Volume Twenty-Four • Number Seven • 19 February 2001 - News & Views - Press and Information Office

Anna Dixon, Anant Murthy and Dr Elias Mossialos of the European Observatory on Health Care Systems have raised concerns about the way insurers can use information from genetic tests. In an article written by them for February's issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, they point out that the current lack of regulation in the UK has a 'strong potential for the improper use of genetic testing data'.

They say: 'the UK stands alone in its policies towards insurers.' In the US, 28 states either restrict or completely ban any use of genetic data for underwriting purposes. Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and France are among the EC countries that impose legal restrictions on insurers' use of genetic test information. The situation in the UK, the authors argue, leaves the patient vulnerable. The use of genetic test results by insurers may deter individuals from seeking a test, discourage them from disclosing the results to health professionals or family and prevent them from obtaining private medical or life insurance.

In October 2000 the Genetics And Insurance Committee (GAIC) decided to allow life insurers to use genetic test results in assessing the risk of Huntington's disease, and is currently looking at other diseases, including breast cancer. Technological advances will probably lead to the availability of other tests. There are currently no laws regulating the amount of information insurer s can receive from a genetic test result, with obvious implications for patient privacy and confidentiality.

The authors conclude: 'Among the countries that have pursued genetic testing regulations, the GAIC's decision sets the UK apart and opens the way for expanded use of genetic information by insurers without proper consideration of the ethical and social implications'.

New Professor

Stefan Collignon joined the School in January as Centennial Visiting Professor in the European Institute for three years. This post has been created by a generous endowment from Siemens, the first award of this kind made by Siemens to any European University.

During the last two years, Professor Collignon was deputy director general for European questions in the German Federal Finance Ministry, Berlin as well as teaching at Free University, Berlin and the College of Europe in Bruges. Prior to that, he was director of research at the Association for the Monetary Union of Europe in Paris and part-time professor at the Institute of Political Studies, Paris. Between 1986-1989, he was a research fellow at LSE.

The focus of his research and applications has been on monetary union in Europe. His numerous publications include The Sustainability Report, and In Search of Monetary Stability. From Bretton Woods to EMU. He has also written on the monetary aspects of transition in Central and Eastern Europe and on the relationship between human rights and economic development, with particular reference to Burma.

Professor Collignon's expertise on the Euro represents an exceptional asset not only to the Institute, but to the School as a whole. On Wednesday 21 February, at 2pm in D202, Professor Collignon will present a talk on Policy Co-ordination in Euro Land as part of the European Institute Seminar Series.

A case for diplomacy

James Rubin, former spokesman for Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State during the Clinton Administration, gave a lecture at LSE on Monday 5 February. A guest of LSE's Grimshaw Club, Mr Rubin spoke on National Missile Defence (NMD).

In the wake of the Munich 'Wehrkunde' conference, where many European leaders criticised American plans, Mr Rubin outlined a diplomatic strategy which could make the NMD acceptable to all major global powers.

Certain that the NMD is going to become a reality, he emphasised the need to take the security concerns of China and Russia into account. Persuading North Korea (as the most immediate threat) to abandon its nuclear programme would buy time to develop a consensus around a system maximising deterrence towards 'rogue states' while limiting negative effects on global stability.

Mr Rubin urged Europe to take the new security environment seriously if it wanted to influence decisions in Washington. The effect of NMD will thus depend on the diplomatic skill which the Bush administration displays in building an international consensus.

As questions from the audience indicated, many remain yet to be convinced by the need for, and the desirability of, NMD. A case for diplomacy indeed.

The interconnected world

'Cosmopolitics' is the future for global governance, Pascal Lamy, the European Commissioner for Trade, told an audience at LSE on 1 February as he outlined a new direction for the debate on globalisation.

Mr Lamy spoke on Harnessing Globalisation, Do we need Cosmopolitics? at an event organised by Enterprise LSE to mark the launch of Global Dimensions, a new seminar and research programme based at the Centre for the Study of Global Governance, and sponsored by BP.

'We are moving away from the sterile debate of are we for or against globalisation', he said. Globalisation was a multi-faceted, amorphous entity, that could be remodelled to take the blame for all the bad things that happen to individuals, communities, regions, nations, or international society as a whole. Paradoxically, it could contribute to the realisation of individual aspirations, at the same time as it attacked the social fabric that binds us together.

