International Development Events

Conscience incorporate: pursuing profits while protecting human rights (Watch Back| Listen back)

Monday 19 May 2025 6.30pm to 8.00pm, Sheikh Zayed Theatre, LSE

Speaker: Professor Michael Posner, Professor of Ethics and Finance at NYU’s Stern School of Business and Director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at the School
Chair: Professor Duncan Green, Director of LSE's new Activism, Change and Influence programme and Professor in Practice in the International Development Department

Hosted by the Department of International Development

From reversal of fortune to economic resurgence: A comparative study of industrialization and leadership (Watch Back)

Tuesday 13 May 2025 2.00pm to 4.00pm, MAR.1.10, Marshall Building LSE

Speaker: Professor Banji Oyelaran Oyeyinka, Senior Special Advisor to the President on Industrialization, African Development Bank and Professorial Fellow, United Nations University-MERIT | Professor Padmashree Gehl Sampath, Visiting Professor in Practice, LSE and CEO, African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation | Professor David Luke, Professor in Practice and Strategic Director at the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa
Chair: Professor Ken Shadlen, Professor of Development Studies in the International Development Department

Hosted by the Department of International Development

The looming global financial crisis: time to re-think development and democracy 2.0 (Watch back | Listen back)

Tuesday 1 April 2025 7pm to 8.30pm, Hong Kong Theatre.

Speaker: Professor Manfred Bienefeld, Emeritus Professor, Carleton University, and Institute of Development Studies, Sussex University
Discussant: Professor Radhika Desai, Professor at the University of Manitoba and visiting professor Department of International Development, LSE
Chair: Professor Robert Wade, Professor of Political Economy and Development in Department of International Development, LSE

Hosted by the Department of International Development

From menarche to menopause: how reproductive histories shape women's health (Watch back | Listen back)

Thursday 27 March 2025 6.30pm to 8.00pm, AUD Centre Building LSE + online. Followed by a reception.

Speaker: Professor Tiziana Leone, Professor in Health and International Development
Chair: Professor Ernestina Coast, Professor in Health and International Development

Hosted by the Department of International Development

Tuesday 25 March 2025 6.00pm to 7.00pm, FAW.9.04, LSE and online
Speakers:Professor Naila Kabeer, Department of International Development, LSE | Dr Ragui Assaad, University of Minnesota
Chair: Dr Irene Selwaness, LSE Middle East Centre

Hosted by the Middle East Centre and the Department of International Development

Growth, innovation and singularities: are we sustainable? (Watch again | Listen again)

Tuesday 18 March 2025 7pm to 8.30pm, Hong Kong Theatre.

Speaker: Professor Geoffrey West, Distinguished Professor and former President of the Santa Fe Institute
Chair: Professor Jean-Paul Faguet, Professor Political Economy of Development, LSE

International Women's Day 2025 Conference: Empowering Women in Agriculture: Navigating Peace, Conflict, and Food Security

Saturday 8 March 2025, starting at 8.30am, Sheikh Zayed Theatre, LSE

This event will platform the diverse voices of women who work or are involved in the agricultural sector and who are leading the way within their own communities and internationally to make the sector sustainable. Join us for a day of discussion and learning about women-led innovation and advocacy across Africa this International Women’s Day.

Co-hosted by the Arab International Women’s Forum, the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), The Centre for Women, Peace and Security, the LSE Middle East Centre and the Department of International Development on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2025

Economic Development in the 21st Century debate (watch back | listen back)

Thursday 23 January 2025 6pm to 7.30pm, AUD, Centre Building, LSE. Followed by a reception.

Speaker: Ali Allawi, Iraqi politician and scholar | Professor Shiping Tang is the Fudan Distinguished professor.
Chair: Dr Mahvish Shami, Assistant Professor in International Development, LSE

Hosted by the Department of International Development

Friday 4, 11, 18, 25 October, 1, 15, 29 November, 6, 13 December, from 4-6pm

Speakers will include: Clare Short, Kevin Watkins, Marsha Henry, Michael Mann, Elizabeth Ingleson, Rahmane Idrissa, Simon Roberts, Amir Lebdioui, Annalisa Prizzon, Shamel Azmeh, John Minnich, Sheba Tejani and Alexander Betts

The series is in-person for LSE students and staff, but we offer our online audience the chance to watch the lectures back via our YouTube channel, listen via the podcast series and read student reflections on our blog.

An economy for wellbeing – we must build this together

Tuesday 26 November 2024, 12-1pm, 1.06 Centre Building LSE

Speaker: Ritu Sadana, Head of Ageing and Health, World Health OrganisationChair: Professor Tiziana Leone, Professor in Health and International Development

Hosted by The Global Health Initiative, Ageing@LSE, and Department of International Development

The Rise and Fall of the Department for International Development (Watch again)

Thursday 21 November 2024, 6-7.30pm, Hybrid: Shaw Library (Old Building) + Online. Followed by a drinks reception.

Speakers: Sir Mark Lowcock, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator | Ranil Dissanayake, senior fellow in the Sustainable Development Finance and Europe programmes at CGD
Discussant: Professor James Putzel and Clare Short
Chair: Professor Stuart Gordon

Hosted by the Department of International Development

Reversed realities revisited: 30 years of thinking in gender and development (Watch again)

Thursday 14 November 6.30-8pm, Shiek Zayed Theatre (Cheng Kin Ku Building)

Speakers: Professor Naila Kabeer, Professor of Gender Studies, LSE | Professor Diane Elson, British economist, sociologist and gender and development social scientist | Dr Erin Lentz, Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin | Professor Dzodzi Tsikata, Professor of Development Studies at SOASChair: Professor David Lewis

Hosted by the Department of Geography and Environment and Department of International Development

Industrialisation and national identity in modern Africa (Watch again)

Wednesday 30 October 6.30-8pm, Old Theatre (Old Building)

Speaker: Professor Elliott Green, Professor of Development Studies in the Department of International Development at LSE
Chair: Professor Ken Shadlen, Professor of Development Studies in the Department of International Development at LSE

Co-hosted by the Department of International Development and the ESRC Festival 2024

Antiblackness and global health

Tuesday 16 October 6.30-8pm, CLM.2.02 (Clement House)

Speaker: Dr Lioba Hirsch, Wellcome Research Fellow and Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh
Chair: Dr Myfanwy James, Assistant Professor in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies

Hosted by the Department of International Development

(Watch again)

Wednesday 16 October 2024 12.30 - 2.00pm, MAR.2.06 (The Marshall Building)

Speakers: Tine Hanrieder, Associate Professor in International Development | Prossie Muyingo, Community Health Impact Coalition CHW Organiser | Dickson Mbewe, Community Health Worker | Dr Madeleine Ballard, CEO of Community Health Impact Coalition | James O'Donovan, Director of Research at the Community Health Impact Coalition
Chair: Philipa Mladovsky, Associate Professor in International Development

Hosted by Department of International Development and Global Health Institute

Gender, policy and human rights: rethinking ‘progress’

Tuesday 5 March 4.30-6.00pm, Graham Wallace Room (OLD)

Speaker: Professor Radhika Balakrishnan (Rutgers)
Chair: Professor Naila Kabeer (LSE Intl Development)

In this talk, Radhika argues for a new conception of progress – a deeper understanding of the relationship between economic growth, human wellbeing, environmental sustainability and social justice, particularly gender justice. She proposes a paradigm shift that would make the fulfilment of human rights the central objective of public policy.

This LSE Internal event is co-hosted by the Department of International Development and the Department of Gender Studies.

Development Studies Alumni Lectures

Mondays Clement House, The Aldwych (CLM 2.02)
Chair: Professor James Putzel | This event series is open to all LSE students

Monday 26 February 2024 5:00-6:30pm

Paolo De Renzio (Class of 1996-97) will speak about his recently published anthology, A Taxing Journey: How Civic Actors Influence Tax Policy (Bloomsbury 2024).

Monday 4 March 2024 5:30-6:30pm CLM 2.02

Eva Hansen (Class of 2020-21) Eva will speak on "Farmer-herder relations, land governance and the national conflict in Mali", the subject of her MSc Dissertation in Development Studies, recently published in The Journal of Peasant Studies.

Monday 25 March 2024 5:00-6:30pm CLM 2.02

Ben Radley (Class of 2007-08) will speak to his recently published book,
Disrupted Development in the Congo: The Fragile Foundations of the African Mining Consensus (Oxford University Press, 2023).

Industrial Policy Challenges in the Developing World (Watch again)

Friday 16 February, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Online

Speakers: Ronald Herring (Cornell University)
Discussant: Aniket Aga, SUNY Buffalo
Chair: James Putzel

Industrial Policy Challenges in the Developing World (Watch again)

Friday 9 February, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Online

Speakers: Arkebe Oquaby (Gov of Ethiopia) and Richard Kozul-Wright (UNCTAD)
Chair: Laura Mann

The debt and climate change precipice: How can the global majority cope? (Watch again)

Friday 19 January, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Old Theatre, LSE

Speakers: Jayati Ghosh, Amherst Ndongo Samba Sylla, Rosa Luxemburg Kevin Watkins, LSE
Chair: James Putzel

Bringing Cyberspace Down to Earth in China: From smart-cities to village digital projects (Watch again)

Friday 26 January, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Old Theatre, LSE

Speaker: Hong Yu, Mayling Birney Scholar from Zhejiang UniversityDiscussant: David Soskice, LSE
Chair: Laura Mann

Slavery and British Development (Watch again)

Friday 2 February, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Old Theatre, LSE

Speakers: Bronwen Everill, Cambridge University and Jennifer Adam, Bank of England
Chair: Laura Mann

(Watch again)

Friday 8 December, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Old Theatre, LSE

Speakers: Rafeef Ziadah, King's College London
Discussant: Mai Taha, LSE
Chair: Professor James Putzel

(Watch again)

Friday 1 December, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Old Theatre, LSE

Speakers: Keyu Jin, LSE; Yunnan Chen, Overseas Development Institute; Weiwei Chen, Open University
Chair: Dr Laura Mann

(Watch again)

Friday 24 November, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Old Theatre, LSE

Speakers: Ana Karine Pereira, Universidade de Brasília; Geoff Goodwin, Leeds University; Melany Cruz, Leicester University
Chair: Professor James Putzel

Coups in West Africa: democratic backslide or popular accountability?

Tuesday 21 November 2023, 6:30pm - 8:00pm GMT
The Marshall Building, Room 2.08, LSE Campus and Online via Zoom
Speakers: Garba Abdoul Azizou, Fatima Al Ansar and Dr Sahidi Bilan
Moderator: Aoife McCullough
Chair: Professor Kate Meagher

In three countries in the Sahel, decolonial discourse is being used to justify a change from democracy to military rule. A return to military rule is generally understood by political scientists as a regression in quality of governance. On the other hand, the decolonial movement could represent liberation from hierarchical power structures and progression. We dig into these issues with three experts holding very different perspectives.

