Congratulations to everyone who took part in this year's Global Corporate Challenge (GCC). The event was a huge success: 43 teams took part in the 100 day challenge, achieving a step average of 14,522 and covering a distance of 280,408 km.

A big well done goes to the 'Olympians of LSE' based in the Hellenic Observatory (European Institute) and Elias Daoud of ‘Holborn Runners’ (Residential Services) who finished top of the team and individual LSE rankings respectively. For all the final results, see LSE's Progress Report.

The 'end of challenge' awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 27 October from 11am in the basement of the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre. The event will celebrate the successes of all participants and there will be a number of award presentations, plus GCC will provide information on how LSE performed overall. If you have any questions about the event, please email staffwellbeing@lse.ac.uk.

Colombian president and LSE alumnus Juan Manuel Santos has won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Committee awarded the prize to President Santos for his work to bring Columbia’s 50-year-long civil war to an end.

The Colombian civil war was one of the longest civil wars in modern times, and the sole remaining armed conflict in the Americas. President Santos initiated the negotiations that culminated in the peace accord between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas.

President Santos studied for a Master of Science in the Department of Economics at LSE in 1975.

Did you know that Muhammad Ali spoke to a packed Old Theatre in 1971? Or that actress and activist Eslanda Robeson studied here in the 1930s?

This new selection of stories from LSE’s history recognises and celebrates BME staff, students, alumni and visitors through the years. Subscribe to the blog to receive regular updates, and if you’re interested in writing for us then please email Hayley Reed and Sue Donnelly.

Travel distribution industry underestimates the speed and scale of the consumer revolution
Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality and the use of portable technology could change travel distribution as we know it over the next 10 years.

Strong government institutions more important than geography for economic development in the EU
According to a new study from LSE, the strongest influence on economic growth is the government’s institutional capacity.

Are UK drivers ready to give up the wheel?
A survey of UK motorists released today shows that people who find driving stressful and are confident about technology are, on average, more comfortable with the prospect of autonomous vehicles on our roads.

Two visiting Fellows and a Head of Teaching are the latest additions to the International Drug Policy Project (IDPP).

Ana Linda Solano (pictured) and Mark Shaw have been appointed Visiting Fellows and Michael Shiner has joined as Head of Teaching for the Project.

LTI have a one year site license for Maple TA for this academic year.

Maple TA is an online testing and assessment software designed especially for quantitative disciplines that involve the use of maths and statistics. It has many features including:

• integration with Moodle;
• visualisation of mathematical problems;
• automatically generating questions;
• free response answers for questions that have more than one correct answer;
• automatic marking and the provision of instant feedback;
• adaptive testing with individualised question paths.

If you are interested in using MapleTA for your course or just want to find out more, email LTI.Support@lse.ac.uk.

The Department of Mathematics is pleased to launch an academic, professional and personal development seminar series presented by leading female mathematicians to offer support, encouragement and advice to staff and students interested in a career in mathematics.

The launch seminar is on Wednesday 26 October. Visiting Professor June  Barrow-Green will talk about her journey from art gallery assistant to professor via investment banking, and about her research which includes the origins of chaos theory and the mathematics of the First World War.

How would you know if you were a carer to someone? Millions of people in the UK are caring either exclusively or joint with others, for one (or more) loved ones on a regular basis as the primary carer, or on an occasional basis as part of a wider carer support network. A large proportion whom do not realise they are classed as a carer.

So, what makes someone a carer? The charity organisation Carers UK describes a carer as someone who provides unpaid care by looking after an older or disabled family member, friend or partner, anywhere from a few hours a week up to around the clock.

As of October 2015 Carers UK estimated that 6.5 million people in the UK are carers and this figure is continuing to rise yearly. They estimate that the unpaid care provided by carers in the UK is worth an estimated £119 billion per year - this is more than the total spend on the NHS in England.

So the question is, are you a carer? If you are, LSE is re-establishing its staff carers network to join the range of networks already thriving at the School and would like to hear from you if you are a carer, or, if you provide care but hadn’t realised this activity was classed as being a carer. So please, contact Eleni Michael from the HR Policy team to talk in confidence about what you would like to see in a new network or feel you would benefit from.

