Spring 2011 | Public lectures and events | Video

Contributor(s): Professor Nikolas Rose | Thanks to the insights of genomics and neuroscience we now understand ourselves in radically new ways. Is a new figure of the human, and of the social, taking shape in the 21st century? Nikolas Rose is professor of sociology and director of BIOS at LSE.

Contributor(s): David Miliband MP | For the first time since First World War, governments in Britain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and Italy come from the centre-right. Is this just an accidental quirk of fate or is it more serious? David Miliband has worked at the top of UK government and politics for over 15 years. He was the youngest Foreign Secretary in thirty years from 2007 to 2010. As Secretary of State for the Environment he pioneered the world's first legally binding emissions reduction Bill. As Minister for Schools he was recognised as a leader of reform. He led the policy renewal of Britain's Labour Party under Tony Blair from 1994 to 2001. He is currently Member of Parliament for South Shields and is married to violinist Louise Shackelton. Since its foundation in 1930, The Political Quarterly has explored and debated the key issues of the day. It is dedicated to political and social reform and has long acted as a conduit between policy-makers, commentators and academics. The Political Quarterly addresses current issues through serious and thought-provoking articles, written in clear jargon-free English.

Contributor(s): John Bruton | John Bruton is chair of IFSC Ireland. He was EU ambassador to the US from 2004 to 2009, and was Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland from 1994 to 1997.

Contributor(s): Gideon Levy | Gideon Levy is a Haaretz columnist and a member of the newspaper's editorial board. In his lecture he will explore how Israeli society deals with the occupation and with the international criticism of this. He will also examine the role of the Israeli media in supporting the occupation. Gideon Levy joined Haaretz in 1982, and spent four years as the newspaper's deputy editor. He is the author of the weekly Twilight Zone feature, which covers the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza over the last 25 years, as well as the writer of political editorials for the newspaper. Levy was the recipient of the Euro-Med Journalist Prize for 2008; the Leipzig Freedom Prize in 2001; the Israeli Journalists' Union Prize in 1997; and The Association of Human Rights in Israel Award for 1996. His new book, The Punishment of Gaza, has just been published by Verso Publishing House in London and New York.

Contributor(s): Gunilla Carlsson | Although the overall trend in reaching the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) is positive we still face major challenges in many places of the world. Millions of people suffer from hunger and lack of access to safe drinking water. Africa is particularly hard-hit. Governments that pursue democratic development hand-in-hand with human rights stand a better chance of achieving the Millennium Development Goals. How can we ensure that the developed world delivers on their promises? How can we further promote democracy development and human rights in developing countries? Gunilla Carlsson serves as the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation. She has been a member of the Swedish Parliament since 2002 and is deputy chairman of the Moderate Party. Carlsson served as MEP from 1995 and 2002.

Contributor(s): Professor John Hills, Dr Polly Vizard, Professor Sir Tony Atkinson, David Darton | At the centre of CASE's work is the understanding of different aspects of inequality and the impacts of public policy on them. At this event, John Hills and Polly Vizard will present findings from the detailed analysis of economic inequalities carried out by the National Equality Panel, and across wider dimensions using the Equality Measurement Framework, as developed by CASE and its partners for the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Government Equalities Office. With "fairness" and "equality of opportunity" at the heart of the aspirations of the Coalition Government, what does their starting point look like and how should inequality be evaluated as we move forward? John Hills is director of CASE and professor of social policy at LSE. Polly Vizard is a research fellow at CASE. Professor Sir Tony Atkinson is centennial professor in the Department of Economics at LSE. David Darton is Director of Foresight at the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE) established in October 1997 with funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is a multi-disciplinary research centre located within the Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD) at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Its focus is on 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 new series of public lectures, sponsored by SAGE publications, that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's 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 online.

Contributor(s): Lord Brittan | Since 2008 it has looked to many as if the Doha Round trade negotiations were dead, or at best comatose. At the G20 Summit last November, world leaders gave it a shot in the arm, and there are now significant signs of life in Geneva. If concluded, it would provide an insurance policy against future protectionism and economic benefits estimated at over $360 billion. The challenge is to realise the window of opportunity in 2011 in order to seal the deal. On the last day of his 6 month assignment Lord Brittan, Trade Advisor to the Prime Minister, presents his unique perspective on the importance of an open global economy, and in particular the urgent need to conclude the DDA. Lord Brittan has been Vice Chairman of UBS Investment Bank since 2000 but has taken leave of absence to carry out his assignment as Trade Adviser to the Prime Minister. He was previously a Member of the European Commission from 1989 to 1999, when he was involved in both the negotiations that created the WTO and concluded the Uruguay Round. From 1974 to 1989 he was a Member of Parliament, serving in Thatcher's government as Minister of State at the Home Office, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

Contributor(s): Professor Mary Kaldor, Javier Solana | This event will reflect on the work of the Human Security Study Group at LSE since 2004 and its impact in the development of European foreign and security policy. Mary Kaldor is professor of global governance at the Department of International Development and co-director of LSE Global Governance, London School of Economics & Political Science. Javier Solana is senior visiting professor at LSE Global Governance and former secretary general of NATO, European Union high representative for common foreign and security policy and secretary-general of the Council of the European Union. LSE Global Governance is a leading research centre dedicated to research, analysis and dissemination about global governance. Based at the London School of Economics, LSE Global Governance aims to increase understanding and knowledge of global issues, to encourage interaction between academics, policy makers, journalists and activists, and to propose solutions. LSE Works is a new series of public lectures, sponsored by SAGE publications, that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's 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 online.

Contributor(s): Archbishop Vincent Nichols | Archbishop Nichols will be speaking about the importance of religious freedom, and arguing that promoting religious freedom increases our capacity to do good in the public square. He will also be drawing out some implications from Catholic social teaching for a richer understanding of human dignity and the role of the state and the market in serving human needs. Vincent Nichols is the 11th Archbishop of Westminster. He was elected president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales by unanimous acclamation on 30 April 2009.

Contributor(s): Professor Michael Cox, Professor Arne Westad | Niall Ferguson argues that the world is now being shaped more by the emerging economies of the East than by the once dominant West. But within the West another kind of power shift is taking place, one that leads to the growing irrelevance of Europe. Is this true? And does it really matter? Michael Cox is professor of international relations at LSE and codirector of LSE IDEAS. Arne Westad is professor of international history at LSE and co-director of LSE IDEAS. Niall Ferguson is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS for 2010-11.