(Watch again)

Friday 17 November, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Old Theatre, LSE

Speakers: Stephanie Barrientos, Manchester University
Discussant: Kate Meagher, LSE
Chair: Dr Laura Mann

(Watch again)

Friday 10 November, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Old Theatre, LSE

Speakers: Mushtaq Khan and Pallavi Roy, SOAS
Discussant: Jonathan Di John, SOAS
Chair: Professor James Putzel

(Watch again)

Friday 27 October, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Old Theatre, LSE

Speakers: Mark Lowcock, UN UK; Yuliya Yurchenko, Greenwich University; Anna Matveeva, King's College London; David Luke, LSE
Chair: Professor James Putzel

(Watch again)

Friday 20 October, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Old Theatre, LSE

Speaker: Rochelle Burgess, University College London
Discussant: Philipa Mladovsky, LSE
Chair: Dr Laura Mann

Revolutionary pills? Challenges and potential of self-managed abortion

Wednesday 18 October, 4.30-6.30pm
Graham Wallas Room, LSE

Dr Lucía Berro-Pizzarossa is a feminist scholar and international human rights lawyer. She is currently a British Academy Visiting Fellow in the Dept of International Development at the LSE. In this lecture, she will address the ways in which self-managed abortion and the social movements around it fundamentally challenge and alter hegemonic meanings of abortion care and abortion provision. Reflecting on her diverse research, she will argue that these shifts represent a deliberate move towards new ways of making meaning and (re)imagining abortions.

(Watch again)

Friday 6 October, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Old Theatre, LSE

Speakers: Ha-Joon Chang, SOAS and James Putzel, LSE

(Watch again)

Friday 29 September, 4.00 to 6.00pm
Old Theatre, LSE

Speaker: Dirk-Jan Koch Chief Science Officer of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Discussant: Clare Short, British politician
Chair: Professor James Putzel

Multilateral development banks in the 21st century: what reforms for mandates, governance and financing? (Watch again)

Thursday 18 May 2023 6.30pm to 8.00pm
Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE
Speakers: Baroness Minouche Shafik, Lord Nicholas Stern and Sir Suma Chakrabarti
Moderator: Henry Curr
Chair: Professor Kathryn Hochstetler

Multilateral development banks (MDBs) play a unique role among development financiers, with their convening power, cross-country knowledge and expertise, and with finance at better terms than what capital markets can offer, leveraging on their balance sheets. Ahead of June’s Paris Finance summit, this public event organised in partnership with global affairs think tank ODI will see a high-level panel discussing what major reforms MDBs should undertake.

A World of Insecurity (Watch again)

Wednesday 03 May 2023 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Old Theatre, Old Building, LSESpeakers: Pranab BardhanDiscussant: Martin Wolf
Chair: Robert Wade

Join us for the book launch of Pranab Bardhan's latest book, A World of Insecurity: Democratic Disenchantment in Rich and Poor Countries. The book is an ambitious account of the corrosion of liberal democracy in rich and poor countries alike, arguing that antidemocratic sentiment reflects fear of material and cultural loss, not a critique of liberalism’s failure to deliver equality, and suggesting possible ways out.

HOSTILE: Film Screening and Q&A with Director Sonita Gale

Tuesday 28 March 2023 7:00pm to 9:00pm
CBG Auditorium B.02, The Centre Building, LSE
Speakers: Sonita Gale
Chair: Dr Karen Iversen

Join us for a screening of the documentary film Hostile (2022) focusing on the UK's complicated relationship with its migrant communities. Told through the stories of four participants from Black and Asian backgrounds, the film focuses on the impact of the evolving 'hostile environment' policies that target migrants, including No Recourse to Public Funds which is forcing people into destitution. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the director, Sonita Gale. This event is open to LSE staff and students only.

Industrialization and Assimilation (Watch again)

Thursday 9 March 2023 6:00pm to 7:30pm
MAR 2.04, The Marshall Building, LSE
Speakers: Elliott Green, Maya Tudor and John Breuilly
Chair: Kathryn Hochstetler

Join us for the book launch of Elliott Green's book, Industrialization and Assimilation: Understanding Ethnic Change in the Modern World, which examines the process of ethnic identity change in a broad historical context.

Financing the Future (Watch again)

Wednesday 08 February 2023 6:00pm to 7:30pm
NAB 2.04, New Academic Building, LSE
Speakers: Chris Humphrey, Kathrin Muehlbronner and Natalya Naqvi
Chair: Professor Ken Shadlen

Chris Humphrey will present his new book Financing the Future: Multilateral Development Banks in the Changing World Order of the 21st Century with Kathrin Muehlbronner, Natalya Naqvi and Ken Shadlen.

Sir W Arthur Lewis and the Possibility of Development

Thursday 19 January 2023 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE
Speaker: Professor Stuart Corbridge
Chair: Professor Adnan Khan

Stuart Corbridge, former Professor of International Development at LSE will be giving this lecture to celebrate the legacy and work of Professor Sir Arthur Lewis.

Cutting Edge Lecture Series - Fridays 4pm-5.30pm, Online ()

(Watch again)
Friday 14 October 2022 4:00pm to 5:30pm
Ha-Joon Chang, SOAS | Discussant: Sinéad Murphy, SRHE | Chair Dr Duncan Green

Working Palestine: Covid19, Labour and De-development in Palestine (Watch again)
Friday 21 October 2022 4:00pm to 5:30pm
Rafeef Ziadah, King's College London | Discussant: Dr Tiziana Leone, LSE | Chair Dr Laura Mann

Recent trends in global income distribution and their political implications
Friday 28 October 2022 4:00pm to 5:30pm
Branko Milanovic, City University of New York | Discussant: Professor Francisco Ferreira, LSE | Chair Dr Duncan Green

The popular politics of 21st century food and fuel riots
Friday 11 November 2022 4:00pm to 5:30pm
Naomi Hossain, American University, Washington | Discussant: Dr Raj Patel, The University of Texas at Austin | Chair Dr Duncan Green

Why inequality is the basic driver of the climate crisis, and what we can do about it
Friday 18 November 2022 4:00pm to 5:30pm
Jayati Ghosh, Amherst | Discussant: Professor Kathy Hochstetler, LSE | Chair Dr Laura Mann

Making Anti-Corruption Real: How to Stop Wasting Money and Start Making Progress
Friday 25 November 2022 4:00pm to 5:30pm
Mushtaq Khan, SOAS | Discussant: Dr Dan Honig, UCL | Chair Dr Duncan Green
Cancelled due to UCU Strike Action

Platforms for deliberation or disinformation? social media and development
Friday 2 December 2022 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Nanjala Nyabola, Writer and Researcher | Idrees Ahmad, University of Essex | Kecheng Fang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong | Amil Khan, Director and Founder of Valent Projects | Chair Dr Laura Mann

Is Development an Art or a Science? (Listen again)

Monday 7 November 2022 6:00pm to 7:30pm, followed by a drinks reception | MAR.2.08, Marshall Building

Speakers: Dennis Rodgers (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva), Michael Woolcock (World Bank), Emily LeRoux-Rutledge (UWE Bristol), Hilary Standing (IDS Sussex)
Discussant: Mariz Tadros (IDS Sussex)
Chair: David Lewis (LSE)

International development is a field in which expert knowledge, drawn primarily from the social and natural sciences, has long been dominant. We know that complex global problems require multidisciplinary approaches and solutions, but how and where do the arts and humanities fit in?

China's Global Rise: the Renminbi and the making of an international currency (Watch again)

Tuesday 15 November 2022 6:30pm to 8:00pm | Sheikh Zayed + Online event

Speaker: Gregory T Chin
Chair: Kathryn Hochstetler

This lecture will present why it has become imperative for China to increase the international use of its currency, the Renminbi (RMB), considering the growing reliance of the United States on economic warfare, including financial warfare, and the fracturing of the liberal global monetary order.

Politics and the Urban Frontier (Watch back)

Tuesday 29 November 2022 6pm to 7.30pm | NAB.2.04, New Academic Building

Speaker: Tom Goodfellow, Claire Mercer and Jame Putzel
Chair: Jo Beall

Tom Goodfellow will present the key themes and arguments of his new book Politics and the Urban Frontier and discuss it with LSE Professors Clare Mercer and James Putzel.

2022 Long Range Development in Latin America Conference
Stanford-LSE-Uniandes-CCUTlatelolco

Friday 9 and Saturday 10 September, 2022

The 2022 Conference on Long Range Development in Latin America will take place on September 9-10, 2022, in Mexico City, at the Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco (CCUTlatelolco), with support from the LSE Annual Fund, International Growth Centre (IGC) and STICERD.

Following our inaugural conference in Stanford in May 2017, this multi-disciplinary event comes to the Aztec and colonial heart of Mexico City to probe the institutional, political, and economic drivers of long-run development.

Conference Organizers: Jean-Paul Faguet (LSE), Alberto Díaz-Cayeros (Stanford) and María del Pilar López-Uribe (LSE & Los Andes)

Saving Lives in Dire Times: Launch event for Relief Chief, Mark Lowcock's new book

Thursday 19 May 2022, 1pm - 3.30pm | MAR.2.04 + Online event
Speakers: Mark Lowcock, Minouche Shafik and Ian Madison
Chair: Kathryn Hochstetler

Relief Chief is Mark Lowcock’s behind-the-scenes account of his experience as the world’s most senior humanitarian official—the UN Relief Chief. In his four years on the job, Lowcock coordinated the work of UN agencies, the Red Cross, and countless national and international humanitarian groups to save lives and protect the most vulnerable. Join Mark Lowcock, Baroness Minouche Shafik, Professor Kathy Hochstetler and Dr Ian Madison for the LSE book launch of Relief Chief. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and refreshments will be served for those attending in person.

Thursday 12 May 2022, 3pm - 4.30pm | (Watch again)
Speakers: Max Gallien, Florian Weigand, Annette Idler, Shalaka Thakur and Peter Andreas
Chair: Kate Meagher

Based on the recently published Routledge Handbook of Smuggling, this panel brings together recent and long-standing scholarship on smuggling and conflict. It reflects on research on the topic and asks both what we have learned and what challenges remain in the field. It will connect current topics and case studies across the globe, while taking a look forward at smuggling and conflict research.

Self in the world: Connecting life's extremes

Friday 6 May 2022, 4pm - 7.30pm | (Watch again)
Speakers: Keith Hart, John Tresch and Kate Meagher
Chair: Joanna Lewis

Eminent anthropologist Keith Hart draws on the humanities, popular culture and his own experiences to help us explore our own place in history. This event marks the launch of Hart's most recent book. See Self in the world: Connecting life's extremes for more information.

Trust: the key to social cohesion and growth in Latin America and the Caribbean

Thursday 28 April 2022, 4.30pm - 6pm * | Online event (watch again)

Speakers: Philip Keefer, Professor Aldo Madariaga and Dr Erin McFee
Chair: Jean-Paul Faguet

Latin America and the Caribbean continues to be one of the slowest growing regions in the world and its citizens among the least satisfied with democracy. We trace these phenomena back to a crisis of trust and citizenship in the region.

*This event has been rescheduled from 28/03/2022 to 28/04/2022 due to UCU strikes

Humanitarian implications of the Ukraine war

Thursday 24 March 2022, 5pm - 6.30pm | (Watch again)
Speakers: Sir Mark Lowcock, Dr Stuart Gordon, Dr Eiko Thielemann and Anna Landre
Chair: Dr Ian Madison

The crisis in Ukraine is a rapidly growing humanitarian emergency. How is the humanitarian community responding to this crisis, and what are the implications for humanitarian studies more broadly? Gathering together a range of researchers and practitioners with experience across the breadth of humanitarian assistance, this panel seeks to explore the implications of the Ukraine crisis on the principles, policies, and practices of humanitarianism.

