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In the 1970s, the European left was thriving. Across the continent, numerous groups emerged to defend the working‑class in all its diversity. New waves of organising—led by women, migrants, and young workers—pointed to the vitality of the labour movement. And then... the left’s progress came to a sharp halt. What brought about such decline? What lessons must we take away from this historical turning point?

Militarised policing is one of the preconditions for fascist rule, but how and why would police in liberal democracies militarise?

The Trump Administration has closed the world’s largest bilateral aid programme, USAID and poured scorn on its past effectiveness. Other donors are also cutting their aid programmes at the same time as there is a growing chorus of concern around aid effectiveness. It has created ‘’ a perfect storm” in the world of development finance. Can there be a happy ending or is development another casualty of Trump’s new global disorder?

In this lecture, Helen Milner addresses why vulnerability, lived experience, and material self-interest will drive the next phase of climate politics, and what that means for diplomacy, democracy and development.

Join us for this talk by Branko Milanovic about his new book, The Great Global Transformation: National Market Liberalism in a Multipolar World.

The world stands at a crossroads. The next decade will determine whether we avoid climate, biodiversity, and economic catastrophe – or unlock a new era of sustainable, resilient, and inclusive growth.

Tackling poverty and campaigning for social justice must be with, not just for, people in poverty.

What does artificial intelligence really mean for the future of work?

In August 2025, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held its 25th annual summit in Tianjin, China. The absence of the United States in this gathering may tell us about how China is competing with the US and building its own global order.

This talk delivered by Raya Jalabi, Middle East correspondent for the Financial Times, as part of the annual Ian Black Memorial Lecture Series, will examine Syria’s fraught first year in the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s fall.

Join Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and LSE alumnus Juan Manuel Santos and LSE academics Mary Kaldor and Nicholas Stern in a conversation to explore how we can build a sustainable, peaceful and stable world.

Join us as the University of Glasgow’s Claire Miller explores the statistical and data analytics approaches being developed to successfully bring different data sources together to improve environmental planning and management.

The decline of manufacturing and the acceleration of technological disruption have concentrated joblessness in distressed regions and blocked many workers from access to good jobs

The last decade has seen a period of prolonged competition between the US and China with China continuing to grow economically and pursue technological self-reliance while the US attempts to hinder this growth through measures like export controls.

This event will serve as a timely preview of the upcoming UN Climate Conference (COP), offering insights into where meaningful progress can be made on international climate action.

Join us for the Department of Social Policy’s Annual Lecture at which Hilary Hoynes will explore the concept of viewing the social safety net as a long-term investment in children.

Can global feminist solidarity and a feminist theory of social reproduction provide an emancipatory agenda that will foster the material conditions that make the reproduction of human and non-human life possible?

How will progress end? In this event, Carl Benedikt Frey – one of the leading scholars of technology and the economy – will discuss his new book, How Progress Ends.

To talk about social media and politics, and how AI can help spread – or tackle – disinformation, the Phelan US Centre spoke to Dr Josephine Lukito, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism and Media.

In this lecture, Padmashree Gehl Sampath compares the trajectories of two critical technology-driven sectors, pharmaceuticals and artificial intelligence

Join us for this lecture by New York Times bestselling author and Harvard academic Cass R Sunstein.

The CEOs of Britain's largest companies wield immense power, but we know very little about them. How did they get to the top? Why do they have so much power? Are they really worth that exorbitant salary?

This event will examine how a second Trump administration might reshape U.S.-Iran relations and regional security—whether through renewed maximum pressure, diplomatic engagement, or military action to contain Iran’s nuclear and military ambitions.

Join us in welcoming back to LSE, economist Deirdre Nansen McCloskey who will deliver this special lecture.

Commentators around the world draw some startling analogies when they seek to assess President Donald Trump, some even likening him to a Roman emperor or an inter-war dictator. In this lecture, Niall Ferguson puts Trump's foreign policy in an Anglo-American historical perspective.

Ahead of our 10 year anniversary in 2026, and after more than 140 episodes speaking to academic experts on topics from across the social sciences, we'd like to find out what you think about the podcast with a listener survey.

As the UK economy struggles along while the US seems destined for chaos, evaluating why we’re getting poorer has never seemed more relevant.

We are joined by Maya Goodfellow, Tarsis Brito and Luke de Noronha who will each draw on their areas of expertise to discuss the implications of borders in a changing world.

Join us for this special event where former British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will talk about his new book, How to Save the Internet.

Donald Trump’s America First is a response to too much globalisation, too much immigration, and too many wars. But has Trump overcorrected?

Amid rising interest rates and inflation, we ask whether debts must always be paid—exploring causes of debt, bankruptcy’s role, and fresh perspectives on repayment.

Eighty years on from the start of the Nuremberg War Crime Trial in November 1945 we ask what is the future of the crime of aggression after the creation of the ICC in 1998 and the Ukraine war?

Join us for the annual Auguste Comte lecture delivered by Luara Ferracioli, a leading thinker on the philosophy of immigration and the philosophy of the family.

AI is now increasingly playing a role in many parts of our lives, and the workplace is no exception. AI is now being used by employers to help them to recruit new staff and by jobseekers in their applications.

Drawing on his recent book, The Space of the World, Nick Couldry will reflect on the global space of social communications and interaction that has been constructed over the past three decades through a commercialized internet and digital platforms.

As Black Lives Matter has exposed the legacies of transatlantic slavery and empire, Britain has launched a new moral crusade at home: the fight against “modern slavery.” This panel discussion marks the launch of Drugs, Race and the Politics of Modern Slavery Law by Insa Lee Koch and asks what this crusade is really doing.

We explore the legal, political and community-based racial justice work that emerged 40 years ago from the Broadwater Farm riots, examining methods of resistance that continue to address present-day questions of race, racism and social inequality.

Learn more about the Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience, a new LSE initiative committed to making sure technological change works for - rather than against - the interests of other species.

Join us for a conversation with Partha Dasgupta, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Cambridge, as he discusses his latest book On Natural Capital where he lays out a seminal and groundbreaking new approach to economics.

Climate finance is a critical tool in supporting low-income countries as they face the growing impacts of climate change.

As climate change accelerates, the economic case for protecting and investing in natural capital has never been clearer.

As the world prepares for COP30 in Brazil, this event provides a forward-looking platform to explore priorities, challenges, and opportunities for accelerating and aligning climate ambition with sustainable economic growth.

AI has legal consequences. Who is responsible when AI makes a mistake which causes harm or financial loss? What role does government regulation play, and do we need to revise our legal frameworks in the face of increasingly capable AI?

Presenting new research produced by the World Inequality Lab, Thomas Piketty discusses recent trends in global inequality, analysing the historical movement toward equality and future prospects for more redistribution.

With the growth of the capability of artificial intelligence (AI), there is growing concern that this technology could make millions of jobs – and their workers – obsolete.

In an article in the July/August edition of Foreign Affairs magazine, “Might Unmakes Right:

The US capture of President Nicolás Maduro in January 2026 and the US–Israeli military campaign against Iran have thrust foreign intervention back to the centre of global debate.

In an article in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs, “Beware the Europe You Wish For, The Downsides and Dangers of Allied Independence”,

In July 2025 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Professor Kimberley S. Johnson about the recent history of the US administrative state and racial representation in the US government and administration

Far-right ideas once on the fringe now dominate feeds and headlines, reshaping politics and threatening democracy worldwide.