Welcome to the LSE International Inequalities Institute (the III)
Founded in 2015 by Profs. Mike Savage and John Hills, the International Inequalities Institute seeks to contribute to informed debate on the causes and consequences of inequality, and on the policies and institutional changes needed to combat it. As a cross-disciplinary institute within one of the world’s leading social science universities, we aim to serve as a platform for scholars across all LSE departments whose work is concerned with any aspect of inequality. We hope to enhance their connections to one another, and to facilitate further exchange and partnerships beyond the School. Our approach is based on the core values of rigour; interdisciplinarity; internationalism and engagement: we believe that research must be of practical relevance for and engage with the world we live in. To do that well, it needs to be as rigorous, credible and evidence-based as possible, and to draw from all the relevant social sciences.
It follows that the Institute is active in three main areas: research; teaching; and public engagement. Our research is broadly organized into four main themes, and one cross-cutting observatory. The four themes are Wealth, Elites and Tax Justice; Cities, Jobs and Economic Change; Global Economies of Care; and the Politics of Inequality. In keeping with our philosophy, these themes are led by LSE academics and involve sometimes large research teams, based at the III as well as across the School and beyond. You can read more about them and find out how to get involved here. In addition to the four themes, this academic year sees the launch of the Global Inequality Observatory – a cross-cutting space for monitoring the evolution of income and wealth inequality around the world, using a variety of data sources and analytical tools.
Although it is not a teaching department, the III is involved in teaching in a number of ways. First, we are proud to host the amazing Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity programme, led by Dr. Armine Ishkanian, which brings together activists, policy makers and other practitioners to the LSE every year, to share their own expertise as well as to learn from others at the School. Second, we partner with the Sociology Department to design and deliver the Masters in Inequality and the Social Sciences programme. We also offer a number of PhD studentships and run a cross-departmental doctoral seminar series every year, led by leading LSE scholars.
Our public engagement activities takes many forms, perhaps the most visible of which is our lively programme of public events, which brings together speakers from across the social sciences and from around the world to share their latest work and thinking. This programme is complemented by a series of online resources, such as videos, podcasts and a newsletter.
Today’s inequality challenges are enormous; much more work is needed to understand them and to promote change. I hope you will find the information on this site useful and I encourage you to contact us if you are interested in joining our events or getting engaged with our work.