Failing to Win: Hard-earned lessons from a purpose-driven start-up

Tuesday 8 March 2022, 2.30pm - 4pm | (Watch again)
Speakers: Mike Quinn
Chair: Professor Jean-Paul Faguet

Soon after graduating from LSE in 2009, Mike Quinn packed his backpack and flew to Zambia to co-found Zoona, one of Africa's first fintech startups. Over the next decade, Zoona scaled to become an internationally acclaimed brand that raised $35 million in venture capital and processed $2.5 billion in transactions for millions of underserved consumers. But his tenth anniversary wasn't the milestone he had in mind; instead of a party, he announced his resignation amidst a crisis that crippled the company and derailed its pursuit of its vision of "A Cashless Africa". Come hear Mike share his story about how to embrace and learn from failure 'in order' to win - in both business and in life.

Cutting Edge Lecture Series

How China Escaped Shock Therapy: The Market Reform Debate (Watch again)
Friday 11 February 2022, 4-6pm | Online event
Speakers: Isabella Weber and Andrew Fischer
Chair: Professor James Putzel

Peacebuilding in Today’s World (Watch again)
Friday 4 February 2022, 4-6pm | Online event
Speakers: Lise Grande and David Keen
Chair: Professor James Putzel

Human rights organizing in Africa during a global pandemic: Trends and Insights (Watch again)
Friday 28 January 2022, 4-6pm | Online event
Speakers: Irungu Houghton and Chaloka Beyani
Chair: Dr Duncan Green

Outcomes of COP26 and where next on Climate? (Watch again)
Friday 21 January 2022, 4-6pm | Online event
Speakers: Tasneem Essop and Tim Gore
Chair: Dr Duncan Green

Failing to Win: Hard-earned lessons from a purpose-driven start-up

Tuesday 8 March 2022, 2.30pm - 4pm | (Watch again)
Speakers: Mike Quinn
Chair: Professor Jean-Paul Faguet

Soon after graduating from LSE in 2009, Mike Quinn packed his backpack and flew to Zambia to co-found Zoona, one of Africa's first fintech startups. Over the next decade, Zoona scaled to become an internationally acclaimed brand that raised $35 million in venture capital and processed $2.5 billion in transactions for millions of underserved consumers. But his tenth anniversary wasn't the milestone he had in mind; instead of a party, he announced his resignation amidst a crisis that crippled the company and derailed its pursuit of its vision of "A Cashless Africa". Come hear Mike share his story about how to embrace and learn from failure 'in order' to win - in both business and in life.

Cutting Edge Lecture Series

Disability, Development, Rights and Inclusion (Watch again)

Friday 3 December 2021, 4-6pm | Online event
Speakers: Terhas Clark and Mosharraf Hossain
Chair: Dr Duncan Green

COVID-19, Corporatisation and Closing Space: The Triple Threat to Civil Society in India (Watch again)
Friday 26 November 2021, 4-6pm | Online event
Speakers: Ingrid Srinath and Professor David Lewis
Chair: Dr Duncan Green

Paradigm shifts in food systems (Watch again)
Friday 19 November 2021, 4-6pm | Online event
Speakers: Dr Agnes Kalibata and Professor Ian Scoones
Chair: Professor James Putzel

Access to vaccines and the limiting role of intellectual property rights and pharma monopolies (Watch again)
Friday 12 November 2021, 4-6pm | Online event
Speakers: Professor Jayati Ghosh and Kevin Watkins
Chair: Professor James Putzel

Making Anti-Corruption Effective: A New Approach (Watch again)
Friday 29 October 2021, 4-6pm | Online event
Speakers: Professor Mushtaq Khan and Dr Uche Igwe
Chair: Dr Duncan Green

What's Wrong With Aid? (Watch again)
Friday 22 October 2021, 4-6pm | Online event
Speakers: Clare Short and Professor James Putzel
Chair: Dr Duncan Green

Why the rich stay rich (no matter what) (Watch again)
Friday 15 October 2021, 4-6pm | Online event
Speakers: Dr Gabriel Palma and Professor Branko Milanovic
Chair: Professor James Putzel

The Political Economy of Parasite (Watch back)
Friday 8 October 2021, 4-6pm | Online event
Speakers: Dr Ha-Joon Chang and Professor Francisco H G Ferreira
Chair: Professor James Putzel

More than money? How Anthropology can offer richer analysis for economists (watch back)

Thursday 7 October 2021, 2-3.30pm | Online event

Speakers: Gillian Tett and Deborah Rowland
Chair: Professor Robert Wade

Anthropology has often been seen as an academic version of Indiana Jones - namely a discipline devoted to exotic travel that does not have much relevance for the modern world. However, Gillian Tett argues that this image is completely wrong today, and anthropology can make a vital contribution to public policy, corporate and financial life, as well as our communities as we try to "build back better" after COVID-19. Indeed, she argues that a world drowning in Artificial Intelligence and other digital innovations desperately needs a second type of "AI" - Anthropology Intelligence - to enable us to flourish.

But what does this mean for the economics profession? Could economists benefit by embracing this new type of AI? Gillian Tett will debate this with Deborah Rowland.

More information and to register for the event here.

The Implosion of the Afghan State: What next for women and the nation? (watch again)

Friday 1 October 2021, 4-6pm | Online event

Speakers: Antonio Giustozzi, Deniz Kandiyotti and Pashtana Durrani
Chair: Professor James Putzel

Antonio Giustozzi, Deniz Kandiyotti and Pashtana Durrani will participate in a panel discussion on the evolving situation in Afghanistan. This will be the first in this year’s series of "", a high-profile lecture series run by the Department of International Development at the LSE and organised by Professor James Putzel and Professor in Practice Duncan Green.

Decolonising development studies: Practical steps in course designing, reading selections and classroom discussions (watch back)

Hosted by the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa and the Department of International Development

Tuesday 27 July 2021, 2.00-3.30pm BST | Online Event

Speakers: Dr Rosalba Icaza, Associate Professor, Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University; Dr Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes, Curtin University, Centre for Human Rights Education
Chair: Dr Eyob Balcha Gebremariam, LSE Fellow, Department of International Development

This event will discuss the question of how to decolonise development studies, considering the various layers of this debate which address epistemological questions, methodological issues, diversity of authors, curriculum designing, and classroom discussions with and among students. The event seeks to build on the lessons and challenges of teaching African Development using decolonial perspectives in the current academic year at the LSE, International Development Department, and what this may mean for other disciplines.

The humanitarian crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia (watch back)

Hosted by the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa and the Department of International Development

Thursday 17 June 2021 2:00pm to 3:30pm (BST) | Online Public Event
Speakers: Professor Alex de Waal, Temrat Gebregiorgis, Tamerat Negera and Tsedale Lemma
Chair: Professor Christine Chinkin

The humanitarian crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia, is grave, urgent and under-reported. It is striking that for a region that is historically food insecure and the epicentre of famine in the 1980s, the current situation is entirely man-made: the direct outcome of war.

Wars have laws (watch back)

Wednesday 16 June 2021 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Speaker: Mark Lowcock, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
Chair: Dr Stuart Gordon, Associate Professorial Lecturer in Managing Humanitarianism

Most humanitarian need is caused by conflict. Needs are higher than they ought to be, and harder to respond to, because of widespread violations of the laws of war. What can be done to try to recover some of the ground lost in recent years in protecting civilian populations against the effects of conflict and to enable humanitarian agencies to support people better?

Technologies and contemporary social movement dynamics in Africa: Lessons for the future of collective action (watch back)

A panel discussion organised by MSc student Boluwatife Ajibola with the support of the Department of International Development

Friday 11 June 2021, 4-5.30pm BST | Free online event

Panellists: Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa; Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, Executive Director of Stand to End Rape (STER); Dele Farotimi, lawyer, political activist and founder of DF Legal

Chair: Professor Alcinda Honwana, Professor of Anthropology and International Development, Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa, LSE

What would we say is the future of social movements given the new privileges of digital technologies? What are the implications of these on the quest for development outcomes in Africa?

Structural Racism and the Medicines System

Thursday 06 May 2021 6:00pm to 7:00pm (BST) | Online Public Event

Speaker: Priti Krishtel, health justice lawyer and co-founder of I-MAK, a non-profit building a more just and equitable medicines system.

Chair: Ken Shadlen, Professor of Development Studies in the Department of International Development at LSE.

From drug development to drug affordability, the medicines system affects who lives and who dies.

While the healthcare system gets a lot of public scrutiny and accountability, the medicines system does not. Priti Krishtel, health justice lawyer and co-founder of I-MAK, explains how in the midst of a global pandemic that is disproportionately costing Black and Brown lives, it is critical that we deepen our collective understanding about the medicines system and the structural racism that is embedded within it.

Mapping Cosmos

Monday 22 February 2021, 5pm (GMT) | Monday 29 March 2021, 5pm (GMT) | Monday 26 April 2021, 5pm (GMT)
Online event

‘Mapping Cosmos’ is a series of virtual events in 2021, that will develop academic debates on "cosmopolitics", investigating the importance of this concept in relation to the emergence of new political subjectivities and social movements in Latin America.

Click here for more information

Coded Bias: Film Screening and Panel-led Discussion (Watch again)

Film Screening: Tuesday 9 5pm to Friday 12 February 5pm (by video link for LSE staff and students only)
Panel-Led Discussion: Thursday 11 February 2021, 5pm-6.30pm (online pubic event) Chair: Dr Kate Meagher, Associate Professor in Development Studies
Speakers:
Hellen Mukiri-Smith: PhD Researcher, Global Data Justice, at Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology & Society, Tilburg University, and former development policy consultant for the Government of The Bahamas in the Office of The Prime Minister.
Deborah James: Director of International Programs at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), and coordinates the global Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) network.

In the award-winning film, Coded Bias, MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini discovered that most facial-recognition software misidentifies women and darker-skinned faces. This discovery drove her to push the US government to address the far-reaching dangers of bias in a technology that is steadily encroaching on our lives. Centring the voices of women seeking to protect civil rights, Coded Bias asks: how is Artificial Intelligence affecting our liberties, and what are the consequences for groups caught on the wrong side of encoded digital bias?

A film screening of Coded Bias will be followed by a panel-led discussion on issues of digital bias in contemporary development processes. With the rapid rise of new technologies in employment, governance, security, and trade, how are racial and gender bias in digital systems affecting rights and regulatory autonomy globally? Are there efforts to shield digital bias from scrutiny? What can be done to address its problematic implications for labour, civil rights, and initiatives to decolonize development?

Register for the film screening and panel discussion (LSE only)

Register for the panel discussion (non-LSE)

Political economies of energy transition: wind and solar power in Brazil and South Africa | Book launch (Watch again)

Tuesday 26 January 2021 6.30pm to 8.00pm (GMT)
Online public event
Speakers: Kathy Hochstetler, Jonas Meckling, Ken Shadlen, Robert Falkner

Global climate solutions depend on low-carbon energy transitions in developing countries, but little is known about how those will unfold. In her new book Political Economies of Energy Transition: Wind and Solar Power in Brazil and South Africa, Hochstetler reveals how choices about wind and solar power respond to four different constellations of interests and institutions, or four simultaneous political economies of energy transition.

Civil Society Under Threat: COVID-19, authoritarianism and more (watch again)

Wednesday 21 October 2020 3pm to 4.30pm (GMT)Online public event
Speakers: Dr Sergej Ljubownikow, Dr Nicola Macbean and Dr Mariz Tadros
Chair: Professor Jude Howell

Since the launch of the global War on Terror, civil society has come under persistent threat. New laws restricting the spaces and activities of civil society have been passed across the world. The rise of populist regimes, increasing authoritarian tendencies and COVID-19 have further tightened controls over civil society. What does this mean for the future of a progressive civil society?

