Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Spring 2015 | Public lectures and events | Audio and pdf

Contributor(s): Dr Gary Klein | What are insights, and how do they happen? Observing people in their natural setting – from scientists and business people to firefighters and soldiers - Klein demonstrates what insights are, the patterns that emerge, and how you can usefully deploy them. This event marks the publication of Gary's new book, Seeing What Others Don't - The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights. Gary Klein (@KleInsight) is a research psychologist famous for his part in founding the field of naturalistic decision making, and is a Senior Scientist at MacroCognition LLC. He was one of the leaders of a team that redesigned the White House Situation Room. Gary is the author of several books, including The Power of Intuition: Working Minds: A Practioner’s Guide to Cognitive Task Analysis and Streetlights and Shadows: Searching for the Keys to Adaptive Decision Making. Dr Barbara Fasolo is Associate Professor in Behavioural Science in the Department of Management of the London School of Economics and Political Science. She currently serves as Head of the Behavioural Research Lab, Director of the Executive Master in Behavioural Science, and on the Department of Health Behavioural Insights Expert Advisory Panel. The Department of Management (@LSEManagement) is a globally diverse academic community at the heart of the LSE, taking a unique interdisciplinary, academically in-depth approach to the study of management and organisations. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Assembly SE8 , Atelier d'architecture autogérée , Public Works Group | With an evening of provocations and discussion, Theatrum Mundi launched Designing the Urban Commons, an ideas competition calling for new ways to stimulate the city’s public and collective life. Three groups engaged in live projects in London and Paris presented their work, describing how commoning emerges through the spaces they have created or occupied and also examining the issues and opportunities presented by commons as an approach to urban design. The competition brief, which also went live on 25th March, asked for existing land, architecture, or infrastructures in neighbourhoods across London to be re-imagined as common spaces, or for new urban commons to be carved out in the city or online. Commons are not static pieces of architecture. We are seeking designs through which the social act of commoning could take shape, by enabling citizens to co-produce urban resources from culture & knowledge to housing, energy or democratic processes.

Contributor(s): Sir Michael Barber | Billions of citizens around the world are frustrated with their governments. Political leaders struggle to honour their promises and officials find it near impossible to translate ideas into action. The result? High taxes, but poor outcomes. Cynicism not just with government but with the political process. Why is this? How could this vicious spiral be reversed? In his new book, How to Run A Government so that citizens benefit and taxpayers don't go crazy, due to be launched on 26 March, Michael Barber draws on his wealth of experience of working for and with government leaders the world over to present a blueprint for how to run a government. Using contemporary cases from every continent and classic examples from history, he makes a compelling case for a new approach. From Downing Street to Punjab, Charles I to Churchill, this book shows that the solution is less about ideology and more about sustained priorities, solving problems as they arise and not giving up when the going gets tough. By applying the lessons set out in the eight chapters of the book, governments of all political persuasions can dramatically enhance their capacity to deliver results and control costs, thus delighting citizens rather than driving them crazy. Sir Michael Barber (@michaelbarber9) is the co-founder of Delivery Associates and Chief Education Advisor at Pearson. Over the last two decades he has worked on government and public service reform in more than 50 countries. From 2001 to 2005 he was the first Head of the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit in the UK. His previous books include Instruction to Deliver: Fighting to Transform Britain's Public Services. Sir Jeremy Heywood is Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service. British Government @ LSE is an initiative led by the LSE’s Government Department (@LSEGovernment) to promote research, teaching and debate about politics and government in the UK. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Gareth Peirce, Professor Saskia Sassen, Professor Jeanne Theoharis | Since 9/11 the rules governing extradition from the UK to the US have been systematically relaxed, and safeguards designed to protect against injustice have been dismantled. British citizens are extradited on untested charges to face justice in US courts and prisons, but what standard of justice? There has been little coverage of what happens in US courts and prisons following these extraditions. The conditions that suspects face in the notorious Supermax prisons, along with the use of secret evidence and material support bans raise serious human and civil rights concerns. Gareth Peirce is a solicitor who represents individuals who are or have been the subject of rendition and torture, held in prisons in the UK on the basis of secret evidence, and interned in secret prisons abroad under regimes that continue to practice torture. Her many clients have included the Birmingham Six, Judith Ward, the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, and Moazzam Begg. Saskia Sassen (@SaskiaSassen) is Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology, Columbia University. She is the author of Expulsions and Territory, Authority, Rights. Immigration is one of her major research subjects. Jeanne Theoharis is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. She is the author of numerous books including the recent, award-winning The Rebellious Life of Mrs Rosa Parks and co-founder of Educators for Civil Liberties. She has written and researched extensively on terrorism prosecutions in the US federal system post-9/11. Susan Marks is Professor of International Law at LSE. The Centre for the Study of Human Rights at LSE (@LSEHumanRights) is a trans-disciplinary centre of excellence for international academic research, teaching and critical scholarship on human rights. The Department of Sociology at LSE (@LSEsociology) was established in 1904 and remains committed to top quality teaching and leading research and scholarship today. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Laurence Monnoyer-Smith | France’s institutionalisation of public debate faces criticism as being an instrument for appeasement. Professor Monnoyer-Smith will discuss how France meets this challenge and evaluates its strengths and weaknesses. Laurence Monnoyer-Smith (@lmonsmith) is Vice-President of the French National Commission for Public Debate. Michael Barzelay is Professor of Public Management and Head of Department of Management. The Department of Management (@LSEManagement) is a globally diverse academic community at the heart of the LSE, taking a unique interdisciplinary, academically in-depth approach to the study of management and organisations. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Peter Neumann | Large numbers of foreigners, including many Europeans, have joined jihadist groups in the Syrian/Iraqi conflict. Who are these people, why do they go, and what - if any - threat will they pose upon their return? Drawing on a large database with hundreds of social media profiles of Western fighters, dozens of interviews, and fieldwork, Professor Peter Neumann of King's College London's International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation will talk about the fighters' motivations and consequences.

