LSE: Public lectures and events

Speaker(s): Jesse Norman MP | At a time when economics and politics are both increasingly polarized between left and right, this book, Adam Smith: What He Thought, and Why it Matters, which Jesse Norman will discuss at this event, returns to intellectual first principles to recreate the lost centre of public debate. It offers a Smithian analysis of contemporary markets, predatory capitalism and the 2008 financial crash; it addresses crucial issues of inequality, human dignity and exploitation; and it provides a compelling explanation of why Smith is central to any attempt to defend and renew the market system. Jesse Norman MP (@Jesse_Norman) studied at Oxford, before completing a Masters and PhD in Philosophy at University College London. Before entering politics, he ran an educational project in Communist Eastern Europe and was a Director at Barclays. He has also been an Honorary Fellow at UCL, a Governor of the National Institute for Economic and Social Research, and a Visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. His previous books include a celebrated study of Edmund Burke. He currently serves as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Transport. Tim Besley is School Professor of Economics of Political Science and W. Arthur Lewis Professor of Development Economics in the Department of Economics at LSE. The Department of Economics at LSE (@LSEEcon) is one of the largest economics departments in the world. Its size ensures that all areas of economics are strongly represented in both research and teaching. The Centre For Macroeconomics (@CFMUK) brings together world-class experts to carry out pioneering research on the global economic crisis and to help design policies that alleviate it.

Speaker(s): Ann Pettifor | In February 2018, Jeremy Corbyn accused bankers of taking the economy hostage, and said in a speech that Britain's financial sector will be "the servant of industry not the masters of all" if the Labour Party wins the next election. How realistic is that promise? In this lecture Ann Pettifor will argue that given the dependency of the finance sector on the largesse of the state and its taxpayers, a Labour government could transform the relationship between finance and industry. Ann Pettifor (@AnnPettifor) is the author of The Production of Money, director of PRIME economics, and a member of Labour’s Economic Advisory Committee. She was one of a few to predict the Great Financial Crisis in her 2006 book The Coming First World Debt Crisis. Ann Pettifor (@AnnPettifor) is the author of The Production of Money, director of PRIME economics, and a member of Labour’s Economic Advisory Committee. She was one of a few to predict the Great Financial Crisis in her 2006 book The Coming First World Debt Crisis. Natacha Postel-Vinay is Assistant Professor, Economic History Department, LSE.

Speaker(s): Kenneth Clarke, Professor Tony Travers | This event, in memory of Maurice Fraser, will see former Chancellor of the Exchequer Kenneth Clarke in conversation with LSE's Tony Travers and Kevin Featherstone. Kenneth Clarke, MP for Rushcliffe since 1970, held several Ministerial offices in the Governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major - as Secretary of State for Health, Secretary of State for Education and Science, Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He also served as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and Minister without Portfolio within the Coalition Government. As the Member of the House of Commons with the longest continuous service he is currently the Father of the House. Tony Travers is Interim Dean of the School of Public Policy at LSE. Kevin Featherstone is Head of the European Institute and Eleftherios Venizelos Professor of Contemporary Greek Studies and Professor of European Politics at the LSE. The LSE European Institute (@LSEEI) is a centre for research and graduate teaching on the processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. In the most recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) the Institute was ranked first for research in its sector.

Speaker(s): Professor Gilles Kepel | ISIS has been defeated militarily, but the fight for the Middle East is just beginning. At this event Gilles Kepel, author of The Rise of Jihad in the West, discusses the future of the region and how it will shape global politics in the decades ahead. Hear more about how sectarian conflict, bold new leaders, economic changes, and shifting geopolitics will be at the centre of the struggle for power and influence in the Middle East. Gilles Kepel is Chair of Middle East and Mediterranean Studies at École Normale Supérieure. Minouche Shafik is Director of LSE. Prior to this she was Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. LSE IDEAS (@lseideas) is LSE's foreign policy think tank. We connect academic knowledge of diplomacy and strategy with the people who use it.

Speaker(s): Sir Nick Clegg | Battered, bruised and blamed for so many of the world's problems, liberal values have found themselves under attack from left and right. But these values have multiple virtues and with many enduring strengths. In his inaugural lecture as a visiting professor in practice at LSE's School of Public Policy, Sir Nick Clegg will set out the case for liberal values at a time when stark social and generational divisions threaten to pull the country apart. If Open versus Closed is the pivotal divide in British politics today, then liberalism, a far richer philosophy than its critics allow, is best placed to bridge that divide. Sir Nick Clegg will explain why liberalism must be defended, must be cherished, but must also adapt to face the challenges of the future - and why there is nothing inconsistent with being both a liberal and a patriot. Nick Clegg (@nick_clegg) served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2015 and as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 to 2015. He was the MP for Sheffield Hallam from 2005 to 2017 and was a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004. He now heads a think-tank, Open Reason. Tony Travers is Interim Dean of the School of Public Policy at LSE. In September 2018, LSE’s School of Public Policy fully replaces the existing Institute of Public Affairs. The School of Public Policy will be the home for LSE’s Master of Public Administration (MPA), Executive MPA and Executive MPP degrees. Update, Tuesday 12 June: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Anne McElvoy is no longer able to speak at this event.