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSECivilSociety

Diversity Matters in International Development: a discussion in honour of Thandika Mkandawire (watch again)

Monday 12 October 2020 6.30pm to 8pm (BST)Online public event
Speakers: Professor Mahmood Mamdani, Dr. Robtel Neejai Pailey and Dr. Kate Meagher
Chair: Professor Alcinda Honwana

The Rhodes Must Fall and Black Lives Matter movements have issued new challenges to the field of International Development. Calls to decolonise the curriculum, remove public statues, and disrupt received wisdom have swept across the world. What are the implications for International Development of these calls for diversity in development thinking and practice?

The LSE Department of International Development will engage with this question in honour of the renowned development economist, Prof. Thandika Mkandawire. As we enter our first academic year in his absence, this panel takes up the debate in the spirit of Thandika’s commitment to transformative development and the decolonization of knowledge.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEDiversityMatters

Contracting Welfare Services to NGOs in China: Control or Opportunity? (Listen again)

Monday 14 - Thursday 17 September 2020, (BST)

This programme of events arises out of three years research on Contracting Welfare Services to NGOs in China. It was funded by the ESRC and comprises an international team of researchers from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences, Beijing Normal University and University of New South Wales. The research was carried out over five locations in China and focused on three sectors, namely, children living with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS and migrants. Over 120 qualitative interviews were conducted as well as extensive analysis of laws, policies, regulations, and secondary research.

The event is free. All papers (including Q&A) will be available as podcasts, which will be available in a few days after the event. Panel presentations will be recorded but Q&A is not recorded.

LSE-Oxford seminar series: Insights from Development Studies in the Era of the Pandemic

The macroeconomic impact of coronavirusThursday 30 April,3pm - 4.30pm (BST)
Speakers: Ben Radley (LSE) and Xiaolan Fu (Oxford)
Chair: Professor Ken Shadlen

Migration, refugees and human dignity
Thursday 14 May, 3pm - 4.30pm (BST)
Speakers: Nimesh Dhungana (LSE) and Alexander Betts (Oxford)
Chair: Professor Ken Shadlen

The COVID Drama in Africa: Tales of the Unexpected
Thursday 28 May, 3pm - 4.30pm (BST)
Speakers: Kate Meagher (LSE) and Simukai Chigudu (Oxford)
Chair: Professor Ken Shadlen

Health, poverty and human development
Thursday 11 June, 3pm - 4.30pm (BST)
Speakers: Ernestina Coast + Rishita Nandagiri (LSE) and Sabina Alkire (Oxford)
Chair: Professor Ken Shadlen

Addressing the Pandemic: the pharmaceutical challenges (watch again)

Tuesday 26 May, 12pm - 1.30pm (BST)
Speakers: Professor Ken Shadlen, Professor Kalipso Chalkidou, Dr Panos Kanavos and Professor Margaret Kyle
Chair: Professor Ernestina Coast

This webinar, as part of LSE's Public Lecture Programme, will exmaine a range of issues related to the development and use of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. This includes the range of incentives for innovation and national approaches to purchasing, price negotiations, intellectual property and trade policies.

Overcoming Boko Haram: A Book and a Conversation on Islamic Extremism in West Africa (listen again)

Tuesday 10 March 2020, 6.30pm-7.45pm, followed by a reception

Speaker: Kate Meagher, Professor Funmi Olonisakin and Aoife McCullough
Chair: Professor Catherine Boone

This event will be celebrating the launch of Overcoming Boko Haram: Faith, Society & Islamic Radicalization in Northern Nigeria.

The book looks beyond the details of the insurgency to examine the wider social and political processes that explain why Boko Haram emerged when and where it did, and what forces exist within society to contain it. Drawing on the detailed fieldwork of specialist Nigerian and Nigerianist scholars from Nigeria, connecting the worst of Boko Haram violence to the wider realities of the present, the book offers new insights into the drivers of Islamic extremism in Nigeria - poverty, regional inequality, environmental stress, migration, youth unemployment, and state corruption and human rights abuses - with a view to charting more sustainable paths out of the conflict.

Economic Development in Asia: learning from a half-century of Transformations (listen again)

Wednesday 4 March 2020, 6.30pm-8pm, followed by a reception
LSE Lecture Theatre, Centre Building, LSE

Speaker: Professor Deepak Nayyar
Chair: Professor Kathryn Hochstetler

The lecture analyzes the phenomenal transformation of Asia, which would have been difficult to imagine, let alone predict, fifty years ago. In doing so, it provides an analytical narrative of this remarkable story of economic development, situated in the wider context of historical, political and social factors, and an economic analysis of the underlying factors, with a focus on critical issues in the process of, and outcomes in, development. The analytical conclusions drawn contribute to contemporary debates on development, and highlight some lessons from the Asian experience for countries elsewhere.

Deepak Nayyar is Emeritus Professor of Economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and an Honorary Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford.

Film Screening: Happily Ever After

Wednesday 26 February 2020, 6pm-7.30pm
Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE ()

Speaker: Xiaopei He (Director of film)
Chair: Professor Jude Howell

A film screening of Happily Ever After (2019, 37 minutes) followed by a Q&A with the Director of the film, Xiaopei He.

Six years after they married gay men, we revisit the same four lesbian women in Shenyang, Northeastern China. We learn how they have created their families with their same sex partners, gay husbands, children, their own parents as well as parents in laws. These innovative and intentional family formations invite the viewer to reflect upon mainstream ideas of what makes a family.

About Xiaopei He: "Hills trained me to be a shepherd and the Himalayas turned me into a mountaineer. A government job made me an economist while the women's movement converted me into a feminist. Participating in lesbian organizing in China helped me realize that people with disabilities, HIV positive women, sex workers and lesbians married to gay men are particularly oppressed and that their voices are mostly silenced. In 2007, I co-founded ‘Pink Space’, a NGO working with people who are marginalized due to their gender and sexuality. We use photos and films to enable people to tell their life stories, to gain power and to represent their desires and experiences." Links to more work from the artist

Civic Stories from Conflict Zones: Examples from the DRC, Somalia and Syria

Monday 10 February 2020 6.30pm-8pm
NAB.2.04, New Accademic Building, LSE ()

Speakers: Khalif Abdirahman, Koen Vlassenroot and Rim Turkmani
Chair: Professor Mary Kaldor

The panel will discuss recent examples of civicness and ask whether there are ways to support and strengthen civicness from the outside and whether this could help to weaken persistent conflict.

The 2020 Great Development Dialogue (Listen again)

Friday 24 January 2020, 6.30pm-8pm
Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House, LSE

Speakers: Maitreesh Ghatak, Dr Gharad Bryan, Deoborah James, David Graeber and Kathryn Hochstetler *
Chair: Professor Jean-Paul Faguet

The Great Development Dialogue is a yearly event sponsored by the LSE’s Department of International Development, with two purposes: (1) to explore some of the deepest and most vexing questions in development from an explicitly cross-disciplinary perspective; and (2) to shine a light on what the disciplines can and cannot tell us about economic and social development. Past dialogues have featured speakers like Ha-Joon Chang, John Sutton, Danny Quah, and Robert Wade.

This year’s event will begin with the political economy of land, and then move onto broader issues of what economics, anthropology and political science can and cannot teach us about development. The event will feature more speakers from more varied perspectives than in the past: Deoborah James and David Graeber (anthropology), Maitreesh Ghatak and Gharad Bryan (economics), and Kathryn Hochstetler (international development).

An IMF for the 21st Century (Listen again)

Thursday 5 December 2019, 6.30pm-8pm
Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE

Speaker: Professor José Antonio Ocampo
Chair: Professor Jean-Paul Faguet

This talk by José Antonio Ocampo will look at the different dimensions of IMF reform on the occasion of its 75th anniversary: the role of the international monetary system, global macroeconomic cooperation, prevention and management of crises, and the governance of the system. It will be based on his book, Resetting the International Monetary (Non)System.

Financing a Global Green New Deal

Thursday 5 December 2019, 12.30pm-2pm
LSE Lecture Theatre, LSE

Speaker: Mr. Richard Kozul-Wright
Chair: Professor Kathy Hochstetler

The global economy does not serve all people equally. Under the current configuration of policies, rules, market dynamics and corporate power, economic gaps are likely to increase and environmental degradation intensify. This year’s Trade and Development Report by UNCTAD calls for bold action to finance a Global Green New Deal. The flagship report "Financing a Global Green New Deal" recasts the Depression era’s signature policy on a global scale – a Global Green New Deal – as the right policy framework to make a clean break with years of austerity and insecurity following the global financial crisis, help bring about a more equal distribution of income and reverse decades of environmental degradation. In his presentation, the lead author of the report, Dr. Kozul-Wright, will be talking about a series of reform measures to make debt, capital and banks work for development and finance a deal.

Mr. Richard Kozul-Wright is Director of the Globalisation and Development Strategies Division in UNCTAD. He has worked at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva. He holds a Ph.D in economics from the University of Cambridge UK. He has published widely on economic issues including, inter alia, in the Economic Journal, the Cambridge Journal of Economics, The Journal of Development Studies, and the Oxford Review of Economic Policy. He is one of the key members of the Working Group on the Rights of Future Generations, an initiative based in UAE.

Anticipation saves lives: How data and innovative financing can help improve the world’s response to humanitarian crises (Watch again here)

Monday 2 December 2019, 12.30pm-2pm
Shaw Library, Old Building, LSE

Speaker: Mark Lowcock
Chair: Dr Stuart Gordon

The global humanitarian system reaches more than a hundred million people a year and saves millions of lives. But we must constantly strive to improve. Too often, the world is reacting to humanitarian crises, responding only once the suffering has started, when people are dying, hungry and sick, or leaving their homes. But in today’s world, we have better tools to predict more crises, including the impact of droughts and the outbreak of disease with increasing accuracy. Using data, we can anticipate when a crisis will strike, and even predict the extent of the damage it will cause. The world needs to focus on the ways it can act early to mitigate the impact of such crises. By doing so, we will save more lives, prevent suffering and protect development gains. It is also a much cheaper approach to helping those caught up in crises around the world.

In his lecture, Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, will discuss progress towards the United Nations’ vision for better humanitarian financing, discuss lessons learned, and identify how we can make further progress towards a more anticipatory approach. The lecture will be followed by Q&A.

The event will also be live streamed on the LSE ID Facebook page.

30 years on from the Velvet Revolutions: time for a new liberation?

Monday 25 November 2019, 6.30pm - 8pm
Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE

Speakers: George Lawson, Mary Kaldor and Timothy Garton Ash
Chair: Mick Cox

In a new edition of his book The Magic Lantern: The Revolution of '89 Witnessed in Warsaw, Budapest, Prague and Berlin, Timothy Garton Ash reflects on witnessing these events and explores the long term consequences of the revolutions and subsequent transitions since revisiting all these countries. What went right? More pressingly: What went wrong?

This discussion will bring together scholars in the field who will each bring their expertise on the revolutions of ’89, and their impact on today’s Europe. The peculiar character of populism in post-communist Europe will be explored, and also the considerable forces of resistance to it.