Contributor(s): Felix Salmon | Atrocious jurisprudence has plunged Argentina into an unwanted default and upended the world of sovereign debt. Felix Salmon (@felixsalmon) is a prominent financial journalist and Senior Editor at Fusion.net. The Department of International Development (@LSE_ID) promotes interdisciplinary post-graduate teaching and research on processes of social, political and economic development and change. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Daniel J Levitin | The information age is drowning us in a deluge of data, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate facts from pseudo-facts, objective from biased sources, and at the same time, we’re all being asked to do more at home and at work. Yet some highly successful people are able to stay highly efficient and productive. I’ll review the cognitive neuroscience of attention and memory, and how recent findings can help all of us to become more productive. This talk will address the myth of multi-tasking, advice for how to better structure our time, and how to better organize decision making using examples from health care contexts. I’ll also share secrets from some of the highly successful people I spoke to in doing research for the book: CEOs of some of the largest corporations in the world, artists, scientists, nobel prize winners, generals, admirals, governors, senators, and U.S. cabinet members. Daniel J Levitin (@danlevitin) is James McGill Professor of Psychology, Behavioural Neuroscience and Music at McGill University in Montreal. His latest book is The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload. Jonathan Birch is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method at the London School of Economics and Political Science. LSE's Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science (@CPNSS), established in 1990, promotes research into philosophical, methodological and foundational questions arising in the natural and the social sciences, and their application to practical problems. The Centre's work is inherently interdisciplinary, and a full calendar of events contributes to a lively intellectual environment. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Hans Kundnani, Quentin Peel | A panel debate to mark the launch of Hans Kundnani's recently published book 'The Paradox of German Power'. Hans Kundnani (@hanskundnani) is Research Director at the European Council on Foreign Relations & Associate Fellow, Birmingham University. Quentin Peel is Mercator Senior Fellow at Chatham House. Maurice Fraser is Head of the European Institute, LSE. The LSE European Institute (@LSEEI) was established in 1991 as a dedicated centre for the interdisciplinary study of processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. In the most recent national Research Assessment Exercise, the Institute was ranked first for research in European Studies in the United Kingdom. The LSE European Institute has been a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence since 2009.

Contributor(s): Professor Stephen Gibbons, Dr Tim Leunig, Professor Ruth Lupton | Many believe that education is very sensitive to the influence of school friends and neighbours. Professor Stephen Gibbons outlines evidence to the contrary from the Spatial Economics Research Centre at LSE. Stephen Gibbons is Professor of Economic Geography and Director of the Spatial Economics Research Centre. Tim Leunig (@timleunig) is Chief Analyst and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Education. Ruth Lupton (@ruthlupton) is Professor of Education at the University of Manchester. Julia Black is Pro Director for Research at LSE. Economic prosperity in the UK is very unevenly distributed across space. Tackling these persistent disparities is a key policy objective. The Spatial Economics Research Centre (SERC) (@LSE_SERC) aims to provide a rigorous understanding of the nature, extent, causes and consequences of these disparities, and to identify appropriate policy responses. Established in 2008, SERC is based at the LSE and aims to provide high quality independent research to further understanding as to why some regions, cities and communities prosper, whilst other don't. Our research programmes explore disparities, their effects and potential remedies at all spatial levels including regional, city-region, local and neighbourhood. The Centre also aims to influence and improve policy decision-making at the national and local levels, connecting UK policy makers with international expertise, research and good practice in diagnosing and tackling such differences. LSE Works is a series of public lectures, that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's academic departments and research centres. In each session, LSE academics will present key research findings, demonstrating where appropriate the implications of their studies for public policy. A list of all the LSE Works lectures can be viewed at LSE Works. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Dr Esra Özyürek, Dr Ruth Mandel, Dr Nasar Meer, Professor Joel Robbins | The panellists will discuss Dr Özyürek’s newly published book Being German, Becoming Muslim: race, religion, and conversion in the New Europe. Esra Özyürek is Associate Professor in Contemporary Turkish Studies at LSE’s European Institute. Ruth Mandel is Reader in Social Anthropology at University College London. Nasar Meer is Reader in Comparative Social Policy and Citizenship at Strathclyde University and a Royal Society of Edinburgh Research Fellow. Joel Robbins is Sigrid Rausing Professor in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge. Deniz Kandiyoti is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Development Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. The LSE European Institute (@LSEEI) was established in 1991 as a dedicated centre for the interdisciplinary study of processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. In the most recent national Research Assessment Exercise, the Institute was ranked first for research in European Studies in the United Kingdom. The LSE European Institute has been a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence since 2009. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Dmitri Makarov, Dr Mary McAuley, Roman Udot | An unprecedented number of laws have been adopted in Russia over the past two years which dramatically restrict the activities of all independent non-governmental organisations, and particularly those working for civil and political rights. The new laws, such as the "foreign agents" law, threaten not only the organisations but also endanger their staff, members and supporters. The law on treason can lead to ten or more years of imprisonment for the vaguest of reasons, such as simply sharing information with non-Russian organisations and outsiders. Our panel of human rights advocates and experts will provide a first-hand insight into the difficulties of working under such conditions, and propose what can be done to stop the further erosion of human rights in Russia. Dmitri Makarov is co-chair of the Coordinating Council of the International Youth Human Rights Movement. Mary McAuley is an independent expert on human rights in Russia. Roman Udot is from Golos, the association of organisations for the protection of the rights of Russian voters and development of civic society. Margo Picken is a Visiting Senior Fellow at LSE. The Centre for the Study of Human Rights at LSE (@LSEHumanRights) is a trans-disciplinary centre of excellence for international academic research, teaching and critical scholarship on human rights. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Barry Eichengreen | Popular understanding of the Great Depression shaped the response to the Great Recession. The experience of the Great Recession will change our understanding of the Great Depression. Barry Eichengreen (@B_Eichengreen) is Professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California-Berkeley. His new book is Hall of Mirrors: the Great Depression, the Great Recession, and the uses - and misuses - of history. The Department of Economics at LSE (@LSEEcon) is one of the largest economics departments in the world. Its size ensures that all areas of economics are strongly represented in both research and teaching. The Centre For Macroeconomics (@CFMUK) brings together world-class experts to carry out pioneering research on the global economic crisis and to help design policies that alleviate it. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor William A Callahan | Although we live in a visual age, few actually study the role of images in international politics. This inaugural lecture will examine how maps, photographs and film can tell us much about the international politics of war, identity and sovereignty. William A. Callahan is Professor of International Relations at the LSE, and his recent publications include China Dreams: 20 Visions of the Future (2013), and the documentary video, China Dreams: The Debate (2014). Chris Brown is a Professor of International Relations at the LSE. The International Relations Department (@LSEIRDept) is one of the oldest as well as largest IR departments in the world. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Ronald J Deibert, Dr Gus Hossein, Professor Sir David Omand, Professor Ronald W Pruessen | What are the implications of surveillance, big data, malware and hacking for individuals and societies? What conversations do we need to have about the rules of cyberspace? Ronald J Deibert (@RonDeibert) is Director of the Canada Centre for Global Security Studies and the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto. Gus Hosein (@GusHosein) is the Executive Director of Privacy International. David Omand is Visiting Professor at King’s College London. Ronald W Pruessen is Professor of History at the University of Toronto. LSE IDEAS (@lseideas) is a centre for the study of international affairs, diplomacy and grand strategy.

