An inaugural lecture is a special moment in an academic’s career as it marks that they have now been promoted to a professor or have recently joined the School.
These lectures are a chance to celebrate the successes of our community and allow our professors to present their research and achievements.
Inaugural lectures are open to everyone and are free to attend.
They are also an opportunity for family, friends and colleagues to celebrate this key milestone together.
If you are interested in delivering an inaugural lecture or have any questions about these lectures please email comms.events@lse.ac.uk.
Upcoming inaugural lectures
Tuesday 18 March 2025, 6.30pm to 8.00pm
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.
Wednesday 26 March 2025, 6.30pm to 8.00pm
In her inaugural lecture, Denisa Kostovicova discusses how former opponents engage with the legacy of mass atrocity.
War crimes need to be addressed, if peace is to be built. But, in divided societies polarised by violence, war crimes talk can deepen the divisions. Kostovicova draws on her study of post-conflict Balkans and presents lessons for contemporary conflicts. She locates the possibilities for peace in political communication across conflict lines, assesses the risks and considers alternatives, such as arts-based approaches.
Thursday 27 March 2025, 6.30pm to 8.00pm
This inaugural lecture will look at key issues in the study of women’s health through the lens of reproductive histories, looking at both contingent and cumulated events to include physical and mental shocks such as conflict and disasters which would eventually have an impact later in life.
Past inaugural lectures