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The mysterious art and science of doing good

Hosted by the Marshall Institute

In-person and online public event (Sheikh Zayed Theatre, Cheng Kin Ku Building)

Speaker

Professor Jonathan Roberts

Professor Jonathan Roberts

Chair

Professor Sir Julian Le Grand

Professor Sir Julian Le Grand

Private actions for public benefit - philanthropy, charity, voluntary action or social entrepreneurship - have long been at the core of societies, religions and human activity. Fuelled by increasing frustration at the perceived inability of governments, markets and NGOs to solve social and environmental problems, this arena of private action for public benefit is currently experiencing both resurgence and disruption.

New ideologies of doing good stress the importance of maximising the social impact of our altruism and seeking long-term solutions to social problems. Innovative mechanisms of financing and organisation mix business practice with philanthropy and charity, stretching from impact investing and venture philanthropy to the social enterprise and the purpose-driven corporation. These new institutions and approaches to private action for public benefit open valuable new windows for achieving social change. But they also create tensions, puzzles and discomfort. In his inaugural professorial lecture, Jonathan Roberts explores how we can navigate this complex and dynamic new world of doing good.

Meet our speaker and chair

Jonathan Roberts is Professor (Education) in Civil Society and Public Policy at the LSE Marshall Institute. He leads the Institute’s portfolio of teaching activities around private action for public benefit, including the ground-breaking executive MSc in Social Business and Entrepreneurship. He is a faculty member of LSE’s School of Public Policy and his current research interests include philanthropic funding systems, social justice philanthropy, and hybrid organisational forms.

Julian Le Grand has been a professor at LSE in various departments since 1993. He is currently a member of the Marshall Institute. From 2003 to 2005 he was seconded to No 10 Downing St to serve as Senior Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister. He is the author, co-author or editor of over twenty books, and more than one hundred refereed journal articles and book chapters on economics, philosophy, and public policy.

More about this event

This event will be available to watch on LSE Live. LSE Live is the new home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. If you can't attend live, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube channel.

The Marshall Institute (@LSEMarshall) works to improve the impact and effectiveness of private action for public benefit. The Marshall Institute informs and coordinates the efforts of citizens, researchers, private sector organisations, and social entrepreneurs who are working to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. We equip the foremost figures in the field, and the leaders of the future, with the knowledge they need to put philanthropic funding and social endeavour to best use.

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How can I attend? Add to calendar

This public event is free and open to all. This event will be a hybrid event, with an in-person audience and an online audience. 

For the in-person event: No ticket or pre-registration is required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. For any queries see LSE Events FAQ.

For the online event: Registration for this event will open in the first half of January.

For any queries email events@lse.ac.uk.

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