Contributor(s): Dr Gabriel Zucman | Dr Zucman will discuss recent evidence on rising inequality, proposals made to curb these trends and challenges raised by international tax competition and evasion. Gabriel Zucman (@gabriel_zucman) is a member of the faculty of the LSE Department of Economics and an Associate on the Public Economics Programme at STICERD. Wouter Den Haan is Professor of Economics and Co-Director of the Centre for Macroeconomics. The Department of Economics at LSE (@LSEEcon) is one of the largest economics departments in the world. Its size ensures that all areas of economics are strongly represented in both research and teaching. The Centre For Macroeconomics (@CFMUK) brings together world-class experts to carry out pioneering research on the global economic crisis and to help design policies that alleviate it.

Contributor(s): Professor Lawrence H. Summers | This public conversation with one of America’s leading economists, Professor Lawrence H. Summers, will focus on the topic of secular stagnation and the report Professor Summers is currently working on, New Approaches to Progressive Policy, which will be published on 15 January. Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) is one of America’s leading economists. In addition to serving as 71st Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton Administration, Dr Summers served as Director of the White House National Economic Council in the Obama Administration, as President of Harvard University, and as the Chief Economist of the World Bank. Paul De Grauwe (@pdegrauwe) is the John Paulson Chair in European Political Economy at LSE. The Department of Economics at LSE (@LSEEcon) is one of the largest economics departments in the world. Its size ensures that all areas of economics are strongly represented in both research and teaching. The Centre For Macroeconomics (@CFMUK) brings together world-class experts to carry out pioneering research on the global economic crisis and to help design policies that alleviate it.

