In his state of the School address on Monday, Professor Craig Calhoun announced an £11 million investment in education over the next four years. The investment will be focussed on teaching excellence, developing courses and programmes and on LSE LIFE.
LSE LIFE will be launched at the beginning of Academic Year 2016-17. Based in the Library it will provide space and opportunity for undergraduate and masters students to develop academic, communication and research skills, learn a language and get advice on personal effectiveness and in making life choices. Students will also be able to gain insights into graduate recruitment and career paths, as well as to participate in intensive activities such as coaching events and experiential learning programmes with external organisations.
More information about LSE LIFE will be shared over the coming months.
The aspiration of LSE’s first education strategy is to develop our education to the world-leading standards of our research.
Tomorrow is Food Day so head to the LSESU Venue to sample free delicacies each country has to offer. Also don't miss the UN Society's World Performances Festival on Friday to celebrate LSE's international community.
On Monday 8 February, Professor Craig Calhoun discussed the mission and future for LSE at an event for students and staff. If you weren't able to attend, a podcast of the event can be found here.
Dogs have measurable IQs, like people, suggests new research from LSE and the University of Edinburgh.
The research, published in the journal Intelligence, looked at whether dog intelligence is structured in a similar way as in humans. When IQ, or 'general intelligence', is tested in people, individuals tend to perform comparably across different types of cognitive tasks - those who do well in one type of task, tend to do well in others.
In response to growing public interest in egg freezing, a fictional beauty brand called Timeless will ‘pop-up’ in London’s Old Street later this month following expert advice and research from LSE. The store will engage women with the issue of fertility and explore how social egg freezing may impact the world of work, relationships and wider society in the future.
Social egg freezing is the freezing of women’s eggs for lifestyle as opposed to medical reasons. The unique pop-up brings the medical and social issues around this sensitive subject to life through the products of a woman's beauty store, creating an imaginative and informative intervention into people’s daily lives.
Undergraduate research is increasingly an integral part of students’ educational experience at LSE and, happily, the opportunities for showcasing it beyond the School are growing too.
Last week, two recent LSE graduates shared their research at ‘Posters in Parliament’. Organised annually by the British Conference of Undergraduate Research, the event brings together undergraduates from dozens of UK universities to present their work visually and conversationally to MPs, academics and members of the public in the Palace of Westminster.
Learning Technology and Innovation (LTI) is currently gathering data on the role of technology in education at LSE.
We are conducting short (three minute) video interviews of students asking them about the use of technology in their studies.
If you are happy to be interviewed please get in touch at Lti.Support@lse.ac.uk by Monday 15 February.
Student Accommodation Satisfaction Survey 2015-16
The annual Student Accommodation Satisfaction Survey is now open!
If you live in halls, please take the time to tell us what you’re happy with (and what you aren’t) so that LSE residences can keep improving.
By completing the survey you will also be entered into a series of prize draws to win Amazon vouchers (from £20 to £100) and even an iPad - the earlier you complete the survey, the higher your chances of winning!
All current residents have been emailed a personalised invite and an individual link to the survey. To take part, please click on the link you were sent.
Email residential.life@lse.ac.uk with your name, hall, and student ID number if you didn’t receive the link, or if you need us to send you another one.
The LSE Widening Participation team invite first and second year students from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background to participate in a research project on information, advice and guidance for students as they prepare for higher education.
You’ll participate in a one-hour focus group on Tuesday 15 March with other LSE students, discussing a number of issues such as:
How you chose your current course of study, and any support or information sources you used to help make that choice
Your expectations of higher education, and how your experience has matched or contrasted with those expectations
Any aspects of higher education you wish you’d known more about before you started your current course
Undergraduates, don’t miss these great opportunities to take part in doing and presenting original research.
LSE GROUPS gives you a unique opportunity to continue the School’s tradition of contributing to society through developing a deeper understanding of social, economic and political experience, and to enjoy the benefits of LSE’s research based social science education. This year, two projects are open to undergraduates of all years and all disciplines.
LSE/Imperial GROUPS 2016, a collaboration with Imperial College London, runs Monday 18 April to Saturday 23 April, with the theme 'Democratising Knowledge Creation in Science and Society'.
LSE GROUPS 2016 is back for a sixth year with the theme of 'Poverty and inequality in London' and runs Tuesday 31 May to Friday 10 June.
LSE students can apply for either or both projects. Places are limited and the deadline for both projects is Tuesday 1 March. #groups2016
This February is LGBT History Month. Keep up to date with national events at #LGBTHM and LSE events at #LSELGBT.
LSE’s EDI and History blogs have joined forces to publish a post on this year’s theme, religion, belief and philosophy, by LSE Chaplain James Walters. Discover the story of William Stringfellow, who arrived at LSE in 1949. A gay man, he was also a prominent Christian leader and lawyer, describing himself as “a Christian, not a moralist.”
Did you miss ‘Not Yet Over the Rainbow’? This event, co-hosted by LSE Law, Spectrum and the LSESU LGBT+ Alliance, featured prominent speakers discussing LGBT+ progression in the legal profession. Their advice applies to minority groups in any workplace so if you’re in need of some inspiration make sure you check out the video and podcast.