How Nations Learn: Technological Learning, Industrial Policy, and Catch-up (Watch again here)

Wednesday 20 November 2019, 6.30pm - 8pm
LSE Lecture Theatre, Ground Floor, Centre Building, LSE
(Please note change in date and venue)

Speaker: Arkebe Oqubay
Chair: Professor Robert Wade

What are the prospects for successful learning and catch-up for nations in the twenty-first century? Why have some nations succeeded while others failed? The World Bank states that out of over one hundred middle-income economies in 1960, only thirteen became high income by 2008. Based on Dr Oquabay's new book, How Nations Learn: Technological Learning, Industrial Policy, and Catch-up, the event will examine how nations learn by reviewing key structural and contingent factors that contribute to dynamic learning and catch-up. Rejecting both the 'one-size-fits-all' approach and the agnosticism that all nations are unique and different, it uses historical as well as firm-, industry-, and country-level evidence and experiences to identify the sources and drivers of successful learning and catch-up and the lessons for late-latecomer countries.

Dr Arkebe Oqubay is a Senior Minister, and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Dr Abiy Ahmed. Oqubay has been at the centre of policy-making for over 25 years, and his recent published works include Made in Africa(Oxford University Press, 2019) and How Nations Learn (Oxford University Press, 2019).

The Return of the Policy That Shall Not Be Named: industrial policy and the IMF in global economic governance

Tuesday 19 November 2019, 6:30pm - 8pm
Sumeet Valrani Theatre, Centre Building, LSE

Speakers: Reda Cherif, Fuad Hasanov, Natalya Naqvi, Robert Wade and Jostein Hauge
Chair: Natalya Naqvi

After decades of neglect, industrial policy is making a comeback at key institutions for global economic governance. The authors of a seminal IMF paper on modern industrial policy in an era of globalisation will present their recent work on this controversial topic.

Mobilising for Sustainable Peace in Afghanistan: a global mothers' campaign

Wednesday 13 November 2019, 6:30pm - 8pm
Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House, LSE

Speakers: Sahraa Karimi, Anne-Claire de Liedekerke, Staffan de Mistura, Rahela Sidiqi and Marika Theros
Chair: Mary Kaldor

As talks between the US and Taliban raise hopes for peace in Afghanistan, mothers are mobilising inside and outside the country to hold on to their right to educate their daughters.

Sahraa Karimi is a film director living in Afghanistan. She comes from the 2nd generation of refugees who fled Afghanistan for a new life in Iran. Sahraa has received huge acclaim for her fiction feature debut film "Hava, Maryam, Ayesha" that had its world premiere at the recent Venice Film Festival. Shot entirely in Kabul withAfghan actors, the film reflects Karimi’s desire to "go beyond [Western] clichés, and to find new stories, new perspectives"about life as an Afghan woman.

Data Challenges, Poverty Dynamics and Economic Growth. Insights from Assets in Rural Africa

Monday 11 November 2019, 12.30pm-2pm
CBG.2.05, Centre Building, LSE

Speakers: Professor Dan Brockington (Sheffield Institute for International Development)
Chair: Professor Tim Forsyth

Recent economic growth in many African countries is widely welcomed, but it is not clear how inclusive that growth is, particularly of rural populations. In a general context of poor data, household consumption data appear to suggest that poverty rates have not declined much with growth, suggesting that growth is not inclusive. But this finding may depend on the measure of poverty used. We argue that existing measures of poverty in debates about the inclusivity of economic growth use indices of consumption, not assets, and are therefore incomplete. We present new data based on recent re-surveys of Tanzanian households first visited in the early 1990s. These demonstrate a marked increase in prosperity (as measured by assets) from high levels of poverty. We consider the implications of this research for further explorations of the relationship of economic growth and agricultural policy in rural areas, and for attempts to cope with Africa’s ‘statistical tragedy’.

Professor Dan Brockington is the director of the Sheffield Institute for International Development. Originally trained as an anthropologist at UCL, he is now chief editor of the journal, Conservation and Society, and is on the governing council of the Development Studies Association. This talk should be of interest to any student or member of staff interested in international development, poverty, and mixed methods.

Law, Justice and Civicness: lessons from South Sudan

Tuesday 15 October 2019, 6.30-8pm
Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE

Speakers: Alex de Waal, Rachel Ibreck and David Deng
Chair: Mary Kaldor

This event will highlight the ways in which civic activists navigate the law, fight for justice and seek accountability in South Sudan, and the wider lessons of this experience.

Prospects for Democracy in Sudan

Friday 11 October 2019, 6.30-8pm, Old Theatre, Old Building

Speakers: Alex de Waal, Raga Makawi
Chair: Dr Rim Turkmani

The panel will discuss the dynamics of the 2019 Sudanese revolution, characterised by both non-violent civic mobilisation and the fast-evolving transnational and mercenarised political marketplace.

2019 senior-level course on conflict and humanitarian response

5 day intensive programme running 7-13 July 2019, LSE and ODI Campus

An annual intensive course for humanitarian professionals taught by the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) and London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

The course provides an opportunity for mid-career and senior professionals to learn and reflect on critical issues in preparing for, responding to and transitioning out of humanitarian crises. The course is designed to foster peer-to-peer learning, and will feature lectures by distinguished academics and practitioners, with an opportunity for small group discussions and exercises.

Managing Inclusive Development in Emerging Societies

5 day intensive programme running 3-7 June 2019, LSE

An exploration of the policy challenges and solutions facing developing countries aiming to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth.

The course provides an interdisciplinary and critical approach to the theories and practices being used to address problems of governance, economic growth, equity and stability, and social inclusion in the Global South. You’ll also benefit from studying alongside practitioners from around the globe, enhancing your professional network. London is hub for international development and LSE is a world leader in this subject.

The course will be taught by Professor Jean-Paul Faguet, Professor of the Political Economy of Development and Dr Mahvish Shami, Assistant Professor of International Development.

Workshop on Research and Fieldwork in Challenging Contexts

Monday 3 June 2019, 9-5pm
PAR 2.03, Parish Hall, LSE

Authoritarian regimes, bio-surveillance technologies and tighter controls over civil society have made fieldwork in the social sciences more precarious and risky, both for local and foreign researchers. Academics have had to deal with greater state scrutiny and surveillance, denial of research visas, threats to physical safety, and discrimination along gender, sexuality and ethnic lines.

This workshop thus aims to bring together academics inside and outside of LSE to share experiences and strategies for conducting research in in repressive, violent and discriminatory contexts. Panel speakers will discuss the nature of the challenges to research and their strategies and tactics for dealing with these and stimulate a wider discussion amongst the audience.

The event is free, but pre-registration required.This workshop is aimed primarily at PhD and rseaerch students.

Political Economy and Governance in Syria Report Launch

Monday 3 June 2019, 6.15-8pm
Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE

Speakers: Omar Abdulaziz-Hallaj, Mahmoud Ramadan, and Rim Turkmani
Chair: Mary Kaldor

The extreme violence that dominated the scene in Syria over the last eight years shifted attention away from the deep structural transformations affecting the country’s economy and governance structures. The Political Economy and Governance in Syria Report highlights some of these transformations through the presentations made by leading Syria experts at the Political Economy and Governance in Syria’ conference held on 3 December 2018 at the LSE.

Nakusha? Son Preference, "Unwanted" Girls and Gender Gaps in Education in India

Wednesday 29 May 2019, 12-2pm

Speakers: Ashwini Deshpande

Using pooled data over 1986-87 and 2014 from three nationally representative special education rounds of the National Sample Survey (NSS) for India, Professor Ashwini Deshpande investigated the role of son preference in explaining children’s education outcomes. He will discuss her findings at this lunch time talk.

When Things Don’t Fall Apart

Thursday 9 May 2019, 4-6pm

Venue: CON 7.05
Speaker: Ilene Grabel

Please join us for a presentation of Ilene Grabel’s (Denver University) prize-winning book, When Things Don't Fall Apart: Global Financial Governance and Developmental Finance in an Age of Productive Incoherence (MIT Press, 2017), winner of the 2018 British International Studies Association International Political Economy Group Book Prize and the 2019 International Studies Association International Political Economy Section Best Book Award.

Impacts and costs of gender inequality, child marriage, and girls’ education: Findings from recent World Bank research

Tuesday 12 March 2019, 4-6pm

Speakers: Quentin Wodon, Lead Economist, World Bank Education Practice

Over the last two years, the World Bank released a series of studies on the economic impacts and cost of child marriage, low educational attainment for girls, and gender inequality. The analysis considers impacts related among others to labor earnings, health and nutrition outcomes, fertility and population growth, intimate partner violence, decision-making ability, and social capital. Some studies rely on annual income measures such as GDP to assess costs, while others rely on recently released data on the changing wealth of nations. Key findings from this research program will be shared together with suggestions of what governments could do to achieve gender equality, end child marriage, and ensure that girls remain in school and learn while in school.

Financializing Poverty: Labor and Risk in Indian Microfinance

Thursday 28 February 2019, 6.30-8pm

Speakers: Dr Sohini Kar, Professor Deborah James and Dr Kate Meagher
Chair: Professor Kenneth Shadlen

Celebrating the release of Sohini Kar’s book Financialising Poverty: Labor and Risk in Indian Microfinance from Stanford University Press. The event will feature comments by the author, with comments from Deborah James from LSE's Department of Anthropology. The discussion will be followed by a reception.

#LSEMicrofinance

Global Security Cultures

Wednesday 20 February 2019, 6.30-8pm

Speakers: Professor Mary Kaldor, Dr Sabine Selchow, Lyse Doucet (BBC Permitting), Professor Christopher Coker
Chair: Dr Iavor Rangelov

Launching her book, Global Security Cultures, renowned scholar of war and human security Mary Kaldor introduces the concept of global security cultures in order to explain why we get stuck in particular pathways to security.

Nationalism, Development and Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka

(Podcast: part 1/ part 2 at 1:03:20)

Tuesday 22 January 2019, 5-8pm

Venue: CLM.7.02, LSE

This is a two-part event discussing Rajesh Venugopal's book, Nationalism, Development and Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka through Cambridge University Press. The first part will feature a discussion of the book from the author and panelists. The second part of the event will be devoted to discussing the current political crisis in Sri Lanka, with a panel discussion and exchange with the audience.

First-half of the event
5pm-6.15pm
Panel 1: Book event: Nationalism, Development and Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka, by Rajesh Venugopal.
Speakers: Dr. Rajesh Venugopal, Prof. David Keen
Chair: Dr. Alessandra Radicati

Second-half of the event
6.30pm-8pm
Panel 2: Sri Lanka’s Political Crisis and Post-Coup Futures
Speakers: Dr. Farzana Haniffa (University of Colombo / Cambridge), Iromi Perera and Vindhya Buthpitiya (UCL)
Chair: Dr Luke Heslop

Perpetrators: The world of the genocidal troops in the Guatemalan Army

Monday 3 December 2018, 6-8pm

Venue: NAB.2.06 (New Academic Building)
Speaker: Manolo Vela (Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City)
Chair: Arjan Gjonça (LSE International Development)

Prof Vela, a leading expert on mass violence in Latin America, will address the micro-level dynamics of state-sponsored repression during the Guatemalan Civil War. The campaigns of mass violence conducted in rural areas of the country provide a unique insight into the daily dynamics of state-sponsored terror in Latin America during the Cold War. Prof Vela will centre his discussion on the perpetrators of the Guatemalan Genocide, a group about which very little is known.