Contributor(s): Sir Alan Budd, Lord King | Lord King and Sir Alan will look back at central developments in banking over the last two decades. Alan Budd GBE is founding member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee and former Chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility. Mervyn King is a former Governor of the Bank of England and founder of LSE’s Financial Markets Group. Charles Goodhart is Emeritus Professor of Banking and Finance with the Financial Markets Group at LSE. The Financial Markets Group Research Centre (FMG) at LSE (@FMG_LSE) is one of the leading European centres for academic research into financial markets and is a focal point for research communication with the business, policy making, and academic finance communities. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Dr Judith Rodin | Through dramatic stories, penetrating insights, and research from around the world, Judith Rodin, the President of the Rockefeller Foundation, discusses how people, organisations, businesses, communities, and cities have developed resilience in the face of otherwise catastrophic challenges. Judith Rodin has been President of The Rockefeller Foundation (@RockefellerFdn) since 2005. During her tenure she has recalibrated its focus to meet the challenges and disruptions of the twenty-first century, to support and shape innovations that strengthen resilience and build more inclusive economies. She was previously president of the University of Pennsylvania, and provost of Yale University. A widely recognised international leader in academia, science and development issues, Dr Rodin has actively participated in influential global forums, including the World Economic Forum, the Council on Foreign Relations, Clinton Global Initiative and the United Nations General Assembly. Dr Rodin is also a member of the African Development Bank’s High Level Panel, a Board member of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (co-created by The Rockefeller Foundation). In November 2012 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo named Dr Rodin to co-chair the NYS 2100 Commission on long-term resilience following Superstorm Sandy. A pioneer and innovator throughout her career, Dr Rodin was the first woman named to lead an Ivy League Institution and is the first woman to serve as The Rockefeller Foundation's president. A research psychologist by training, she was one of the pioneers of the behavioural medicine and health psychology movements. Dr Rodin is the author of more than 200 academic articles and has written or co-written 13 books. She has received 19 honorary doctorate degrees and has been named one of Crain's 50 Most Powerful Women in New York. She has also been recognised as one of Forbes Magazine's World's 100 Most Powerful Women three years in a row. Dr Rodin serves as a member of the board for several leading corporations and non-profits including Citigroup, Laureate Education, Inc., Comcast, and the White House Council for Community Solutions. Dr Rodin is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University. Dr Rodin's new book is The Resilience Dividend: Being Strong in a World Where Things Go Wrong. Craig Calhoun (@craigjcalhoun) is Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science. LSE Cities (@LSECities) is an international centre at the London School of Economics and Political Science that carries out research, education and outreach activities in London and abroad. Its mission is to study how people and cities interact in a rapidly urbanising world, focussing on how the design of cities impacts on society, culture and the environment. The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment is a research centre at LSE (@GRI_LSE). The Institute’s research looks at the economics of climate change, and aims to inform policy and academic debate. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): See event programme for details | Geopolitics and the Global South: Challenges of the Emerging International Order. Opening Ceremony and Keynote Address (Geopolitics and the Global South), Chris Alden, Stuart Corbridge, Enrique García, H.E. Ricardo Lagos. Session 1, Geopolitics and Changing Patterns of Multilateralism - Ambassador H.H.S Viswanathan, Professor Zhongying Pang, Professor Didier Opertti Badán, Dan Restrepo. Session 2, The Geopolitics of Development - Professor Jose Antonio Ocampo, Harinder Kohli, Jean-Louis Ekra, Professor Matias Spektor. Session 3, The Geopolitics of Security - Jose Miguel Insulza, Dr. Domitilla Sagramoso, Dino Mahtani, Professor Christopher Hughes. Closing Keynote Address (The Global South and the Atlantic Basin. New actors, power shift and challenges for the International Order) and Concluding Remarks - H.E. José María Aznar, Enrique García, Chris Alden.

Contributor(s): See event programme for details | Geopolitics and the Global South: Challenges of the Emerging International Order. Opening Ceremony and Keynote Address (Geopolitics and the Global South), Chris Alden, Stuart Corbridge, Enrique García, H.E. Ricardo Lagos. Session 1, Geopolitics and Changing Patterns of Multilateralism - Ambassador H.H.S Viswanathan, Professor Zhongying Pang, Professor Didier Opertti Badán, Dan Restrepo. Session 2, The Geopolitics of Development - Professor Jose Antonio Ocampo, Harinder Kohli, Jean-Louis Ekra, Professor Matias Spektor. Session 3, The Geopolitics of Security - Jose Miguel Insulza, Dr. Domitilla Sagramoso, Dino Mahtani, Professor Christopher Hughes. Closing Keynote Address (The Global South and the Atlantic Basin. New actors, power shift and challenges for the International Order) and Concluding Remarks - H.E. José María Aznar, Enrique García, Chris Alden.

Contributor(s): See event programme for details | Geopolitics and the Global South: Challenges of the Emerging International Order. Opening Ceremony and Keynote Address (Geopolitics and the Global South), Chris Alden, Stuart Corbridge, Enrique García, H.E. Ricardo Lagos. Session 1, Geopolitics and Changing Patterns of Multilateralism - Ambassador H.H.S Viswanathan, Professor Zhongying Pang, Professor Didier Opertti Badán, Dan Restrepo. Session 2, The Geopolitics of Development - Professor Jose Antonio Ocampo, Harinder Kohli, Jean-Louis Ekra, Professor Matias Spektor. Session 3, The Geopolitics of Security - Jose Miguel Insulza, Dr. Domitilla Sagramoso, Dino Mahtani, Professor Christopher Hughes. Closing Keynote Address (The Global South and the Atlantic Basin. New actors, power shift and challenges for the International Order) and Concluding Remarks - H.E. José María Aznar, Enrique García, Chris Alden.

Contributor(s): See event programme for details | Geopolitics and the Global South: Challenges of the Emerging International Order. Opening Ceremony and Keynote Address (Geopolitics and the Global South), Chris Alden, Stuart Corbridge, Enrique García, H.E. Ricardo Lagos. Session 1, Geopolitics and Changing Patterns of Multilateralism - Ambassador H.H.S Viswanathan, Professor Zhongying Pang, Professor Didier Opertti Badán, Dan Restrepo. Session 2, The Geopolitics of Development - Professor Jose Antonio Ocampo, Harinder Kohli, Jean-Louis Ekra, Professor Matias Spektor. Session 3, The Geopolitics of Security - Jose Miguel Insulza, Dr. Domitilla Sagramoso, Dino Mahtani, Professor Christopher Hughes. Closing Keynote Address (The Global South and the Atlantic Basin. New actors, power shift and challenges for the International Order) and Concluding Remarks - H.E. José María Aznar, Enrique García, Chris Alden.

