, Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?

Optimal Financial Structure and Economic Development [Audio]

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Justin Yifu Lin | The Optimal Financial Structure of a specific stage of development in an economy is determined by the structures of industries and firm sizes in the economy. These, in turn, are determined by the economy's factor endowments at that stage. This lecture will discuss the existence on an endogenously determined optimal composition of various financial arrangements, that is, optimal financial structure, for an economy at different stages of development.

Building windmills not walls - Hungary's approach in the economic storm [Audio]

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Gordon Bajnai | Gordon Bajnai has been the Prime Minister of Hungary since 14 April 2009. Prior to this between 2008-2009 he was a Minister in the Ministry for National Development and Economy. Between 2007-2008 he was a Minister for the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. Prior to this he was CEO of Wallis Rt., an investment company from 2000-2005.

Terrorism: How to Respond [Audio]

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard English | Drawing on a wide range of case studies, Richard English argues that we have as yet failed to understand terrorism properly, and that this is at the root of our disastrous failure to respond effectively to terrorism in the post-9/11 crisis.Richard English is professor of politics, director of research and chair of the Irish Studies International Research Initiative at Queens University Belfast. His latest book is entitled Terrorism: how to respond.

The Tsar Liberates Europe? Russia against Napoleon, 1807-1814 [Audio]

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Dominic Lieven | In 1812-14 Alexander I defeated Napoleon's invasion of Russia and then created and led a European alliance all the way to Paris. This lecture explains why and how he did this. It discusses Russian grand strategy, diplomacy and espionage, as well as the tsarist military machine, and the mobilisation of the home front. In both Western and Russian historiography the Russian achievement in 1813-14 is greatly underestimated, which seriously distorts understanding of European power politics and the causes of Napoleon's demise. The lecture explains this underestimate partly as a legacy of Leo Tolstoy but also because while 1812 was traditionally seen by Russians as a national war, the victories of 1813-14 were interpreted as the triumph of the dynasty and empire.

The current state of the economy [Audio]

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 16:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Edward C. Prescott | The recent collapse of financial markets plunged economies around the world into recession. The series of events following the downfall of Lehman Brothers last September scripted an unprecedented chapter in economic history. Whether it was enormous bail-out packages, monetary policy or quantitative easing, economies around the world took expansive steps to stay afloat. This leaves us in a very sensitive and interesting position today. Is the worst over? With US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke declaring the end of the recession, will we see dissipating unemployment, growing GDPs and bullish stock markets? And most importantly, what changes, if any, will we see in economic policy? American economist and Nobel laureate, Edward Prescott, answers such imminent questions in his talk 'The current state of the economy' at the LSE.

How to be Humanitarian? UN Intervention in Post-Conflict Societies [Audio]

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lise Grande | This lecture will examine the challenges of humanitarian intervention in post-conflict societies, focusing specifically on the experience of the UN in Southern Sudan. Lise Grande is deputy resident and humanitarian coordinator of the United Nations, Southern Sudan.

Keynes and the Crisis of Capitalism [Audio]

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Skidelsky | Robert Skidelsky is Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick. His three-volume biography of the economist John Maynard Keynes (1983, 1992, 2000) received numerous prizes, including the Lionel Gelber Prize for International Relations and the Council on Foreign Relations Prize for International Relations. He is the author of The World After Communism (1995) (American edition called The Road from Serfdom). He was made a life peer in 1991, and was elected Fellow of the British Academy in 1994. This event celebrates his latest book, Keynes: The Return of the Master.

The Strange Friendship of Pauli and Jung: when physics met psychology [Audio]

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Arthur I Miller | At a key time in his scientific development, Pauli was undergoing analysis by Jung. What can we learn about Pauli and his scientific discoveries from Jung's analysis of his dreams? Arthur I Miller is emeritus professor of history and philosophy of science at University College London.

Bringing the Penal State Back In [Audio]

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Loïc Wacquant | We need to bring the penal state back to the centre of the sociology of social inequality, public policy, and citizenship. Loïc Wacquant is professor of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley and Centre de Sociologie Européenne, Paris. Nicola Lacey is a professor of criminal law at LSE.

The Consolations of Economics [Audio]

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Tim Harford | For six years, Tim Harford has been answering readers' personal problems in the pages of The Financial Times, using the latest economic research to provide advice on dating, etiquette, parenting and even personal hygiene. In a light-hearted but thoughtful lecture, Tim explains what he has learned about whether economics really can bring us personal happiness. Tim Harford is a columnist for the Financial Times, presenter of Radio 4's More or Less, and author of The Undercover Economist and The Logic of Life. His new book is Dear Undercover Economist.

The Global Emerging Market and its role in a time of crisis [Audio]

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Vladimir Kvint | The global emerging market, which did not exist 25 years ago, now has an input of about 50% into the world economy and attracts more than 40% of foreign direct investment. The economic dynamic of emerging market countries has a strong and positive influence on the world economy and, as such, has to be re-evaluated during this development of a new global order. Dr. Vladimir Kvint, economist and strategist, is the President of the International Academy of Emerging Markets and Chairman of the Russia and CIS division of international architecture firm RMJM.

An Alternative to Statecraft: should diplomacy adapt to a new world environment? [Audio]

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): His Excellency Georg Boomgaarden; Dr Mary Martin; Her Excellency Pilar Saborio | The European Union is designing a new external action service as part of the changes to foreign policy proposed under the Lisbon Treaty. This lecture examines the contemporary demands on diplomatic missions. Pilar Saborio is the ambassador of Costa Rica to the UK. Georg Boomgaarden is the ambassador of Germany to the UK. Nick Mabey is chief executive of E3G Third Generation Environmentalism. Mary Martin is a research fellow at LSE's Centre for the Study of Global Governance.

Climate Change: Are We Heading for a New Cold War? [Audio]

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Graciela Chichilnisky | There is an historic standoff between China and the US on the issue of global warming. Neither wants to limit emissions unless the other does so first. In Copenhagen December 2009 the nations of the world will decide whether to resolve the Global Warming problem extending Kyoto after 2012 - or to start a new Cold War of escalating emissions - the outcome of which may determine the fate of humankind. Professor Graciela Chichilnisky suggests two modest improvements to the Kyoto Protocol that could resolve the impasse and literally save the day. These unique proposals have received positive attention in China and in the US. But will they be adopted in Copenhagen?

Militarism and Underdevelopment [Audio]

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Amina Mama | This lecture will explore what a feminist perspective on militarism offers the theorisation of development and underdevelopment. It will highlight some of the ways in which the heavily gendered and hierarchical technologies of power that are the defining features of militarism and military rule have sabotaged longstanding struggles for democratisation and development. It is argued that where contemporary conflicts have been characterised by high levels of civilian casualties and abuse of women, so provoking new levels of gender consciousness and women's more visible involvement in peace activism. The challenges of strengthening women's peace activism into more concerted feminist anti-militarist activism are considered in the context of current policy discourses.

Climate Change: India policies and perspectives [Audio]

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): RK Pachauri | India is the world's fifth largest emitter of CO2, after China, the USA, the EU and Russia. But in relative terms, India is a low carbon economy, with per capita emissions about a quarter of the global average. In spite of projected growth in emissions, these are likely to remain below the developed country average. India is also one of the countries most exposed to the projected impacts of climate change, particularly on food production, water availability and coastal cities. Already 2.6% of GDP is spent each year on adapting to climate change. Compared with the industrialised world, India has a 'wider spectrum of choices' as it confronts the global threat of climate change, with a large potential for technological developments. This event brings together experts to discuss the business and policy initiatives in India on climate change.

Developing Rural Areas [Audio]

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Esther Duflo | What are the constraints that prevent rural societies in developing countries from raising their standards of living? This event also explores the potential for policy change and new technologies to remove these constraints. Esther Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics in the Department of Economics at MIT and a founder and director of the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), a research network specializing in randomized evaluations of social programs, which won the BBVA Foundation "Frontier of Knowledge" award in the development cooperation category.

Green Growth [Audio]

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Stern | Over the next few years, we have a real chance to set a path towards a low-carbon future. It is the only realistic future for growth and for overcoming world poverty. The global economic downturn is an opportunity to invest in green technology while costs are lower. Nick Stern is IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at LSE and chairman of LSE's new Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

The Political Economy of Development [Audio]

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Tim Besley | It is widely recognised that the interplay of political and economic forces has a major bearing on the path of development. How do the developments in the recent political economy literature bear on the practical problems that some countries face in achieving sustainable development paths? Tim Besley is Professor of Economics and Political Science at the London School of Economics, and served on the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee from September 2006 until August 2009.

Natural Resource Management [Audio]

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Collier | The natural assets of the poorest countries constitute the biggest single opportunity for transformative development. Paul Collier is a professor of economics at Oxford University and co-director of the International Growth Centre. The author of The Bottom Billion, which won the 2008 Lionel Gelber Prize for the world's best book on international affairs, he has lectured widely on the subjects of economics and international relations. He was the senior advisor to Tony Blair's Commission on Africa, and was Director of the Development Research group at the World Bank for five years.

Turkey's Economy and the Global Economic Crisis [Audio]

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ali Babacan | Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy Ali Babacan will discuss the impact of the global economic crisis and Turkey's policy response. Ali Babacan is Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, a position he has held since May 2009. Prior to this he served as Turkish Foreign Minister from 2007-2009. He has been a member of parliament since 2002, serving as Minister of the Economy from 2002-2007, and was also appointed chief negotiator in Turkey's accession talks with the European Union in 2005. He is a graduate of the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University in the USA.

Looking Beyond the Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities for Africa [Audio]

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala | Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is Managing Director of the World Bank. From June to August 2006, she was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, overseeing Nigeria's External Relations. From July 2003 to June 2006 she served as Minister of Finance and Economy of Nigeria and Head of Nigeria's Presidential Economic team.

The Ayatollah Begs to Differ - the path to an Islamic Democracy [Audio]

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Hooman Majd | A brief summary of how Iran's political system works, examples of what is most misunderstood about Iran, its leadership and the events leading up to the election (describing some of Hooman's own experiences since he was there). Majd will explain why the election and its aftermath may actually be the best thing to happen to Iran in a very long time, and why the vision of an "Islamic Democracy" which some Iranian leaders have, may come about sooner now than if there had been no crisis at all

Progressive state reformers v ideological state retrenchers: framing the electoral choice between Labour and Conservative [Audio]

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Mandelson | With less than a year to go before the next general election there is an urgent need for progressive policy debate and discussion in the Labour party to show it has the ideas necessary to meet the social, economic and political challenges of the next decade. Peter Mandelson, one of the government's key figures, will launch Progress's autumn lecture series by setting out how he sees the political divide between the main parties. Lord Mandelson is First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, and Lord President of the Council. He was previously European Commissioner for Trade, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and Secretary of State for Trade & Industry.

'Responding to the Global Crisis' and 'Climate Change Mitigation and Development' - Launch Lecture of UNCTAD Trade and Development Report [Audio]

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Heiner Flassbeck, Radhika Desai, Dr Robert Falkner | Heiner Flassbeck presents The Trade and Development Report 2009, subtitled "Responding to the Global Crisis and Climate Change Mitigation and Development." The worst economic downturn since the Great Depression is having a serious impact on developing countries, and at this point UNCTAD economists estimate that it will be virtually impossible for sub-Saharan African nations to achieve such United Nations Millennium Development Goals as halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. The report recommends increased development assistance and the granting of moratoria on debt for hard-hit developing countries to limit further damage and to prepare the way for eventual recovery.

Barack Obama and the World: Saviour or Lame Duck [Audio]

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Mick Cox | November 4th 2008 marked one of the great political moments in American history when the first black man was elected to the White House. Immensely charismatic and politically astute, Barack Obama immediately raised US standing around the world. However he also confronted the most daunting set of challenges. Catapulted into office as America's answer to George W. Bush and the near collapse of the world financial system following the fall of Lehman Brothers, President Obama faced at least six big tests when he took up office. How to bring order to the Middle East? How to repair America's bridges with the Moslem world? How to deal with a newly assertive Russia? How to work with communist China? How to save capitalism? And how to ensure America's continued position at the head of the international table. Professor Mick Cox of the LSE - one of Europe's leading commentators on the United States - will seek to answer these and any other questions in this wide-ranging address.

The Spectre at the Feast: Capitalist Crisis and the Politics of Recession [Audio]

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Andrew Gamble | Professor Andrew Gamble made his early reputation writing on British decline, the theory of Marxism and the rise and fall of that long-debated and most controversial political phenomenon in Britain: Margaret Thatcher and 'Thatcherism'. One of the most incisive analysts of British politics with over twenty books - and a raft of prizes to his name - he reflects here on the deeper causes of the current world economic crisis and why the crisis has been especially acute in the Anglo-American world. This public lecture is timed to coincide with the publication of his long-waited new book - The Spectre at the Feast: Capitalist Crisis and the Politics of Recession - and promises to be a memorable one.

In Search of Islam's Civilization [Audio]

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ali A. Allawi | The increasing religiosity of Muslim societies and the spectacular rise of political Islam have served to mask the seeping of vitality from Islamic civilization. If Muslims do not muster the inner resources of their faith to fashion a civilising outer presence, then Islam as a civilisation may indeed disappear. Ali A. Allawi has served as Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance in the Iraqi postwar governments. A graduate of Harvard University and MIT, he is Senior Associate Member of St Antony's College, Oxford. He has written two books: The Crisis of Islamic Civilization (Yale 2009) and The Occupation of Iraq (Yale 2007).

The Idea of Justice [Audio]

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Amartya Sen | Amartya Sen explores the ways in which, and the degree to which, justice is a matter of reason, and of different kinds of reason. This event marks the launch of Professor Sen's new book The Idea of Justice. Amartya Sen is Lamont University Professor at Harvard and an honorary fellow of LSE. He won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1998 and was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge 1998-2004. His books include Development as Freedom (OUP), The Argumentative Indian (Allen Lane/Penguin) and Identity and Violence (Allen Lane/Penguin), and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Human Security in an Age of Turbulence [Audio]

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mary Kaldor | Mary Kaldor is a prolific author who has written widely on a range of key issues over the years ranging from the 'Baroque Arsenal' (1982) a study that challenged the logic of militarism and the belief that more weapons meant more security, through to her groundbreaking 'New Wars'(1999) a book that reveals the new forms that organized violence will take in the 21st century. Mary Kaldor today is one of the most influential and respected alternative voices in the field of applied international politics who over the last few years has forced the wider policy community to rethink the meaning of war and the foundations of what she has called 'human security'. An immensely influential figure who has shaped debates at both the United Nations and in the European Union, in this long awaited public lecture she will reflect on what it means to be secure and how security can be achieved in an age of increasing turbulence.

Housing Markets and the Global Financial Crisis [Audio]

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr André Broome, Professor Herman Schwartz, Professor Leonard Seabrooke, Professor Mat Watson | Residential property is the single largest asset in people's everyday lives and its associated mortgage debt constitutes one of the biggest financial assets in most economies. Yet political economy largely ignores both. We know that the kind of housing people occupy and their level of debt affects their preferences for the level of public spending, taxation, and inflation. Housing is intimately tied to welfare systems and can be seen as a social right or as a means to acquire wealth over one's life. Housing systems are built from political struggles over the distribution of welfare and wealth. The organization and transformation of housing finance systems affects both national economies and international financial stability. This public event provides a brief presentation and a discussion of these concerns.

The Museum of the 21st Century [Audio]

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Neil MacGregor, Nicholas Serota | In this 60th anniversary year of publishers Thames & Hudson, Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, and Nicholas Serota, director of Tate, will be in conversation exploring the various roles of national, and other, collections in the 21st century. This rare joint appearance by two of today's most influential figures in the international world of arts and culture promises to provide a stimulating discussion touching on topics of contemporary global significance.

LSE Director's Dialogue with Stephen Green [Audio]

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 17:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies, Stephen Green | As the world's financial order is in a state of flux, how do we align our desire to improve material human wealth, and capitalism, with our spiritual and psychological needs? Do businesses and banks in particular have a duty to society that goes beyond the creation of profit? Does open market capitalism remain our best hope for creating wealth that benefits all of society? Green and Davies discuss history, politics, religion and economics. This event marks the launch of Stephen Green's book Good Value.

The Post-American World and the Rise of the Rest [Audio]

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Fareed Zakaria | In this lecture, Fareed Zakaria will expound on the The Post-American World; a world in which the United States no longer dominates the global economy, orchestrates geopolitics or overwhelms cultures. He will explain how the 'rise of the rest' - the growth of countries like China, India, Brazil, Russia, and many others - is the great story of our time. He will also explain how economic growth in any given country produces political confidence, national pride, and international problems. What does it mean to live in a truly global era? Zakaria will answer this question with his customary lucidity, insight, and imagination.

Is America in Decline? [Audio]

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Walter Russell Mead | The rise of China and the global economic crisis have led many observers to speculate about whether the decline of American power, often predicted in the past, has now finally begun. The picture is more complex; a survey of world conditions suggests that while the American role is changing, the U.S. will continue to be a unique force in the international arena.

Darwin and Philosophy [Audio]

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Tim Lewens, Professor David Papineau | The speakers will discuss the importance of Darwin's thinking to central philosophical issues, including creationism, the human mind, and the nature of morality.

Surviving the global economic crisis - perspectives from Africa and Asia [Audio]

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ernest Aryeetey, Surjit Bhalla; Richard Portes; Yu Yongding | A meeting that will present perspectives on the global crisis from leading figures in the field of growth and international development. Presentations will focus on the effects of the global economic downturn on developing countries, how those countries are managing the impact of the crisis, and what more might be done to assist them. This event is being organized in cooperation with the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR).

Capitalism 3.0 [Audio]

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Dani Rodrik | Capitalism needs to be reinvented for a new century in which the forces of economic globalization are much more powerful than before. Just as Adam Smith's minimal capitalism was transformed into Keynes' mixed economy, we need to contemplate a transition from the national version of the mixed economy to its global counterpart. We have to imagine a better balance between markets and their supporting institutions at the global level. Sometimes, this will require extending institutions outward from nation states and strengthening global governance. At other times, it will mean preventing markets from expanding too much and going beyond the reach of institutions that must remain perforce national. Dani Rodrik is Rafiq Hariri Professor of International Political Economy at Harvard University and teaches in the School's MPA/ID Program.

The Lebanese Elections and Middle Eastern Democracy [Audio]

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Hussain Abdul Hussain | From military intervention in Iraq, to supporting an uprising in Lebanon, forcing elections in the Palestinian Territories and imposing international isolation on Syria, the world has tried several scenarios to spread democracy in Middle Eastern countries. In light of the Lebanese elections on June 7, Hussain Abdul-Hussain will explore the status of democracy in the Middle East as well as look at broader impact of these elections on the regional balance of power between Iran and the US. Hussain Abdul Hussain is a visiting fellow at Chatham House, and author of the forthcoming paper Confrontation through the Ballot Box: Middle East Elections and the US-Iranian Relationship. An Iraqi-born journalist, Hussain is the former managing editor of Beirut's Daily Star and an expert on the Levant region of the Middle East.

The Return of Depression Economics Part 3: The night they reread Minsky [Audio]

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Krugman | The global economic crisis has shaken a lot of what we thought we knew about economics. Over three consecutive evenings, Professor Krugman will cover the causes of the crisis; the deeply vexed question of how and when the world economy can recover; and the implications of the whole mess for economics and economists. Paul Krugman is centenary professor at LSE and professor of economics and international affairs at Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University. In 2008 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.

The Return of Depression Economics Part 2: The eschatology of lost decades [Audio]

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 18:30:00 GMT

The Return of Depression Economics Part 1: The sum of all fears [Audio]

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 18:30:00 GMT

'Enjoy Poverty' [Audio]

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Renzo Martens | Editor's note: Unfortunately, owing to technical difficulties, the last few minutes of the question and answer session are missing from the audio podcast. Renzo Martens will present a special screening of his film Episode III, (88 minutes). Episode III – 'Enjoy Poverty' investigates the emotional and economic value of Africa’s most lucrative export: filmed poverty. As with more traditional African exports such as cocoa and gold, the suppliers of this new African commodity hardly benefit from it at all. Deep in the interiors of the Congo, Dutch artist Renzo Martens launches an emancipatory programme that helps the poor become aware of their primary capital resource: poverty. Over several years, Martens single handedly undertakes an epic journey. Combining investigative journalism, satire and self awareness in a deeply singular view, Episode III – 'Enjoy Poverty' is ingeniously provocative and ironic, despite the sad reflection staring back in the mirror that he holds up.

A Conversation between Bill Gates Sr. and Howard Davies [Audio]

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 11:40:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Bill Gates Sr., Howard Davies | Bill Gates Sr., is a prominent lawyer, civil activist, and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He is the author of Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime, a memoir that shares reflections on lessons from a lifetime of 'showing up' - lessons he learned growing up during the Great Depression, and that he instilled in his children and continues to practice on the world stage as co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Future of Picturing the World: filming and imaging in a global era [Audio]

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lilie Chouliaraki, Max Houghton; Renzo Martens; Dr Julian Stallabrass | Editor's note: Unfortunately the last few minutes of the question and answer session are missing from the podcast owing. We apologise for the poor audio quality. Faced with 'compassion fatigue', how is the practice of filmmakers and photojournalists changing and what are the implications for those who rely on photography and film? How will the internet open up new spaces and change the way in which images are used? Lilie Chouliaraki is a professor in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE. Max Houghton is Editor of Foto 8 and course leader, MA in Photojournalism, Westminster University. Renzo Martens is an artist. Julian Stallabrass is a reader at The Courtauld Institute.

Religion and the Market: are they in conflict? [Audio]

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Micklethwait, Professor John Gray | The global revival of religion has been predominantly fuelled by the creation of a religious free market defined by entrepreneurship, choice and personal revelation. So can religion and the market sit together and what can economics teach us about religion? John Gray is emeritus professor of European thought at LSE and author of Gray's Anatomy. John Micklethwait is editor of The Economist and co-author of God is Back.

The Fog of Games: Legacy, Land Grabs and Liberty. Reporting the London Olympics [Audio]

Thu, 28 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mark Saunders, Martin Slavin | The Olympics are brief and transitory television events that disguise and justify mega projects of vast urban restructuring that permanently distort our cities for the benefit of a few business interests. The common features of these mega projects are unprecedented land grabs, the peddling of myths of 'regeneration' and 'legacy' benefits, the sweeping away of democratic structures and planning restraints, the transfer of public money into private hands, and 'information management' to hide truths and silence critics.

Picturing Poverty: London past and present [Audio]

Wed, 27 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sue Donnelly, Mishka Henner; Professor Gillian Rose; Dr Mike Seaborne | From Charles Booth's 19th century maps and early photographs of East End tenements, to rich-poor divides in Hackney, this discussion will consider old and new ways of seeing poverty - understanding the underlying political processes that serve to reproduce and reduce it. Sue Donnelly is head of Archives at LSE. Mishka Henner is a photographic artist. Gillian Rose is professor of cultural geography at the Open University. Mike Seaborne is senior curator of photographs at the Museum of London.