Schwarzman Scholars information session
Monday 22 February from 5-6.30pm in room 32L.G.06
Schwarzman Scholars is a highly selective, fully-funded programme in which scholars study for a one-year Master’s degree at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.
In August 2016, the first cohort of 100 scholars (including two LSE graduates) will travel to Beijing to learn about the emergence of China as an economic and political force in the world through a core curriculum that includes history, economics, international relations, governance and leadership. All classes will be taught in English and students will have opportunities to study Mandarin. Applications open in April for 2016-17.
Tuesday 23 February from 6.30-7.30pm in room 32L.LG.04
Have you ever considered a career path in the international development sector? Are you curious to learn more about the experiences and opportunities available in this hugely rewarding field?
LSESU UN Society and the Global Citizens Programme is pleased to host a career forum with the Department of International Development, where you will have a rare opportunity to engage in a personal discussion with members from this sector.
Speakers will include:
Mr Matthew Sellar, an economist working in the Libya and North Africa department
Mr Kevin Lau, an economist working on DFID’s Global Partnerships programme
Ms Sumita Thakur, overseeing DFID’s overseas programmes in DFID’s overarching Regional Office
The event will be hosted in an informal and friendly manner to maximise your interactions with the speakers.
Whether you have a clear idea of what you want to do after your studies or haven’t started thinking about it yet, LSE Careers can help.
We provide a range of careers services and events, information and advice online and in one-to-one appointments, and a jobs board with UK and international full-time, part-time, graduate, internship, experienced hire, and volunteering opportunities.
Alongside this we also have the following coming up:
International Development Events Programme (IDEP) 2016
Are you interested in working in international development?
IDEP runs throughout Lent term and undergraduates, master’s and PhD students from all LSE departments can attend presentations, seminars, fairs and networking events with leading practitioners from the development sector to learn more.
Click here for more on the following - Undergraduate Careers Week, Meeting an Alum on Thursday evenings, Friday employer breakfasts, and LSE Generate.
Have you had a look at the events taking place as part of this year's Festival Fringe?
Coming up next week a LSE Faith Centre discussion on "Faithful Visions" with Mark Lawson and Jonathan Moore; a BBC Radio 3 'Free Thinking' recording "Getting Real about Utopia"; and a lecture by LSE Director Craig Calhoun "Can Imagination Change the World".
Tuesday 16 February from 5.30-7.30pm. The venue will be confirmed upon registration.
Dr Milford Bateman, Visiting Professor of Economics at the University of Juraj Dorbila, will join Dr Phyllis SantaMaria, Founder and Director of the Financial Inclusion Forum UK and also Founder and Director of Learning without Borders, at this LSESU Microfinance Society debate.
Friday 4 - Saturday 5 March at the Millennium Hotel, Mayfair
The LSESU Emerging Markets Forum is a two-day event dedicated to highlighting the importance and role of emerging markets. Over 200 industry-leading experts have spoken at the Forum in the past six years, in fields ranging from real estate and finance to commodities, pharmaceuticals and national security. The Forum is a unique chance to gain experience, knowledge, and contacts.
The full agenda for the forum can be found at lseemf.com/agenda-2016. This year's speakers include:
Jim Rogers - Co-founder, Quantum Fund alongside George Soros; Author
Dr James Zhan - Director, UNCTAD; Team Leader, UN World Investment Report
Ian Hannam - Former Chairman of Global Capital Markets, JP Morgan; Founder, Hannam & Partners
Nikhil Rathi - CEO, London Stock Exchange; Director of International Development, LSEG
Goh Kok Huat - COO, GIC; President, GIC Real Estate
General Sir Nick Houghton - Chief of Defence staff, British Armed Forces
Vikas Seth - Head of Emerging Markets for Investment Banking and Capital Markets, Credit Suisse
Dr Pippa Malmgren - Special Assistant to the President of the United States; Foreign policy analyst; Founder, DRPM Group; Co-Founder, H Robotics
This month's contributions to LSE Perspectives are now online. The online gallery features images contributed by students and staff, reflecting some of the fascinations, concerns, quirks and artistic sensibilities of the LSE community.
Submissions include this photo by second year undergraduate Nathanael Didillon. This photo was taken just before reaching the top of Primrose Hill last year. Nathanael was too late for the sunset, but observed another fascinating phenomenon: 'a human rise'.
Training
Learn to code with LSEPUG
The LSE Python User Group (LSEPUG) is a new monthly meetup for those interested in learning and understanding Python programming.
Python is free open-source software which allows you to code easily, using fewer lines than languages such as C++ or Java. This general purpose, high-level programming language is used by sites like YouTube, Dropbox and Instagram.
If you would like to meet other local Python developers, learners and enthusiasts, join us at the launch event on Monday 22 February from 6-8pm (location tbc). All skill levels are welcome: if you are interested in Python, we are interested in you!
If you have some news, an achievement, or an aspect of LSE life that you would like to share, we would love to hear from you - get in touch at communications.internal@lse.ac.uk or on ext 7582.
The next edition of Student News is on Wednesday 17 February. Articles for this should be emailed to us by Monday 15 February. Student News is emailed on Wednesdays, on a weekly basis during Michaelmas and Lent term and fortnightly during Summer term.
International Development Events Programme (IDEP) 2016