Contributor(s): See event programme for details | Geopolitics and the Global South: Challenges of the Emerging International Order. Opening Ceremony and Keynote Address (Geopolitics and the Global South), Chris Alden, Stuart Corbridge, Enrique García, H.E. Ricardo Lagos. Session 1, Geopolitics and Changing Patterns of Multilateralism - Ambassador H.H.S Viswanathan, Professor Zhongying Pang, Professor Didier Opertti Badán, Dan Restrepo. Session 2, The Geopolitics of Development - Professor Jose Antonio Ocampo, Harinder Kohli, Jean-Louis Ekra, Professor Matias Spektor. Session 3, The Geopolitics of Security - Jose Miguel Insulza, Dr. Domitilla Sagramoso, Dino Mahtani, Professor Christopher Hughes. Closing Keynote Address (The Global South and the Atlantic Basin. New actors, power shift and challenges for the International Order) and Concluding Remarks - H.E. José María Aznar, Enrique García, Chris Alden.

Contributor(s): Nicola Sturgeon | Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) is Scotland’s first female First Minister and the first female to lead any of the devolved UK administrations. Born in Irvine in 1970 and educated at Greenwood Academy, she studied law at the University of Glasgow where she graduated with LLB (Hons) and Diploma in Legal Practice. Before entering the Scottish Parliament as a regional MSP for Glasgow in 1999 she worked as a solicitor in the Drumchapel Law and Money Advice Centre in Glasgow. She is currently MSP for Glasgow Southside having been, before boundary changes, MSP for Govan between 2007 and 2011. In government she served as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing between May 2007 and September 2012 and then Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities with responsibility for government strategy and the constitution until November 2014. Throughout this period she also served as Deputy First Minister of Scotland. She became SNP Leader on November 14, 2014 and was sworn in as First Minister on November 20, 2014. Simon Hix (@simonjhix) is Professor of European and Comparative Politics and Fellow of the British Academy and Head of Department of Government at LSE. British Government @ LSE (@lsegovernment) is an initiative currently based in the Government Department to promote and develop research on British Government being conducted at the LSE. So far world class speakers have attended our events, talking on a range of topics. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Daniel Ferreira | Corporate Boards are a central part of a firm’s governance structure, and have since the 1980s received regulatory attention in the attempt to improve firm performance. Lately, other social considerations have made it to the regulatory agenda. The presentation will focus on two key questions: What do we really know about corporate boards? Why should we care? Daniel Ferreira is Professor of Finance and co-organiser of the Corporate Governance programme at LSE. David Webb is Pro-director for planning and resources, Director of the Financial Markets Group and Professor of Finance at LSE. The Financial Markets Group Research Centre (FMG) at LSE (@FMG_LSE) is one of the leading European centres for academic research into financial markets and is a focal point for research communication with the business, policy making, and academic finance communities. LSE Works is a series of public lectures, that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's academic departments and research centres. In each session, LSE academics will present key research findings, demonstrating where appropriate the implications of their studies for public policy. A list of all the LSE Works lectures can be viewed at LSE Works. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Dr Chaloka Beyani | Dr Beyani will talk about international human rights, working with the UN and his duties as Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons. Chaloka Beyani is Associate Professor of International Law at LSE. Conor Gearty (@conorgearty) is Director of the Institute of Public Affairs and a Professor of Human Rights Law at LSE. LSE Law (@lselaw) is an integral part of the School's mission, plays a major role in policy debates & in the education of lawyers and law teachers from around the world. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Felix Martin, Professor Lord Skidelsky | Professor Lord Skidelsky will be in conversation with Felix Martin about the topic of a recent book he edited, to which Felix Martin contributed, Are Markets Moral? Felix Martin is a macroeconomist and bond investor, author of Money: the Unauthorised Biography. 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. More recently he published Keynes: The Return of the Master. The Department of Economics at LSE (@LSEEcon) is one of the largest economics departments in the world. Its size ensures that all areas of economics are strongly represented in both research and teaching. The Centre For Macroeconomics (@CFMUK) brings together world-class experts to carry out pioneering research on the global economic crisis and to help design policies that alleviate it. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Mark Neville, Professor Tim Newburn, Professor Gwendolyn Sasse, Polly Toynbee | The panel will discuss effective ways of communicating and changing inequality, centring on the work of artist Mark Neville, in particular his recent series London/Pittsburgh. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (@y_alibhai) is Professor of Journalism at the University of Lincoln and a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre. Mark Neville (@MarkNeville4) is an artist investigating the social function of photography and film. Tim Newburn (@TimNewburn) is Professor of Criminology and Social Policy at LSE. Gwendolyn Sasse (@GwendolynSasse) is Professor in Comparative Politics at the University of Oxford and Professorial Fellow at Nuffield College. Polly Toynbee (@pollytoynbee) is a journalist, writer and Guardian columnist. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Dr Pippa Malmgren | Economic signals are everywhere, from magazine covers to grocery stores to military events. They reveal the story of the world economy. By being alert to signals anyone can start to navigate through the turbulence to the treasures of the world economy, instead of being overwhelmed and surprised by it. Pippa Malmgren (@DrPippaM) is Founder of DRPM Group and a former US Presidential Adviser. She is an alumna of LSE. This event marks the publication of her new book, Signals: the breakdown of the social contract and the rise of geopolitics. Dr Malmgren served as financial market advisor to the President in the White House and on the National Economic Council from 2001-2002. She was a member of the President's Working Group on Financial Markets and the Working Group on Corporate Governance. She dealt with Enron, Sarbanes Oxley as well the Anti-Money Laundering provisions of the Patriot Act and had responsibility for terrorism risks to the economy on the NEC after 9/11. She was the Deputy Head of Global Strategy at UBS and the Chief Currency Strategist for Bankers Trust. She headed the Global Investment Management business for Bankers Trust in Asia. Dr Malmgren has been a visiting lecturer at Tsinghua University in Beijing and an occasional lecturer for INSEAD and the Duke Fuqua Global Executive MBA Program. In 2000 The World Economic Forum in Davos named Dr Malmgren a Global Leader for Tomorrow. She is a Governor and member of the Council of Management of the Ditchley Foundation in the UK. She is a frequent guest on the BBC, including Newsnight and the Today Program, and a guest anchor on both CNBC's Squawk Box and Bloomberg's most widely viewed programs. She has a B.A. from Mount Vernon College and a MSc. and PhD. from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Matthew Connelly | Official secrecy in the U.S. during the Cold War altered the culture of government and served many hidden agendas. Classified information became an institutional asset to be traded for other kinds of access and information. Security clearances became a way to police behavior, such that homosexuals and others deemed to be deviant could be driven from government. At the same time, senior officials who leaked classified information – such as false reports that the Soviets were opening a “missile gap” – could use tactic to gain higher office. The ship of state, it was said, was the only kind that leaked from the top. Professor Matthew Connelly is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS for 2014-2015. Currently a professor in the Department of History at Columbia University, Matthew Connelly is also founder and director of the LSE-Columbia University Double Degree in International and World History. His current research focuses on planning and predictions, and using data science to analyse patterns in official secrecy. He received his B.A. from Columbia and his Ph.D. from Yale He has authored a wide-range of articles and publications, including the award-winning Diplomatic Revolution: Algeria’s fight for independence and the origins of the post-Cold War era, which has won five prizes since its publication. His most recent book, Fatal Misconception: the struggle to control world population, was chosen as one of the best books of the year by The Economist and the Financial Times. Professor Michael Cox is founding co-director of LSE IDEAS and emeritus professor in international relations. LSE IDEAS (@lseideas) is a centre for the study of international affairs, diplomacy and grand strategy. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Dr Peter Dennis | Appeals to rationality are found in every area of life. But how can we accuse one another of being irrational if we don’t know what it is? Peter Dennis is an LSE Fellow in the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method and a Forum for European Philosophy Fellow.