All That Life Can Afford [Audio]

Tue, 26 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mishka Henner | What does poverty in London look like? And can photography expose the often hidden mechanisms that keep the rich divided from the poor? Mishka Henner discusses the making of his photographic essay, All That Life Can Afford, deconstructing its production to reveal the negotiations and obstacles involved in visualising poverty. Mishka Henner is a photographic artist based in Manchester, England.

The Winning Side of an Image [Audio]

Thu, 21 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Adam Broomberg, Oliver Chanarin | Documentary photography is problematic. Without a witness, a victim is alone and de-humanised. We also know that victims are made for, or even by, the camera. In presenting their work produced in Afghanistan, while embedded with the British Army last June, Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin attempt to highlight and compensate for these blind spots. In addition to showing The Day Nobody Died, they also present extracts from The Red House, produced in Iraq and Chicago, produced in Israel.

The Failure of both Multiculturalism and Assimilation, and the New Path of Omniculturalism [Audio]

Thu, 21 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Fathali M Moghaddam | The two traditional policies for managing cultural diversity, multiculturalism and assimilation, are based on incorrect psychological assumptions, resulting in collective identity threats for both minority and majority groups, destructive intergroup conflicts, and the marginalisation of minorities. Omniculturalism represents a constructive third path.

Animal Spirits: How Human Psychology Drives the Economy, and Why it Matters for Global Capitalism [Audio]

Wed, 20 May 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Robert J. Shiller | The global financial crisis has made it painfully clear that powerful psychological forces are imperiling the wealth of nations today. From blind faith in ever-rising housing prices to plummeting confidence in capital markets, "animal spirits" are driving financial events worldwide. Robert Shiller will put forward a bold new vision that will transform economics and restore prosperity.

Opening up 'Illiberal' Regimes: do media and communications matter? [Audio]

Tue, 19 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Mary Kaldor, Dr Ziba Mir-Hosseini, Rita Payne, Dr Maung Zarni | Even in closed authoritarian systems, or 'illiberal' regimes, spaces exist for civil society activity, debate, and networking. Accelerated by globalisation, this process is enabled by diverse actors using traditional and new communications tools, often challenging the status quo.

Bulls or Bears in the China Shop? Global Crises, Global Linkages and Asian Manufacturing [Audio]

Mon, 18 May 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Andrew Bernard | This annual Sir Patrick Gillam Lecture examines the impact of the global economic downturn on East Asia and the prospects for East Asian manufacturing in its aftermath. Andrew Bernard is Jack Byrne Professor of International Economics and director of the Center for International Business at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, USA.

A World without Particles or Forces [Audio]

Thu, 14 May 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard Healey | Physicists talk about 'elementary particles'. But do particles exist? The Newtonian world depended on forces between particles, but the real world may be much stranger. Richard Healey is professor of philosophy at the University of Arizona.

How did HIV/AIDS affect rural communities in Africa? The answer to the question [Audio]

Thu, 14 May 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Stefan Dercon, Dr Janet Seeley | The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa is almost 30 years old yet a number of the worst-case scenarios on the impact of AIDS in Africa have not come to pass. What did happen? The speakers give their answers using data from recent research in Tanzania and Uganda. Stefan Dercon is a quantitative economist, University of Oxford. Janet Seeley is an anthropologist at the School of International Development, University of East Anglia.

Consolidating Kosovo's European Future: tracing next steps [Audio]

Wed, 13 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Peter Feith | A look at Kosovo's achievements and challenges over the past year, highlighting the current state of play and the priorities and vision of the Kosovo government and its international partners as the country prepares for European Union membership.

Declining Hegemon? The United States and the World of Crisis [Audio]

Wed, 13 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Cox, Professor Danny Quah | How will the world economic crisis impact the United States? Are we now witnessing the end of the American era? Michael Cox is professor of international relations and co-director of IDEAS at LSE. Danny Quah is head of department and professor of economics at LSE.

Urban Nomads [Audio]

Mon, 11 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sharron Lovell | China is a country in superlative transition. Media attention focuses primarily on the economic miracle and burgeoning political power, while the interwoven and critically important story of mass human migration remains a postscript. Driven from crumbling countryside economics, 200 million Chinese have moved to the cities, serving as cogs in an engine powering unprecedented growth. Though they are changing every facet of Chinese life, these internal migrants are, by law and practice, second-class citizens in their own land. They gamble everything - health, safety and family - to grab a piece of the modern Chinese life.

The Global Financial Crisis Revisited [Audio]

Mon, 11 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Will Hutton, Martin Wolf | Journalists Will Hutton and Martin Wolf discuss the global financial crisis. What are its dimensions? Have governments done enough to avoid the worst economic outcomes? And is the global economy teetering on the edge of depression?

A Billion People Decide their Future - a panel discussion on Indian Elections [Audio]

Fri, 8 May 2009 16:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Professor Meghand Desai, Dr Sharmila Bose | The fifteenth General Election in India, the world's largest democracy, with currently 714 million registered voters, is happening in five phases between 16 April and 13 May. The panel will discuss the most exciting election in India since Independence.

Documentary Photography: the long term project [Audio]

Thu, 7 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jessica Dimmock | Jessica Dimmock outlines the issues and obstacles relating to documentary photography, and the value of the long term project. She explores the process of engaging with subjects and the stories resulting from such sustained focus. This talk also considers the development of story ideas for the freelance photographer.

Human Rights after Darwin: is a general theory of human rights now possible? [Audio]

Thu, 7 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Conor Gearty | Conor Gearty speculates about the ongoing search for truth in human rights and reflects on his seven years as director of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights at LSE.

Voodoo Histories: from the Protocols to 9-11 [Audio]

Thu, 7 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Aaronovitch | Why are people attracted to conspiracy theories and why are those theories are so damaging? David Aaronovitch is an award-winning journalist, who has worked in radio, television and newspapers in the UK since the early 1980s. This event marks the launch of his new book 'Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History'.

The Tycoon and the Tough: towards a comparative anthropology of urban marginality [Audio]

Thu, 7 May 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Joshua Barker | Anthropologists often use key figures, such as the street tough, the child witch, and the flbneur, as a means to elucidate, personify, and critique underlying dynamics of social and cultural transformation. It is a method that is widely used, but seldom scrutinised. In this lecture Joshua Barker uses examples from his research in the slums of Bandung, Indonesia, to argue that this method can make a powerful contribution to a comparative anthropology of urban marginality.

The Saudi-U.S. Relationship; Past Developments and Future Prospects [Audio]

Thu, 7 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Prince Turki Al-Faisal | The Saudi-U.S relationship has always faced challenges that constantly test its strength. However, recent events in the region, such as the Iraq war, the 2006 war in Lebanon and the war in Gaza, have strained this relationship further. Prince Turki Al-Faisal, with his long and extensive experience in this area, gives his personal insight into this important relationship, its historical development and future challenges and prospects.

Controversies in the Economics of Climate Change [Audio]

Wed, 6 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Geoffrey Heal | The Stern Review stirred up the controversy surrounding the economics of climate change. This lecture will review these issues and give an assessment of the debate - where it is leading and what issues remain open.

How the 'Poor' Become 'Poor' - Debating Global Civil Society and Constructions of Poverty [Audio]

Wed, 6 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Campbell, Teresa Hanley; Dr Ruth Kattumuri; Dr Sally Stares | This diverse panel explores global civil society approaches to the social problem of poverty. The ways in which poverty are articulated, how poverty is represented, and how 'the poor' are designated are important political processes with implications for people's agency, our perceptions of impoverishment, and policies to alleviate it.

The role of the West in Rwanda's Genocide [Audio]

Wed, 6 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Linda Melvern | Linda Melvern is an investigative journalist and author. A world expert on the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, she was a consultant to the prosecution team at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in the military one case. She is an Honorary Professor of the Department of International Politics (University of Wales - Aberystwyth).

Reflections on the Revolution in Europe: can Europe be the same with different people in it? [Audio]

Tue, 5 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Christopher Caldwell | After a half-century of mass immigration, has Europe overestimated the need for immigrant labour and underestimated the culture shaping potential of religion? Christopher Caldwell is a senior editor at the Weekly Standard, and a regular contributor to the Financial Times. His new book is entitled 'Reflections on the Revolution in Europe: Islam, immigration and the west'.

Rising Asia in the World Crisis [Audio]

Tue, 5 May 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Athar Hussain, Professor Chen Jian; Professor Danny Quah | Asia's rise has brought about profound changes to the international system and the current world crisis presents the continent with both opportunities and challenges. The initiatives and responses by Asian countries, China and India in particular, have the potential to define the world's path of development now and in the future.

Do Tax Havens Cause Poverty? [Audio]

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Christensen, Felicity Lawrence; Nick Mathiason; Dr Attiya Waris | Defenders of tax havens argue they provide vital financial services for international trade, and that most comply with money-laundering regulations and have juridical co-operation treaties. This panel will explore the issues surrounding tax havens, in particular their impacts on poor people.

Fool's Gold [Audio]

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Gillian Tett | Gillian Tett takes us inside the shadowy world of complex finance and derivatives and explains how the business of slicing and dicing debt led us to the devastating global credit crunch. Gillian Tett has worked as a journalist for the Financial Times for fifteen years. In 2008 she won the British Press Award for the Financial Journalist of the Year. This event marks the publication of her latest book Fool's Gold :How Unrestrained Greed Corrupted a Dream, Shattered Global Markets and Unleashed a Catastrophe.

Gray's Anatomy: Thoughts on Politics, Religion and the Meaning of life [Audio]

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Gray | The world has entered a period of crisis and upheaval in which the ideologies of the past give little guidance. How did it reach its present condition? Is there a pattern of thinking that has led governments to make systematic errors? In conversation with Richard Reeves, John Gray will ask what went wrong and what we can expect in future. John Gray is emeritus professor of European thought at the LSE and author of Gray's Anatomy. Richard Reeves is Director of the think-tank Demos.

Friedrich Engels: the man who made Marxism [Audio]

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Tristram Hunt | With capitalism in crisis, the shadow of Karl Marx is looming large. But what about the co-author of The Communist Manifesto? In advance of a major new biography, The Frock-Coated Communist, Tristram Hunt explores the life and work, the personal contradictions and ideological breakthroughs, of Friedrich Engels. Cotton-lord and communist, Engels was the man who turned Marxism into a political force - and whose vision was then brutally betrayed in the 20th century. Tristram Hunt is an historian, broadcaster and a lecturer in British history at Queen Mary, University of London.

Wars, Guns and Votes: democracy in dangerous places [Audio]

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Collier | Award-winning author Paul Collier investigates the violence and poverty in the countries at the bottom of the world economy that are home to a billion people and asks why the democratic process in these countries so often fails.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall: twenty years on [Audio]

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Nick Cohen | In the 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, socialism has been in hibernation - yet Britain has lived through its longest period of left-wing government. What is the future of the Left?

The State between Migration and Sojourning: the China difference [Audio]

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Wang Gungwu | At the end of the 19th century, the Qing court described all Chinese living overseas as sojourners. Under the Republic, overseas Chinese were enjoined to be patriotic. After 1949, migration policies changed several times. Why did three different Chinese states pay so much attention to this subject?

Future Directions in the Law Regulating Weaponry in Armed Conflict [Audio]

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Group Captain Bill Boothby | A discussion on future directions in the law regulating weaponry in armed conflict to mark the release of Bill Boothby's new book Weapons and the Law of Armed Conflict. Bill Boothby has served for 27 years as an officer in the Royal Air Force legal branch. He developed and implemented the British system for the legal review of new weapons, and formed and led the team charged with conducting these reviews. Tom Porteus is London director of Human Rights Watch.

Progressive Governance: Greece and the New International Order [Audio]

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): George Papandreou | George A. Papandreou is president of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) and president of Socialist International. He was minister of foreign affairs from 1999 to 2004, a period that saw inter alia a new rapprochement with Turkey. He has served as minister for national education and religious affairs on two occasions (1988-89; 1994-96).He is the son and grandson of two Greek prime ministers. In 2006 he became president of the Socialist International. The latter has given him a privileged perspective on the challenges to social democracy internationally. Combining these responsibilities, he will address the twin themes of domestic and international governance. He will outline how he believes Greece needs to reform its own politics and governance and he will place this in the context of the current challenges to the international economic order.

Architecture as Investment: New Forms of Social Equity [Audio]

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Alejandro Aravena, Professor Ricky Burdett | The challenge to provide affordable housing is a global issue. At a time when market forces are eclipsing architecture's social value, Elemental's pioneering housing is transforming urban communities in Latin America.

Imagining a Humanist Europe [Audio]

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Francois Bayrou | Frangois Bayrou will address the theme of humanism. He will outline how he believes that Europe needs a new set of values and specially humanism after the failures of capitalism. Frangois Bayrou is the leader of the French centre party called Mouvement Democrate (Democratic Mouvement) and former presidential candidate. Mr Bayrou entered politics in the early 1980s and joined the centre right party called UDF. He served as education minister in centre-right governments between 1993 and 1997. He ran for the presidency in 2002 and 2007 and in 2007 polled almost seven million votes. He is the son of a farmer in south-western France and studied literature, and worked as a teacher while continuing to help his mother on the farm. He is still a part-time farmer.

Imagining India: ideas for the new century [Audio]

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Nandan Nilekani | Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, who has been a key player in India's growth story, argues that the country's future rests on more than simply economic growth. Only a safety net of ideas - from genuinely inclusive democracy to social security, from public health to sustainable energy - will enable the country to continue to grow and support the young people who have become one of its greatest assets.

A Blueprint for a Safer Planet [Audio]

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Stern of Brentford | Nicholas Stern presents an outline of his new book, A Blueprint for a Safer Planet, which describes how to manage climate change while creating a new era of growth and prosperity.

A Lecture by President Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev - in English [Audio]

Thu, 2 Apr 2009 16:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): President Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev | Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev was elected President of the Russian Federation in March 2008. In November 2005 he was elected First Deputy Prime Minister, previous to this he was Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office.

A Lecture by President Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev - in Russian [Audio]

Thu, 2 Apr 2009 16:15:00 GMT

Changing Values for a Just and Sustainable World [Audio]

Wed, 1 Apr 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Peter Singer | We live in a world of great affluence as well as extreme poverty, and in which the rich nations play a disproportionate role in changing the planet's climate, from which the poor will suffer most. What values would best guide us to a more just and sustainable world? Can we realistically expect them to be put into practice?

The G20 Summit and the World Crisis [Audio]

Wed, 1 Apr 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Jeffrey D Sachs | The G20 Summit is the world's key venue for addressing the current global crisis. Yet there are profound questions facing the Summiteers. What are the underlying causes of the global crisis? What are the priorities to speed economic recovery? How should the G172 (the 172 UN members not members of the G20) be represented? What are the most powerful tools for protecting the world's most vulnerable people, arresting financial contagion, restoring global demand, and creating a path to sustainable development? Does the world require a fundamental re-shaping of global institutions and modes of cooperation?

Indonesia: Global Reach, Regional Role [Audio]

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono | General TNI (Ret) Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was born in Pacitan on 9 September 1949. Having graduated from the Military Academy in 1973, his military career and rank rose until he became a four-star general in 2000. In 1991, he received his Master of Arts in Management from Webster University, the United States. He earned a Doctorate Degree in Agricultural Economics from Bogor Institute of Agriculture in 2004.

What can the G20 do? The Case for Special Drawing Rights [Audio]

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): George Soros | On the eve of the G20 summit, George Soros will argue that authorising an increase in SDRs is the most significant step that the G20 leaders could agree. This event will also launch the paperback edition George Soros latest book, The Crash of 2008 and What it Means: the New Paradigm for Financial Markets.

In Praise of Weak Incentives [Audio]

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Roberts | The current financial crisis was largely caused by strong, misaligned incentives for bankers, resulting in calls for redesign of these pay schemes. Yet economic research over the last several years has suggested a number of contexts where muted incentives are desirable. This lecture will examine these.

Nudge: improving decisions about health, wealth and happiness [Audio]

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard Thaler | Standard economic analyses rely on an unrealistic model of human behavior in which economic agents are hyperrational robots. Modern behavioral economics takes a more realistic approach and assumes that economics agents are humans, who sometimes forget where they put their keys, panic in the face of economic volatility, and are growing more obese by the day. The theme of Nudge is that it is possible to help such humans make better choices without taking away their freedoms, just by giving them a gentle nudge. The financial crisis of 2008 makes the message of Nudge more relevant than ever, both in determining how we got into this mess, how we can get out, and how we can prevent another crisis.

Majority Judgement: a completely new voting system. Part Three - Majority Judgement Compared with Other Voting Systems [Audio]

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michel Balinski | Balinski argues that, although the new Majority Judgement voting system is not perfect, Approval Voting fails in theory and in practice, and that Majority Judgement is better than Condorcet's and Borda's classical proposals, point-summing methods, first-past-the post and others.

Social Justice and Sustainability: arguments from political theory [Audio]

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Simon Caney, Professor Paul Kelly; Baroness Onora O'Neill | Three distinguished political philosophers examine and discuss how theories of social justice and sustainability can be related to each other.

Majority Judgement: a completely new voting system. Part Two - The Principal Properties of Majority Judgement [Audio]

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Rida Laraki | Laraki argues that the new Majority Judgement voting system is superior because it best ranks candidates according to merit. It best resists manipulation or "gaming the vote." It heeds majority rule. It is not subject to Arrow's impossibility, nor to most other classical paradoxes.

Eastern DRC: what should the international community be doing? [Audio]

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Leonard, General Olusegun Obasanjo; Professor James Putzel; Clare Short | With its most recent press release the Crisis States Research Centre (LSE) prompted fierce debate on the international response to the ongoing crisis in the Eastern DRC. Reactions to the arrest of the rebel leader Laurent Nkunda in Rwanda on 22 January are loud and divided, though international actions continue to follow the same three trends identified in the CSRC release. This response, says the CSRC, fails to comprehend the cause, complexity and extent of the crisis.

Majority Judgement: a completely new voting system. Part One - Majority Judgement vs the Traditional View [Audio]

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michel Balinski | Balinski presents an introduction to Majority Judgement, a new voting model that proposes a solution to many of the pressing problems confronting representative democracy and its various current electoral systems.

Howard Davies in Conversation with Lord Goldsmith QC [Audio]

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Goldsmith QC, Howard Davies | The separation of powers idea is at the heart of all legal democracies. Yet within those democracies there will often be positions of high office which require their holders to perform functions which are both legal and political. In this series of events senior figures who hold or have held positions of this type talk about their lives in the law, the nature of their office, the institutions which they serve, their roles and responsibilities within those institutions, the role of lawyers in government and their understanding of the relationship between law and politics.

Extraordinary Times Demand Extraordinary Actions [Audio]

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Wayne Swan | Wayne Swan was sworn in as Australian Treasurer on 3 December 2007. He has been Member for the Brisbane seat of Lilley from 1993 to 1996, and from 1998 to the present. In 2005 he published Postcode: the Splintering of a Nation, a well-received book on economic and social policy in Australia. Before Wayne's appointment to his current role, he was Shadow Treasurer for three years and for six years Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services (1998-2004).

Flexible Employment, Stable Society? [Audio]

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Wolfgang Streeck | How does the de-regulation of employment relate to the evolution of other social structures, in particular the family? And what are the consequences for the role of the state in society?

Hecklers to Power? The Waning Tools of Liberal Rights and Challenges to Feminist Activism in South Asia [Audio]

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ratna Kapur | rofessor Kapur examines the specific challenges that have faced feminist activism in South Asia, and discusses how it might forge a new political direction.

Thinking Like a Social Scientist: a lecture by Professor Gilat Levy [Audio]

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Gilat Levy | In this lunchtime series lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

China in International Society: can 'peaceful rise' succeed? [Audio]

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Barry Buzan | China has moved closer to international society on regional and global levels. The tide of history will probably favour China's peaceful rise, but the country will need to act to ensure this happens.

Will the Rich Man's Crisis Crush the Emerging Economies? [Audio]

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Thomas Mirow | The crisis originated in the main western financial centres, but emerging markets will pay the price. How steep a price? And what is the responsibility of the rich countries now?

An EU 'Fit for Purpose' in the Global Age [Audio]

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Miliband, Frans Timmermans; Professor Loukas Tsoukalis; Sir Stephen Wall | An interdisciplinary, cross-party investigation of policy options for the EU post-2009, involving 50 experts from all over Europe. The final report will be presented to national governments and the EU institutions in spring 2009.

Europe's Growth and Decline [Audio]

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Vytautas Landsbergis | Professor Vytautas Landsbergis will in his lecture be giving his perspective on the today's pressing events in the western world. His lecture will be an examination of consequences of doubtful mentality, as growth in population figures and average living standards have not resulted in increased happiness. Growing frustration and the crumbling myth of welfare state point to a crucial need to consider a new philosophy for life. The lecture will be followed by a Q&A session.

Can the EU make a difference in the Middle East? [Audio]

Thu, 5 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Jean-Pierre Filiu | European forces make up most of the international force in south Lebanon. The EU is the main donor to the Palestinian territories, a member of the Quartet and the initiator of the new Union for the Mediterranean. But how is all this activity to translate into a strategy for promoting peaceful co-existence in that troubled region?

Unjust Rewards: Exposing Greed and Inequality in Britain Today [Audio]

Thu, 5 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Polly Toynbee, David Walker | The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. City workers earn millions. Manual workers earn less than they did thirty years ago. The widening gap is tearing apart the fabric of our society. In their new book Unjust Rewards: Exposing Greed and Inequality in Britain Today, Polly Toynbee and David Walker present a worrying portrait of Britain.

The Future of Banking in a Global Economy [Audio]

Thu, 5 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Vikram Pandit | Today's financial and economic wreckage will provide the foundations for a system on which a stronger future will be built. This will only happen with a real cooperation and collaboration that is hard to envisage amidst the growing clamour for protectionism, speculation over the possible nationalisation of the banking system, and questions over the right of those at the centre of the industry to be part of the solution. In his lecture, Vikram Pandit will outline his views on the role of banking in society and the future of the industry, its supervision, its structure and its reputation and explains his work to reinvent the world's most global financial services company and his vision for the New Reality.

Britain and the Palestine Mandate [Audio]

Wed, 4 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Norman Rose | A review of British policies in Palestine in particular and the Middle East in general with special emphasis on the inter-war and post-war periods. For the Jews, this critical period led to the establishment of the state of Israel, for the Palestinians, to their 'Nakba' (Catastrophe), and for the British, a humiliating retreat from their imperial standing. Norman Rose is a graduate of the LSE and now holds the Chair of International Relations at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

What should the next G20 meeting do? [Audio]

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Cox, Will Hutton; Professor Danny Quah | The upcoming meeting of the G20 in London in early April 2009 is crucial for the development of policies to stabilise the world economy and reform the international financial architecture. What will the G20 do and what should it do? Will Hutton, Danny Quah, Mick Cox and David Held debate the issues.

