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).

Seeing What Others Don't: the remarkable ways we gain insights

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 &amp; knowledge to housing, energy or democratic processes.

Designing the Urban Commons: Lessons from the Field

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).

The Greek Economy: current developments and future prospects

Contributor(s): Axelle Lemaire | Axelle Lemaire (@axellelemaire) has been at the French Ministry of State for Digital Affairs since April 2014, serving as Deputy Minister for the Digital Sector. She calls her position the “portfolio for imagination”. Born in Canada in 1974, she studied political science at Sciences Po in Paris and law at the Sorbonne and King’s College London. She worked as a researcher and international lawyer before entering politics as a parliamentary assistant in the House of Commons. In 2012, Axelle Lemaire was elected in the French National Assembly to represent the French diaspora living in Northern Europe. As the Secretary of the Law Committee and a member of the European Affairs Committee, her main areas of interest were the digital society and digital economy, the protection of human rights and gender equality, and European politics. Iain Begg is a Professorial Research Fellow at 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. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Which Digital Strategy for France and Europe in an Age of Disruption?

Contributor(s): Professor Jon Paul Faguet, Dr Shirin Madon, Dr Duncan Green, Owen Barder, Yesil Deniz, Dr Bjorn-Soren Gigler, Abha Joshi-Ghani, Leni Wild, Vanessa Herringshaw, Fredrik Galtung, Duncan Edwards | Engaging citizens has a vital role to play in the process of development. It helps to improve transparency and accountability of public policies, to build trust with citizens, to forge consensus around important reforms, and to build the political and public support necessary to sustain them. A number of institutions, including the London School of Economics, have demonstrated their commitment to this important agenda by developing a MOOC - a free, four-week online course on citizen engagement. The Department of International Development hosted a launch event on Thursday 19 March, in which a number of themes related to the MOOC was discussed with a panel of experts.

Engaging Citizens: a game changer for development?

Contributor(s): Roza Otunbayeva | Roza Otunbayeva is the first female President of Kyrgyzstan and the first woman to head a country in Central Asia. In this lecture she will reflect on her journey to the highest level of public life. This event is part of the Above the Parapet project, which seeks to capture the experiences of high profile women who have shaped public life. Roza Otunbayeva is a Kyrgyz diplomat and politician who went on to head the government during its transition from an authoritarian regime to a parliamentary democracy. In June 2010, she was elected President of the Kyrgyz Republic and served in that post until successfully facilitating the first peaceful transfer of state power in Central Asia in December 2011. Purna Sen (@Purna_Sen) is Deputy Director of the Institute of Public Affairs at LSE. Above the Parapet (@LSEParapet) is a research project at the LSE’s Institute of Public Affairs which explores the stories of women in high profile public life. The Institute of Public Affairs (@LSEPubAffairs) is one of the world's leading centres of public policy. We aim to debate and address some of the major issues of our time, whether international or national, through our established teaching programmes, our research and our highly innovative public-engagement initiatives.

Above the Parapet - Women in Public Life

Deng Xiaoping

Contributor(s): Professor Alexander V Pantsov | Professor Pantsov will discuss why the USSR couldn’t follow the pattern of Chinese reforms in the decade leading up to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Alexander V Pantsov is the Edward and Mary Catherine Gerhold Chair in the Humanities at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. LSE IDEAS (@lseideas) is a centre for the study of international affairs, diplomacy and grand strategy.

Deng Xiaoping vs Gorbachev

Contributor(s): Professor Barry Buzan, Professor Craig Calhoun, Dr George Lawson, Professor Juergen Osterhammel, Dr Ayse Zarakol | This event marks the launch of a new book: The Global Transformation: history, modernity and the making of international relations, co-authored by Barry Buzan and George Lawson. Barry Buzan is Emeritus Professor in the Department of International Relations at LSE and a Fellow of the British Academy. Craig Calhoun (@craigjcalhoun) is Director and President of LSE. George Lawson is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at LSE. Jurgen Osterhammel is Professor of Modern History at the University of Konstanz and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy. Ayse Zarakol is a University Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow at Emmanuel College. Heather Jones is Associate Professor in the Department of International History at 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).

The Global Transformation: history, modernity and the making of international relations

Contributor(s): Professor Matthew Connelly | Technology has led to unprecedented state surveillance, but may also be the key to preserving the principle of open government. Matthew Connelly is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS for 2014-15. 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).

Crowd-Sourcing, Surveillance, and the Era of the Synopticon

Contributor(s): Dr Sean Jacobs | Developments in online media point to interesting possibilities for African engagement in the global public sphere. African subjects are taking their places as audiences and agents, rather than receivers of aid and information. Sean Jacobs is a faculty member of The New School in New York City and the founder of the popular Africa is a Country blog. Wendy Willems is a Lecturer in the LSE Department of Media and Communications. Credits: Tom Sturdy (Audio Post-Production), LSE AV Services (Audio Recording).

Shifting African Digital Landscapes

Audio and pdf files from LSE's spring 2015 programme of public lectures and events.

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).

How to Run a Government

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).

VIP: Visual International Politics

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).

Beyond the Budget

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).

Changing Patterns of Inequality in the UK

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 &amp; 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).

The Law, Finance and the Abyss

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.

European Politics and Government

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 &amp; 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).

Code and Law between Truth and Power

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).

Liability, Proportionality and the Number of Aggressors

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.

Political Economy of European Union

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.

Class Matters: the working class in contemporary Britain

Spring 2015 | Public lectures and events | Audio and pdf

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