Civic Perspectives on Conflict

Thursday 29 November 2018, 7-8.30pm

Venue: Tower 1, Room G.01
Speakers: Javier Solana, Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja and Omar Abdulaziz-Hallaj
Chair: Mary Kaldor (LSE Conflict and Civil Society Unit, International Development)

At this event, two critical intellectuals from the Democratic Republic of Congo and from Syria will present their analyses and prognoses of the violence in their countries, with commentary from researchers in LSE’s and from Dr Javier Solana, the former High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union and Professor of Practice at LSE.

The Politics of Humanitarianism: Perspectives from South Sudan

Friday 23 November 2018, 5.30-7.30pm

Venue: Senior Common Room, Old Building
Speaker: Jok Madut Jok, Martin Ochaya, Alex de Waal, Naomi Pendle and Rachel Ibreck

Join us for the launch of the Conflict Research Programme’s new paper on the politics of humanitarianism in South Sudan, which adds a distinctive perspective to these debates by drawing on the expertise of twelve prominent South Sudanese academics and activists. The paper explores issues of humanitarian access, accountability, authority and the roles of South Sudanese humanitarian activists. The paper questions norms of humanitarian knowledge production, and discusses the histories and futures of South Sudanese humanitarian agenda setting.

Hosted by the Department of International Development

Communicating Climate Change – Why So Toxic? (Videoand Podcast)

Tuesday 30 October 2018, 6.30-8pm

Venue: Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: Professor Chris Rapley
Chair: Professor Tim Dyson

Chris Rapley is Professor of Climate Science at University College London and chairs UCL’s Policy Commission on Communicating Climate Science. This visually engaging presentation by Professor Rapley will present the limitations of evidence in informing and motivating action on climate change.

Hosted by the Department of International Development and the Grantham Research Institute

Economic Empowerment Across the Life Course: the significance of the adolescent years

Wednesday 10 October 2018, 6.30-8pm

Venue: Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building
Speakers: Sarah Baird, Jo Cooke, Nicola Jones
Chair: Naila Kabeer

Sarah Baird is Associate Professor of Global Health and Economics, George Washington University. Nicola Jones is Director of the GAGE programme and a principal research fellow at ODI. Naila Kabeer is Professor of Gender and Development, LSE. Gender Policy and Programme Manager at Department for DFID. In recognition of the International Day of the Girl Child, we explore the challenges of women’s economic empowerment and the significance of their adolescent years.

Hosted by the Department of Gender Studies and Department of International Development

Prospects for Elections in Thailand: The Future Forward Party under the Spotlight

Monday 8 October, 7 to 8.30 pm

Venue: Hong Kong Theatre Speakers: Petra Desatova, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Duncan McCargo, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, Panikka Wanich
Chair: Tim Forsyth

The May 2014 military coup in Thailand ushered in a junta that halted a period of mass demonstrations, and ended open conflicts between competing political factions. After repeated postponements, a general election has been promised for 2019. As part of a realignment of the old party system, a new political party known as Future Forward was formed early this year, and has generated considerable media interest.

This meeting in London will allow academics and audience members to challenge leaders of Future Forward to explain their political agenda and their vision for Thailand. The event will examine prospects for change in Thailand: Will fresh elections really restore democracy? Is Future Forward fundamentally different from other Thai parties, or a variation on old themes? Can new parties such as Future Forward help overcome deep social and regional divisions? To what extent can young Thai voters, many of whom are disillusioned with electoral politics, become re-engaged? How can Thailand move on from military regimes, and forge stable inclusive governance?

This event was hosted by the LSE Department of International Development and the South East Asia Centre

Senior-level course on conflict and humanitarian response

Monday 18 - Friday 22 June 2018

Venue: LSE Campus and ODI Offices, Central London

The course provides an opportunity for mid-career and senior professionals to learn and reflect on critical issues in preparing for, responding to and transitioning out of humanitarian crises. The course is designed to foster peer-to-peer learning, and will feature lectures by distinguished academics and practitioners, with an opportunity for small group discussions and exercises.

Citizens of Nowhere

Thursday 21 June 2018, 6.30-8pm

Venue: Alumni Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Dr Luke Cooper, Maya Goodfellow, Niccolò Milanese, Daniel Trilling, Hillary Wainwright
Chair: Professor Mary Kaldor

Citizens of Nowhere challenges Teresa May’s infamous phrase about citizens of the world to instead give a radically different account of contemporary European politics than is usually found in the media: one that is focused on the many initiatives, organisations and campaigns led by citizens across the continent. It argues that contrary to the stereotypes of detached elites, we have all become much more citizens of the world, concerned about global issues and aware of the interconnectedness of our societies - but we lack the democratic agency to affect change on a global scale. Only through new forms of action across borders will really be able to take democratic control of our futures.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSE_CITIZENS

Transform Special Issue Launch: 1968 - La Beauté est dans la rue

Thursday 31 May 2018, 6.30-8pm

Venue: G.03, 32 LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS
Speaker: Kate Hudson, Dr Marina Prentoulis, Chris Hazzard, Michael Wongsam and Dr Francisco Dominguez
Chair: Professor Mary Kaldor

Transform – a journal of the radical left – launches a special issue to mark the 50th anniversary of the dramatic events of 1968: the Vietnamese Tet offensive, the Prague Spring, the uprising of the black communities in the US, the revolutionary wave on the streets of Paris in May, all seemed to herald a new generalised advance towards socialism.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSETransform50

A Global Agenda for Labour

Tuesday 24 April 2018, 6.30-8pm

Venue: Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building
Speaker: Professor Pranab Bardhan, University of California, Berkeley
Chair: Professor Jean-Paul Faguet

In the face of rising inequality and right-wing populism--the twin menace facing much of the world today-- how to cope with the formidable challenge of restoring the countervailing power of labour?

Professor Bardhan's lecture, "A Global Agenda for Labour" will address a vital and urgent political-economic issue. In the face of rising inequality and right-wing populism--the twin menace facing much of the world today-- how to cope with the formidable challenge of restoring the countervailing power of labour, keeping in mind both rich and poor countries? The talk will suggest some tentative steps in terms of international economic policy, policies of social protection against job precariousness, internal organization of labour unions and of corporate governance, and finally, and most importantly, in terms of the issues arising out of the growing cultural distance between blue-collar workers and the footloose cosmopolitan professional liberal elite that dominates the opinion-making circles in many social-democratic parties.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEAgendaLabour

Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World – And Why Things Are Better Than You Think (Recording)

Wednesday 11 April 2018, 6.30-8pm

Venue: Old Theatre, Old Building
Speakers: Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling
Chair: Dr Tiziana Leone

When asked simple questions about global trends – why the world's population is increasing; how many young women go to school; how many of us live in poverty – we systematically get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess journalists, Nobel laureates, and investment bankers according to the book's authors.

In their new book Factfulness, Professor of International Health Hans Rosling, together with his two long-time collaborators Anna Rosling Rönnlund and Ola Rosling, offer a radical new explanation of why this happens, and reveal the ten insticts that distort our perspective.

Ola Rosling (@OlaRosling) and Anna Rosling Rönnlund (@AnnaGapminder), Hans Rosling’s son and daughter-in-law, were co-founders of the Gapminder Foundation, and Ola its director from 2005 to 2007 and from 2010 to the present day. After Google acquired the bubble-chart tool called Trendalyzer, invented and designed by Anna and Ola, Ola became head of Google's Public Data Team and Anna the team's senior user experience (UX) designer. They have both received international awards for their work.

Dr Tiziana Leone (@tizianaleone) is an Assistant Professor in Demography in the Department of International Development at the LSE and is a member of the Population @LSE group as well as LSE Health.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEfacts

DESTIN Society presents:

The Vice President of the Philippines on overcoming poverty and the role of politics on economic growth

Friday 6 April, 5.30-7.30pm

Venue: Venue will be announced closer to the date
Speakers: Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo
Chair: Professor James Putzel

Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo was elected as Vice President of the Philippines on May 2016 and has since worked towards fulfilling her commitment to a pro-poor administration founded on good governance, as well as strong social welfare, public infrastructure and national security.

Under her office, she has launched a number of anti-poverty initiatives, including the widely successful Angat Buhay programme, which partners local governments with NGOs, the private sector and other actors towards funding projects such as housing, education, livelihoods and disaster management. The Vice President has overcome the Philippines' challenging political landscape in waging the "larger war" against poverty.

A staunch advocate of human rights, Leni Robredo has devoted her entire professional life in the service of the most vulnerable sectors of Philippine society. She served as a Public Attorney and is a member of the alternative lawyers group SALIGAN. After winning a seat in the Sixteenth Congress, she remained constant in her priority attention to farmers and fisherfolk; women, particularly in oppressive circumstances; and indigenous people.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEVPLeni

Understanding Violence in the Middle East and Africa (Recording)

Monday 19 March 2018, 6.45-8.15pm

Venue: Old Theatre, Old Building
Speakers: Professor Toby Dodge, Dr Rachel Ibreck, Rim Turkmani, Lyse Doucet, Javier Solana, and Rory Stewart MP
Chair: Professor Mary Kaldor

This event will launch LSE’s new Conflict Research Programme funded by the UK’s Department for International Development.

The CRP aims to understand why contemporary violence is so difficult to end and to analyse the underlying political economy of violence with a view to informing policy, with a special focus on Iraq, Syria, South Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Members of the research team will present their ideas and initial findings to Javier Solana, the former foreign policy chief of the European Union.

This event is free and open to all with no ticket or pre-registration required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSECRP

Crime and Global Justice (Recording)

Wednesday 28 February 2018 6.45-8pm

Venue: LSE CAMPUS, venue to be disclosed to ticket holders
Speaker: Professor Daniele Archibugi, Alice Pease, Professor Christine Chinkin, Professor Richard Falk, Professor Mary Kaldor
Chair: Professor Gerry Simpson

In their new book, Crime and Global Justice: The Dynamics of International Punishment, which will be the subject of this discussion, Daniele Archibugi and Alice Pease offer an analysis of the successes and shortcomings of the global justice system from 1945 to the present day.

Over the last quarter of a century a new stem of global criminal justice has emerged; national judges have become bolder in prosecuting crimes committed abroad, special tribunals have been able to target national leaders as well as their henchmen, and a permanent International Criminal Court has been established. But how successful have these ambitious transformations been? Have they ushered in a new era of cosmopolitan justice or are the old principles of victors’ justice still in play?

Universal Health Coverage in the Global South: what is needed to make it work? (Recording)

Thursday 22 February, 6-7.45pm

Venue: Sheikh Zayed Theatre
Speaker: Professor Kalipso Chalkidou, Professor Ken Shadlen, Dr Daniel Wang
Chair: Dr Justin Parkhurst

Although Universal health coverage is a pillar of the modern welfare state, the successful design and implementation of arrangements to deliver on this promise faces enormous challenges. This panel, with perspectives from health policy, law, and political science, examines these challenges and reflects on national experiences in developing countries.

Refugees and the Gig Economy (Video Recording)

Monday 19 February, 6.30-8pm

Venue: NAB.1.15, New Academic Building
Speaker: Abigail Hunt, Zane Kanderian, Brhmie Balaram,
Daphne Jayasinghe
Chair: Dr Tayyab Safdar

Chaired by LSE Fellow Tayyab Safdar, a panel of international development experts and a gig economy specialist meet to discuss a recently published ODI report on Syrian refugee women in Jordan. The event will allow space for a wider debate, focusing on gender and youth in the Middle East. Together, they will reflect on whether or not the gig economy can be harnessed for sustainable livelihoods or if it could lead to exploitation. The event will be followed by a drinks and networking reception between 8pm and 9pm.