Constitutional Continuity: The Role of Lord Chancellor in a Modern Democracy [Audio]

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 17:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jack Straw | Jack Straw was appointed as lord chancellor and secretary of state for Justice on 28 June 2007. He has previously served as leader of the House of Commons, secretary of state for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and home secretary. In Opposition he served as shadow home secretary, shadow environment secretary and shadow education secretary.

LSE Literary Weekend - New Audiences [Audio]

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 13:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Nandita Ghose, A.F Harrold, Andre Mangeot; Ife Piancu | This event is aimed at encouraging anyone who has never been to a poetry event before to come and see the amazing and exciting range of possibilities that poetry has. Poet in the City's New Audiences initiative has fast become one of our most popular set of programmes with events at the Guardian on Spoken Word and at Imperial University on Work, Space and Maths. This event has a mix of our favourite performance and up and coming poets that we're sure you'll enjoy.

LSE Literary Weekend - I Shall Die by Inches: Contemporary Approaches to Death and Dying [Audio]

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 11:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Will Self | "All but death" wrote Emily Dickinson "can be adjusted", and yet, the cold fact that bodies must eventually die only serves to hide the reality of death as a contested cultural domain, where competing notions of public and private, tradition and innovation, individual and collective, are played out, and discourses within literature, art, jurisprudence, medicine, religion, and politics all stake their claim to knowledge of the great unknown. This talk will illuminate the social aspects of death and dying in contemporary society, and challenge received ideas of what Rabelais' called our "vast perhaps".

LSE Literary Weekend - Religious Defamation [Audio]

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 11:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Conor Gearty, Ivan Hare; Kenan Malik | A year after the repeal of blasphemy from English law, religious defamation laws are tightening their grip on the world, with the apparent support of the United Nations. Whatever happened to freedom of speech? A discussion of the nature of blasphemy in the twenty-first century.

LSE Literary Weekend - Dreams of Rivers and Seas [Audio]

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 11:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr. Laura Bear, David Lan; Tim Parks | A reading from Tim Parks' latest novel Dreams of Rivers and Seas followed by a discussion on the anthropological themes explored within it.

LSE Literary Weekend - Poetry and Choices [Audio]

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jane Duran, John Mole; Robert Minhinnick; Jo Shapcott | A high profile poetry event reflecting on the choices that we all make in our lives, whether social, economic, moral or spiritual, featuring a great line-up of some of the UK's finest poets.

LSE Literary Weekend - Roundtable on Migrant Literature [Audio]

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Kapka Kassabova, Mustafa Kör, Naema Tahir | The migrant intellectual, writes Edward Said, has 'double perspective'. He or she is in a constant dialogue with his or her old and new home. Their writings often convey both a sense of loss and yearning but also display a richness wrought by the integration of multiple cultural identities, unique experiences and diverse modes of expression. These authors will explore what is it like to be migrant writers in their respective societies: what are the points of divergence, what are the commonalities? The authors will be invited to start off the evening by reading short excerpts from their work that typifies their own experiences as migrant authors. We will then explore some of the following questions in a roundtable discussion.

LSE Literary Weekend - The Financial Crisis, Climate Change and Energy [Audio]

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Anthony Giddens | Political action and intervention, on local, national and international levels, is going to have a decisive effect on whether or not we can limit global warming, as well as how we adapt to that already occurring. At the moment, however, Anthony Giddens argues controversially, we do not have a systematic politics of climate change.

LSE Literary Weekend - Political Satire [Audio]

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alistair Beaton, Martin Rowson | Alistair Beaton is Britain's leading writer of political satire. Martin Rowson is an award-winning political cartoonist whose work appears regularly in The Guardian, The Times, The Independent on Sunday, the Daily Mirror, the Scotsman, Tribune, Index on Censorship and Granta.

LSE Literary Weekend - Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire [Audio]

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Iain Sinclair, Jerry White; Patrick Wright | Editor's note: Unfortunately, owing to technical difficulties, the last few minutes of this event are missing from the audio podcast. Iain Sinclair is a writer, poet and film-maker and widely regarded as one of London's greatest chroniclers. Jerry White has been writing about London for thirty years. His London in the Twentieth Century: A City and Its People won the Wolfson History Prize 2001. Patrick Wright is a writer with an interest in the cultural and political dimensions of modern history. He is the author of a number of highly acclaimed and sometimes also reviled books, including The Village that Died for England (1995), Tank: the Progress of a Monstrous War Machine and Iron Curtain: from Stage to Cold War (2007).

LSE Literary Weekend - Ben Okri 'showcase' [Audio]

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ben Okri | Poet in the City and LSE are honoured to be holding a special showcase event with the world famous poet and writer Ben Okri. Born in 1959 in Minna, northern Nigeria, he became world famous as a writer in 1991 when he won the Booker prize for his novel The Famished Road. Set in a Nigerian village, this was the first in a trilogy of successful novels about Azaro, a spirit child. In all he has published eight novels, and won countless awards and honours for his writing. His latest novel, Starbook, was published in 2007.

LSE Literary Weekend - Designing Spaces for Thought [Audio]

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Antony Gormley, Professor Richard Sennett; Neven Sidor | By exploring the experiential and social impacts of creating spaces for public engagement, contemplation and education - including the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square and the LSE's New Academic Building - an artist, an architect and a sociologist discuss the intellectual practice of 'designing spaces for thought'.

LSE Literary Weekend - In Conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist [Audio]

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Hans Ulrich Obrist, Adrian Searle | Editor's note: Unfortunately, owing to technical difficulties, the last few minutes of this event are missing from the audio podcast. Hans Ulrich Obrist was born in Zurich in May 1968. He joined the Serpentine Gallery as Co-director of Exhibitions and Programmes and Director of International Projects in April 2006. Prior to this he was Curator of the Musie d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris since 2000, as well as curator of museum in progress, Vienna, from 1993-2000.

LSE Literary Weekend - The Founders' Tradition: literature as social commentary [Audio]

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mohsin Hamid, David Hare; Boyd Tonkin | This event marks the launch of the LSE Space for Thought Literary Weekend, the LSE's first ever Literary Festival, celebrating the completion of the New Academic Building. A discussion about not only the links between the social sciences and the arts, but the role of the arts in the LSE's past, present and future. Is literature relevant today?

LSE Literary Weekend - ReaLITy: creative responses to social realities [Audio]

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Morris Gleitzman, Elizabeth Laird; Anthony McGowan; Patrick Ness; Meg Rosoff | The culmination of a creative-writing competition for London state schools, this panel discussion looks at how authors find inspiration in contemporary social issues- from gang culture and knife crime, to the more timeless problems of being a teenager. The panel of popular and award-winning teen authors have dealt with topics as wide ranging as Ethiopian street children and Nazi Germany, with a mixture of reality, comedy and fantasy.

The Story of the Euro: past, present and future [Audio]

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Karl Otto Pöhl | How has the euro performed over its first ten years, and how will it cope with the strains caused by the current financial and economic crisis? Karl Otto Pvhl was president of the German Bundesbank from 1980-91, and played a leading role in the preparation of the European single currency.

Many Voices: understanding the debate about preventing violent extremism [Audio]

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Hazel Blears MP | The tragic events of 7/7 illustrated the threat to our society posed by violent extremism. Preventing it is one of the defining challenges of our age. Hazel Blears will explore the tough choices government has to make - how to empower new voices to join the debate, how to support people standing up for shared values and how to equip communities with the skills, confidence, and resilience they need to be part of the solution. In June 2007, Hazel Blears became the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Asia and Russia in the Age of Globalisation: the impact for Europe's future [Audio]

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Joschka Fischer | Joschka Fischer was Germany's foreign minister and vice-chancellor from 1998 to 2005.

Democracy in America: Jefferson, Tocqueville, and Lincoln [Audio]

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Peter Onuf | Professor Onuf explores the development of the elusive and controversial ideal of democracy from Thomas Jefferson's revolutionary writings to Abraham Lincoln's great effort to vindicate republican principles in the American Civil War. Peter Onuf is Thomas Jefferson Foundation Professor of History at the University of Virginia and Harmsworth Professor of American History at the University of Oxford.

Who Owns Fairtrade? A debate on who benefits, influences and controls Fairtrade [Audio]

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Pauline Tiffen, Rajah Banerjee; Kate Sebag; Katie Stafford; Dyborn Chinonga | The idea of fair trade has become increasingly popular amongst consumers and some producers. But who does fair-trade really benefit? The producers? The consumers? The Farmers? These are some of the issues that the panel will debate.

The Islamic Republic of Iran After 30 Years [Audio]

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Fred Halliday | Thirty years after the fall of the Shah of Iran and the advent of Ayatollah Khomeini to power, the Iranian revolution continues to exert a dynamic ideological and political influence across the Middle East. In a retrospective analysis of the revolutionary period itself, some of whose decisive moments he witnessed at first hand, and of the subsequent development of the Islamic Republic Professor Fred Halliday will attempt to set these dramatic events in context, as much that of the comparative study of revolutions as of the history of the contemporary Middle East.

Why Did Nobody Tell Us? Reporting the Global Crash of 2008 [Audio]

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alex Brummer, Vince Cable MP; Evan Davis; Gillian Tett; Professor Willem Buiter | This event will discuss the reporting leading up to the global credit crash of 2008. Alex Brummer has been City Editor for the Daily Mail since 2000. He has over thirty years' experience in the media. Vincent Cable is the Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer and speaks for his party on issues of Finance, European Economic and Monetary Union and the City. Evan Davis is a presenter of BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He was the BBC's Economics Editor from 2001-2008.

The Albanian Nun Who was not Considered 'European' Enough: Why did Mother Teresa leave the Loreto Order? [Audio]

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Gezim Alpion | Having identified some of the reasons which made Sister Teresa leave the Loreto Order in 1948, Alpion approaches this painful but momentous departure from a sociological perspective through biographical and historical contextualization and in the light of the work of Marx, Freud, Durkheim on the sociology of religion and career.

IHL and International Human Rights Law in Non-International Armed Conflicts [Audio]

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Marco Sassòli | Professor Sassoli will explore the relationship between International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law during non-international armed conflict, by applying the lex specialis principle. Marco Sassrli is professor of international law at the University of Geneva and associate professor at the Universities of Quebec and Laval.

Individual and Corporate Social Responsibility [Audio]

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Jean Tirole | This is the third annual Coase-Phillips lecture, hosted jointly by Economica and the Department of Economics. Jean Tirole is one of the world's most eminent economists working in the fields of industrial organisation, finance and game theory.

Lessons from the credit crisis [Audio]

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir John Gieve | The past 18 months have been a tumultuous time for the financial sector and the global economy more generally. In this speech, his last as Deputy Governor at the Bank of England, Sir John Gieve will discuss some of the key lessons for public policy and outline some potential improvements that could be made to the framework and tools available to policy makers. Sir John Gieve was appointed Deputy Governor in January 2006. In addition to his membership of the Monetary Policy Committee, he has specific responsibility for the Bank's Financial Stability work and is a member of the Board of the FSA.

Can International Law Change the World? [Audio]

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Judge Sir Christopher Greenwood | While each system of national law seeks to regulate affairs within only one society, international law concerns the entire world. Yet it has almost none of the methods of enforcement available to national legal systems. So, can it change the world? Christopher Greenwood was elected a judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in November 2008. He is an authority in international law who taught at LSE for 12 years, and was a practising barrister and has been a QC since 1999. He has appeared as an advocate in several cases at the ICJ.

Kosovo's Independence: One Year On [Audio]

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ambassador Muhamet Hamiti | Dr Muhamet Hamiti is the current and the first ambassador of the Republic of Kosova to the UK. Born in Podujeva in Kosovo in 1964, Ambassador Hamiti earned his BA in English Language and Literature at the University of Pristina in 1987; earned his MA in English Literature at the University of Zagreb (Croatia) in 1990, and his PhD in English literature at the University of Pristina in 2006 with a thesis on the prose fiction of James Joyce and Joseph Conrad. In the 1990s, Dr Hamiti was also an independent scholar at the University of East Anglia and at Birkbeck College of the University of London respectively, pursuing research in the field of literature.

Thinking Like a Social Scientist: public economics and pub economics [Audio]

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:05:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nicholas Barr | In this lunchtime series lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed. Nicholas Barr is professor of public economics at LSE and the author of numerous books and articles on the economics of the welfare state and the finance of higher education.

Fighting the Banana Wars [Audio]

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Harriet Lamb, Adam Brett; Dr Teddy Brett | Only 14 years ago you couldn't buy a Fairtrade product in Britain. Today almost £500m worth of goods bearing the Fairtrade mark are sold annually, including tea, coffee, bananas, cotton, flowers and even footballs. At the heart of this revolution in our shops is the Fairtrade Foundation, which was established in 1992 by CAFOD, Christian Aid, New Consumer, Oxfam, Traidcraft Exchange and the World Development Movement. Starting small but with big ideas, it has turned a grass-roots movement into a phenomenon of our time - changing not only the way in which corporations deal with their suppliers and how consumers shop on the high street, but also transforming the lives of over 7 million farmers, workers and their families.

The Global Economic Crisis - Meeting the Challenge [Audio]

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Tim Besley, Professor Francesco Caselli; Professor Chris; Professor Danny Quah | A panel discussion on the current global economic crisis: its origins, transmission, and possible impact and resolution. Tim Besley, Francesco Caselli, Chris Pissarides and Danny Quah are all economics professors at LSE.

"Russian Railways" as the locomotive of the Russian Economy" [Audio]

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Vladimir Yakunin | Vladimir I. Yakunin, president of "Russian Railways" will deliver a speech covering three main topics in the context of his company: economic science, market awareness and development.

Democracy in Kuwait and its effect on the Gulf [Audio]

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Abdullah Bishara | Significant political reform processes are underway in all six member-states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In this lecture the first secretary-general of the GCC will reflect on their progress and future prospects. Abdullah Bishara was secretary-general of the GCC from 1981-93.

European Democracy and the Language Question [Audio]

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Philippe Van Parijs | Is democracy sustainable in a multilingual polity? Or should appropriate institutions make democracy compatible with multilingualism? Which of these views does the experience of the European Union support? Or is the EU irrelevant to this dispute as English fast becomes Europe's lingua franca? Philippe Van Parijs directs the Hoover Chair in Economic and Social Ethics at the University of Louvain and is visiting professor at the Philosophy Department of Harvard University.

A Good Childhood: searching for values in a competitive age [Audio]

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Judy Dunn, Professor Lord Richard Layard | (We apologise for the poor audio quality, this was because of technical problem with the audio-visual system) Is childhood all it should be? Or has it been spoilt by broken homes, junk food, alcohol and exam stress? The speakers will present the findings of The Good Childhood Inquiry. Judy Dunn is professor of developmental psychology at King's College London, and was chair of The Good Childhood Inquiry. Richard Layard is director of the Well-being Programme in the LSE Centre for Economic Performance.

Afghanistan and Iraq: good war, bad war? [Audio]

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lakhdar Brahimi | Lakhdar Brahimi, with an extensive career in peace-building, reflects on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with Mary Kaldor. Lakhdar Brahimi was foreign minister of Algeria (1991-93) and prior to that ambassador to the UK (1971-79). He mediated the end of the Civil War in Lebanon (1988-91) and headed UN Missions in South Africa, Haiti, Afghanistan and Iraq. Lakhdar Brahimi is now a member of "The Elders", a group created at the initiative of Nelson Mandela and his wife Graca Machel and chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Reforming Pensions in Europe: four policies in search of a politician [Audio]

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nicholas Barr, Lord Turner of Ecchinswell | How can European countries reform pensions so that they keep pensioners and taxpayers happy, follow workers who move from country to country within the EU, and allow workers choice about retirement? Nicholas Barr is professor of public economics in LSE's European Institute. Lord Turner is chairman of the Financial Services Authority and chairman of the Climate Change Committee and the Overseas Development Institute. He is a visiting professor at LSE.

Keeping Score: new approaches to the standard of living [Audio]

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard H Steckel | Measuring social performance is an important task in the social sciences, and the complexity of the problem has given rise to numerous approaches. In this lecture, Professor Steckel will discuss the use of anthropomorphic measures in this field, and explain the advantages of height as a measure of standard of living. Richard H Steckel is SBS Distinguished Professor of Economics, Anthropology and History at Ohio State University. The Space for Thought Lecture series celebrates the completion of the New Academic Building and is supported by the LSE Annual Fund.You can see a list of all the lectures in this series at Space for Thought Inaugural Lecture Series.

Celebrities and Aid: new humanitarians or just another fad? [Audio]

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Street, Kris Torgeson; Ann McFerran | Why do charities use celebrities to speak out on humanitarian action? Who do celebrities represent? Are they genuinely committed to the causes they espouse or have causes become another path to self-promotion? John Street is a Professor of Politics at the University of East Anglia. Kris Torgeson is the International Secretary for the Midecins Sans Frontihres International Office. Award-winning journalist and freelance feature writer for the Sunday Times, Ann McFerran has interviewed and accompanied many celebrities on their travels to meet some of the world's most neglected people.

Obama and the Empire of Liberty [Audio]

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Reynolds | A new president. A new era? David Reynolds will introduce the Obama presidency against the backdrop of America's epic, tangled history. David Reynolds is professor of international history at Cambridge University and a fellow of the British Academy. His most recent book is America, Empire of Liberty: A New History.

Why 2009 is a crucial year for Europe [Audio]

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 18:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Bruno Le Maire | Bruno Le Maire is the French minister of state for European affairs, prior to this he was principal private secretary to the Prime Minister, 2006-2007, advisor to the Prime Minister, 2005-2006, advisor to the Minister of the Interior, 2004-2005 and advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, 2002-2004. Bruno has been National Assembly deputy for Eure since 2007, and is a member of the National Assembly Finance Committee. He is also the Finance Committee special rapporteur on health security and has been a member of Evreux (Eure) Municipal Council since 2008.

After the Good Life, the Impasse: human resources, time out, and the precarious present [Audio]

Wed, 4 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lauren Berlant | This lecture draws on two films of Laurent Cantet - Human Resources (1999) and Time Out (2001) - to engage the new affective languages of the contemporary economic atmosphere, languages of anxiety, contingency and precarity. Lauren Berlant is George M Pullman Professor, Department of English, University of Chicago. Sadie Wearing is lecturer in gender theory, culture and media at the Gender Institute, LSE.

Here Comes Everybody: how change happens when people come together [Audio]

Tue, 3 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Clay Shirky | Clay Shirky, one of the new culture's wisest observers, steer us through the online social explosion and ask what happens when people are given the tools to work together, without needing traditional organisational structures. As online communication becomes ubiquitous, Shirky unpicks fundamental issues that are increasingly the source of much debate in particular in the media, in business, and in government, all of whom are grappling to make sense of the new social revolution. He argues that the conundrum is not whether the spread of these social tools is good or bad, but rather what the impact will be, for better or for worse.

Is Global Democracy Possible? [Audio]

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Daniele Archibugi, Professor Michael Cox; George Monbiot | This panel will explore whether or not the concepts and practices of democracy can be extended beyond borders to embrace the global order. Panellists take sharply different views on this question and very lively debate is promised. Daniele Archibugi is professor of innovation, governance and public policy at Birkbeck College. Michael Cox is professor of international relations at LSE. George Monbiot is a bestselling author and a columnist for The Guardian newspaper.

Liberal Fascism: the uses and abuses of the F-word [Audio]

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jonah Goldberg | For nearly a century the political left has controlled the commanding heights of intellectual discourse by asserting, contrary to the evidence, that the left holds a monopoly on political virtue. The further you move from the left on the political spectrum, it is asserted, the closer you get to evil. "Fascism" has long served as the central prop in this drama. Fascism and evil are interchangeable terms, we are told. The reality is that while fascism may be evil, it has always been a leftist phenomenon. Jonah Goldberg is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times and contributing editor to National Review. A USA Today contributor and former columnist for The Times in London, he has also written for the New Yorker, Commentary, the Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. His latest book is Liberal Fascism.

The Shifting Distribution of World Economic Activity: China and global imbalance [Audio]

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Danny Quah | China has, single-handedly, brought more people out of poverty than the rest of the world combined, and faster than anywhere else has been able to achieve. How can this continue? Danny Quah is professor of economics and head of the Department of Economics at LSE.

The Great Transformation: how China changed in the long 1970s [Audio]

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Chen Jian | Professor Chen offers a historian's overview of China's 1970s transformation and the beginning of global systemic change that this transformation helped create. Chen Jian is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs for 2008-09 at LSE. He is the Michael J Zak Chair of the History of US China Relations at Cornell University.

Designing Policies for Growth - 21 January 2009 [Audio]

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Philippe Aghion | In Wednesday's lecture Professor Aghion will focus on the relationship between market reforms and trust. Philippe Aghion is Robert C Waggoner Professor of Economics, Harvard University.

Georgia: has Europe let Russia off the hook? [Audio]

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Sabine Freizer, Professor Salome Zourabichvili | Sabine Freizer is Europe programme director of the International Crisis Group. Salome Zourabichvili is associate professor at Sciences Po, Paris and former foreign minister of Georgia.

The Incompatibility of Science and Religion [Audio]

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Worrall | Richard Dawkins and others claim that science and religion are incompatible. Others argue that on a more sophisticated view there is only the appearance of a clash. Who is right? John Worrall is professor of philosophy of science at LSE.

Designing Policies for Growth - 20 January 2009 [Audio]

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Philippe Aghion | In Tuesday's lecture Professor Aghion will discuss how policies inducing directed technical change can be designed to maximise sustainable growth. Philippe Aghion is Robert C Waggoner Professor of Economics, Harvard University.

World War Two: behind closed doors [Audio]

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Laurence Rees | Laurence Rees will be discussing his book and BBC series World War Two: behind closed doors. He will re-examine the key decisions made by Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt during the war. Laurence Rees is an award-winning historian and documentary maker.

Designing Policies for Growth - 19 January 2009 [Audio]

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Philippe Aghion | In Monday's lecture Professor Aghion will lay down the framework to think about growth policy design. Philippe Aghion is Robert C Waggoner Professor of Economics, Harvard University.

Policy Responses to the Financial Crisis [Audio]

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Ben S. Bernanke | Ben S. Bernanke was sworn in on February 1, 2006, as Chairman and a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Dr. Bernanke also serves as Chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee, the System's principal monetary policymaking body. He was appointed as a member of the Board to a full 14-year term, which expires January 31, 2020, and to a four-year term as Chairman, which expires January 31, 2010. Before his appointment as Chairman, Dr. Bernanke was Chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, from June 2005 to January 2006.

A lecture by Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic [Audio]

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mirek Topolánek | Mirek Topolanek has been Prime Minister of the Czech Republic since September 2006. He has been chairman of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) since November 2002. Mr Topolanek will speak about the priorities of the forthcoming Czech Republic's EU Presidency.