Contributor(s): Professor Hugh Roberts | In this lecture and book launch, Professor Hugh Roberts discusses his new book, Berber Government: the Kabyle Polity in Pre-colonial Algeria. Breaking with both Ernest Gellner’s and Pierre Bourdieu’s influential theories, Berber Government explores the character of the institutions which were central to Kabyle political organization and explains how their development was the product of the interaction between the populations of Kabylia and the Ottoman Regency and gave birth to a political tradition which survives to the present day.

Contributor(s): Professor John Hills, Dr Polly Vizard | John Hills will present new findings from the Social Policy in a Cold Climate programme of research on the ways in which patterns of economic inequality changed in the UK over the economic crisis 2007-13. Dr Polly Vizard will present new findings on the patterns of inequality in London, and how the distribution of key economic outcomes - including income and wealth, employment and unemployment, earnings and wages, and educational qualifications - have changed amongst different population groups. John Hills is Professor of Social Policy and Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) at LSE. His research interests include the distribution of income and wealth, the welfare state, social security, pensions, housing and taxation. He led a review of fuel poverty for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (2011-2012), was Chair of the National Equality Panel (2008-2010), carried out a review of the aims of social housing for the Secretary of State for Communities in 2006-07 and was one of the three members of the UK Pensions Commission from 2003 to 2006. He was Co-Director of the LSE’s Welfare State Programme (1988-1997). Dr Polly Vizard is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE), her research interests include equality, capability and human rights. She has carried out research for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Government Equalities Office and a number of NGOs including specific projects on recipients of social care in the UK, older people internationally, and the development of tools to measure ‘autonomy'. Bharat Mehta is Chief Executive at Trust for London (@trustforlondon). Prior to taking up this post he was Chief Executive of the National Schizophrenia Fellowship (NSF, renamed RETHINK). He has also worked for the Medical Research Council; the National Council for Voluntary Organisations; and the Social Services Department of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) at LSE (@CASE_lse) focuses on the 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 series of public lectures, that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's academic departments and research centres. In each session, LSE academics will present key research findings, demonstrating where appropriate the implications of their studies for public policy. A list of all the LSE Works lectures can be viewed at LSE Works. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Julia Black, Dr Jon Danielsson, Professor Charles Goodhart, Professor Katharina Pistor | In financial markets law and finance are intrinsically connected. When markets collapse, however, legal rules are pushed into the background and other forces take over. Julia Black is a Professor of Law and Pro-Director for Research at LSE. Jon Danielsson (@JonDanielsson) is Director of the Systemic Risk Centre. Charles Goodhart is Emeritus Professor of Banking and Finance at LSE. Katharina Pistor is the Michael I Sovern Professor of Law at Columbia Law School. LSE Law (@lselaw) is an integral part of the School's mission, plays a major role in policy debates & in the education of lawyers and law teachers from around the world. The Systemic Risk Centre (@LSE_SRC) investigates the risks that may trigger the next financial crisis and develops practical tools to help policy-makers and private institutions become better prepared. The Law and Financial Markets Project is based in the LSE's Law Department and explores the interactions of law, regulation, financial markets and financial institutions, principally within the EU and the UK. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Julie Cohen, Anne Barron | The problem of control over information flows has emerged as a doubly critical vantage point from which to interrogate the exercise of power and the pursuit of justice. Scholars of law and communications have come to recognize that in the networked information society, the dialogue between truth and power is mediated by the code. The Internet has been hailed as the ultimate medium for speaking truth to power, but networked information technologies also can become means for embedding power and entrenching inequality. Information and network protocols also have become sources of great wealth and competitive advantage. Struggles to shape-or even simply to understand-the patterns of information flow have profound consequences for human flourishing in the networked world. Less widely recognized, perhaps, is that in legal contests over control of information flows and network protocols, law is not simply a bystander or neutral arbiter. Struggles to shape the patterns of information flow are seeking out new modes of recognition and accommodation within the legal system, and those struggles are beginning to produce new institutional settlements. In the networked information society, code and law together sit between truth and power. We should understand contemporary struggles over control of information and information networks as a contest to define new governance institutions for the information age. Julie Cohen (@julie17usc) is a Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center. Anne Barron (@AnneBarron01) is Associate Professor (Reader) in the Department of Law at LSE. Nick Couldry (@couldrynick) is Professor of Media, Communications and Social Theory and Head of the Department of Media and communications at LSE. LSE Law (@lselaw) is an integral part of the School's mission, plays a major role in policy debates & in the education of lawyers and law teachers from around the world. The Department of Media and Communications at LSE (@MediaLSE) has recently been ranked 2nd in the 2014 QS World University Rankings by subject. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Jonathan Holslag, Dr Mareike Kleine | This discussion will explore the vexed question of the demos of European citizenship and the democratic deficit. Jonathan Holslag is Professor of International Politics at the Free University of Brussels. Mareike Kleine is Associate Professor of EU and International Politics in the European Institute at LSE.