The Department of International Development at the London School of Economics and Adam Smith International would like to invite humanitarian actors and gig economy experts, and the public, to engage in the debate via a live web stream on YouTube.

#LSErefugeegig

• Thursday 23 November, 6.30pm - 8pm

  Doughnut Economics: seven ways to think like a 21st century economist (Recording)

  Venue: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE
  Speaker: Kate Raworth
  Discussant: Professor Oriana Bandiera
  Chair: Duncan Green

  The Department of International Development is proud to be hosting Kate Raworth (@KateRaworth), Senior Visiting Research Associate at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute and Senior Associate of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, as well as the author of Doughnut Economics, Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist.

  Kate will present her book that dares to take on the mainstream economics establishment with a radical rewrite of 200 years of theory. Using humour and metaphor, but always deeply grounded in the theory itself she offers a new model for a green, fair and thriving global economy. It promises that the economic future will be fascinating, but wildly unlike the past, if we equip ourselves with the mindset needed to take it on.

  This event is free and open to all with no ticket or pre-registration required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis.

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• Tuesday 10 October, 1pm - 2.30pm

  The Death Penalty and its injustices

  Venue: Graham Wallas room, Old Building
  Panel: Clive Stafford Smith, Paul Hamann, Yemi Hailemariam
  Chair: Dr Sharon Shalev

  What challenges are faced in campaigning against the Death penalty? What progress has been made with regard to abolishing capital punishment? What is it like to work for a human rights NGO? What global changes have been made to the death penalty?
  
  The event "The Death Penalty and its Injustices" will seek to answer these questions, and explore the work carried out against capital punishment.
  
  

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• Monday 10 July 2017, 7-9pm

  The Role of Higher Education in Ensuring Afghanistan's Prosperous Future

  Speakers: Dr Kenneth Holland and Said Tayeb Jawad
  Chair: Dr Sajjan Gohel
  Co-chair: Yalda Hakim

  Afghanistan stands at a crossroad. The investment in blood and treasure by the international community and continued sacrifices by the Afghans to seek a peaceful and prosperous future is now at stake after the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops. As the country faces a resurgent Taliban and other global terrorist groups, weak state institutions and lack of good governance further compound the situation. What role is there for the institutions of higher education to build the human capital necessary to place the country on a secure and stable path? Does Afghanistan need a generational transition of power and politics to ensure good governance and build state institutions? What role can the UK and the wider international community play to support Afghanistan in this critical juncture?
  
  

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• Monday 3 July 2017, 4-6pm

  Supporting Mining Firms to Contribute to Development

  Speakers: Luke Balleny and Jeff Geipel
  Chair: Professor James Putzel

  International Development is excited to host a discussion of a new initiative focused on improving the economic impact of mineral extraction. The initiative, which has its roots in the Development Studies programme, aims to improve "backward economic linkages" from the mining industry in eveloping countries.

  Mining Shared Value (MSV), a venture of Engineers Without Borders Canada, in collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, will present their new "Mining Local Procurement Reporting Mechanism (LPRM)" that seeks to address the gaps in current reporting frameworks and sustainability systems.

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• Tuesday 20 June 2017, 6.30pm-8pm

  International Law and New Wars

  Speaker: Professor Christine Chinkin, Professor Mary Kaldor and Dr Javier Solana

  This event launches Christine Chinkin and Mary Kaldor's new book International Law and New Wars, which examines how international law fails to address the contemporary experience of what are known as 'new wars' - instances of armed conflict and violence in places such as Syria, Ukraine, Libya, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. International law, largely constructed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, rests to a great extent on the outmoded concept of war drawn from European experience - inter-state clashes involving battles between regular and identifiable armed forces. The book shows how different approaches are associated with different interpretations of international law, and, in some cases, this has dangerously weakened the legal restraints on war established after 1945. It puts forward a practical case for what it defines as second generation human security and the implications this carries for international law.

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• Sunday 11 to Sunday 18 June 2017

  Senior-level Course on Conflict and Humanitarian Response

  An intensive course for humanitarian professionals taught by the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) and London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

  The course provides an opportunity for mid-career and senior professionals to learn and reflect on critical issues in preparing for, responding to and transitioning out of humanitarian crises. The course is designed to foster peer-to-peer learning, and will feature lectures by distinguished academics and practitioners, with an opportunity for small group discussions and exercises.

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• Tuesday 9 May 2017, 6pm-8pm

  After Rape: Violence, Justice and Social Harmony in Uganda

  Speaker: Holly Porter, Adam Branch
  Chair: Professor Tim Allen

  This event, hosted by Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa, marks the publication of Holly Porter’s new book After Rape: violence, justice and social harmony in Uganda.

  Drawing upon abundant fieldwork and in-depth interviews with almost 200 women, Holly Porter examined issues surrounding wrongdoing and justice, and sexual violence and rape, among the Acholi people in northern Uganda. This intricate exploration offered evidence of a more complicated and nuanced explanation of rape and its aftermath, suggesting a re-imagining of the meanings of post-atrocity justice, whilst acknowledging the role of sex, power and politics in all sexual experiences between coercion and consent.

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• Thursday 4 May 2017, 6-7.30pm

  Beyond austerity and stimulus: making employment and growth more sustainable by broadening capital ownership using the earnings of capital

  Speaker: Professor Robert Ashford
  Chair: Professor Robert Wade

  About the event:

  Since the Great Recession, the economic policy debate has converged on Austerity vs Stimulus (neoclassical vs. Keynesian theory). Advocates of both strategies (1) concede that the world’s major economies are not operating at full employment and (2) seek to promote (a) sustainable fuller employment and (b) enhanced earnings of poor and middle-class people.

  Professor Ashford offered a different strategy (widening competitive opportunities for capital acquisition with the earnings of capital) based on a different theory of fuller employment: The prospect of more broadly distributed capital earnings in future years provides market incentives to profitably employ more labor and capital in earlier years. Unlike Keynesian theory, Ashford’s approach operates in both the short and long run and requires no redistribution through tax and transfer mechanisms.

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• Monday 20 March, 12.30-2pm

  Richard Falk book launch - Palestine's Horizon: Toward a Just Peace

  Speaker: Professor Richard Falk
  Discussants: Chris Doyle
  Chair: Professor Mary Kaldor

  About the event:

  Richard Falk, former UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine (2008-2014), has dedicated much of his life to the study of the Israel/Palestine conflict.

  His book Palestine's Horizon explores the intricacies and interconnections of the history and politics of Israel/Palestine. After enduring years of violent occupation, the Palestinian movement is exploring different avenues for peace. These include the pursuit of rights under international law in venues such as the UN and International Criminal Court, and the new emphasis on global solidarity and non-violent militancy embodied by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign, among others.

  Falk refutes the notion that the Palestinian struggle is a ‘lost cause’ by focusing on new tactics of resistance. He also reflects on the legacy of Edward Said, drawing on the importance of his humanist thought. Against this background, he provides a vision of peace that is mindful of the formidable difficulties of achieving a just solution to the long conflict.

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• Wednesday 8 March, 12-2pm

  DESTIN - QA session with Ha-Joon Chang

  Speaker: Ha-Joon Chang
  Chair: Duncan Green

  About the event:

  DESTIN has the pleasure of hosting world-renowned development economist Ha-Joon Chang who will be answering questions posed to him by students and members of staff from the department.

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• Wednesday 1 March, 5.30-7pm

  The Evolving US Foreign Aid Model: Results, Innovation, and Uncertainty

  Speaker: John L. Simpkins

  About the event:

  In the past 30 years, American foreign aid has shifted from direct provision of technical assistance to contracting and grant making for technical assistance. John Simpkins will discuss the prospects for further innovation in US foreign assistance, including technological innovation and impact investing in clean energy and other sectors. He will also reflect on the impact made by different Presidential administrations.

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• Tuesday 28 February, 6:30-8pm (Recording)

  The Quest for Universal Social Policy in the South

  Speaker: Diego Sánchez-Ancochea
  Discussants: Tasha Fairfield and Professor Anthony Hall
  Chair: Professor Kenneth Shadlen

  About the event:

  Universal social policies have the power to reduce inequality and create more cohesive societies. But how can countries in the South deliver universalism? Diego Sánchez-Ancochea (together with Juliana Martínez Franzoni) answers this question through a comparative analysis of Costa Rica, Mauritius, South Korea, and Uruguay, and a detailed historical account of Costa Rica's successful trajectory in a new book.

  Against the backdrop of democracy and progressive parties, he places at centre stage the policy architectures defined as the combination of instruments that dictate the benefits available to people. The volume also explores the role of state actors in building pro-universal architectures. The event will interest advanced students and scholars of human development and public and social policies, as well as policymakers eager to promote universal policies across the South.

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• Monday 27 February, 6pm - 7.30pm

  ‘Seven Myths that sustain the global arms trade’

  Panel: Paul Holden and Andrew Feinstein (Corruption Watch UK), Nick Gilby (author and researcher), Alex de Waal (World Peace Foundation) and Leah Wawro (Transparency International) and Sam Perlo-Freeman (World Peace Foundation).
  Chair: Professor Mary Kaldor

  About the event:

  Although there is often opposition to individual wars, most people continue to believe that the arms industry is necessary in some form: to safeguard our security, provide jobs and stimulate the economy. Not only conservatives, but many progressives and liberals, support it for these reasons.

  JSRP will host a panel discussion, to launch the new book: ‘Indefensible: 7 myths that sustain the global arms trade‘ (Paul Holden et al, Zed Books). Indefensible puts forward a devastating challenge to this conventional wisdom on the global arms trade, which has normalised the existence of the most savage weapons of mass destruction ever known. It is the essential handbook for those who want to debunk the arguments of the industry and its supporters: deploying case studies, statistics and irrefutable evidence to demonstrate they are fundamentally flawed, both factually and logically.

  Far from protecting us, the book shows how the arms trade undermines our security by fanning the flames of war, terrorism and global instability. In countering these myths, the book points to ways in which we can combat the arms trade’s malignant influence, reclaim our democracies and reshape our economies.

• Wednesday 16 November, 6-8pm (Recording)

  Bangladesh Confronts Climate Change: Keeping our heads above water

  Speaker: Joseph Hanlon and Manoj Roy
  Chair: Prof. Tim Forsyth

  About the event:

  Joseph Hanlon and Manoj Roy will present their new book which tells the story of a country that refuses to be a helpless victim.

  Climate change will make cyclones and floods more devastating; sea level is already rising. Bangladeshi officials, scientists and communities know what is coming and are already adapting, based on their experience of living with a very difficult environment. Cyclone shelters and warning systems now save tens of thousands of lives. Locally developed rice varieties mean Bangladesh is a rice exporter; newer varieties adapt to climate change. And coastal communities have found how to raise the land to match sea level rise.

  Bangladeshis will keep their heads above water - if industrialised countries curb greenhouse gas emissions. Bangladeshi negotiators have been fighting for more than a decade to keep global warming below 1.5ºC, and to demand that industrialised countries pay for damage already done. They will be playing an important role in the annual climate change negotiations (COP 22) 7-18 November.