Managing Risk: A Global Imperative [Audio]

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Michael Chertoff | Given the threats posed by terrorism and natural disasters, the issue of how to handle risk remains an essential one for nations. While in free societies, people routinely make risk calculations, markets do an imperfect job of risk allocation. Governments must sometimes step in, but in a way that carefully manages risk through prudent, measured regulation. On February 15, 2005, Judge Michael Chertoff was sworn in as the second Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Chertoff formerly served as United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Impact of the Global Economic Downturn on the World's Poorest Countries and The Launch of the International Growth Centre [Audio]

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Douglas Alexander, Professor Robin Burgess; Professor Paul Collier; Gobind Nankani | The UK's Secretary of State for International Development, Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, will speak on the impact of the global economic downturn on the world's poorest countries. Professor Paul Collier, Oxford University, will be speaking about the latest academic thinking on promoting growth in the world's poorest countries. Professor Robin Burgess, LSE, will present on how the International Growth Centre will support economic growth in developing countries.Gobind Nankani, a Ghanaian native, was recently appointed President of the Global Development Network (GDN) in 2007. He is a development economist and had a distinguished 30 year career at the World Bank, holding management positions in various regions and sectors across the Bank.

Fiscal responsibility and the recession [Audio]

Tue, 9 Dec 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Cameron MP | In December 2005 David Cameron was elected leader of the Conservative Party. Prior to this he held the position of Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills. He was elected to parliament in 2001 representing Witney. Before he became an MP, David worked in business and government. He worked as a Special Adviser in government, first to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and then to the Home Secretary. Afterwards he spent seven years at Carlton Communications, one of the UK's leading media companies, and served on the management Board.

Ancient Adversaries, Modern Friends: Hellenic-Irnaian Relations Down The Ages [Audio]

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Baroness Haleh Afshar, Professor Dominic Lieven; Sam Moorhead; Nigel Spivey; Professor Norman Stone | Unfortunately due to a technical fault the last fifteen minutes of this event are missing from the recording

Human Rights Day Event: The Right of Rights 1948-2008 [Audio]

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Shami Chakrabarti, Jonathan Cooper; Professor Conor Gearty; Baroness Helena Kennedy QC; Professor Francesca Klug; Professor Peter Townsend | To mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this fun yet challenging event will ask which is the greatest right.

In Conversation with Cherie Blair [Audio]

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Cherie Blair, Howard Davies | Cherie Blair is a noted barrister and QC, specialising in human rights law. She is married to Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister. Cherie studied law at LSE and is a governor and honorary fellow of the School. In this event she will talk to Howard Davies, LSE Director about her autobiography published earlier this year entitled Speaking for Myself (May 2008, Little, Brown).

The role of banks in a globalised economy: balancing innovation and stability [Audio]

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alessandro Profumo | Banks are called upon to play a primary role, in cooperation with policymakers and regulators, in the quest for better levels of financial stability for the system as a whole. The real economy's needs must be central to the bank's characteristic function. Alessandro Profumo has been the Chief Executive Officer of UniCredit Group since it was founded in 1997; as of December 2005 he is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of HVB and as of July 2006 he is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bank Austria Creditanstalt. Previously he held the post of Chief Executive Officer of Credito Italiano which he had joined in 1994 as its Chief General Manager in charge of Planning & Group Control, a year after that bank was privatised. At an international level, he is Member of the Board of the European Banking Federation - Brussels, of the European Financial Services Round Table - London, of the Trilateral Commission (Italian Group), of the Investment Advisory Council for Turkey - Istanbul and of the Institut International d'Etudes Bancaires - Brussels.

China After the Olympics [Audio]

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jonathan Fenby, Professor Athar Hussain; Martin Jacques; Professor Chen Jian | Whether we think sport and politics should or should not be mixed, it is clear that in the case of the Beijing Olympics the two have never been more closely intertwined. But how has the Olympics impacted on China? Has it improved or worsened China's image in the world? And how will it effect its future relations with the West? Jonathan Fenby is a British journalist, and was editor of The Observer newspaper from 1993-1995. He wrote The Penguin History of Modern China 1850-2008, which was published in June 2008. Athar Hussain is director of the Asia Research Centre. Martin Jacques is a visiting research fellow in the Asia Research Centre, LSE. Chen Jian is the Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE.

Global Shocks, Global Solutions: Meeting 21st Century Challenges [Audio]

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Ian Goldin | Dr Ian Goldin is the first Director of The James Martin 21st Century School at Oxford University taking up his position in September 2006. Goldin was Vice President of the World Bank (2003-2006) and prior to that the Bank's Director of Development Policy (2001-2003). He served on the Bank's senior management team, and was directly responsible for its relationship with the UK and all other European, North America and developed countries. Goldin led the Bank's collaboration with the United Nations and other partners. As Director of Development Policy, Goldin played a pivotal role in the research and strategy agenda of the Bank. From 1996 to 2001 he was Chief Executive and Managing Director of the Development Bank of Southern Africa and served as an adviser to President Nelson Mandela. He succeeded in transforming the Bank to become the leading agent of development in the 14 countries of Southern Africa. During this period, Goldin served on several Government committees and Boards, and was Finance Director for South Africa's Olympic Bid.

What's Wrong with the EU Budget? [Audio]

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Iain Begg, Zaki Cooper; Dalia Grybauskaite | With the formal review of the EU budget under way, a panel of policymakers, experts and other stakeholders ask: what should the EU be spending taxpayers' money on? And what are the prospects for a radical overhaul? Iain Begg is professorial research fellow in the European Institute, LSE. Zaki Cooper is director of Business for a New Europe. Dalia Grybauskaite is European Commissioner responsible for Financial Programming and Budget, prior to this she served as Minister of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania.

The Age of Mobility: Can we make migration work for all? [Audio]

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Peter Sutherland | Peter Sutherland is the United Nations special representative for migration. He is the chairman of Goldman Sachs International and chairman of BP. He is the chairman of the LSE Court of Governors.

Forensic Anthropology: the reconstruction of the truth in the fight against impunity [Audio]

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Silvana Turner | Applying forensic anthropology and related sciences, and working closely with victims and their relatives, the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team seeks to shed light on human rights violations, contributing to the search for truth, justice, reparation, and prevention of future abuses. Silvana Turner is a forensic anthropologist, investigator and researcher for the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team.

The Subprime Crisis [Audio]

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Robert J. Shiller | Bubbles in the stock market and the housing market are the cause of a financial crisis that is wreaking havoc around the world. The bubbles in turn are caused, at their core, by popular misunderstandings. This contradicts the 'rational expectations' view of the economy that has guided much economic theorizing. In dealing with this crisis in the short run, some kind of bailout of injured parties is necessary to prevent damage to the social fabric. In the long run, we can help mitigate such crises by improving the financial information infrastructure, by expanding market coverage of important risks, and introducing new retail financial products. Robert J. Shiller is the Arthur M. Okun Professor of Economics, Department of Economics and Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University, and Professor of Finance and Fellow at the International Center for Finance, Yale School of Management.

Ross Cranston, QC in Conversation with Lord Mackay of Clashfern [Audio]

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Mackay, Ross Cranston | The separation of powers idea is at the heart of all legal democracies. Yet within those democracies there will often be positions of high office which require their holders to perform functions which are both legal and political. In this series of events senior figures who hold or have held positions of this type talk about their lives in the law, the nature of their office, the institutions which they serve, their roles and responsibilities within those institutions, the role of lawyers in government and their understanding of the relationship between law and politics. Ross Cranston is justice of the High Court and visiting professor of law at LSE. Lord Mackay of Clashfern, KT, PC was formerly Lord Advocate of Scotland, 1979-1984 and Lord Chancellor, 1987-1997.

The Independent Kosovo: Partner for Peace and Stability in the Region [Audio]

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): President of Kosovo, Dr Fatmir Sejdiu | Fatmir Sejdiu is President of Kosovo, a position he has held since February 2006. Dr. Sejdiu is a professor at the Faculty of Law and the School of Political Science of the University of Prishtina. On 28 June 2006 he received a 'Doctor Honoris Causa' from the University of Tirana in Albania. One of the founding members of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) which was established in late 1989, Fatmir Sejdiu was elected a member of the Presidency of the Party in 1992, whereas on 1994 he was elected Secretary General of LDK. In 1992 and 1998 elections, he was elected member of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo holding the positions of the general secretary of the Parliament and chairman of the Constitutional Issues Committee. In the first post-war elections in 2001 and 2004, Mr. Sejdiu was elected member of the Kosovo Assembly and a member of the Presidency of the Assembly. He was also a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Judicial, Legislative and Constitutional Matters and the Committee for International Cooperation and EU Integration.

Who says World Politics is boring? International Relations after Georgia and the Financial Crisis [Audio]

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alexander Stubb | Alexander Stubb, Finland's Foreign Minister and current chairman of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is a graduate of the LSE. He became Minister for Foreign Affairs in April this year. Before that he served for four years as a member of the European Parliament.

Ireland and Britain - old narratives and new [Audio]

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mary McAleese | On 11th November, 1997, Mary McAleese was inaugurated as the eighth President of Ireland and was re-elected in 2004. She is a barrister and former Professor of Law and the first President to come from Northern Ireland. She graduated in Law from the Queen's University of Belfast in 1973 and was called to the Northern Ireland Bar in 1974. In 1975, she was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College Dublin and in 1987, she returned to her Alma Mater, Queen's, to become Director of the Institute of Professional Legal Studies. In 1994, she became the first female Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Queen's University of Belfast. She has a longstanding interest in many issues concerned with justice, equality, social inclusion, anti-sectarianism and reconciliation.

Revisiting Marx: is Marxism still relevant? [Audio]

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Meghnad Desai, Professor David Harvey; Professor Leo Panitch | This event brings together leading social and political thinkers to debate the contemporary meaning and relevance of Marx's legacy on the occasion of the republication of The Communist Manifesto, with an introduction by David Harvey. Meghnad Desai is emeritus professor of economics at LSE. David Harvey is professor of anthropology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Leo Panitch is professor of political science at York University, Ontario.

The Politics of Mobility [Audio]

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Peter Hendy | Sprawl versus dense? Public transport versus private car? This debate will outline how London's transport strategy shapes - and is shaped by - environmental policy, quality of life and political imperatives. Peter Hendy is commissioner of Transport for London.

Europe in the Global Economy [Audio]

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor George Alogoskoufis | This lecture will address the impact of globalisation and the recent worldwide economic turmoil on Europe and in particular on the prospects of the Lisbon Strategy, the Stability and Growth Pact, and the European Social Model. George Alogoskoufis has been Greece's minister of economy and finance since 2004 and professor of economics at Athens University of Economics and Business since 1990.

Our Urban Future: the death of distance and the rise of cities [Audio]

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Edward Glaeser | Improvements in transportation and communication technologies have led some to predict the death of distance, and with that, the death of the city. In this lecture Professor Ed Glaeser will argue that these improvements have actually been good for idea-producing cities at the same time as they have been devastating for goods-producing places. What, then, does the future hold for our cities? Ed Glaeser is the Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics at Harvard, where he also serves as Director of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government and the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston.

Desiring Walls [Audio]

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Wendy Brown | In this lecture, Professor Wendy Brown will draw on discourse analysis, psychoanalysis, and feminist theory to examine the desire for walls in the context of eroding sovereignty. Why the current proliferation of nation-state walls, especially amidst widespread proclamations of global connectedness and anticipation of a world without borders? And why barricades built of concrete, steel and barbed wire when threats to the nation today are so often miniaturized, vaporous, clandestine, dispersed or networked? Why walls now and how are they to be understood?

The Prospect of Democratisation in Afghanistan [Audio]

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Rangin Dadfar Spanta | Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta is Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, a position he has held since May 2006. Foreign Minister Spanta earned a Master degree in Political Sciences, Sociology and International Relations and a PhD degree from Aachen University in Political Sciences where he also taught as a professor from 1992 to 2005. In January 2005, Dr. Spanta returned to teach at Kabul University, and later became the advisor on foreign affairs to President Hamed Karzai. His nomination as Foreign Minister was approved by the Parliament on April 20, and he was sworn in on May 2, 2006.

Human Rights in United Nations Action: Norms, Institutions and Leadership [Audio]

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Navanethem Pillay | Navanethem Pillay is UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, she took up office on 1 September 2008. Ms. Pillay, a South African national, was the first woman to start a law practice in her home province of Natal in 1967. Over the next few years, she acted as a defense attorney for anti-apartheid activists, exposing torture, and helping establish key rights for prisoners on Robben Island.

Did religion make a difference? The American elections and beyond [Audio]

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Peter Berger, John Micklethwait | This event will reflect on the American presidential election, drawing on expert insights into the place of religion in the US, as compared with the European context. Peter Berger is professor emeritus of religion, sociology and theology at Boston University. John Micklethwait is editor-in-chief of The Economist.

Kosovo's Independence and the Balkans: regional implications and challenges [Audio]

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jelena Bjelica, Anna Di Lellio; Enver Hoxhaj; Tim Judah | Uncertainty over the status of Kosovo had undermined stability in the Balkans since the early 1990s. The panel of experts discusses Kosovo's declaration of independence and its political, economic and security impact on the Balkans. Jelena Bjelica is the editor-in-chief of the weekly Gradjanski Glasnik, Kosovo. Anna Di Lellio is the editor of the book The Case for Kosova: passage to independence. Enver Hoxhaj is the current minister of education, science and technology of the Republic of Kosovo. Tim Judah is the author of the prize winning book The Serbs: history, myth, and the destruction of Yugoslavia.

Navigating Global Economic and Financial Change [Audio]

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mohamed A El-Erian | The global economy is experiencing a number of consequential transformations that impact long-standing economic and financial relationships. The resulting change goes well beyond the emergence of a new destination for the global economy; it is also reflected in what is an inevitably bumpy journey that is prone to a series of market accidents and policy mistakes. In his presentation, Mohamed A. El-Erian will discuss the nature of the transformations. He will detail the drivers, and illustrate how they relate to the unusual developments being experienced by international markets. He will conclude by identifying some of the retooling challenges that confront investors, firms, governments, and the multilateral system.

Torturing Democracy Through the American Wars on Crime and Terrorism? [Audio]

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Randall Coyne | Professor Coyne examines the cost to civil liberties and freedom of America's wars-without-end: the war on terrorism and the war on crime. Coyne's lecture touches on the constitutional questions raised by detention of foreign nationals at Guantanamo Bay, the US' continuing support of capital punishment, and his work for 'enemy combatants' and death-row prisoners. Randall Coyne is Edna Asper Elkouri and Frank Elkouri Professor of Law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

Where Now For the United States After the Election? [Audio]

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Cox, Jessica Mathews; Bob Singh | The 2008 race for the White House has been the most exciting in recent American history. But will it make much difference to the United States and the rest of the world who wins: Obama or McCain? Michael Cox is a professor of international relations at LSE. Jessica Mathews is president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Rob Singh is a fellow of the RSA and an associate fellow of the Institute for the Study of the Americas.

Black Panther, the revolutionary art of Emory Douglas [Audio]

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Emory Douglas | Emory Douglas, ex Minister of Culture for the Black Panther party, will speak about the history behind the art of the party, and take a look at some more recent works. Emory Douglas was born May 24th, 1943 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Douglas attended City College of San Francisco where he majored in commercial art. He was politically involved as Revolutionary Artist and then Minister of Culture for the Black Panther party in Oakland, CA from February, 1967 until its discontinuance in the Early 1980's. Douglas's art was always seen on front pages of the Black Panther Newspaper and, reflecting the ideals and rhetoric of the Black Panther Party. Offering a retrospective look at artwork created during in the Black Panther Party, Douglas's work has recently been displayed at the 2008 Biennale of Sydney, the Museum of Modern Art in Los Angeles,Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Richmond Art Center, the Station Museum of Contemporary Art. And has appeared in June/July volume of Art in America, PRINT Magazine, and the American Institute of Public Arts.

The Economics of the Recession [Audio]

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): George Osborne MP | In a major and wide ranging speech George Osborne will ask why Britain's economy was not better prepared for the looming recession, and will outline what steps should now be taken.

Central Banking and the Credit Crunch [Audio]

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies | Howard Davies is working on a book about the future of central banking to be published in 2009 by Princeton University Press. He will assess the ways in which central banks around the world have responded to the credit crisis and what that implies for their role in financial sector regulation in the future. Howard Davies is Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Prior to this, from 1997-2003 he was Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, the single regulator for the UK financial sector, which was created under his leadership from nine separate regulatory agencies. From 1995-1997 he was Deputy Governor of the Bank of England.

An Appeal to Reason: a cool look at global warming [Audio]

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Lawson, Dr Simon Dietz | Lord Lawson argues the case for a fully formed view of global warming, and against hysterical environmentalism. He looks at the facts behind the headlines and explains that for governments to make informed decisions about the path ahead, they must listen to economists as well as scientists, utilising economic forecasting to assess the likely evolution of the world economy.

In Sickness and In Power [Audio]

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Owen | The course of world history has been critically shaped by the physical and mental illnesses of heads of state, sometimes in the public eye but usually in secrecy. Long fascinated with the inter-relationship between politics and medicine, David Owen uses his deep knowledge of both to undertake a unique study of illness in Heads of Government during the last 100 years. Owen expertly scrutinises such diverse political personalities as Sir Anthony Eden at the time of Suez in 1956; John F. Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961; the last Shah of Iran; and President Mitterrand of France who suffered from prostate cancer. Lord Owen also focuses on the "intoxication of power" and hubristic behaviour in such leaders as David Lloyd George and Margaret Thatcher and in particular President Bush and Tony Blair. Lord Owen outlines some of the safeguards that society needs to address as a consequence of illness in heads of government.

Women's Status, Men's States [Audio]

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Catharine Mackinnon | Analyzing the nature of the international in gendered terms, Professor MacKinnon provides a perspective on developments in women's human rights globally. Catharine A. MacKinnon, Elizabeth A. Long Professor of Law at the University of Michigan, is a teacher, lawyer, writer, and activist on sex equality domestically and internationally. She has taught at ten law schools including Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Chicago, Osgoode Hall (Toronto), and Columbia, and been a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study (Berlin, 1992-3) and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (Stanford, 2005-6). Widely published in many languages, her dozen books include Sex Equality (2001), Toward a Feminist Theory of the State (1989), Only Words (1993), Sexual Harassment of Working Women (1979), and in the last two years, Women's Lives, Men's Laws (2005) and Are Women Human? (2006). She created the concept that sexual violence violates equality rights, pioneering the legal claim for sexual harassment as sex discrimination and, with Andrea Dworkin, recognition of the harms of pornography as civil rights violations. Representing Bosnian women survivors of Serbian genocidal sexual atrocities, she established legal recognition of rape as an act of genocide and won a $745 million verdict at trial. She works with Equality Now, an international NGO promoting sex equality. Empirical studies document that Professor MacKinnon is one of the most widely-cited legal scholars in the English language.

Disparity and Diversity in the Contemporary City: social order revisited [Audio]

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Robert Sampson, Professor Paul Gilroy | A look at classic urban themes as they are manifested in the contemporary city, focusing on social reproduction of inequality, the meanings of disorder, and the link between the two. Paul Gilroy is Anthony Giddens Professor in Social Theory at LSE. Robert Sampson is Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences and chair of sociology, Harvard University.

Running Cities: London in contextd [Audio]

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Simon Milton, Professor Ricky Burdett; Deyan Sudjic | What is the new administration's vision for London? Speakers discuss how to design and manage the powerhouses of the global economy, assessing London's development compared to the megacities of the world. Simon Milton was appointed deputy mayor for policy and planning after serving as chairman of London's Local Government Association. Ricky Burdett, chief adviser for the London 2012 Olympics, and Deyan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum in London, are co-editors of The Endless City.

Gut Feelings: short cuts to better decision making [Audio]

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Gerd Gigerenzer | We think of intelligence as a deliberate, conscious activity guided by the laws of logic. Yet much of our mental life is unconscious, based on processes alien to logic: gut feelings, or intuitions. In his lecture Dr Gigerenzer argues that intuition is more than impulse and caprice; it has its own rationale. This can be described by fast and frugal heuristics, which exploit evolved abilities in our brain. Heuristics ignore information and try to focus on the few important reasons. He shows that biased minds that intuitively rely of heuristics can make better inferences about the world than information-greedy statistical algorithms. More information, more time, even more thinking, are not always better, and less can be more.

The Global Financial Crisis: Will Hutton and Martin Wolf in conversation with Professor David Held [Audio]

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Will Hutton, Martin Wolf | Will Hutton is chief executive of the Work Foundation. Prior to this, he spent four years as editor-in-chief of The Observer and continues to write a weekly column for the paper. He is also a governor of LSE. Martin Wolf is associate editor and chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, London. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 2000 "for services to financial journalism". He is also an honorary graduate of LSE.

Inhuman and Degrading Treatment: the words themselves [Audio]

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Jeremy Waldron | Many human rights charters contain prohibitions on inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners and detainees. Terms like "inhuman" and "degrading" are difficult to interpret, but they are certainly not meaningless. It is important to attend to attend to the meanings of the words themselves, as well as to the decisions that courts have made about particular practices. Reflection on the meanings of these highly-charged terms reveals important complexity, which we can unpack in a way that enables us to better focus our debate about the proper treatment of prisoners and detainees. Jeremy Waldron is University Professor at New York University School of Law and teaches legal and political philosophy.

European Security Architecture - A Paradigm Shift? [Audio]

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Toomas Hendrik Ilves | Toomas Hendrik Ilves has served as President of Estonia since 2006. Prior to this he was a member of the European Parliament. He has held a variety of diplomatic posts including serving two terms as Foreign Minister. He graduated with a BA from Columbia University and an MA from Pennsylvania University, both in Psychology.

China and Financial Reform [Audio]

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies | Howard Davies sits on the International advisory councils of the China banking and securities regulatory commissions. In the fourth lecture of an annual series he reviews the progress of reform in china's financial markets, and the implications for the rest of the world. Howard Davies is Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Prior to this, from 1997-2003 he was Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, the single regulator for the UK financial sector, which was created under his leadership from nine separate regulatory agencies. From 1995-1997 he was Deputy Governor of the Bank of England.

Towards a new response to climate change - perspectives from Australia [Audio]

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Penny Wong | With its ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in December 2007 and commitment to introduce an emissions trading scheme - the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme - in 2010, the Australian Government has taken the opportunity to approach climate change policy from a fresh perspective. Senator Wong will outline the Government's global and domestic policy approach, with particular emphasis on the key role of market-based mechanisms.

Thinking Like a Social Scientist: a lecture by Professor Kimberly Hutchings [Audio]

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Kimberly Hutchings | In this lunchtime series lectures, a selection of LSE's academics from across the spectrum of the social sciences explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed. Kimberly Hutchings is Professor of International Relations at LSE.