Contributor(s): Professor Jeff McMahan | The annual Auguste Comte Memorial Lecture will be delivered by a leading scholar in social and political philosophy. Jeff McMahan is White’s Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford and the author of The Ethics of Killing: problems at the margins of life and Killing in War. Mike Otsuka is a professor in the philosophy department at LSE. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Bob Hancké, Professor David Soskice | This discussion will explore the pressures facing Europe’s welfare states in a time of austerity, an aging population and global economic competition. Bob Hancké is Associate Professor of Political Economy in the European Institute at LSE. David Soskice is Professor of Political Science and Economics at LSE.

Contributor(s): Dr Selina Todd | Drawing on the testimonies of hundreds of people, Dr Todd refutes the claim that class is dead and exposes some of the myths that animate contemporary politics. Selina Todd (@selina_todd) is History Fellow and Vice Principal of St Hilda’s College, University of Oxford. Robin Archer is the Director of the Postgraduate Programme in Political Sociology at LSE. The Ralph Miliband Programme (@rmilibandlse) is one of LSE's most prestigious lecture series and seeks to advance Ralph Miliband's spirit of free social inquiry.

Contributor(s): Yannis Stournaras | Yannis Stournaras will talk about the current developments of the Greek Economy. Yannis Stournaras is Governor of the Bank of Greece and former Greek Minister of Finance (July 2012-June 2014). Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Professor Sir Richard Blundell | Even before the financial crisis many developed economies were facing growing inequality and struggling to maintain employment and earnings. This lecture will dig deeper into the background to these trends and will examine the evidence on how tax and welfare reform impacts on human capital, inequality and earnings. It will ask two general questions: What are the key margins where we might expect tax and welfare reform to have most impact on earnings, employment growth and inequality? How has this changed in the light of the great recession? The talk will consider prospects for the future and the potential for policy reform. Richard Blundell CBE FBA is a Professor at University College London and Research Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. He is an alumnus of LSE. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Katrine Marçal | Katrine Marçal charts the myth of ‘economic man’ – from its origins at Adam Smith’s dinner table to its adaptation by the Chicago School and finally its disastrous role in the 2008 Global Financial Crisis – and looks forward to a new, more inclusive type of economics. Katrine Marçal (@katrinemarcal) is the lead editorial writer for the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet and author of Who Cooked Adam Smith’s Dinner? Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Contributor(s): Eric Ries | Eric Ries (@ericries) is an entrepreneur and author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup: How Constant Innovation Creates Radically Successful Businesses, published by Portfolio Penguin. He graduated in 2001 from Yale University with a B.S. in Computer Science. While an undergraduate, he co-founded Catalyst Recruiting. Ries continued his entrepreneurial career as a Senior Software Engineer at There.com, leading efforts in agile software development and user-generated content. He later co-founded and served as CTO of IMVU, his third startup. In 2007, BusinessWeek named Ries one of the Best Young Entrepreneurs of Tech. In 2008 he served as a venture advisor at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers before moving on to advise startups independently. Today he serves on the advisory board of a number of technology startups and venture capital firms. In 2009, Ries was honored with a TechFellow award in the category of Engineering Leadership. In 2010, he was named entrepreneur-in-residence at Harvard Business School and is currently an IDEO Fellow. The Lean Startup methodology has been written about in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Inc., Wired, Fast Company, and countless blogs. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, son, and golden retriever. Dr Linda Hickman is Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the Department of Management. LSE Entrepreneurship (@LSEship) runs a series of lectures, short courses, networking platforms, debates and social exchanges that explore entrepreneurship's extreme potential for change.