The Disability and Wellbeing Service and the Exams Office have introduced a new deadline for student submissions of Individual Exam Adjustments (IEAs) of Friday 11 November for Lent Term exams.

If you know of a student who may need special examination arrangements, please advise them to meet with the Disability and Wellbeing Service as soon as possible. For more information, visit www.lse.ac.uk/IEA.

Please note, this deadline does not apply to students who have ‘Duration of Studies‘ IEAs in place already.

We are so close to reaching the required survey response rate for TfL to unlock £10,000 worth of credits to secure new cycling facilities, but we need your help.

Whether you’re a cyclist or not, please take the 30 second survey and tell us how you travel to work.

Open 11am-5pm

Located next to the Fourth Floor Restaurant in LSE's Old Building, the Fourth Floor Café specialises in made-to-order deli sandwiches, homemade boxed salad, smoothies, juice, barista coffee, fairtrade tea, and grab and go hot soup.

Pop along for our special 'early bird offer': enjoy a hot drink between 11am-12pm for just £1.

• Details of the LSE Generate funding competition, where students can win up to £10,000 for their entrepreneurial ideas.

• Jack Winterton, Winner of the 2016 Department of Government Dissertation Prize and LSE LIFE Student Adviser, gives his advice on how to write a third year undergraduate research paper.

• The International Student Visa Advice Team explain why it's important for students to keep their Biometric Residence Permit safe.

UAE based writer and art collector Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi will be discussing the political undertones of iconic artworks of the 20th century in the Arab world for the LSE Kuwait Programme Annual Lecture on Tuesday 18 October.

Other events next week include former British diplomat Tom Fletcher on Post Brexit Diplomacy; new Liberty Director Martha Spurrier  on hate, hostility and human rights in a post-Brexit world; a Centre for Macroeconomics discussion on The Euro and the Battle of Ideas; British Journal of Sociology 2016 Annual Public Lecture by Professor Aldon Morris; and former Prime Minister of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani on The Role of the Gulf in a Changing World.

While LSE does not teach arts or music, there is a vibrant cultural side to the School including weekly free music concerts in the Shaw Library, Old Building.

Entry is free and open to all with no ticket required.

Don’t miss next week’s concert on Thursday 20 October at 1.05pm with Benjamin Baker (violin) and Daniel Lebhardt (piano).

For further details of this term’s lunchtime concert series please visit Michaelmas Term 2016 Concert Series.

Monday 17 October, 6.30-8pm, Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Dr Harald Bøckman (pictured), Norwegian researcher at the Centre for Development and Environment at the University of Oslo

This lecture will map the transmogrifications of the concept of ‘The Chinese Nation - Zhonghua minzu’ from a national to a supra-national entity, and the consequences this may entail for China’s future inter-ethnic relations.

Wednesday 19 October, 6.30-8pm, Old Theatre, Old Building
Speakers: Professor Markus K. Brunnermeier, Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Economics at Princeton University and Director of Princeton's Bendheim Center of Finance; Professor Harold James, Professor of History and International Affairs at Princeton University; and Jean-Pierre Landau, Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Why is the Euro in trouble? A string of economic difficulties in Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy, and other Eurozone nations has left observers wondering whether the currency union can survive. Markus Brunnermeier, Harold James, and Jean-Pierre Landau argue that the core problem with the Euro lies in the philosophical differences between the founding countries of the Eurozone, and how these seemingly incompatible differences can be reconciled to ensure Europe's survival.

Keep up to date with what Brexit means for the UK and the wider world at LSE Brexit blog.

Wednesday 19 October, 6.30-7.30pm, Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House
Speaker: Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Iceland's Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade

Can Iceland's rapid recovery from the unprecedented economic collapse in 2008 provide lessons for the international economy? Iceland’s road to recovery from the financial crisis has been a considerable success story marked by a combination of extraordinary measures, sound long-term economic policies and successful cooperation with the International Monetary Fund.

In this public lecture, Lilja Alfreðsdóttir will focus on the decisive steps that the Icelandic Government has taken in tackling the substantial challenges caused by the economic collapse of the Icelandic economy in 2008.