Economic Agendas in a Global Context: reflections on the role of Korea [Audio]

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ha-Joon Chang, Cambridge University | The global economy is going through a turbulent time and it is time for a fundamental re-design of the global economic system. In doing this, Korea has a unique set of assets to provide. It is one of the few countries that have transformed itself from one of the poorest to the one of the industrialized in living memory, so it can understand the concerns that span across a huge spectrum of countries. In this lecture, Ha-Joon Chang will discuss how Korea can, and should, contribute to the reform of the global system, by drawing on its unique historical experience and becoming a mediator that genuinely understands the concerns of, say, Swaziland to Switzerland. Ha-Joon Chang is reader in the political economy of development at Cambridge University.

Hot, Flat and Crowded [Audio]

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Thomas L Friedman | Thomas L Friedman takes a fresh and provocative look at two of our biggest challenges - the global environmental crisis and America's surprising loss of focus and national purpose since 9/11 - and shows how they're linked. He argues that we need American commitment and leadership in a green revolution, a revolution that will be the biggest innovation project in history, one that will inspire us to summon all the intelligence, creativity, boldness and concern for the common good that are our greatest human resources.

Japan's Grand Strategy [Audio]

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard Samuels | As the Soviet Union disappeared so did the most serious threat to Japanese security. But it was not long before four TnewU threats took its place. Japan, rarely credited for its foreign policy, has responded with surprising strategic agility. Richard Samuels is Ford International Professor of Political Science and director of the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Challenge of Climate Change [Audio]

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir David King | Without a new deal between rich and poor countries, climate change will continue to accelerate. How can this be tackled? David King, former chief scientific adviser to the government, is director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University.

The China Challenge as Myth and Reality [Audio]

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Chen Jian | Few countries have experienced changes as dramatic as did China in the past century - and the past quarter century in particular. From a "revolutionary country" to a "status quo power," and from an "outsider" to an "insider" of the existing international system, the realities of the grand transformation in China's state, society and international outlook have often been obscured by all kinds of myths. For the purpose of highlighting the realities and deconstructing the myths, Professor Chen discusses the origins, processes and implications of China's rise from the perspective of a historian of China's international relations.

The International Criminal Court ten years on: An appraisal [Audio]

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Luis Moreno-Ocampo | The Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was adopted in Rome on 17 July 1998 by 120 States. The first prosecutor of the ICC, Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, took office on 21 April 2003. His mandate is to investigate and prosecute the most serious crimes, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

A Global Deal for Climate Change [Audio]

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Nikolaus von Bomhard, Professor Ian Diamond; Jeremy Grantham; Professor Lord Stern of Brentford | To inaugurate the LSE's new Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, Lord Stern of Brentford, author of the influential 2006 Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, will discuss a global deal for climate change.

The Two Faces of Asia: bridging the gap between high growth economies and the poor [Audio]

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Rajat M. Nag | Despite impressive growth over the past few decades, the Asia Pacific region is still home to two-thirds of the world's poor. In many Asian countries, the gap between rich and poor is widening and policymakers are faced with extraordinary challenges in closing this gap and spreading the benefits of growth to the most vulnerable in their societies. Rising fuel and food prices have exacerbated these inequities and placed millions more on the edge of poverty. The Managing Director General of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Rajat Nag, will discuss how the region is grappling with these complex challenges and how ADB's Strategy 2020 is targeted to make a difference in the lives of the poor.

Negotiating a new international response to Climate Change: the prospects for COP-15 in Copenhagen 2009 [Audio]

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Connie Hedegaard, Heiner Flassbeck; Hilary Benn MP | Climate change is one of the most complex global challenges the world currently faces. Unless dealt with, climate change will potentially have disastrous effects on nature and human societies. It is the aim that a new global agreement shall be concluded at COP15 in Copenhagen in December 2009. Connie Hedegaard will share her observations on the status of the international negotiations and dwell upon hurdles and deadlocks that must be overcome in order to reach agreement.

Commodity Prices, Capital Flows and the Financing of Investment [Audio]

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Supachai Panitchpakdi, Heiner Flassbeck; Professor Robert Wade | The report, which is under embargo until 4 September 2008, highlights the implications of commodity price volatility and one of the major paradoxes of globalization, namely that the "capital poor" developing world is exporting capital to the "capital rich" developed countries. Moreover, those developing countries that are the largest capital exporters tend to invest more domestically and to grow faster than those that still depend on capital imports. These facts create serious puzzles for mainstream economic models and reject most of their predictions.

Zimbabwe: Beyond the Endgame [Audio]

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Martin Rupiya, Patrick Smith; Knox Chitiyo; Gugulethu Moyo | As talks between Mr Mugabe and both factions of the Movement for Democratic Change open in South Africa, the crisis in Zimbabwe continues. Western countries are pushing for more sanctions against Zimbabwe's rulers, while President Mbeki and the African Union oppose them. Meanwhile, the shrinking economy provides Mr Mugabe with less and less to pay the army, police and administrators. The June 27 presidential run-off was dubbed the endgame. It proved just another stage in Zimbabwe's unfolding catastrophe. What might happen next?

The Post American World [Audio]

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Fareed Zakaria | Global power is shifting, and wealth and power are bubbling up in unexpected places. Fareed Zakaria considers not so much the decline of America, but the impact of the rise of "the rest". This transition of power will redefine America's role as the arbiter of the world's political, economic, and cultural issues and force it to accommodate new heavyweights. Zakaria offers an illuminating view of our increasingly complicated future, the growing influence of rapidly developing nations, and how these forces of great change will continue to play out on the world stage. This event marks the launch of Fareed Zakaria's new book The Post American World (Allen Lane, July 2008).

Skills, Rights and Resources in the East Asian Path to Development [Audio]

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Kenneth Pomeranz | This lecture traces evolving relationships among skills, bargaining power, and East Asian economic development. Kenneth Pomeranz is UCI Chancellor's Professor of History at the University of California-Irvine.

A Critical Defense of Secularism [Audio]

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Cécile Laborde | The global revival of religion has raised fundamental questions about its role in politics and its claim that it serves as a principle of identity, indispensable to the continuing survival of communities. This series brings together leading thinkers and scholars to encourage discussion and debate on this crucial contemporary theme.

The War for Wealth: The true story of globalization and how Western society can survive [Audio]

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Gabor Steingart | Globalization is the defining force of our lifetime, but most politicians have not understood the complexity of the process. Thus argues Gabor Steingart, in his controversial and thought-provoking new book The War for Wealth: The True Story of Globalization (McGraw-Hill, June 2008) which he will present for the first time in the UK.

Financial Market Stability [Audio]

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Axel A Weber | In light of the current tensions in financial markets Professor Axel Weber will look at financial market stability from a central bank's perspective. Axel Weber is president of Deutsche Bundesbank and a member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank.

Secularism and Shared Values [Audio]

Tue, 3 Jun 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard Norman | The global revival of religion has raised fundamental questions about its role in politics and its claim that it serves as a principle of identity, indispensable to the continuing survival of communities. This series brings together leading thinkers and scholars to encourage discussion and debate on this crucial contemporary theme.

Terror and Consent: The Wars for the Twenty-First Century [Audio]

Tue, 3 Jun 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Philip Bobbitt | The threat of terrorism is now part of the landscape of daily lives all over the world, yet we have hardly begun to think properly about it. In his new book Terror and Consent and in this lecture Professor Bobbitt argues that we are fighting these wars with weapons and concepts which though useful to us in previous conflicts have now been superseded. He aims to provide a fundamental rethinking of most generally accepted ideas about terror in the modern world 7 what it is, how it operates and above all how it can be frustrated. Philip Bobbitt argues that we need to reforge the links between law and strategy; to realize how the evolution of modern states, which have always produced terrorists in their own image, has now produced a globally networked terrorism; to combine humanitarian interests with strategies of intervention; and above all to rethink what 7victory7 in such a war, if it is a war, might look like 7 no occupied capitals, no treaties, no victory parades, but the preservation, protection and defence of human rights and of states of consent. It is central to his argument that we are fighting terror and not just terrorists.

What is Wrong with Secularism of all Sorts? Priority for Democracy [Audio]

Thu, 29 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Veit Bader | The lecture presents a contextualised criticism of first and second order myths of secularisms and of the conflation of liberal-democratic institutions with secular ones, and argues for the priority of liberal democracy. Veit Bader holds chairs in sociology, and social and political philosophy, both at the Universiteit van Amsterdam.

Does Faith Matter for Human Morality? [Audio]

Tue, 27 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Mona Siddiqui | The global revival of religion has raised fundamental questions about its role in politics and its claim that it serves as a principle of identity, indispensable to the continuing survival of communities. This series brings together leading thinkers and scholars to encourage discussion and debate on this crucial contemporary theme.

Fixing Failed States [Audio]

Thu, 22 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Ashraf Ghani, Clare Lockhart | Authors Ashraf Ghani and Clare Lockhart challenge existing concepts of state systems and offer new ways of fostering bonds between states, civil societies and markets. This event marks the launch of Fixing Failed States - A Framework for Rebuilding a Fractured World (OUP, May 2008). Ashraf Ghani is chairman of the Institute for State Effectiveness and former finance minister of Afghanistan. Clare Lockhart is Director of the Institute for State Effectiveness, where she advises countries and other organizations on state-building. She was UN adviser to the Bonn process, and Adviser to the Government of Afghanistan responsible for several national initiatives. She is a lawyer, historian and specialist in institution-building, and has worked at the World Bank, UN and as a barrister.

Why Civilisations Can't Climb Hills: a political history of statelessness in Southeast Asia [Audio]

Thu, 22 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor James Scott | Professor Scott argues that the hill peoples of mainland Southeast Asia are fugitive, runaway populations, practising 'escape agriculture', 'escape social structure' and 'escape culture'. Jim Scott is Sterling Professor of Political Science and Anthropology at Yale University.

Finance in East Asia: from crisis to integration - challenges of second generation reforms [Audio]

Wed, 21 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Andrew Sheng | The lecture will look at structural changes in the financial landscape in East Asia, and issues being faced by reformers and regulators, including in China, on raising the game of globalising Asia. Andrew Sheng is chief adviser to the China Banking Regulatory Commission.

Is there a European Foreign Policy? [Audio]

Wed, 21 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Patten | Lord Patten served as a minister in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1983 to 1992, holding the position of chairman of the Conservative party from 1990 to 1992. From 1992 to 1997 he was governor of Hong Kong and from 1998 to 1999 he was chairman of the Independent Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland. He became a European commissioner in 1999, responsible for external affairs until 2004.

The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What It Means [Audio]

Wed, 21 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): George Soros and Howard Davies | In the midst of the worst financial upheaval since the Great Depression, George Soros explores the origins of the crisis and its implications for the future. Soros, whose breadth of experience in financial markets is unrivalled, places the current crisis in the context of decades of study of how individuals and institutions handle the boom and bust cycles that now dominate global economic activity. "This is a once in lifetime moment", says Soros in characterising the scale of financial distress spreading across Wall Street, the London Stock Exchange, and financial centres around the world. This event marks the launch of George Soros new book 'The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What It Means' (PublicAffairs, May 2008).

EU Competitiveness: Are we on the right track? [Audio]

Mon, 19 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alexandr Vondra | In January 2007, Alexandr Vondra was appointed the Czech Republic4s Deputy Prime Minister for European affairs. He is responsible for preparing the agenda for the Czech EU Presidency. Prior to this position he was the Foreign Minister (2006-2007), Special Representative for the NATO Summit in Prague (2001-2002), Ambassador to the USA (1997-2001) and foreign policy advisor to former President Vaclav Havel (1990-1992). Alexandr Vondra played a central role in leading the Czech Republic to EU and NATO memberships. He is also a former spokesman for the Czech dissident movement Charter 77.

Ontario's Place in the 21st Century [Audio]

Mon, 19 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dalton McGuinty | He led his party to a second-consecutive majority government in October 2007 and is Ontario7s 24th Premier. He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 1990 in Ottawa South and has been re-elected four times. During his years as a backbench MPP, he served as a critic for energy, colleges and universities, native affairs and the environment. In 1996, Dalton McGuinty was elected leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. His first election campaign as leader was in 1999, when the Liberal party received 40 per cent of the popular vote, winning 35 seats and adding nine new caucus members. In the general election of 2003, Dalton McGuinty7s Liberals formed the government, taking 72 seats with 47 per cent of the vote. Premier McGuinty7s campaign to build a stronger Ontario for a stronger Canada led the country7s leading newsmagazine, Maclean7s, to call him 7Mr. Ontario.7

AIDS: exceptionalism revisited [Audio]

Wed, 14 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Peter Piot | Dr Piot will review the response to AIDS, now and over the longer term, and examine its relationship with other key health and development issues. Peter Piot is executive director of UNAIDS and under secretary general of the United Nations.

Is the Middle East Europe's Business? [Audio]

Tue, 13 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ghassan Salame | The Middle East is a region where the United States plays a crucial role. But what about Europe? To what extent should the Middle East be part of the EU's diplomatic concerns? Ghassan Salame is professor of international relations at Sciences Po and a former minister of culture of Lebanon.

McMafia: Crime without frontiers [Audio]

Mon, 12 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Misha Glenny | International journalist Misha Glenny talks about his investigation into the world of organised crime. He reveals how conventional policing cannot cope with globalised crime which is corrupting governments and fuelling human rights abuses and suffering. Misha Glenny is an award winning international journalist and author.

The Powers to Lead [Audio]

Thu, 8 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Joseph S Nye | Leadership is always necessary in any endeavor, applying equally to politics, business, society, and culture. Whilst enriching our understanding of the concept Nye highlights how the changing nature of leadership derives from broader social and political changes. Joseph S. Nye Jr, is University Distinguished Service Professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, where he was formerly Dean. In government, he served as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council, Assistant Secretary of Defence, and Deputy Undersecretary of State. This event marks the launch of Professor Nye's new book The Powers to Lead (OUP, May 2008).

Towards the French Presidency of the EU: a lecture by Jean-Pierre Jouyet [Audio]

Thu, 8 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jean-Pierre Jouyet | Jean-Pierre Jouyet is French minister of state for European affairs.

Green Peace: Energy, Europe and the Global Order [Audio]

Wed, 7 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Rt Hon David Miliband | David Miliband was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in June 2007.

Outsiders Inside and Insiders Outside: linking transnational and domestic public action [Audio]

Wed, 7 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sidney Tarrow | Does globalisation and the idea of a global civil society provide an adequate framework for understanding contemporary domestic and international non-governmental public action? Sidney Tarrow teaches government and sociology at Cornell University. Jan Aart Scholte is centennial professor at LSE and professor at the University of Warwick.

Two Challenges to Democratic Cititzenship:is the EU the solution or part of the problem? [Audio]

Wed, 7 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sidney Tarrow | This lecture will consider questions about European identity and new problems of citizenship raised by the formation of the European Union. Richard Bellamy is professor of political science and director of the School of Public Policy, University College London. John F Jungclaussen is economic correspondent at Die Zeit.

Multiculturalism and Secularism [Audio]

Tue, 6 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Tariq Modood | Can multicultural inclusivity extend to religious minorities? Can it do so without conflicting with secularism? Tariq Modood is professor of sociology, politics and public policy at Bristol University.

Telling the Story of a Peace Movement: 50 years of CND campaigning [Audio]

Tue, 6 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Aled Fisher, Kate Hudson; Bruce Kent; Walter Wolfgang | To mark CND turning 50 in 2008, the organisation is collaborating with LSE Archives on a touring exhibition, archives project and this roundtable with History Today to tell the story of the movement from the Cold War to Trident and beyond. Aled Fisher is LSESU Environment and Ethics officer. Kate Hudson is chair of CND. Bruce Kent is former chairman and honorary vice-president of CND. Walter Wolfgang is vice president of CND.

Common Wealth: economics for a crowded planet [Audio]

Fri, 2 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Jeffrey D Sachs | Jeffrey Sachs argues the need a new economic paradigmQglobal, inclusive, cooperative, environmentally aware, and science basedQbecause we are running up against the realities of a crowded planet. The alternative is a series of cascading threats to global well-being, all of which are solvable but potentially disastrous if left unattended. Prosperity must be maintained through new strategies for sustainable development that complement market forces, spread sustainable technologies, stabilize the global population, and enable the billion poorest people to escape from the trap of extreme poverty. This event marks launch of Professor SachsU new book Common Wealth: economics for a crowded planet (Allen Lane, March 2008). Jeffrey D Sachs is director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. He served as special adviser to former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan on the Millennium Development Goals.

A World Economic Order Based on Cultural Comparative Advantage [Audio]

Thu, 1 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Hooker | Professor Hooker will argue that the world is evolving towards a new economic equilibrium based on cultural comparative advantage, leading to cultural deglobalisation, not globalisation. John Hooker is professor of business ethics and professor of operations research at Carnegie Mellon University.

Global Financial Regulation: The Essential Guide [Audio]

Thu, 1 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies, David Green, John McFall, Sir Steve Robson, Gillian Tett | As international financial markets have become more complex, so has the regulatory system which oversees them. The Basel Committee is just one of a plethora of international bodies and groupings which now set standards for financial activity around the world, in the interests of investor protection and financial stability. These groupings, and their decisions, have a major impact on markets in developed and developing countries, and on competition between financial firms. Yet their workings are shrouded in mystery, and their legitimacy is uncertain. Howard Davies was the first chairman of the UK's Financial Services Authority, the single regulator for the whole of Britain's financial sector. He was a member of the main international regulatory committees for several years, and is now director of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). David Green was head of International Policy at the FSA, after 30 years in the Bank of England, and has been particularly closely associated with the development of the European regulatory system. He now advises the Financial Reporting Council. John McFall MP is Chairman of the Treasury Select Committee of the House of Commons since 2001. He was re-elected to this post in October, 2005. In 1997 John served as a Government Whip and in July 1998 he was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Northern Ireland Office. His portfolio included responsibility for the Department of Education, Community Relations, the Training and Employment Agency and the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Economic Affairs. Sir Steve Robson is a former senior UK civil servant, who had responsibility for a wide variety of Treasury matters. His early career included the post of private secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and secondment to ICFC (now 3i). He was also a second permanent secretary of HM Treasury, where he was managing director of the Finance and Regulation Directorate. He is a non-executive director of JP Morgan Cazenove Holdings, RBS, Xstrata Plc, The Financial Reporting Council Limited and Partnerships UK plc, and a member of the Chairman's Advisory Committee of KPMG.

Religious Faith and Human Rights [Audio]

Thu, 1 May 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Rowan Williams | The idea of human rights is often traced back to the characteristically religious insight that every individual is unique in the eyes of God. This explanation of why human dignity is important held sway for centuries, but it has lost much of its grip on society in these uncertain, post-modern times. Many adherents of human rights today see no need to root their beliefs in any religious (or specifically Christian) set of beliefs. Indeed some would go so far as to see religion as distinctly hostile to human rights. Are they right to do so? What is the true relationship between religion and human rights? Rowan Williams was enthroned as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury in February 2003. Following ordination in 1978 he combined teaching and pastoral work in Cambridge and then Oxford (where he was Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity from 1986-92) until his election as Bishop of Monmouth in 1991 and subsequently Archbishop of Wales from 2000.

The Single Monetary Policy and the Analytics of OCAs: what has the Euro area experience taught us? [Audio]

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Nicholas C Garganas | The introduction of the euro posed unique challenges for monetary policy. Some observers took the view that a single monetary policy for all euro-area countries would not succeed because the euro area did not fulfil the pre-requisites of on Optimum Currency Area (OCA). In his lecture Mr Garganas will argue that the traditional way of thinking about OCAs overlooks the fact that the criteria used to judge optimality are, to some extent, endogenous. He will also argue, the experience of the euro area demonstrates that the creation of a monetary union can itself create conditions that are favourable to the well-functioning of the union. Nicholas C Garganas is governor of the Bank of Greece, a member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee, a member of the Governing Council and the General Council of the European Central Bank, and a governor of the International Monetary Fund for Greece.

The New Politics of Identity [Audio]

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Goodhart, Professor John Keane, Professor Lord Bhikhu Parekh | Capture started: 2008-04-29 18:31

Informalisation and Global Political Economy: the elephant in the room [Audio]

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Spike Peterson | This lecture considers how tremendous growth of licit and illicit informal sector activities tends to exacerbate gender, race, class and geopolitical hierarchies and ultimately fuels conflicts at multiple levels, including civil wars. Spike Peterson is the Leverhulme visiting professor, LSE Gender Institute and the Department of International Relations.

Meeting the new humanitarian challenges of the 21st century [Audio]

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir John Holmes, Professor James Putzel | Emergency relief efforts face multiple challenges in the next five years: preserving 'humanitarian space' and staying independent of political/military action in places like Darfur, Iraq and Somalia; increasing effective coordination of the many humanitarian actors in the field; rising to the challenge of ever more natural disasters from the effects of climate change; and coping with the immediate consequences for the poorest of the recent structural shift upwards in food prices. How central a role can the UN play in addressing these challenges, and how can UN agencies, international and national NGOs and the Red Cross/Crescent movement work together most effectively? John Holmes is UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, a position he has held since March 2007. He succeeded Mr. Jan Egeland in this post.

The Bin Ladens [Audio]

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Steve Coll | Steve Coll's new book 'The Bin Ladens: The Story of a Family and its Fortune' charts the rise of a family, and the story of the Saudi royal family they loyally served. Steve Coll is most recently the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller Ghost Wars. He also won a 1990 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism. He covered Afghanistan and the Washington Post's South Asia bureau chief between 1989 and 1992 and was the Washington Post's managing editor from 1998 to 2004. He is now staff writer at the New Yorker. He is the author of five books, including On the Grand Trunk Road and The Taking of Getty Oil. He lives with his wife and three children in Maryland.

A lecture by Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia [Audio]

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister of Australia | The Australian Prime Minister, Mr Rudd, was elected to office in November last year and moved quickly to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and deliver a national apology to the Stolen Generations of Indigenous Australians. He has identified fighting inflation, acting decisively on climate change, improving the health and hospital system, investing in education and putting fairness back into Australian workplaces as his Government's key priorities. Mr Rudd has said that his Government's mandate is to build a modern Australian economy capable of dealing with the challenges of the 21st century.

Free and Fair: An Agenda for Democratic Transformation in Latin America [Audio]

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): President Michelle Bachelet | Michelle Bachelet, was born on September 29, 1951. She is a trained paediatrician and public health specialist who also holds degrees in military science. A member of the Socialist Party and mother of three, Dr. Bachelet was the first woman in Chilean and Latin American history to hold the Health and Defence portfolios. On January 15, 2006 she became Chile's first-ever woman president.