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• Tuesday 1 November, 6:30-8pm (Recording)

  How Change Happens

  Speaker: Duncan Green
  Discussant: Naila Kabeer
  Chair: Hugh Cole

  About the event:

  The IGC and the LSE Department of International Development will be jointly hosting a public discussion on 1st November featuring Duncan Green, Senior Strategic Adviser at Oxfam GB and author of the well-known blog "From Poverty to Power: how active citizens and effective states can change the world".

  He will present his new book "How change happens", focused on how change happens in political systems, power, and institution as well as the role of individuals and organisations in influencing that change.
  Duncan will also discuss the challenges that ‘systems thinking’ creates for traditional aid practices, and how a ‘power and systems approach’ requires activists, whether in campaigns, companies or governments, to fundamentally rethink the way they understand the world and try to influence it.
  Naila Kabeer, Professor of Gender and Development at LSE, will be the discussant; Hugh Cole, IGC Country Director, will chair the discussion.

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• Tuesday 31 May, 6:30-8pm (Recording)

  Stop Bombing Hospitals: Medecins Sans Frontieres and the protection of medical space

  Speaker: Vickie Hawkins Chair: Professor Mary Kaldor

  About the event:
  With attacks on medical personnel and infrastructure an increasing feature of today's conflicts, how do humanitarian organisations uphold the norms of International Humanitarian Law?

  MSF has witnessed first-hand the impact that violations have on the civilian population and infrastructure including their own facilities. Following the Agenda for Humanity, proposed at the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit, Vickie Hawkins, General Director of MSF UK, will explore the changes that have been proposed to strengthen the laws of war and the challenges that humanitarians face to ensure that hospitals, medical centres and medical staff are protected in times of war.

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• Wednesday 27 April, 6:30-8pm (Recording)

  Today We Drop Bombs, Tomorrow We Build Bridges: how foreign aid became a casualty of war

  Speakers: Peter Gill Chair: Professor Craig Calhoun

  About the event:
  In his latest book Peter Gill reveals how the ‘war on terror’ has ravaged the independence and neutrality of humanitarian aid, with serious consequences for relief operations. Focusing on Turkey, Afghanistan, Somalia and Pakistan he explains how western counter-terror laws are restricting humanitarian relief operations and costing lives

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• Wednesday 16 March, 6:30-8pm (Recording)

  Fraud at polls: can journalists and statisticians check? The Mozambican experience

  Speakers: Dr Johan Ahlback, Dr Joseph Hanlon Discussant: Jouni Kuha Chair: Wendy Willems

  About the event:

  In every Mozambican election, the ruling party (Frelimo) won, and the opposition cried fraud. Can we tell who really won? Teams of up to 150 journalists, organized by Joe Hanlon, covered the elections across the country and reported that fraud and misconduct did occur. But did it change the outcome? Mozambique reports results from each polling station (each with fewer than 1000 voters) which allows statistical analysis for ballot box stuffing, invalidating opposition votes, and other misconduct. Johan Ahlback and Joseph Hanlon discuss this unique project to put the journalists and statisticians together - and test the official outcome of five presidential elections.

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• Thursday 4 February, 6:30-8pm (Recording)

  Going beyond 'dangerous' climate change

  Speakers: Professor Kevin Anderson
  Chair: Professor Tim Dyson

  About the event:

  Despite high-level statements to the contrary, there is little to no chance of maintaining the global mean surface temperature increase at or below 2 degrees Celsius. Moreover, the impacts associated with 2°C have been revised upward sufficiently so that 2°C now more appropriately represents the threshold between 'dangerous' and 'extremely dangerous' climate change.

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• Wednesday 3 February 2016, 6.30-8pm (Recording)

  One Second of Light

  Speakers: Giles Duley
  Chair: Stuart Gordon

  About the event:

  One Second of Light is Duley’s latest book, covering his work on the effects of conflict and humanitarian disaster over the last decade. Duley’s work has mostly been in partnership with NGO’s and charities, such as EMERGENCY UK. Duley will talk about the relationship and the role of photography in advocacy and raising awareness.

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• Tuesday 26 January 2016, 6.30-8pm

  Building Houses on Sand:Social Protection Systems and Precarious Labour Markets in Developing Countries

  Speakers: Kirsten Sehnbruch
  Chair: Jean-Paul Faguet

  About the event:

  Changes to the segmentation of labour markets in developing countries has led to strains on the social protection systems in place to regulate them. Kirsten Sehnbruch looks at why social protection systems in developing countries underperform when they are linked to highly precarious formal labour markets, using the example of the Chilean unemployment insurance savings account (UISA) system to illustrate the faults in the systems.

• Wednesday 2 December, 6:30-8pm

  Book Launch: Is Decentralization Good for Development?

  Speakers: Professor Jean-Paul Faguet, Dr Adnan Khan
  Chair: Professor John Sidell

  About the event:

  Is Decentralization Good For Development combines academics of decentralization and policymakers who have implemented reform at the highest levels of administration. The insights presented here will be of interest not only to students and academics, but also to policymakers, public sector managers, and development practitioners.

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• Wednesday 18 November, 6:30-8pm

  Africa Talk
  "Enough!": Will youth protests drive political change in Africa?

  Speaker: Professor Alcinda Honwana
  Chair: Dr Joseph Hanlon

  About the event:

  Marginalized young Africans are fighting back. They organize street protests against government, risk their lives to reach Europe, and join radical groups such as Boko Haram. Young Africans are consolidating in many ways, and are making their voices heard. How will they force governments to listen?

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• Monday 16 November, 6:30-8pm

  Theatres of Conflict. Can drama build peace?

  Speakers: David Lan, Charlotte Onslow, Kushtrim Koliqi
  Chair: Dr Mary Martin

  About the event:

  Peacebuilding and state-building initiatives traditionally bypass the arts in favour of governance and economic reforms. However there is a growing awareness that culture is an important dimension of creating stable, peaceful and democratic societies. To explore the potential of drama in conflict-affected societies, we bring together leading theatre, human rights and peacebuilding professionals. We will also show a short film by INTENT New Theatre entitled Kosovo: Life and Liberty in a Young Country.

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• Wednesday 11 November, 6:30-8pm

  Reviving Global Democracy: beyond the 'Western Model'?

  Speakers: Professor Richard Youngs, Professor Mukulika Banerjee, Professor Senem Aydin-Düzgit
  Chair: Professor Mary Kaldor

  About the event:

  The Civil Society and Human Security Research Unit is pleased to invite you to a panel discussion and launch of Richard Youngs' new book, The Puzzle of Non-Western Democracy (Carnegie Europe). The book argues that the international community should be doing more to foster democratic variation that is tailored to the specific conditions of different countries and regions, and maps out the potential for such democratic variation.

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• Tuesday 10 November, 6:30-8pm (recording)
  

  Africa Talk
  Nigeria's 2015 General Election: Giving Democracy a Chance

  Speaker: Professor Attahiru Jega, INEC, Nigeria
  Chair: Dr Kate Meagher

  About the event:

  Nigeria's 2015 general ‎elections were the most contentious and most successful in the nation’s history. The man at the helm of the electoral process tells the inside story of Nigeria’s first successful transfer of power, and draws lessons for democratic transitions in other African countries.

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• Monday 12 October, 6:30-8pm (recording)
  

  Is Africa Rising? A Personal Perspective from Winnie Byanyima

  Speaker: Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International
  Chair: Dr Duncan Green

  About the event:

  Winnie will reflect on her own life and experiences growing up in Uganda, and discuss the true nature of Africa's growth story and how we must tackle crisis of inequality in Africa.

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• Tuesday 02 June 2015, 2-3.30pm

  Careers in Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing

  Speaker: Mario Ferro, CEO, Wedu
  Chair: Dr Silvia Masiero

  About the event:

  Social entrepreneurship and impact investing are spaces growing exponentially and which represent viable career opportunities with personal and financial reward. In this interactive careers workshop for MSc students, Mario Ferro will share his experience starting a social enterprise and suggest how students can join the space by creating jobs.

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• Tuesday 13 May 2015, 6:30-8pm

  Book Launch: Private Wealth and Public Revenue in Latin America

  Speakers: Dr Tasha Fairfield, Dr Robert Falkner, Professor David Soskice
  Chair: Professor Ken Shadlen

  About the event:

  The launch event of this exciting new book will see the author, Dr Tasha Fairfield, discuss issues of tax and inequality with Robert Falkner (International Relations) and David Soskice (Government).

  For more information about the book and for testimonials, see the dedicated publication page >>

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• Tuesday 28 April, 2015, 6:30-8pm (recording)

  The Power of a Single Number: A Political History of GDP

  Speaker: Dr Philipp Lepenies, IASS Potsdam
  Chair: Professor Robert Wade

  About the event:

  As the main indicator for progress, well-being, power and development, GDP has become the most powerful statistic in human history. Any problem that modern governments attempt to solve revert to an approach that revolves around GDP. But why is this so? How could a statistical figure unknown before World War II triumph in this way?

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• Thursday 19 March 2015, 6.30-8pm (recording)

  Engaging Citizens MOOC: A Game Changer for Development?

  Speaker: Various (LSE, ODI, ONE, World Bank, etc.)
  Chair: Abha Joshi-Ghani, World Bank

  About the event:

  Engaging citizens has a vital role to play in the process of development. It helps to improve transparency and accountability of public policies, to build trust with citizens, to forge consensus around important reforms, and to build the political and public support necessary to sustain them.

  A number of institutions, including the London School of Economics, have demonstrated their commitment to this important agenda by developing a MOOC - a free, four-week online course on citizen engagement.

  The course examines the role that citizen engagement can play in improving policymaking and public service delivery, and investigates the impact of new technologies in this process. The course is hosted by Coursera and starts on 15 March.

  The Department of International Development is hosting a launch event on Thursday 19 March, in which a number of themes related to the MOOC will be discussed with a panel of experts.

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• Wednesday 11 March 2015, 6.30-8pm

  Global Security Policy: A part of the problem or answer?

  Speakers: Professor Ken Booth, Àlvaro de Soto, Dr Natasha Marhia, Dr Henry Radice
  Chair: Professor Mary Kaldor

  Hosted by: Civil Society and Human Research Security Research Unit.

  About the event:

  There is a growing sense of insecurity in many parts of the world, reinforced by policy responses that are ineffective and even counterproductive. Is global security policy failing and what can be done? What ideas and instruments can help us meet the security challenges we are facing?

  This panel brings together academics and practitioners with diverse expertise in the security field and marks the publication of The Handbook of Global Security Policy.

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• Wednesday 5 March 2015, 7-8.30pm

  Development in China: A Personal View

  Speaker: Dr Tang Lixia
  Chair: Professor James Putzel

  About the event:

  Since rural economic reform in the late 1970s, China's development agenda has become a hot topic in global development discourse. Dr Tang Lixia shares a personal story of how Chinese life has changed over recent decades.

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• Thursday 19 February 2015, 6-8pm (report)

  'Nowhere to Call Home'

  Speaker: Jocelyn Ford, Director
  Chair: Dr Mayling Birney

  About the event:

  The Department of International Development celebrated Chinese New Year by screening the riveting documentary, 'Nowhere to Call Home: A Tibetan in Beijing', followed by a Q&A session with director Jocelyn Ford.

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• Tuesday 27 January 2015, 6.30-8pm (podcast)

  Sovereigns, Vultures and Ignoble Cowardice

  Speaker: Felix Salmon
  Chair: Professor Ken Shadlen

  About the event:

  Atrocious jurisprudence has plunged Argentina into an unwanted default and upended the world of sovereign debt.