Speaker(s): Lorraine Ansell, Saj Jetha, Dr Sunita Malhotra, Nina Mohanty, Professor Sandy Pepper | Organisations are increasingly leveraging diversity to drive success, with generational diversity beginning to take centre stage. How will the arrival of Generation Z impact today’s working culture and how do you combine the wisdom of age with the exuberance of youth? An inter-generational panel explores the impact of five generations working alongside each other for the first time. Presenting their own experiences of building successful careers, and drawing on workplace innovations, the panellists offer creative new ideas for individuals of any generation to capitalise on opportunities at work, overcome challenges, and boost their collegiality. This event marks 30 years since the foundation of the CEMS Global Alliance in Management Education. Lorraine Ansell (@LAvoiceart) is an award-nominated voiceover artist and studio engineer. She previously worked for L’Oréal, YSL and Amnesty International and is a LSE/ESADE CEMS alumna. Saj Jetha is founder of the multi award-winning talent consultancy, The Smarty Train with the mission is to Unlock Talent. He is an LSE alumnus and trustee of The University of London’s Convocation Trust. Sunita Malhotra is Professor at Université Catholiquede Louvain, lecturer on the CEMS Masters in International Management and Managing Director, People Insights. Nina Mohanty (@ninamohanty) is Business Development Manager at Bud. Sandy Pepper is Professor of Management in Practice at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Christine Cote is Senior Lecturer in Practice and Academic Director of the CEMS Masters in International Management programme and the MBA Exchange at the London School of Economics. Jane Shaw is Which MBA? editor, The Economist. Jane will moderate the panel Q&A. The Department of Management (@LSEManagement) is a world-leading centre for research and education in business and management. CEMS (@cems_alliance), the Global Alliance in Management Education is an alliance of 31 business schools, 73 corporate and seven social partners, delivering the CEMS Masters in International Management to 1200 students with a network of over 12,000 alumni across the globe.

Speaker(s): Lucas Chancel, Duncan Green, Rebecca Simson, Paul Segal | The first World Inequality Report (WIR2018), documents a sharp rise in global economic inequality since the 1980s despite strong growth in emerging economies. It also discusses country-to-country inequality trajectories (including UK's wealth inequality dynamics) and highlights the importance of policy-making in the diverging trends observed across countries and world regions. The report, first launched in December last year at the Paris School of Economics, was coordinated by Facundo Alvaredo, Lucas Chancel, Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman. It draws from new findings of the World Wealth and Income Database (a project which regroups more than 100 researchers all over the world) and provides the first systemic assessment of globalization in terms of income and wealth inequality since 1980. This discussion will examine the implications of the report findings.

Speaker(s): Professor Philippe Aghion | This event is the annual Economica Coase lecture. Philippe Aghion is a professor at the College de France and LSE, and a fellow of the Econometric Society and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Oriana Bandiera (@orianabandiera) is a Professor of Economics and the Director of the Suntory and Toyota Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD) at the London School of Economics. The Department of Economics at LSE (@LSEEcon) is one of the largest economics departments in the world. Its size ensures that all areas of economics are strongly represented in both research and teaching.

Speaker(s): Yogendra Yadav | What can we learn from the current challenge to the idea of a diverse and democratic India? Does this demand rethinking the idea of India as a “State-Nation”? Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) is a nationally-renowned Indian psephologist, an expert on comparative democracy and National President of the newly-formed Swaraj India party. Robin Archer is Director of the Ralph Miliband Programme 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.

Speaker(s): Professor Simon Critchley, Dr Gerald Moore, Dr Emily Ryall | ‘All that I know most surely about morality and obligations, I owe to football’, observed Albert Camus. And it is football, above all other sports, that so many philosophers revere. So there’s everything to play for in this panel discussion exploring the relationship between football and philosophy. We give it 110% in our exploration of what makes for a ‘good game’ and whether philosophical principles can be put into play on the pitch. Simon Critchley is Han Jonas Professor of Philosophy, New School for Social Research, NY. Gerald Moore is Associate Professor of French, University of Durham. Emily Ryall is a Reader in Applied Philosophy, University of Gloucestershire. Shahidha Bari is a Fellow, the Forum; Senior Lecturer in Romanticism, Queen Mary University of London. The Forum for European Philosophy (@ForumPhilosophy) is an educational charity that organises a full and varied programme of philosophy and interdisciplinary events in the UK

Speaker(s): Jason Farrell, Paul Goldsmith | In their book, How To Lose A Referendum, which they will talk about at this event, Sky News senior political correspondent Jason Farrell and political blogger and economics and politics teacher Paul Goldsmith identify eighteen key reasons why the UK made its choice, from Britain’s absence at the birth of the European project to the inflammatory rhetoric of one Nigel Farage, and everything in between. The book is the product of extensive and refreshingly frank interviews with the key players from both campaigns coupled with a wide-ranging exploration of the historical context around Britain’s departure. Why was a project designed for common peace and prosperity ultimately so hard to defend? Jason Farrell (@JasonFarrellSky) is a senior political correspondent for Sky News. Paul Goldsmith (@PaulGoldsmith73) is a politics and economics teacher at Latymer Upper School and author of the Goldblog. Tony Travers is Director of the Institute of Public Affairs, LSE. The LSE European Institute (@LSEEI) is a centre for research and graduate teaching on the processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. In the most recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) the Institute was ranked first for research in its sector. 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.