The Credit Crunch and the U.S. Economy [Audio]

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Steven Rattner | Beginning with the subprime meltdown last summer, U.S. markets and the economy have been thrown into turmoil. Liquidity and default fears have created the worst conditions in financial markets in many years. These adverse developments have spilled over in the "real" economy, raised the specter of recession and worse. Steven Rattner is Managing Principal of Quadrangle Group LLC, a private investment firm with more than $6 billion of assets under management. Quadrangle invests in media and communications companies through separate private and public investment strategies and across all asset classes through its asset management business. Quadrangle has offices in New York, London and Silicon Valley and will be opening an office later this year in Hong Kong.

Defining the scope of responsibilities: the Great Lakes region [Audio]

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Judy Cheng-Hopkins, Dr Chaloka Beyani; Dr Susan Breau | The return and reintegration of refugees and IDPs is one of the most pressing challenges faced by the international community today. Recently back from a visit to the Great Lakes region, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Operations will discuss the local settlement of refugees in Tanzania and the return and reintegration of refugees in Burundi. Dr Chaloka Beyani, Legal Advisor to the Secretariat of the International Conference on the Great Lakes, will situate this problem within the Great Lakes Pact. The Pact sets out a holistic legal framework in which this problem is treated as just one component of establishing peace and security in the region. Dr Susan Breau, a Reader in public international law and expert in the field, will explore the interface between the 'responsibility to protect' doctrine and peacekeeping, including the facilitation of the voluntary return of refugees and IDPs.

Behavioural Economics: Common Mistakes in Daily Decisions [Audio]

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Dan Ariely | Why do smart people make irrational decisions every day? Why do we repeatedly make the same mistakes when we make our selections? How do our expectations influence our actual opinions and decisions? The answers, as revealed by behavioural economist Professor Dan Ariely of MIT, will surprise you.

Thinking Like a Social Scientist: a lecture by Professor John Sidel [Audio]

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Sidel | In this new series of lunchtime lectures, nine of LSE's most senior academics explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed. John Sidel is Sir Patrick Gillam Professor of International and Comparative Politics.

A Counter-narrative: Islam and the first Europe [Audio]

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Levering Lewis | Professor Lewis will argue that the 732CE Battle of Poitiers and the 778CE debacle at Roncevaux are pivotal moments in the creation of an economically retarded, balkanised, and fratricidal Europe, which, by defining itself in opposition to Islam in al-Andalus, made virtues out of hereditary aristocracy, persecutory religious intolerance, cultural particularism, and perpetual war.

Radical Regimes and Islamist Ideology in the 21st Century [Audio]

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Senator Rick Santorum | The LSESU Tocqueville Society presents a public lecture by former United States Senator Rick Santorum on the challenges to the West posed by Islamic extremism and its alliances around the world. Mr. Santorum served as U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007 and as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995. As a Senator, he was a champion of efforts to counter the threat of radical Islam, to protect victims of religious persecution, and to promote democracy and religious liberty around the world. Mr. Santorum is currently Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Dr Alan Sked is a Senior Lecturer in International History at LSE.

A Debate about the Definition of 'Britishness' [Audio]

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sir Bernard Crick, Professor Anne Phillips | As the composition of British society transforms with immigration and transnational identities, ideas about the notion of 'Britishness' are changing too. In the interest of a cohesive citizenry, must the UK return to 'core British values'? Or should Britain's identity change with its population? Should a British identity even exist? Sir Bernard Crick is emeritus professor of Birkbeck College and author of Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship, the basis for the UK citizenship exam. Anne Phillips is professor of Political and Gender Theory at LSE and author of Multiculturalism Without Culture.

What have the Romans ever done for us? - Global Europe from a Dutch perspective [Audio]

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Frans Timmermans | Frans Timmermans will address issues of the changing political economy and the role the European Union can play in facing the challenges of today. The soft power of the EU is no longer limited to stabilisation and transformation of societies alone. Europe sets the standard in many fields. Yet, as Frans Timmermans will argue, pursuing the vision of Europe as a model power imposes a growing need for the Union's member states to start thinking and behaving in political terms. Less as a collection of different economies and more like a true economic union.

Modern Erotics and the Quest for Intimacy [Audio]

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Darian Leader, Professor Henrietta Moore; Professor Susie Orbach; Professor Renata Salecl | The demand that sexual relations should be at the basis both of self-understanding and self-realisation often puts our intimate lives under particular pressure. This talk will look at contemporary sexualities and their uneasy relationship to love, fantasy and intimacy. Darian Leader is a psychoanalyst. Henrietta Moore is professor of social anthropology at LSE. Susie Orbach is a psychoanalyst and visiting professor at LSE. Renata Salecl is centennial professor of law at LSE.

The Pivot of the 20th Century [Audio]

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Kennedy | Winston Churchill said in 1945 that 'the United States stands at this moment at the summit of the world'. Yet just five years earlier America had been an economic catastrophe and an isolationist bastion. How that transformation came about, and its consequences, will be the subject of this lecture. David M Kennedy is Donald J McLachlan Professor of History at Stanford University.

The West in a New World: what future for transatlantic relations? [Audio]

Mon, 3 Mar 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Pierre Hassner | The world has changed dramatically since the end of the Cold War, but the transatlantic relationship has yet to be reviewed. The time has come to rethink it, along with the concept of the West. Pierre Hassner is an emeritus senior research fellow at CERI-Sciences Po.

Beyond the Banality of Evil [Audio]

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Steve Reicher | This lecture critically addresses Hannah Arendt's hypothesis on the banality of evil arguing that those who commit extreme acts are not aware of the consequences of their actions: rather, they celebrate these consequences as moral. Steve Reicher is professor of social psychology at the University of St Andrew's, Scotland

Climate Change, Energy and the Way Ahead [Audio]

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lord Nicholas Stern | The world must reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2050 with rich country cuts of at least 80 per cent. Power and transport must be essentially de-carbonised. How can the world rise to these challenges? Nicholas Stern is IG Patel Chair in Government and Economics at LSE and director of the Asia Research Centre at LSE.

Distant Suffering in the Media [Audio]

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lilie Chouliaraki | Professor Lilie Chouliaraki will talk about suffering in the media, addressing the question of how far images and stories of suffering make a difference in our ways of engaging with distant sufferers. Lilie Chouliaraki is chair in media and communications at the Department of Media and Communications and research director of POLIS at LSE.

The Nuts and Bolts of Empire [Audio]

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Kennedy | All great empires have required a sophisticated logistical system, and a secure communications system to sustain themselves. In a world of endless challenges imperial ambitions soon collapse. This lecture will examine the hard, infrastructural underpinnings of the Roman, Spanish and British Empires, and reflect on how the USA compares in this regard.Paul Kennedy is J Richardson Dilworth Professor of History at Yale University and Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE.

The New Swedish Model: A Reform Agenda for Growth and the Environment [Audio]

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Fredrik Reinfeldt | Fredrik Reinfeldt is Prime Minister of Sweden, a position he has held since being elected in 2006. He has been leader of the Moderate Party since 2003. In the Swedish Parliament he served on the Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs. Prime Minister Reinfeldt studied at Stockholm University where he graduated with a BSc in Business Administration and Economics. In December 2005 David Cameron MP was elected leader of the Conservative Party. Prior to this he held the position of Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills.

Bringing Transatlantic Security into the 21st Century [Audio]

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ambassador Victoria Nuland | Bringing the transatlantic relationship into the 21st Century requires a stronger NATO, a stronger European Union and a stronger relationship between them. NATO continues to contribute to global security and peace in vital operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Mediterranean, and to serve as a consultative forum for issues important to North American and European allies, while also transforming to meet the challenges of this century. Meeting these objectives requires closer cooperation with a strong and active European Union, as well as with other transatlantic and international actors. Ambassador Victoria Nuland is the US Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The Ideas that are Changing Politics [Audio]

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): David Willetts MP, David Cameron MP | There has been an extraordinary surge in the study of behaviour from evolutionary biologists, neurologists and game theorists, but this has been largely divorced from the political debate. David Willetts will draw on the latest research from these disciplines to explain what Government can and cannot do to influence our behaviour. David Willetts is shadow secretary of state for innovation, universities and skills and has been the MP for Havant since 1992. He was shadow secretary of state for work and pensions from 2001-2005 and has worked at HM Treasury and the Number 10 Policy Unit.

Stelios on Brands, Serial Entrepreneurship, the Environment and Giving Something Back! [Audio]

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou | Stelios Haji-Ioannou, LSE alumnus, is founder of the easyGroup companies and has given £2 million to LSE for the Stelios Scholars programme.

The Shrivelling of European Citizenship [Audio]

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Damian Chalmers | The institution of EU citizenship is increasingly challenged yet the heterogeneity and intensity of membership rights enjoyed by non-nationals has increased. Would more differentiated forms of membership be more attractive and better capture the sense of place many non-nationals wish to create for themselves in their host societies? Damian Chalmers is professor in European Union law at the European Institute and Law Department, LSE.

Creating a World Without Poverty: how social business can transform our lives [Audio]

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Muhammad Yunus | Professor Yunus will outline his vision for a new business model that combines the power of free markets with the quest for a more human world - and tell the inspiring stories of companies that are doing this work today. This event marks the launch of his new book Creating a World Without Poverty: how social business can transform our lives.Muhammad Yunus is founder and managing director of Grameen Bank and winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Russian Elections [Audio]

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Stephen Dalziel, Professor Richard Sakwa | After two terms in office, President Putin is constitutionally bound to step down in March 2008, but how stable will the succession be? Stephen Dalziel is executive director of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce. Richard Sakwa is professor of Russian and European politics at the University of Kent.

Beauty and the Beast - Numbers and Public Policy [Audio]

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrew Dilnot, Michael Blastland | Numbers have become the all-powerful language of public argument, but too often, that power is abused and the numbers bamboozle. How can we see our way through them? Michael Blastland is a writer and broadcaster and the originator of the More or Less programme on BBC Radio 4. Andrew Dilnot is principal of St Hugh's College, Oxford, and former director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Advancements in Contemporary Islamic Finance: from practice to scholarship [Audio]

Thu, 7 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Usman Ahmed, Shaykh Nizam Yaquby | This event reflects on the current developments and initiatives in Islamic finance and explains how this faith based form of finance continues to enhance modern finance and law. Usman Ahmed is Citigroup CEO of Global Islamic Banking. Shaykh Nizam Yaquby is an Islamic Sharia scholar.

The UK and the EU: what has changed over 35 years? [Audio]

Thu, 7 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Brittan of Spennithorne | After 35 years Britain still seems to be struggling with its relationship with the EU. as a former Cabinet Minister, and then Britain's longest serving EU Commissioner, Leon Brittan looks at the underlying issues, relationships and institutional developments, and seeks answers to the question: what has changed over the past 35 years? Lord Brittan of Spennithorne was Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in Mrs Thatcher's Government. He then became Britain's longest serving EU Commissioner.

Thinking Like a Social Scientist: a lecture by Professor Stuart Corbridge [Audio]

Thu, 7 Feb 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Stuart Corbridge | In this new series of lunchtime lectures, nine of LSE's most senior academics explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.Stuart Corbridge is professor of human geography at LSE.

The Logic of Life [Audio]

Wed, 6 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Tim Harford | From teenage sex to the scourge of racism, Tim Harford explains why economics can provide the answers other disciplines cannot reach.Tim Harford is the author of The Undercover Economist, is a member of the Financial Times editorial board and writes a regular column for the FT magazine.

The Politics of Aids Exceptionalism [Audio]

Wed, 6 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Alex de Waal | This lecture asks if the global AIDS response has been good for human rights but bad for disease control? Alex de Waal is programme director at the Social Science Research Council and author of AIDS and Power: why there is no political crisis yet.

Measuring American Power in Today's Fractured World [Audio]

Tue, 5 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Kennedy | The United States today is undoubtedly the 'number one' power in world affairs, but it also faces the challenges that our fast changing and fractured world throws up. This has caused enormous debate among scholars of international strategic affairs about how best to measure relative American power.

An Open Economy - the Progressive Response to Global Change [Audio]

Mon, 4 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Hutton MP | Britain has long realised the best way to progress is to look outward rather than retreat inwards. In previous centuries, progressives responded to great social and economic change by moving to create an open society. In this lecture, Business and Enterprise Secretary, John Hutton will argue that the right progressive response to the scale and pace of global change facing Britain this century is to break down the remaining barriers that can hold people back by creating a truly open economy.

Another European Tradition: traceability of the social and the vindication of Gabriel Tarde [Audio]

Mon, 4 Feb 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Bruno Latour | A rival of Durkheim, Gabriel Tarde was right to argue that the subject matter of sociology is not society but connections. The understanding of the social cannot be separated from the study of other associations.Bruno Latour is a philosopher and a sociologist and vice president for research at Sciences Po.

Iraq: The Way Out [Audio]

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jonathan Steele | Jonathan Steele will argue that the occupation has failed, not because of a lack of pre-war planning, but because of a lack of informed political analysis by US decision-makers and the British Foreign Office. They failed to see that Islamists, Sunni and Shia, would fill the post-Saddam vacuum and that most Iraqis would quickly come to resent yet another Western intervention in the Middle East.

Thinking Like a Social Scientist: a lecture by Professor Saul Estrin [Audio]

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Saul Estrin | In this new series of lunchtime lectures, nine of LSE's most senior academics explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.Saul Estrin is head of the Department of Management at LSE.

International Relations in a Post-Hegemonic Age [Audio]

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Fred Halliday | The academic study of International Relations has, since since its emergence after World War I, sought to combine the development of theoretical frameworks with an engagement, of greater or lesser immediacy, with the changing course of international events. Empire, World War, Cold War and post-1991 US hegemony have all been objects of its concern. Today, oscillating at times uneasily between the enticements of abstraction, and the rush of actuality, the discipline faces a major opportunity, to provide an authoritative conceptualisation of, and normative orientation, within, international politics. In this, his valedictory lecture as Montague Burton Professor of International Relations, Fred Halliday will assess the state of IR today, and the challenges posed by the tensions of the twenty-first century.

Sleeping Beauty: Awakening the American Dream [Audio]

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Maurice Saatchi | Americans today may be perplexed and confused about the way America is perceived in the world. They may feel like Josef K in Kafka's 'The Trial': "Someone must have laid false accusations against Josef K because one morning he was arrested without having done anything wrong." Accusations against America have spread into a global phenomenon, crossing boarders, classes, religions, and generations. A Pew Trust research poll in 2005 concluded that anti-Americanism is deeper and broader than at any time in modern history. What to do?

The McCanns and the Media [Audio]

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Clarence Mitchell, Justine McGuiness; Kelvin MacKenzie; Roy Greenslade; Roger Graef | The McCanns were the biggest media story of 2007. This event goes behind the headlines to ask why it became a media obsession, whether information or entertainment triumphed, and what impact the coverage has as the case continues.

New Industrial Centres and the Rise of the Justice and Development Party to Power in Turkey [Audio]

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sevket Pamuk | The lecture will discuss the rise of export oriented industrial centres across Turkey in recent decades, how they have contributed to the electoral successes of the Justice and Development Party and their ongoing impact on Turkey's economic and political liberalisation.

Somalia: legal and humanitarian challenges [Audio]

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Guillermo Bettocchi | Guillermo Bettocchi is the Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Somalia. During his 19 years of service with the UNHCR, Mr. Bettocchi has occupied different positions in Central America, South West Asia, Africa, and, on two occasions, at the organisation's Headquarters in Geneva. A lawyer by profession, Mr Bettocchi's work has been focused on legal and practical issues related to refugee protection.

The Global Company of 2020- what does the future hold? [Audio]

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dominic Casserley | Dominic Casserley will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing global companies in 2020. Will they be similar to the multinational of today? If not, how will they differ? Will they have to be large? How will they relate to investors? How will they interact with consumers? How will they manage their talent pools? How will they interact with society more broadly? Drawing on his extensive experience of advising major multi-national organisations across the world, Dominic will provide a personal perspective into what the future has to offer and how the ever changing corporate landscape may look in 2020.

Children's Media: More Harm than Good? [Audio]

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sonia Livingstone | Public policy is scrutinising potential media harms, given rapid expansion of the internet, fears over 'toxic' childhood, and pressing dilemmas for media regulation. But is the media the problem or the solution?

Thinking Like a Social Scientist: a lecture by Professor Danny Quah [Audio]

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Danny Quah | In this new series of lunchtime lectures, nine of LSE's most senior academics explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed. Danny Quah is head of the Economics Department at LSE.

Cyprus Enters the 'Euro-zone': challenges and implications [Audio]

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Christopher Pissarides, Michalis Sarris | In January 2008, Cyprus will adopt the euro currency. This discussion will focus on the implications of entry for Cyprus and the possible lessons for and from other entrants.

General Reflections [Audio]

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): General Sir Mike Jackson | A look at where today's strategic circumstances are and the position of the UK, and a look to the future. General Sir Mike Jackson's illustrious career in the British Army has spanned almost forty five years and all that time he has shown loyalty, courage and commitment to the British army whilst also being an undeniable media attraction. General Sir Mike Jackson is the best known British General of modern times. He retired in the autumn of 2006 after almost forty five years of service in the British army, finishing as its head as Chief of the General Staff. his most recent book is Soldier: The Autobiography (2007).

Russia and Europe: new neighbours defining a new neighbourhood [Audio]

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jean Lemierre | Russia, Ukraine and the other countries of the former Soviet Union now share a common border with the European Union that both divides and unites. Strong relations between the neighbours will increasingly be defined by trade, and even more by investment in both directions. The challenge is for economic relations to reinforce political relationships that will help both neighbours thrive in a globalised world.

The Last Resistance [Audio]

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Henrietta Moore, Professor Stephen Frosh | Jacqueline Rose's book The Last Resistance explores the power of writing to create and transform our political lives and examines the role of literature in the Zionist imagination.

Thinking Like a Social Scientist: a lecture by Professor Ron Anderson [Audio]

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ron Anderson | In this new series of lunchtime lectures, nine of LSE's most senior academics explain the latest thinking on how social scientists work to address the critical problems of the day. They survey the leading ideas and contributions made by their discipline, explain the types of problems that are addressed and the tools that are used, and explore the kinds of solutions proposed.

Six World Conflicts In Search Of Solutions [Audio]

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Johan Galtung | Johan Galtung, widely regarded as the father of peace and conflict studies, is a prominent and successful conflict mediator and academic. He is the founder and Director of TRANSCEND - A Peace and Development Network for Conflict Transformation by Peaceful Means, with more than 300 members from over 80 countries around the world and Rector of TRANSCEND Peace University (TPU).

The Significance of Reconstruction after the Civil War in American history [Audio]

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Eric Foner | Reconstruction after the Civil War is the least-known era in the American past. Professor Foner explains why an understanding of reconstruction is essential to knowledge of the course of American history, and American society today.

The Global State of Influenza Pandemic Preparedness [Audio]

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr David Nabarro | Dr Nabarro will review the impact of past epidemics on humanity and society and will explore current efforts to respond to and prepare for a new pandemic influenza outbreak.

Oil, War and Geopolitics: the struggle over what remains [Audio]

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Klare | Professor Klare will look at how both old and new industrial powers are girding up for a global struggle over the world's remaining supplies of oil, natural gas and other vital sources of energy.

The EU at 27 - taking on a global role [Audio]

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jim Murphy MP | The Minister for Europe will consider how an enlarged EU can address global challenges and how the Reform Treaty will help the EU to perform more strongly both in Europe and internationally.

Russia's Policy Towards Europe: aggressive retrenchment? [Audio]

Tue, 8 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Marie Mendras | Russia has recovered its self-confidence under Vladimir Putin. But instead of becoming more comfortable with Europe, Russia is tensing up and choosing an aggressive stand-off. Why?

Social Science and the Middle East: myths, pitfalls and opportunities [Audio]

Mon, 7 Jan 2008 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Fred Halliday | No area of the globe so challenges the contemporary social scientist or the ordinary citizen as do the twenty-five countries of the Middle East. At the same time, none generates as much public controversy and unease. From its multiple wars and inter-ethnic conflicts, and the rise of religiously defined ideologies, to the enduring place it occupies in world energy markets this region is of central concern to all who seek to analyse, or formulate policies for, the world of today. In this lecture, Professor Fred Halliday examines the difficulties, analytic and normative, that beset study of the Middle East, and argue that a programme of sustained research and teaching on this area is essential for comprehending the world today.

Human Rights in the 21st century: problems and prospects [Audio]

Thu, 6 Dec 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Kenneth Roth | In the past decade, Human Rights Watch has emerged as one of the leading human rights organisations in the world, its reports increasingly acclaimed for their accuracy and for the depth of their human rights advocacy. Executive Director Kenneth Roth discusses the human rights landscape in the Centre's annual Human Rights Day lecture: What have been the main challenges that Human Rights Watch has faced as it has worked to achieve this position? How has the organisation adapted to the new climate of opinion after 11 September 2001 and to the new militarism of the Bush years? What are the key challenges that human rights NGOs face in the world today? With an eye to the future, what is the current state of health of the human rights ideal?

Why is it Always 'Us' and 'Them': on the natural history of thinking through groups [Audio]

Thu, 6 Dec 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lawrence Hirschfeld | This event presents recent findings about representations of social categories that have potential relevance for anthropology, psychology and evolutionary biology.Lawrence Hirschfeld is professor of psychology and anthropology at the New School for Social Research, New York.

The United States - Dangerous Nation? [Audio]

Wed, 5 Dec 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Robert Kagan | The years immediately following the end of the Cold War offered a tantalising glimpse at the possibility of a new kind of international order, but that was a mirage.Robert Kagan is senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and transatlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund.

Shared Protection, Shared Values: Next Steps on Migration [Audio]

Wed, 5 Dec 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jacqui Smith MP | Jacqui Smith is Home Secretary, a position she has held since June 2007. Prior to this she held several ministerial posts. From 1999 she served for two years as parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Education. In 2001 she was promoted to minister of state for health with responsibility for social services. She was promoted again to be minister of state at the Department for Trade and Industry, and deputy minister for women. After the 2005 general election she became minister of state for schools. In May 2006 she joined the cabinet as chief whip.

Escaping the Prisoners' Dilemma [Audio]

Tue, 4 Dec 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nicola Lacey | Only by understanding the institutional preconditions for a tolerant criminal justice system can we think clearly about the possible options for reform within the British system.

France and Britain in Europe and the World: let's seize the opportunities [Audio]

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Gérard Errera | Most would agree that what unites those 'sweet enemies', France and Britain, is much greater than what divides them. But how can shared perspectives and interests be translated into practical strategies which will make a real difference to the world? Girard Errera is French ambassador to the UK.

The Invisible Cure: Africa, the West and the Fight against AIDS [Audio]

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Helen Epstein | This lecture is one event in the LSEAIDS series of Public Lectures on HIV/AIDS, Infectious Diseases and Reproductive Health funded by the Department for International Development (DFID).

