On Friday 22 January, Professor Mary Kaldor was awarded a honorary doctorate from the University of Sussex for her academic excellence and her contribution on issues of humanitarian security and the new causes of war.

The award was conferred to her by the Chancellor of the University, actor and writer Sanjeev Bhaskar at Brighton’s Dome, where the university’s winter graduation ceremonies took place.

High income inequality has been linked to inequality of longevity by new research from LSE and the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

According to the research by Professors Eric Neumayer and Thomas Plümper, published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Public Health, greater income inequality before taxes and income transfers in a country results in greater inequality in the number of years people in that country live. In contrast, the greater the re-distribution of incomes via taxes and transfers, the greater the equality in life spans.

The Hellenic Observatory celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2016.

To commemorate this important milestone, it has produced a video which showcases the HO’s achievements and activities over the last 20 years and a series of special events.

For more information and to join in the celebrations check out lse.ac.uk/HOanniversary  #20YearsHO

Spectrum and ARD are sorry to share the sad news that their former colleague Carl Hornsey passed away in December.

Carl worked as the Assessment Regulations Manager in the Student Services Centre until 2012, and then returned for a period in 2014 to work as a Project Officer in the Academic Registrar’s Office. Carl was a former Chair of the Spectrum committee. He built strong connections between Spectrum and other University LGBT networks, and brought so much energy and fun to Spectrum. Carl will be very sadly missed by the Spectrum committee and across the School.

There will be a memorial of Carl’s life on Saturday 6 February from 4-8pm at Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, Bethnal Green, London, E2 6HG. Feel free to wear smart casual, from a suit, to jeans is totally fine, but please no black. This is open to all.

A memorial donation page has been set up in Carl's name for Mind. To donate, please visit http://memoryspace.mind.org.uk/MemorySpace/Carl.

With education identified as one of the core emphases in the LSE Strategy 2020, activity in the Teaching and Learning Centre continues apace. Here’s an overview of some recent and coming highlights for academic staff at the School.

Our Academic Development Programme, significantly expanded this year, has the following workshops running in February:

• Developing your lecturing and seminar teaching: Wednesday 3 February, 2-5pm
• Writing in your discipline: Thursday 4 February, 12:30-2pm
• Effective course design: Friday 19 February, 10am-4pm
• Supervising PhD students: the LSE context (with LSE PhD Academy): Friday 26 February, 12-2pm

The LSE Teaching Blog will be featuring a series on assessment and feedback at LSE later this term, as well as interviews with staff and students. Meantime, here’s a taster of the blog with links to some of our most-read recent posts:

• LSE Academic Registrar Mark Thomson was interviewed in the wake of the School’s response to the Government’s Green Paper and the proposed Teaching Excellence Framework: LSE’s Academic Registrar on the Green Paper and TEF
• Professor Jean-Paul Faguet (pictured) spoke to our colleague Colleen McKenna about a debate he initiated on his department’s blog about the pros and cons of distributing notes to students in advance of lectures, that took some interesting turns: The Great Lecture Notes Debate
• Just before the December/January break, several LSE students told us what they were planning to read, watch and listen to: Box sets, books and music

Finally, click here to read news of achievements in the world outside of LSE.

Come along to Not Yet over the Rainbow at 6.30pm on Tuesday 2 February in the Hong Kong Theatre, where speakers from the City, the bar and the bench will discuss how to overcome contemporary barriers to the advancement of LGBT+ people in the legal profession.

See GLF veteran Stuart Feather launch his new book Blowing the Lid: gay liberation, sexual revolution and radical queens in the SCR at 6.30pm on Tuesday 2 February. Contact Hakan Seckinelgin for details.

On Friday 5 February join the LSESU Labour Society for ‘LGBT+ activism and British Politics’, a panel event with politicians, activists and academics. Contact Adam Crowther for details.

Follow LSE’s LGBT History Month activities at lse.ac.uk/spectrum and @LSESpectrum. Join Spectrum, LSE’s LGBT+ staff network, in celebrating LGBT History Month this February, and remember we are here year-round if you need us. If you’d like to join our mailing list or have a question then drop us a line at spectrum@lse.ac.uk.

#LSELGBT

Thursday 4 February from 6.15-7.30pm in the Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, will outline Hungary's perspective on the future of Europe from the point of view of an EU member state, which over the past year significantly decreased its unemployment rate, achieved outstanding economic growth, and ensures the security of its borders.

This event is free and open to all however a ticket is required. Tickets are available here.

Thursday 4 February from 6.30pm

As part of a two-day programme of work on tackling violence against women, the Centre for Women, Peace and Security is hosting a public talk by a leading women's rights activist from Indonesia.

How do women’s groups in Indonesia deal with the challenges of discriminatory bylaws, the rise of religious conservatism and the relationship between religion and state?

Leading women’s rights activist, Khariroh Ali of the Indonesian National Commission on Violence Against Women, will explore these and other issues, including the condition of women’s rights in the post-conflict affected areas of Papua and Aceh.

Saturday 27 February from 1-2pm
Speakers: Miriam Halahmy, Philip Womack, and M M Vaughan

In this discussion aimed at young adults (or adults who are young at heart), our panel of critically acclaimed authors will discuss how they recreate historical events or invent future ones in their writing. Where will your imagination take you?

This event is free to attend and open to all, with public booking available online from Tuesday 2 February. School groups can reserve tickets in advance by emailing events@lse.ac.uk

• Highlights from LSE's public lecture programme
• LSE Cities' film series: Screening the City
• The Student Wellbeing Service's Wellbeing Stall, which coincides with the 2016 Time to Change 'Time to Talk Day'
• This week's podcasts and videos

Which floor is your favourite to visit?

For more images like this, visit the Photography Unit or check out the School's Instagram page.

Tuesday 2 February from 12-1.30pm

A hands-on session to discover and/or explore different tools that will help you manage your resources, tasks and time better.

All staff interested in research funding or already with an award are invited to attend the following events:

Looking for funding opportunities - online tools
Tuesday 2 February from 12.30-1.30pm
Research Professional is an online portal for news and funding opportunities. Learn how to set up your profile and use Research Professional to search for suitable funding opportunities. This hands-on session will be delivered in a computer room.

Funding for seminars/networking/international workshops
Thursday 4 February from 12-1.30pm
Explore different funding opportunities that fund workshop organisation, networking activity and collaborative actions.

For more information, email researchdivision@lse.ac.uk.