Speaker(s): Professor Jean Pisani-Ferry, Christine Ockrent | The lecture takes stock of the transformation of French economic policy following the sweeping electoral success of Emmanuel Macron, and appraises its achievements. Jean Pisani-Ferry (@pisaniferry) is a professor at Sciences Po Paris and the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, and Mercator Senior Fellow at Bruegel. He was the Director for Programme and Ideas of Emmanuel Macron’s presidential campaign. Christine Ockrent (@Ockrent) is a journalist and broadcaster; former Chief Operating Officer of France 24 and RFI; Editor in Chief of the weekly news magazine L’Express. Iain Begg (@IainBeggLSE) is Professorial Research Fellow at the European Institute. The LSE European Institute (@LSEEI) is a centre for research and graduate teaching on the processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. In the most recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) the Institute was ranked first for research in its sector. The Dahrendorf Forum (@DahrendorfForum) is a joint initiative between the LSE and the Hertie School of Governance, funded by Mercator Stiftung.

Speaker(s): Dr Maxim Bolt | This lecture will reflect on an apparently dated concept: structure. Spanning institutions of state and market, it will focus on formality as a kind of structuring, and a lens for understanding the production of difference. This event is the annual Malinowski Memorial Lecture. Maxim Bolt is Reader in Anthropology and African Studies, University of Birmingham. Katy Gardner trained at Cambridge and the LSE. After spending much of her career at the University of Sussex she has returned to the LSE. Her work focuses on issues of globalisation, migration, & economic change in Bangladesh and its transnational communities in the UK. LSE's Anthropology Department (@LSEAnthropology), with a long and distinguished history, remains a leading centre for innovative research and teaching. Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEMalinowski

Speaker(s): Professor Olmo Silva, Amy Finch | Olmo Silva will discuss the conceptual framework and empirical evidence underpinning the idea that autonomy and choice can lead to improvements in education standards in England. Recent reforms in many countries around the world have injected ‘private sector’ elements in the provision of public education – in particular school autonomy and school choice – with the aim of improving education standards. But do these initiatives work? The answer to this question sparks lively debates among academics and policy makers alike – and resonates vividly among parents worried about taking the right decisions for their children’s learning and development. In England, ‘quasi markets’ have long been part of the education landscape. However, recent policy initiatives – in particular the mass academisation of secondary education – have brought these and related ideas centre stage. This dynamism makes the country an ideal “open-air laboratory” for studying these issues and provide a timely answer to some pressing questions. Olmo Silva is Professor of Real Estate Economics and Finance, LSE. Amy Finch (@amy_finch) is Head of Strategic Development, Ofsted. Julian Le Grand is a Professor of Social Policy at LSE. The LSE Department of Geography & Environment (@LSEGeography) is a centre of international academic excellence in economic, urban and development geography, environmental social science and climate change.

Speaker(s): Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala | Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s new book, Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines, draws on her years as Nigeria’s Finance Minister to provide practical lessons on the difficult, sometimes-dangerous, always-necessary work of fighting graft and corruption. Determined to root out the fraudulent claims and other schemes that drain the country of resources and ultimately deprive the poor of crucial services, the former Managing Director of the World Bank, Okonjo- Iweala found herself and her family targeted for reprisals designed to force her to drop her anti-corruption campaign. She refused to stop or to resign, even as her enemies kidnapped her mother. Admitting that it is risky to tell her story, Okonjo-Iweala, currently senior advisor at Lazard and board chair of Gavi, notes that it is also dangerous not to tell it. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (@NOIweala) was Nigeria's Minister of Finance from 2003 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2015, and Foreign Minister in 2006. She was Managing Director of the World Bank from 2007 to 2011, overseeing South Asia, Europe, Central Asia, and Africa, and is currently Senior Adviser at Lazard and Board Chair of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. She is the author of Reforming the Unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria. Minouche Shafik is Director of LSE. Prior to this she was Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. During her 15 years at the World Bank, Minouche worked on its first ever World Development Report on the environment, designed reform programmes for transition countries in Eastern Europe, and developed proposals for economic integration in support of the Oslo peace process in the Middle East. She became the youngest vice-president in the history of the World Bank at the age of 36. Minouche returned to the UK in 2004 and rose to become the Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Development where she was responsible for the UK’s development assistance efforts around the world. The IGC (@The_IGC) aims to promote sustainable growth in developing countries by providing demand-led policy advice based on frontier research. We direct a global network of world-leading researchers and in-country teams in Africa and South Asia and work closely with partner governments. Based at LSE and in partnership with the University of Oxford, the IGC is funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Based at LSE, the Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa (@AfricaAtLSE) promotes independent academic research and teaching; open and issue-oriented debate; and evidence-based policy making. The Centre accomplishes this by connecting different social science disciplines and by working in partnership with Africa bringing African voices to the global debate.