Turning Risk into Opportunity: An insider's guide to entrepreneurial strategy [Audio]

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Ronald Cohen | Sir Ronald Cohen is a founder of the private-equity industry in Europe and one of the world's leading private equity investors. At the age of 26, he co-founded the firm that became Apax Partners. When he stepped down from the chairmanship thirty-three years later, Apax was the largest global private-equity firm founded in Europe. He is currently chairman of Bridges Ventures and The Portland Trust. He was knighted in 2001 for his services to venture capital.

Crises in Democracy: constituency re-districting and gerrymandering in the UK and US [Audio]

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sam Hirsch, Iain McLean | One person, one vote is a core principle of a democratic system. Electoral districting in the UK and US is far from satisfactory and seriously compromises claims to democracy.Sam Hirsch specialises in election law, voting rights, and re-districting. Iain McLean is director of the Public Policy Unit, Oxford University.

Re-Writing the History of the Constitution: from the miraculous to the political [Audio]

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Carol Berkin | Was the US constitution the work of confident demigods and innovators or the handiwork of anxious political leaders who relied on longstanding Anglo-American political traditions to save a republican in crisis? Carol Berkin is presidential distinguished professor of history at Baruch College and The Graduate Centre, CUNY.

Russia after Putin: revisionism or reform, isolation or integration [Audio]

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Roderic Lyne | Under Vladimir Putin, Russia's relations with many Western states has become increasingly edgy. What are the prospects for policy developments after Putin? Roderic Lyne was UK ambassador in Moscow in 2000-04.

Surrender is Not an Option: Defending America at the United Nations and Abroad [Audio]

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ambassador John R. Bolton | This lecture and question and answer session marked the launch of Ambassador Bolton's new book Surrender in Not an Option: Defending America at the United Nations and Abroad (Simon and Schuster, November 2007). John R. Bolton currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Prior to arriving at AEI, Ambassador Bolton served as the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations from August 1, 2005 to December 9, 2006. From May 2001 to May 2005, Ambassador Bolton served as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, also in the Bush Administration.

Can Democracy Be Bought? Democracy Promotion After 1989 [Audio]

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Daniele Archibugi, Armine Ishkanian; Dr Iain King | Democracy promotion became a key foreign policy issue pursued by Western governments after 1989. To what extent are external democracy promotion efforts effective?

The Future of Broadcasting - Public Service in a Digital Age [Audio]

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ed Richards, Damian Tambini | The countdown to the end of British public service broadcasting has begun. In 2012 analogue is switched off as the digital competition threatens to shatter the status quo. Is this a cultural disaster in the making or an opportunity to create a more open and creative broadcast media?

The Psychology of Saving and Investment: Sticky Biases and the Curse of Education [Audio]

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Laibson | Over three lectures, David Laibson will challenge many standard assumptions in economics and show how a combination of psychology and economics can better predict behaviour.David Laibson is professor of economics at Harvard University.

[limited access] or the open city? [Audio]

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Kees Christiaanse | The idea of the open city as a place of social integration, cultural diversity and collective identity is perceived as an irreversible achievement of modernity, and fuels our visions for a sustainable urban future. Nevertheless, we are witnessing increasing fragmentation and seclusion, which threatens the existence of the open city. Suburban compounds, gated communities, university campuses, covered shopping malls, urban entertainment areas, airport security zones, holiday resorts, all tend to develop into privatized and controlled zones, which are connected with the city at large by a limited number of corridors and access points. Public space ' traditionally understood as the ultimate space of social encounter and equality - is being eroded by commerce, changing lifestyles and functionality. This lecture will address whether these conditions are destroying the sensible tissue of the open city, which are intended to encourage social interaction and balance. Are cities degenerating into secluded islands that denying a balanced urban totality? And how might the open city react to these developments?

The Psychology of Saving and Investment: Investment for Dummies [Audio]

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor David Laibson | Over three lectures, David Laibson will challenge many standard assumptions in economics and show how a combination of psychology and economics can better predict behaviour. David Laibson is professor of economics at Harvard University.

The Psychology of Saving and Investment: Intertemporal Choice [Audio]

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Humanitarian Aid and Independence: do no harm? [Audio]

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Geoffrey Dennis, James Kliffen, Bernard Pécoul, Dr Edward Simpson | Editor's note: The audio recording started shortly after the beginning of the event, some of the introductions are missing from the audio podcast. Humanitarian NGOs find themselves increasingly providing aid in conflict situations alongside military actors and private companies. Is this compromising their principles of neutrality and independence? Geoffrey Dennis is executive director of Care International UK. James Kliffen is head of fundraising at Midecins Sans Frontihres, UK.

Making the World work: UK Foreign Policy, business and civil society [Audio]

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Mark Malloch-Brown | Mark Malloch-Brown was appointed the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN attending Cabinet in June 2007. His responsibilities include Africa, Asia (Afghanistan, Sub-Continent and Far East), the UN, the Commonwealth, human rights, global and economic issues, and FCO Services, as well as FCO business in the House of Lords.

Migration and Social Transformation [Audio]

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Stephen Castles | Growing interest in migration research reflects the politicisation of international migration but this could lead to policy-driven research, cut off from critical analysis. Stephen Castles is professor of migration and refugee studies, and director of the international migration institute at the University of Oxford.

Iraq and the Law: what went wrong? [Audio]

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Rabinder Singh QC | Rabinder Singh QC, a barrister at Matrix Chambers and Visiting Professor of Law at the LSE, has been involved in some of the leading cases of the last five years raising legal issues arising out of the war against Iraq. In this lecture he will for the first time in a public forum give an account of that work, which includes: the legality of the UK's participation in the invasion in 2003; attempts to get a public inquiry into the circumstances leading to the invasion; the applicability of the Human Rights Act to British forces in Iraq; and the alleged torture and killing of Iraqi civilians (including Baha Mousa) by British forces. Singh will explore whether the concept of law can withstand the intense pressures which have been put upon it by these issues. He will ask whether we should not just give up on law and accept that force and realpolitik will prevail, or whether despite everything law still has a role to play.

Knowledge Economies in China [Audio]

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Danny Quah | As China takes its place among the world's richest economies, economic growth in the long run will endure only if innovation and technology capabilities ramp up dramatically. How will this happen? Professor Danny Quah is head of the Department of Economics at LSE.

Global Media System, Public Knowledge and Democracy [Audio]

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor James Curran | Much of the world is moving towards the entertainment-centred, market-based media model of the United States. If this continues, we will enter a new era of political ignorance. James Curran is director of the Media Research Programme at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Past, Present and Future of Oil [Audio]

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Browne | Based on his experience as former chief executive of BP, Lord Browne will share his thoughts about the future of oil, as it relates to its past and its present. Lord Browne is a crossbench member of the House of Lords.

Hungary in the 21st Century [Audio]

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ferenc Gyurcsány | The lecture will focus on Hungary's economic development, reform process and energy security. The Prime Minister will also touch on Hungary's unique opportunity to be a leader in the knowledge base economy.

The Modern Commonwealth: challenges in the 21st century [Audio]

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Don McKinnon | On the eve of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala at end-November 2007, Secretary-General Don McKinnon will set the 53-nation family of nations in the context of the challenges facing a fast-changing, interdependent world - above all in entrenching a genuine culture of democracy and in bringing the benefits of economic and social development to the world's poor, with 800 million Commonwealth citizens living in official poverty.

The Future of Impartiality - Is the Public Service Ethos Doomed? [Audio]

Thu, 8 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Baum | Is it possible to regulate for impartiality in a post 2012 world or is the public service ethos doomed? Emily Bell is a journalist for The Guardian. Evan Davies is BBC Economics Editor. Richard North is a journalist and commentator for the BBC. Elinor Goodman is former political editor for Channel 4 news.

Popperian Pathways: the demarcation between quack cancer cures and scientific remedies [Audio]

Tue, 6 Nov 2007 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Baum | Why exactly is a scientific approach to medicine preferable to so-called 'alternative' approaches? Michael Baum is professor emeritus of surgery and visiting professor of medical humanities at University College London.

Judging the Booker Prize: what concerns novelists in English today (and what does not) [Audio]

Tue, 6 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies | Howard Davies is chair of the judges for the 2007 Man Booker prize. Following the award of the prize on 16 October he reflects on the judging process and what it reveals about the state of the English novel.

The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy [Audio]

Tue, 6 Nov 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Mearsheimer, Professor Stephen Walt | A look at the nature and activities of the 'Israel lobby' in the United States, and how various groups and individuals have encouraged policies that are unintentionally harmful to both US and Israeli interests. John Mearsheimer is at the University of Chicago. Stephen Walt is at the John F Kennedy School of Government.

Field Notes: Human rights defenders speak [Audio]

Tue, 6 Nov 2007 12:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mandira Sharma, Arnold Tsunga | In this seventh 'Field notes' event held in conjunction with Human Rights Watch UK, frontline human rights defenders will discuss monitoring human rights violations in Nepal and Zimbabwe: their different personal experiences, methods of collecting and evaluating information and the ways in which they develop advocacy campaigns both locally and at an international level.

Greece and Europe: a lecture by Dora Bakoyannis [Audio]

Mon, 5 Nov 2007 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dora Bakoyannis | Dora Bakoyannis is Greek minister of foreign affairs and a leading member of the governing New Democracy Party.

Globalising Capital Markets: new actors, new flows, new partnerships [Audio]

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Richard J Gnodde | The global capital markets are being transformed by the emergence of new actors, new flows and new partnerships - creating opportunities as well as challenges for business, government and civil society. In this lecture, Richard Gnodde will share the lessons of global businesses operating in this new environment, and reflect on the ways in which global capital markets can be a force for progress for business as well as society.

China's Financial Markets: how they are emerging as a global force [Audio]

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies | Howard Davies, who has advised the Chinese government on financial reform for the last four years, reviews the implications of China's rise for the world's financial markets.

The Role of Inter-governmental, State and Non-governmental Players in Conflict Resolution [Audio]

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Martti Ahtisaari | Martti Ahtisaari will draw attention to both challenges and opportunities of multi-stakeholder co-operation in conflict resolution. Mr. Ahtisaari's lecture is based on his extensive experience as a peace mediator, civil servant and board member of a number of non-governmental organisations.

Marking a New Era for Equality and Human Rights in Britain [Audio]

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Baroness Jane Campbell DBE, Francesca Klug OBE; Trevor Phillips | The new Equality and Human Rights Commission has just started its work in Britain. Its goal is to be an 'independent influential champion whose purpose is to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people and protect human rights.' Its remit reaches the whole community, seeking to secure equality of respect for all, and it also plans to take 'an active role in helping to achieve change to benefit some of the most vulnerable and least well represented people in our society.' How likely is it that this new body will achieve its goals? Will it do a better job than the three long-standing bodies that it supersedes, the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission? What will be its relationship with government? Can it avoid getting swamped with legal cases to the detriment of achieving lasting social change? Are there other priorities that it should have? In this question and answer session come and find out for yourself, with Commission chair Trevor Phillips and Commissioners Francesca Klug and Jane Campbell answering questions about the new body.

Beyond the Genome: the challenge of synthetic biology [Audio]

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Sarah Franklin, Professor Peter Lipton; Professor Chris Mason; Dr J Craig Venter | The 1970s introduced genetic modification, the 1990s cloning and GM food, and the human genome was sequenced in 2000. Synthetic biology is heralded as the next frontier. But what is synthetic biology and how do we imagine its future directions? What are the implications of this new field for scientists, lawyers, regulators and ethicists? What social and political challenges does it pose and what role will the social sciences, the humanities and the public play in shaping the direction of this new field? The expert panel will debate these issues with the audience.

Are Solicitors' Lives Necessarily Boring? [Audio]

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Stephen Cretney | Legal biographies and autobiographies are a rich and important source of information about the legal system, statute law and the legal profession. Stephen Cretney is an emeritus fellow at All Souls College, Oxford.

Garibaldi: the patriot as global hero [Audio]

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lucy Riall, Professor John Breuilly | The Italian revolutionary leader Giuseppe Garibaldi was not only worshipped as national hero in his country but he was also a hugely popular global figure in his lifetime - an estimated 500,000 people turned out to greet him on his arrival in London in 1864. The lecture, which marks the bicentenary of Garibaldi's birth, examines the charismatic leader's emergence as global symbol in the context of nineteenth-century globalization processes, developments in mass media, and political conflicts.

Europe, Migration and Globalisation - What About the Workers? [Audio]

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): John Monks | John Monks will explore the prospects for workers in a world increasingly dominated by the free movement of capital and the increased movement of goods and people. Who wins, who loses? Is free movement dangerous to workers? Is a return to protectionism on the cards? What should be the trade union, Government and EU approaches to globalisation?

Is Democracy in Crisis? Lessons from the Greek Experience [Audio]

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Costas Simitis | This lecture will cover aspects of politics and policy in contemporary Greece in relation to recent developments in Europe. Costas Simitis, an alumnus of LSE, was prime minister of Greece from 1996-2004.

Cornered in the Centre: aid and development in a rough neighbourhood [Audio]

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Gray | In his lecture Toby Lanzer looks at the challenges of kick starting and managing a humanitarian and development campaign for one of the world's forgotten crises, that of the Central African Republic.

Denied - This bit of Truth [Audio]

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Shrenik Rao | Editor's note: The audio podcast contains the documentary and is followed by the panel session 41 minutes into the recording. The UK premier of a new documentary, Zimbabwe Revealed, by former LSE student Shrenik Rao, followed by a panel debate on media freedom in Zimbabwe.

Cash In - Carbon Out [Audio]

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sam Frankhauser, Abyd Karmali, Ralf Martin; Professor Michael Mainelli; Jan-Peter Onstwedder; Martin Wolf | How 'The London Accord' has focused City Research on Climate Change. This introduction to the London Accord will be followed by a debate on two different approaches to Climate Change - Tax versus Carbon Trading.

The Divergence of the Bottom Billion [Audio]

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Collier | The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which track poverty among 5 billion people, miss the key future challenge for development policy. This is that around 50 countries, now at the bottom of the world economy, are economically stagnant and so are diverging from the rest of mankind at an accelerating rate. The lecture analyzes why these countries, with around a billion people, are diverging - why globalization generates both convergence for most of the developing world and divergence at the bottom. Based on this diagnosis of the problems, it shows why the current approach of the G8 is liable to fail, and how a more serious and broadly based set of policies could be radically more effective.

Utopian Hope and Apocalyptic Religion [Audio]

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Gray | Editor's note: Unfortunately the fist few minutes of this event are missing from the audio podcast, our podcast begins during the introduction by Professor Lord Meghnad Desai. Where does the utopian impulse in politics originate, and does it have a future? John Gray argues that though they often claimed to be rooted in a scientific analysis of history and society the revolutionary political movements of the past.

Macedonia - tests passed and the challenges ahead [Audio]

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor John Gray | The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Antonio Miloaoski, will present a picture of the political and economic situation in this small but fascinating Balkan country, of the relations in the region, as well as of the impending challenges on its road to full-fledged membership of the European and Euro-Atlantic family.

Can the Welfare State Work in a Globalising World? [Audio]

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): President Tarja Halonen | In a globalised world, can the welfare state model - such as the one in Finland and other Nordic states be successful and survive? Can the pursuit for competitiveness and welfare state be combined? Tarja Halonen was elected Finland's first female head of state in 2000, and re-elected 2006.

Panel Discussion on Judicial Biography [Audio]

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Neil Duxbury, Professor Lisa Jardine; Professor Nicola Lacey; Geoffrey Lewis | Legal biographies and autobiographies are a rich and important source of information about the legal system, statute law and the legal profession. Lisa Jardine is centenary professor of renaissance studies at Queen Mary, University of London. Nicola Lacey is professor of criminal law at LSE. Neil Duxbury is professor of law at Manchester University. Geoffrey Lewis is author of the biographies of Lord Aitkin and Lord Hailsham.

Public Space and the Body [Audio]

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Antony Gormley, Darian Leader; Renata Salecl | Over the last 25 years Antony Gormley has revitalised the human image in sculpture through a radical investigation of the body as a place of memory and transformation. Antony Gormley was awarded the Turner Prize in 1994 and the South Bank Prize for Visual Art in 1999. Darian Leader is a psychoanalyst and author. Renata Salecl is centennial professor of law at LSE and a senior researcher in criminology at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The Ukrainian Elections 2007: whatever happened to the Orange Revolution? [Audio]

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Gwendolyn Sasse, Dr Andrew Wilson | On 30 September pre-term parliamentary elections will be held in Ukraine. Can the country's stalemate be resolved by the ballot box? Gwendolyn Sasse is based at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. Andrew Wilson is based at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, London.

Europe's Emerging New Energy Policy [Audio]

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 17:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andris Piebalgs | Since the call of the Hampton Court European Council for a European Energy Policy the Commission has been actively answering this challenge, with a new set of concrete proposals to address the three challenge of competitiveness, sustainability and security of supply expected from the Commission during the second half of 2007. Commissioner Piebalgs will outline these challenges and Europe's emerging responses. Andris Piebalgs has been European energy commissioner since 2004.

Positions, Activities and Organisations: strategy, from conception to implementation [Audio]

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Luis Garicano | This is the first in a series of lectures to mark the establishment of LSE's Department of Management. Professor Garicano will discuss how recent advances in the economic analysis of the internal organisation of firms allow for a deeper study of the organisational consequences of positioning choices, and thus permit a more complete understanding of strategy implementation'.

Litigating Human Rights in the Context of International Terrorism [Audio]

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Helen Duffy | This lecture will explore some of the key human rights challenges posed by the 'War on Terror' and the experience of resorting to the courts to address them. Helen Duffy is the legal director of INTERIGHTS.

Reforming the United Nations - Mission Impossible? [Audio]

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Kennedy | Professor Kennedy's latest book is The Parliament of Man: the past, present and future of the United Nations (2006), which is inspired by the work he did on a report for the secretary general for the 50th anniversary of the UN.

A Life In Law [Audio]

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Bingham, Professor Ross Cranston | Legal biographies and autobiographies are a rich and important source of information about the legal system, statute law and the legal profession.Lord Bingham is patron of The Legal Biography Project. Ross Cranston is centennial professor of law at LSE.

The Hubris Syndrome: the intoxication of power [Audio]

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 18:43:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord David Owen | Lord Owen will explore the effects of political power on politicians themselves and investigate the concept of the Hubris Syndrome and its impact on politicians including Tony Blair, George Bush and Margaret Thatcher.

Media and Democracy in Post-Putin Russia: has the death of press freedom been exaggerated? [Audio]

Mon, 8 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Miklos Haraszti, Edward Lucas; Pavel Andreev; Darya Pushkova | Who is to blame for the current state of the Russian media? Can press freedom be revived? Miklos Haraszti is the representative on freedom of the media at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Edward Lucas is East European correspondent at The Economist and author of The New Cold War and How to Win It, to be published in 2008. Pavel Andreev is London deputy bureau chief, Russian News & Information Agency. Darya Pushkova is a correspondent from Russia Today.

The Challenges of Development and Environmental Sustainability in Africa: the case of Rwanda [Audio]

Thu, 4 Oct 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): His Excellency Paul Kagame | Africa is experiencing major changes to its environment as a result of climate change. This has clear implications for a continent that has already suffered disproportionately from abuses of human rights and from slow economic growth. Paul Kagame is president of the Republic of Rwanda.

Cool It: global warming and getting our priorities straight [Audio]

Tue, 2 Oct 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Bjørn Lomborg | Current policy proposals on global warming tend to focus on early and strong greenhouse gas cuts, although these will be very expensive and help very little. Lomborg suggests that we should focus on long-term, smart strategies.

Can we still trust TV? [Audio]

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mark Stephens | Telly has had a torrid 2007. Under fire for fake competitions, phones ins that are scams and documentaries that are 'fakes' public trust has plummeted and the audience relationship sorely tested. Join us as we put TV on Trial.

Why Thinking-By-Numbers is the New Way to be Smart [Audio]

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Ian Ayres | Today's best and brightest organisations are analysing massive databases at lightning speed to provide greater insights into human behaviour. From internet sites like Google and Amazon that know your tastes better than you do, to a physician's diagnosis and your child's education, to boardrooms and government agencies, a new breed of decision makers--call them super crunchers--are calling the shots. And they are delivering staggeringly accurate results. Want to know the value of a particular wine or whether the price of an airline ticket will go up or down before you buy? Super crunchers have the answers. In this brave new world of equation versus expertise, intuition and experience are often losing out. In this lecture, Ian Ayres will talk about the benefits and risks of Super Crunching, who loses and who wins, and how Super Crunching can be used to help, not manipulate us.

The Future of Iraq: the media and public response to the Iraq Commission [Audio]

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, Patrick Cockburn; Tim Finch; Baroness Margaret Jay; Professor Mary Kaldor | Following a series of hearings, Channel 4 aired the findings of the Channel 4/ Foreign Policy Centre Iraq Commission in a special programme presented by Jon Snow on Saturday 14 July 2007. The Commission, the equivalent of the US Iraq Study Group, is an independent, cross-party Commission which has produced recommendations on the future of Britain's role in Iraq.

Exploring options for the process of constitutional change [Audio]

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, Shami Chakrabarti; Nick Clegg MP; Peter Facey Dominic Grieve QC MP; Professor Robert Hazell; Gus Hosein; Henry Porter; Justice Robert Sharpe; Roger Smith; Michael Willis MP | In what will be his first major speech since taking on leadership of constitutional reform, the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, Jack Straw, will deliver a keynote address at the launch of the LSE's Future Britain project. The project is a two-year initiative to explore the best and most appropriate processes for constitutional reform in the UK. The Future Britain website, www.futurebritain.org, will go live on Monday 16 July 2007, with more about the project.

Energy Crisis: Resource Scarcity Oil Wars and Climate Change [Audio]

Wed, 4 Jul 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Mary Kaldor, Yahia Said; George Soros; Professor Sir Nicholas Stern | This event seeks to encourage a more holistic approach towards thinking about energy security, and will mark the launch of the publication Oil Wars, edited by Mary Kaldor, Terry Karl and Yahia Said.

Development Governance and the Media: the role of the media in building African society [Audio]

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Mark Wilson, James Deane; Gerald Milward-Oliver | How can the media hold governments in developing countries to account? How can more effective media development improve development more widely? What is the impact of the digital revolution in Africa? Are there fragile states in which media development must be abandoned altogether? This report sets out the POLIS view of 'networked journalism' for fostering media development in Africa.

Sustaining Growth and promoting inclusion in India's Economy and Society [Audio]

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Nicholas Stern | Professor Stuart Corbridge is head of the Development Studies Institute, LSE. Mr Anwar Hasan, is managing director of Tata Ltd.UK. Professor S Parasuraman is Director of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Professor Sir Nicholas Stern is the IG Patel Professor of Economics & Government and director of the Asia Research Centre at LSE.