Contributor(s): Dr Kristina Spohr, Sir Rodric Braithwaite, Sir Roderic Lyne, Professor Arne Westad | Personal summitry, more than structural factors, shaped the peaceful ending of and exit from the Cold War. This lecture shows how meetings between international leaders in the period 1985-91 fostered rapprochement and creative dialogue, and reflects on their continuing importance today. Kristina Spohr is Deputy Head of the International History Department and Associate Professor at LSE. Rodric Braithwaite is a British diplomat and author. His diplomatic career included posts in Indonesia, Italy, Poland, the Soviet Union, and a number of positions at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. From 1988 to 1992 Braithwaite was ambassador in Moscow, first of all to the Soviet Union and then to the Russian Federation. Subsequently, he was the Prime Minister's foreign policy adviser and chairman of the UK Joint Intelligence Committee (1992–93). Roderic Lyne is Deputy Chairman of Chatham House and Adviser, Russia and Eurasia Programme. From 1970 to 2004 Sir Roderic was a member of the British diplomatic service. He was British ambassador to the Russian Federation from 2000 to 2004; UK permanent representative to the World Trade Organisation, the UN and other international organisations in Geneva from 1997 to 2000; and private secretary to the prime minister for foreign affairs, defence and Northern Ireland from 1993 to 1996. Between 1990 and 1993 he was head of the Soviet and then Eastern department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Between 1987 and 1990 he worked as head of chancery at the British embassy in Moscow. Arne Westad is Professor of International History at LSE and Director of LSE IDEAS. Professor Stuart Corbridge is Deputy Director and Provost of LSE. The Department of International History (@lsehistory) is one of the top five university history departments in the UK. LSE Works is a series of public lectures, that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's academic departments and research centres. In each session, LSE academics will present key research findings, demonstrating where appropriate the implications of their studies for public policy. A list of all the LSE Works lectures can be viewed at LSE Works.

Contributor(s): Dr Kimberley Brownlee | When is it permissible to resort to civil disobedience? Do we sometimes have a moral duty to do so? Should we be punished for it? Kimberley Brownlee is Associate Professor of Legal and Moral Philosophy at the University of Warwick.

Contributor(s): Professor David J. Linden | Professor Linden will explore the biology of touch ranging from sex to pain to caress, paying particular attention to the role of emotional processes. David J. Linden (@david_j_linden) is a Professor of Neuroscience at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He is the author of three books about brain function written for a general audience, most recently Touch (Viking, 2015).

Contributor(s): Jonathan Powell | Jonathan Powell was chief of staff to Tony Blair and the chief British negotiator on Northern Ireland. In his new book Talking to Terrorists How to End Armed Conflicts, Jonathan concludes that every time we meet a new terrorist group we say we will never talk to terrorists but in the end we almost always do. Jonathan Powell worked for the Foreign Office for fifteen years before becoming Tony Blair's Chief of Staff in 1994. Since leaving government he has worked with a Geneva-based NGO, negotiating between governments and terrorist groups in Europe, Asia and Africa, and has now established his own NGO, InterMediate, to continue this work. He is currently also the Prime Minister's special envoy to the Libyan Transition. His booked Talking to Terrorists: How to End Armed Conflicts was published in 2014.

Contributor(s): Professor Francesco Caselli | Professor Caselli will ask whether recent economic research could shed new light on the political and economic impact of natural resource windfalls. Francesco Caselli is the Norman Sosnow Professor of Economics in LSE’s Department of Economics and Centre For Macroeconomics. John Van Reenen is Professor of Economics and Director of the Centre for Economic Performance at LSE. The Department of Economics at LSE (@LSEEcon) is one of the largest economics departments in the world. Its size ensures that all areas of economics are strongly represented in both research and teaching. The Centre For Macroeconomics (@CFMUK) brings together world-class experts to carry out pioneering research on the global economic crisis and to help design policies that alleviate it.

Contributor(s): Professor Kaushik Basu, Professor Amartya Sen, Professor Lord Nicholas Stern | Kaushik Basu (@kaushikcbasu) is Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank. He is the second World Bank Chief Economist from a developing country. He is on leave from Cornell University where he is Professor of Economics and the C. Marks Professor of International Studies. Prior to this he served as the Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India at the Ministry of Finance. He was Chairman of the Department of Economics and during 2006-9 he was Director of the Center for Analytic Economics at Cornell. Earlier he was Professor of Economics at the Delhi School of Economics, where in 1992 he founded the Centre for Development Economics in Delhi and was its first Executive Director. He is also a founding member of the Madras School of Economics. Mr. Basu has held visiting positions at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, and the London School of Economics, where he was a Distinguished Visitor in 1993. He has been a Visiting Professor at Harvard University, Princeton University and M.I.T. and holds a PhD in economics from the London School of Economics. He is currently the President of the Human Development and Capabilities Association, which was founded by Amartya Sen. He has held advisory posts with the ILO, the World Bank, the Reserve Bank of India and was, for several years, a member of the steering committee of the Expert Group of Development Issues set up by the Swedish Government. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Exim Bank of India. He is Editor of Social Choice and Welfare, and served or serves on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Economic Perspectives, Journal of Development Economics, World Bank Economic Review and the Japanese Economic Review. A Fellow of the Econometric Society, Kaushik Basu has published widely in the areas of Development Economics, Industrial Organization, Game Theory and Welfare Economics. His most recent books are Beyond the Invisible Hand: Groundwork for a New Economics and An Economist’s Miscellany. In May 2008 he was awarded one of India’s highest civilian awards, the Padma Bhushan, by the President of India. Amartya Sen is Thomas W. Lamont University Professor, and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, at Harvard University. He is also the recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economics and an honorary fellow of LSE. Nicholas Stern is the IG Patel Chair of Economics and Government, Director of the India Observatory and Chairman of the Asia Research Centre at LSE. Craig Calhoun (@craigjcalhoun) is the Director of LSE. Credits:Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).