Wednesday 19 October, 6.30-8pm, TW2 9.05

Collective imaginations of nuclear warfare were a central battleground of the Cold War, fought through war games and fictitious scenarios. This panel debate with Ann Sherif and Matthew Grant explores the 'imaginary Cold War', from how specific media and national cultures created it, to the implications for our understanding of the Cold War and the atomic bomb.

This event is part of the Rethinking the Cold War Lecture Series with the University of Sheffield.

Friday 21 October, 6-8pm, Café 54, NAB

An intimate showcase of artistic talent throughout LSE, LSE Chill welcomes staff and students to an evening of relaxation hosted by LSE Arts.

Come along to watch and enjoy a limited amount of free drinks and snacks. For more information, email arts@lse.ac.uk or click here.

The Future of the Labour Party
Speakers: Andy Beckett, Professor Matthew Goodwin, and Faiza Shaheen
Recorded: Tuesday 4 October, approx. 88 minutes

Museums in a Global Age
Speakers: Richard Armstrong, Adrian Ellis, and Tiffany Jenkins
Recorded: Tuesday 4 October, approx. 93 minutes

Why Washington Won't Work
Speaker: Professor Marc Hetherington
Recorded: Wednesday 5 October, approx. 88 minutes

Thursday 20 October, 10am-2pm

LSE is hosting a half-day training and information event that will bring together external experts on Public Engagement and internal ‘best practice projects’ to help academics understand who their ‘public’ are or could be, and how to get started with a successful Public Engagement project.

The event will also provide an opportunity to connect, collaborate and share experiences with other academics and professional support staff from LSE, other UK HEIs and members of the European ACCOMPLISSH project. Confirmed speakers are Paul Manners (NCCPE), Dr Steve Cross (Bright Club and Science Showoff) and Suzanne Bardgett (Imperial War Museums). The afternoon includes four breakout sessions with lessons from successful LSE Public Engagement projects with Elina Rebikova (Migration Matters), Anne Power (Housing Plus), Amanda Gore (Timeless) and Don Slater (Configuring Light).

The event is being organised by the LSE Research Division and Communications Division. To book a place, click here, and for a more detailed programme contact Peter Meister-Broekema, Grant Applications Manager. Places are limited.

Thursday 20 October, 2-3.30pm

Using good practice and examples from the LSE and elsewhere, this session will focus on how to integrate digital and information literacies into the courses and programmes that you teach.

Tuesday 25 October, 12-1.30pm
Come and join us in this short session to hear about what to expect from the next REF, based on REF2014. Learn how to start planning your outputs.

Suitable for staff with little or no previous REF knowledge or experience.

Tuesday 25 October, 12.30-1.30pm

With such a diverse student population, it’s easy to forget that many of our students are restricted by the immigration rules and taking part in activities or gaining valuable experience is not always as straightforward as for UK/EU students.

Bethan Ovens and Laura Dyson from the International Student Visa Advice Team (formerly ISIS), will raise awareness of the areas where there may be potential issues for international students on Tier 4 visas using past cases. It will highlight potential areas which staff will need to consider to provide as equal an experience for international students when the bar is already unequally set.

A sandwich lunch will be provided.

Dr Leonidas Cheliotis, Assistant Professor in Criminology at the Department of Social Policy, was a keynote speaker at the 3rd CINETS (Crimmigration Control International Network of Studies) conference, which took place at the University of Maryland in College Park on 6-7 October. Dr Cheliotis' lecture was entitled Europe on Trial: Making Sense of State Violence against Irregular Migrants and Refugees, and drew on his ongoing research on the political economy of immigration in Southern Europe. To watch the lecture, click here.

Professor Alistair McGuire, LSE Health, gave the keynote speech on 'Cancer Therapy in Developing Countries' at the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, (PACT), at the International Atomic Energy Authority Forum in Vienna in September. To read about the event, click here.

Congratulations to Liz Trumble in the Design Unit who has been nominated by her colleague Ailsa Drake for this week's Star of the Week:

"She's always really cheerful, fun and willing to help even if she's super busy herself. Her only flaw is that I know in my heart that, if she thought we wouldn't hunt her down, she would do a runner with our lottery syndicate ticket if the numbers came up!"