Appropriation of Freedom: Freud's conception of the individual self-relation [Audio]

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Axel Honneth | This lecture develops Freud's implicit idea of the freedom of the will. For Freud, the 'healthy' person is very often determined by the same kind of irrational powers to which the neurotic personality is subjected. On the basis of a 'normalised' concept of repression, Freud has to explain how a normal subject should be able to gain emancipation from these unconscious constraints of his or her will. What conception of the individual self-relationship will enable us to solve this problem? How might we clarify the link Freud established between individual autonomy and the reflexive appropriation of one's own past?

Liquidity Asset Prices and Market Efficiency [Audio]

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Jiang Wang | Liquidity is of critical importance to the stability and the efficiency of financial markets. Shortages of liquidity has often been blamed for exacerbating and sustaining financial market crises such as the 1987 stock market crash and the 1998 near collapse of the Long Term Capital Management. Yet there is little consensus about exactly what liquidity is, what determines it, how it affects asset prices and welfare. Views become even more divergent when it comes to appropriate regulations and policies with respect to market liquidity, such as lowering barriers of entry in securities trading, increasing margins and capital requirements of broker-dealers when dealing with hedge funds, coordinating market participants and injecting liquidity during crises. Professor Wang will attempt to present a simple model of market liquidity, which will help consider these issues. In particular, it will help understand what gives rise to the need for liquidity and determines its supply, how liquidity influences asset prices and welfare, and what, if any, policies may help to achieve efficient liquidity supply in the market.

Globilisation and Welfare [Audio]

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Krugman | Progressive free-traders - people who believe both in domestic equity and in the promise of globalisation - are feeling chastened these days. What's left of the case for globalisation? How can we make it work?

The NHS: The Next 10 Years [Audio]

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt MP | In this lecture, Patricia Hewitt will reflect on the achievements and lessons learnt from the last ten years of investment and reform in the health service. She will set out how, over the coming decade, the NHS can rise to the challenge of delivering the best health and healthcare for patients, and the best value for money for taxpayers. Ms Hewitt will also tackle head on proposals for alternative ways of funding healthcare, such as co-payments, and demonstrate how a universal, tax-funded NHS can remain 'the best insurance policy in the world'.

Israel and the Palestinians: Domestic Developments and Prospects for Talks [Audio]

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Shai Feldman, Dr. Khalil Shikaki | Professor Shai Feldman is director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University, Boston. From 1997-2005 he served as head of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. In 2001-2003 he served as a member of the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters. Dr. Khalil Shikaki is director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR), Ramallah

Democracy or Dictatorship? Emerging Political Crisis in Pakistan [Audio]

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Imran Khan | [Please note that due to a sudden change of venue, the beginning of this lecture is missing] Imran Khan is a member of the Pakistan parliament and Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) which he established in 1997. He is also the founder of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore. Khan is thought of by many in the cricketing world as being one of the finest all rounders to play the game and led the Pakistan cricket team to victory at the 1992 cricket world cup. He is a graduate of Keble College, Oxford.

Global Warming and the Political Economy of Cities [Audio]

Wed, 6 Jun 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Saskia Sassen | Global warming will fundamentally alter the political economy of cities. A large number of cities will be in the front line of the most massive onslaughts of these changes. What do engineers and architects already know about how we can adjust our built environments? And how can ecological economists help to take us beyond the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change? Saskia Sassen is Centennial Professor at LSE and Professor, Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University. Her latest book is Territory, Authority, Rights.

Is the 'Rule of Law' Good for Cities? [Audio]

Tue, 5 Jun 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Gerald Frug | There is a widespread consensus that, everywhere in the world, urban development has to be based on the rule of law. But what is 'the rule of law'? Does any formal legal system qualify - or must it have specific requirements? If there are specific requirements, who says what they are? Does the rule of law inhibit - or does it encourage - the extent of privatisation of urban space? Does it require the abolition of informal settlements and businesses or allow them? This lecture will investigate whether the contested notion of the rule of law contributes to thinking about urban form. Gerald Frug is Louis D Brandeis Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and Visiting Professor at LSE.

Financing Sustainable Urban Development [Audio]

Mon, 4 Jun 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Hari Sankaran | Financing urban development and infrastructure requires consistent strategic planning. While urban planning adjusts to flexible, short-term and incremental implementation, cities rely on long-term visions. How can capital intense investments become socially and financially sustainable given this critical long-term perspective? Hari Sankaran is managing director of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd.

American Policy Toward Israel: the power and limits of beliefs [Audio]

Wed, 30 May 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Michael Thomas | Most scholars explain America's nearly unconditional support of Israel either as a result of inordinate influence by a small pro-Israel lobby or as the product of strategic choices by presidents. Studies of the Reagan and first Bush administrations demonstrate a more useful way to understand American policy and to predict when it might change. That method involves analysing how policy advocates redefine, institutionally embed, and enforce versions of long-standing American beliefs favourable to their preferred policies, and under what conditions those efforts are less effective.

Swords and Ploughshares [Audio]

Mon, 21 May 2007 17:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Paddy Ashdown | In this lecture Lord Paddy Ashdown discusses his new book - Swords and Ploughshares: Bringing Peace to the 21st Century. There have been 15 UN-led interventions since 1946, and there are at least 74 wars in progress today. From his perspective as a former Royal Marine officer in the 1960s to the High Representative in Bosnia from 2002-6, Lord Ashdown discusses the successes and failures of peace-keeping operations, questions what lessons have been learned - and what lessons keep being forgotten. The men and women of the British armed forces are currently engaged in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Balkans in 'peacekeeping operations'. How do we avoid these missions turning into long-term entanglements, like the current disaster that is Iraq? How do we bring our soldiers home? And what do we do about 'failed states' that are havens for gangsters and terrorists? Paddy Ashdown fears we will soon see major wars between nation states. Many will begin as minor conflicts that will expand into full-scale wars unless the international community intervenes.

Re-searching the Potential of Cultural-Historical Psychology [Audio]

Wed, 16 May 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Michael Cole | From its founding as an academic discipline, psychology has been divided in its understanding of itself. The project to create a psychology that unifies experimental, 'physiological' psychology and ethnographic, cultural-historical psychology requires a reconfiguration of the disciplinary landscape of the late 19th century that, from our current perspective, appears inter-disciplinary, including, as it does, scholarship from anthropology, sociology, discourse analysis as well as the neurosciences and evolutionary biology.

New Labour - Ten Years On [Audio]

Wed, 9 May 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Anthony Giddens, Lord Kinnock; Ed Miliband MP; Mandy Telford; Stephen Twigg | Many children approaching adulthood today will not remember anything other than a Labour government. So ten years on from the dawn of New Labour, what has been achieved and how has Britain changed? Was New Labour just a campaigning vehicle, or did it herald a new philosophical direction for the Labour Party? Is New Labour still relevant today, or does Labour need to find a different way of articulating its purpose?

The Hydrogen Economy: preparing the world for a new energy era and the third industrial revolution [Audio]

Tue, 8 May 2007 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Jeremy Rifkin | This lecture critically examines the fossil fuel era and its consequences for industrial civilisation. It explores the nexus of politics, society and business and the massive potential for industry and capital investment. It also considers the future of renewable energy and the hydrogen economy, and how an integrated infrastructure and energy regime can be created in Europe.

Trade and Inequality Revisited [Audio]

Fri, 4 May 2007 13:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Paul Krugman | Manufactured imports from developing countries have risen sharply since the mid-90s, when the effects of trade on inequality were a major political issue. Should we be reconsidering the link between globalisation and inequality?

Do War Crime Trials Do More Harm Than Good? [Audio]

Thu, 3 May 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Richard Goldstone and Dr Leslie Vinjamuri | Intuitively all defenders of human rights are in favour of war crime trials. But can the idea of an international code of criminal law survive the realpolitik of states trading insults over who has been most complicit? Will war crimes become as familiar as ordinary criminal trials are today, or is it merely a passing liberal fad?

Will Blair's European Dream Be Brown's British Nightmare? [Audio]

Thu, 3 May 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Stephen Wall | Tony Blair was at ease in the European Union. He saw the EU as part of the solution to the challenges of economic reform, energy security and climate change. Gordon Brown does not like 'abroad'. Will he be tempted to play the euro sceptic card? Will the EU constitution be, for him, a text too far? Or can Brown do for UK relations with her EU partners what Nixon did for US/China relations?

British Foreign Policy - Challenges facing the next Prime Minister [Audio]

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Howe, Lord Hurd; Dr Robin Niblett; Lord Owen; Gideon Rachman; Sir Malcolm Rifkind | This public debate marks the launch of British Diplomacy: Foreign Secretaries Reflect edited by Graham Ziegner (Politico's, March 2007). The book includes contributions from five former UK Foreign Secretaries who provide a unique insight into the thoughts and actions of the holders of one of the most difficult and challenging posts within British government, highlighting the problems faced during their time as Foreign Secretary and giving a personal account of how these problems were tackled. Professor Lord William Wallace writes the introductory chapter and a conclusion considering New Labour's foreign policy is provided by Professor Christopher Hill and Tim Oliver.

In Conversation with The Rt Hon Sir John Major KG CH [Audio]

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir John Major in conversation with Elinor Goodman | During the course of this conversation Sir John Major will reflect on his experiences as Prime Minister and discuss current affairs in the UK and across the globe.

Public Diplomacy - Steps to the Future [Audio]

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Triesman | Lord David Triesman of Tottenham will discuss the role that public diplomacy plays in the achievement of the government's international objectives. As chair of the Public Diplomacy Board, he will describe the approach that has been developed as a result of Lord Carter's 2005 Review of Public Diplomacy, with a primary focus on engaging with foreign public audiences.

The Ageing Society: challenges opportunities and unnecessary scares [Audio]

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Lord Adair Turner | As part of LSE's series of lectures looking at the long term challenges facing Britain and British politicians 'after Blair', Adair Turner will examine the issues of pensions, welfare reform and the challenges posed by an ageing society.

A Hundred Years of Relativity: what remains controversial for the philosopher? [Audio]

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Harvey Brown | Professor Brown will reappraise the reality and origins of the relativistic phenomena of length contraction and time, arguing that the reason why rods and clocks 'measure' the geometry of space-time is often misunderstood.

Inventing Temperature [Audio]

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:15:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Hasok Chang | This lecture will argue that examining what seems to be a very straightforward question - what is temperature and how can we measure it? - reveals surprising insights into the nature of science and of scientific authority.

Understanding the Equity Premium Puzzle [Audio]

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor George Constantinides | Professor Constantanides is one of the most prominent and creative research scholars in the field of financial economics, in particular of theories of asset and derivatives pricing. He will present theoretical and empirical research on three classes of generalizations of the standard neoclassical model and will discuss their contribution towards a better understanding of equity risk premium.

Contracts Reference Points and the Theory of the Firm [Audio]

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Oliver Hart | This lecture launches two new annual lecture series, the Coase Lecture and the Phillips Lecture. These names reflect the authorship of the two most famous articles ever published in Economica (the 'Phillips Curve' article was the most heavily-cited macroeconomics title of the 20th century; Ronald Coase won the Nobel Prize for his work on the theory of the firm which began with his Economica article). In this inaugural Coase lecture, Oliver Hart will discuss how his recent work with John Moo

Which way China? Will the world's most populous country embrace sustainable development? Is Dongtan City - Shanghai's new eco-city - the model for saving our cities and sustainable urban development? [Audio]

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Prof. Herbie Girardet, Isabel Hilton | Dongtan Eco-City, has been widely publicised and is regarded as a flagship model for sustainable urban development. But as China continues to urbanise with amazing rapidity, will such projects become mainstream? Can China avoid ever more national and global environmental damage in the all-out rush to grow its cities and its economy?

From Kabila to Kabila: what else is new? [Audio]

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Rene Lemarchand | Professor Lemarchand will consider the prospects for peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the wake of the country's recent elections. Copyright (c)

Psychology as Social Science [Audio]

Mon, 5 Feb 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Nikolas Rose | This talk considers what it means to approach psychology as a 'social' science in a specific sense - that is to say it sketches out an approach to the analysis of the part that psychology - its languages, techniques, forms of expertise, self-technologies - played across the twentieth century in the development of social-welfare rationalities and technologies of government. Copyright (c)

The Kosovo Precedent? Secession and Frozen Conflicts [Audio]

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Florian Bieber, Professor Bruno Coppieters | This roundtable discussion will explore the concept of secession by placing the experience of Kosovo in a comparative context. Copyright (c)

Asia Forum 2006 President Abdul Kalam [Audio]

Thu, 7 Dec 2006 19:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr APJ Abdul Kalam President of India | Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, President of India, delivered the closing speech at the forum's banquet dinner. The dinner was held in memory of former President of India KR Narayanan, who was an LSE Alumnus.

Asia Forum 2006 Welcome Dinner [Audio]

Thu, 7 Dec 2006 18:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Sir Nicholas Stern, Neville Tuli | Indian Alumni and alumni from across Asia attended an alumni reception the evening before the Asia Forum. LSE director Howard Davies hosted this drinks reception and that was attended by many of the School's senior academics who spoke at the Forum. Sir Nicholas Stern, the first holder of the IG Patel Chair at LSE addressed the reception along with alumnus Neville Tuli who spoke on Art and Development. The reception took place in the Taj Palace Hotel, Sardar Patel Marg, Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi.

Asia Forum 2006 Session Three : Society [Audio]

Thu, 7 Dec 2006 15:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Robert Wade, HE Sun Yuxi; Dr Purna Sen; Professor Lord Meghnad Desai | Discussions were led by LSE academics: Professor Danny Quah, Head of Economics Department; Dr Razeen Sally, senior lecturer in international political economy and head of the international trade policy unit and Professor Robert Wade, professor of political economy and development at DESTIN. Other speakers included: Sheila Dikshit, chief minister of Delhi; Nandan M Nilekani, chief executive officer of Infosys; Mr Sun Yuxi, Chinese Ambassador to India, and Dr YV Reddy, governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

Asia Forum 2006 Session Two : Governance [Audio]

Thu, 7 Dec 2006 13:45:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Dr Razeen Sally, Montek Singh Ahluwalia; Dr Mohammed Munir Abdul Majid; Kiran Karnik | Discussions were led by LSE academics: Professor Danny Quah, Head of Economics Department; Dr Razeen Sally, senior lecturer in international political economy and head of the international trade policy unit and Professor Robert Wade, professor of political economy and development at DESTIN. Other speakers included: Sheila Dikshit, chief minister of Delhi; Nandan M Nilekani, chief executive officer of Infosys; Mr Sun Yuxi, Chinese Ambassador to India, and Dr YV Reddy, governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

Asia Forum 2006 Session One : Reform [Audio]

Thu, 7 Dec 2006 11:00:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Danny Quah, Sheila Dikshit; Nandan Nilekani; Turan Das; Professor Kishore Mahbubani | Discussions were led by LSE academics: Professor Danny Quah, Head of Economics Department; Dr Razeen Sally, senior lecturer in international political economy and head of the international trade policy unit and Professor Robert Wade, professor of political economy and development at DESTIN. Other speakers included: Sheila Dikshit, chief minister of Delhi; Nandan M Nilekani, chief executive officer of Infosys; Mr Sun Yuxi, Chinese Ambassador to India, and Dr YV Reddy, governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

Asia Forum 2006 Opening Session [Audio]

Thu, 7 Dec 2006 09:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies, Professor Amartya Sen; Mervyn King; Professor William Cornish; Sir Nicholas Stern; Dr Manmohan Singh; Dr Y V Reddy | Discussions were led by LSE academics: Professor Danny Quah, Head of Economics Department; Dr Razeen Sally, senior lecturer in international political economy and head of the international trade policy unit and Professor Robert Wade, professor of political economy and development at DESTIN. Other speakers included: Sheila Dikshit, chief minister of Delhi; Nandan M Nilekani, chief executive officer of Infosys; Mr Sun Yuxi, Chinese Ambassador to India, and Dr YV Reddy, governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

Collapse of the Soviet empire - reflections from an insider [Audio]

Thu, 9 Nov 2006 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Andrei Grachev | Andrei Grachev official spokesman for the last president of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, explores the unexpected collapse of the Soviet Empire in 1991. Copyright (c)

When Values Conflict: How citizens stakeholders and experts contributed to formulating policy for managing the UK's radioactive waste [Audio]

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Lawrence Phillips | For over 40 years the UK Government has avoided the question of what to do with its radioactive waste. Sufficient wastes now exist in the UK to fill the Royal Albert Hall five times over. To solve this problem, the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) created the largest public consultation exercise ever conducted in the UK, resulting in a set of recommendations forwarded to the government this past July. This lecture will explain a key element in the process adopted by CoRWM. The lessons learned show how public debate can be conducted usefully to inform policy decisions at the highest levels of government.

Financial Reform in China: what next? [Audio]

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Howard Davies | Three of China's big four banks are now quoted on the Hong Kong exchange. Full World Trade Organisation membership is around the corner, but some in China are now calling for a halt in the reform programme. What can we expect in the next year?

Morality and Media in the 21st Century - a panel in celebration of the work of Professor Roger Silverstone [Audio]

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Stan Cohen, Richard Sambrook; Charlie Beckett; Robin Mansell; Professor Daniel Dayan; Professor Lilie Chouliaraki | This event will discuss the moral implications of the increasing globalisation of the media and our increasing dependence on those media for our understanding of the other in the world in which we live, the subject of Professor Roger Silverstone's book, Media and Morality: on the rise of the mediapolis (Polity, 2006).

The European Union and the Challenge of Globalisation [Audio]

Thu, 5 Oct 2006 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Matti Vanhanen | Matti Vanhanen is prime minister of Finland. Prior to this served as defence minister and he has been a member of the Finnish Parliament since 1991. Finland currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

Will the Global 'War on Terrorism' be the New Cold War? [Audio]

Wed, 4 Oct 2006 18:30:00 GMT

Speaker(s): Professor Barry Buzan | Many have talked of the 'war on terror' as if it were a new Cold War. This simplistic and misleading understanding is subject to a major critique by one of the leading writers on international relations today. Copyright (c)

London School of Economics: Public lectures and events

Civilian Assistance to Pakistan - Cure or Curse? [Audio]

Reflections on Russia's place in Europe in the 18th Century [Audio]

Religion for Atheists [Audio]

The Pattern of the Past in North Africa [Audio]

A Tale of Tottenham: race, riots and the future [Audio]

Portugal: restoring credibility and confidence [Audio]

God's Jury: The Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World [Audio]

Outside In: a conversation with Peter Hain [Audio]

Why It's Kicking Off Everywhere: The New Global Revolutions [Audio]

From Regional to Global Players: The Emergence of Asian Firms in the Global Economy [Audio]

Ten Reasons Why India Will Not and Should Not Become a Superpower [Audio]

Dangers and Demon(izer)s of Democratization in Egypt: Through an Indonesian Glass, Darkly [Audio]

Histories of International Law: dealing with Eurocentrism [Audio]

The Geostrategic Importance of Cyprus: long term trends and prospects [Audio]

The Obamas: A Mission, A Marriage [Audio]

The Soviet Union's Collapse: causes and consequences [Audio]

Willpower: Self-Control, Decision Fatigue, and Energy Depletion [Audio]

Bottom-up Politics: an agency-centred approach to globalisation [Audio]

How Labour's traditions can renew Beveridge for the 21st century [Audio]

Negotiating Transitions: Arab Armies in Politics [Audio]

The Global Banking Crisis: an African banker's response [Audio]

The State of the World Economy in 2012 [Audio]

EU Foreign Policy after Lisbon: The View from the Mediterranean [Audio]

Paper Promises: Money, Debt and the new World Order [Audio]

Margin Call [Audio]

Supporting Reform on the Mediterranean's Southern Shores: The Role of Multilateral Cooperation [Audio]

The EU in the global economy: challenges for growth [Audio]

Beyond the Eye of the Beholder [Audio]

Engaging political Islam and the realities of the new Middle East [Audio]

Gender and Men's Studies: peril or promise? [Audio]

Total Policing: the future of policing in London [Audio]

Redesigning the World's Largest Development Programme: EU cohesion policy [Audio]

The Lean Startup [Audio]

The Bodhisattva's Brain: Buddhism naturalised [Audio]

About time – Examining the case for a shorter working week [Audio]

Deleveraging and Growth: is the developed world following Japan's long and winding road? [Audio]

Is it Time for a Digital Detox? [Audio]

The Strongman: Vladimir Putin and the struggle for Russia [Audio]

The Year of Egypt's Second Revolution, the Balance Sheet So Far [Audio]

The Concept of Dignity among Palestinian Youth: An Exploratory Pilot Study [Audio]

British Journal of Industrial Relations (BJIR): 50th Anniversary Conference panel discussion [Audio]

China Model 2 [Audio]

The US and the Arab Revolutions [Audio]

A New Synthesis of Public Administration: serving in the 21st century [Audio]

EU Foreign Policy after Lisbon: the role of parliaments in EU foreign policy-making [Audio]

Rules and Representations: desire from an evolutionary point of view [Audio]

New Strategies for Disaster Response: How the increased frequency and intensity of disasters will reshape the EU approach [Audio]

The Price of Civilization: economics and ethics after the fall [Audio]

Global Political Challenges: women advancing democracy [Audio]

Aung San Suu Kyi and the revolution of the spirit [Audio]

Families and young people in troubled neighbourhoods [Audio]

Perspectives on Taste – Philosophy and Neuroscience: the nature of tastes and tasting [Audio]

Arab Nationalism, Islamism and the Arab Uprising [Audio]

WikiLeaks: news in the networked era [Audio]

1989 and EU-enlargement: Austria's role in European politics [Audio]

For Love and Money: the distinctive features of care work [Audio]

Jawaharlal Nehru and China: a study in failure? [Audio]

On Love [Audio]

Herd Behaviour and Keeping up with the Joneses [Audio]

Whatever Happened to Parliamentary Socialism: taking Ralph Miliband seriously today [Audio]

Covering the Arab Spring: Are the Media Getting it Wrong? [Audio]

Democracy in the Workplace [Audio]

Social Movements in the Age of the Internet [Audio]

LSE Honorary Degree Ceremony - Social Business: to solve society's most pressing problems [Audio]

Role of the Chinese Diaspora [Audio]

The Evolution of Morality [Audio]

LSE Health and Social Care Annual Lecture 2011 - Fairer Care Funding [Audio]

Leading Colombia towards Prosperity for All [Audio]

The Global Value of the Commonwealth [Audio]

World Stage Student and Alumni Lecture Series - 21 Novermber 2011 [Audio]

Dreaming Transnational Law - Dream, Faith, Vision and Utopia in current legal discourse [Audio]

The deconstruction of social unreality: How to naturalise social facts [Audio]

Revolution and Counter-revolution in the Arab World [Audio]

The Deaths of Others [Audio]

State Violence and the Responsibility to Protect: the role of the international community [Audio]

The Wit and Wisdom of Brian Moore [Audio]

Thinking Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman in conversation with Richard Layard [Audio]

Conservative Leadership - What Works and What Doesn't [Audio]

European Questions – Turkish Angles: Europe's nation states [Audio]