Among policy-makers, too much of the debate on globalisation and global governance revolved around efficiency and effectiveness, and not enough around legitimacy. This left the field of legitimacy entirely open to 'what the press insist on calling the 'anti-globalisation' protesters.'

However, NGOs and civil society could also contribute to legitimisation. By pressing for increased legitimacy in the system, and by fulfilling a demand for new social intermediaries which were not provided elsewhere, they were performing a crucial function of global governance, even if we didn't always like what they said.

Mr Lamy preferred the term 'cosmopolitics' to 'governance' (which sounded like 'governess' and made him think of 'starchy Victorian family values') because it sounded more inclusive of civil society and shifted the emphasis of the debate towards building political support.

'Cosmopolitics', while describing the formation of a new interconnected world of shared, underlying values and weaker differences of 'identity', also described the new kind of politics needed to mediate in the areas where strong differences prevailed.

Mr Lamy said that the Global Dimensions programme, 'and indeed the Global Governance Centre itself, suggests that LSE, true to form, is successfully positioning itself at the cutting edge of this ubiquitous subject called globalisation.'

The fees debate

LSE is pleased that the government has now removed the recent uncertainty surrounding the issue of top up fees, with the announcement by David Blunkett, the Secretary of State for Education, that universities will not be allowed to charge fees above the statutory level. The School has no current plans to introduce fees for home undergraduates above the statutory level.

There has been considerable discussion about the contribution of private funding to the activities undertaken by universities. The work of Dr Nicholas Barr, has played a significant part in the debate about how to bring more finance into undergraduate education.

However, the government's recent announcement - that it will continue existing policy on top up fees - means that it is incumbent upon government itself to ensure that there is an adequate level of resource for universities, if they are to provide the educational, social and economic benefits desired by all. We will be writing to the Secretary of State to this effect.

The School also welcomes the recommendations of the Parliamentary Select Committee to widen participation and hopes that additional funds will be made available for this purpose. LSE is committed to widening participation and is engaged in a number of activities, including Saturday Schools, Summer and Winter Schools, and the BP student mentoring scheme.

International cuisine on the menu

Last week, students and staff were able to sample a range of Moroccan, Cajun, Lebanese, Italian and Spanish dishes in the Brunch Bowl during the Students' Union's Global Week.

But this is not a one-off. International foods are being introduced more and more into LSE menus in an effort to provide customers with a diverse choice at reasonable prices. In addition to the ever popular Indian, Chinese and Italian foods, staff and students are encouraged to provide recipes for their country's national dishes. For example, the Brunch Bowl is currently working with the Mexican Society to produce a range of dishes for Mexican week starting on 28 February.

Liz Thomas, catering services manager, said: 'We constantly listen to customers and try to respond to suggestions wherever possible. LSE's range of nationalities, ages, religious beliefs and social backgrounds makes "getting it right" even more challenging. Unlike most restaurants, our menus change every day - twice daily in the Brunch Bowl - with different dishes freshly cooked each time. This pays off as up to 4,500 customers daily choose our catering services.'

Some other new ideas recently introduced in response to customer feedback have included: a range of organic hot dishes, snacks and drinks in the Robinson Room (3rd floor, Old Building); hot soups, Fair Trade coffee, plus bread and pastries freshly baked on site in Cafe Pepe (3rd floor, Clement House); a noodle and rice stir-fry bar, choice of pastas with sauces and fresh baked pizzas in the Brunch Bowl. Take-away boxes are also available so that hot or cold foods can be taken to the office, park or home. Watch for details of other new ideas in the pipeline.

If you have suggestions or comments about improving LSE's catering services services, please email Liz at e.thomas@lse.ac.uk.

Workshops

To book a place, please contact Jill Ramsay, room H417, ext. 6624, email: j.ramsay@lse.ac.uk.

LSE's Information Systems Department is at the centre of a European web of academic relationships and interests which have made it a pivotal point for theory, research and teaching in the social study of information technology.

This workshop will review the state of research and debate in the field of information systems, calling upon the contributions of leading European and UK researchers, both from outside and inside LSE. They will be asked to present their understanding of how the social sciences can contribute to the study of the development and use of information technology in contemporary society.

Four of the most imaginative scholars in this area: Professors Bo Dahlbom, Ole Hanseth, Richard Boland, and Bruno Latour, have been invited to speak about their perceptions of the direction of this field.

The workshop's aim is to take stock of accomplishments so far and to point to new research directions which would be of interest to scholars of other disciplines: media and communication, international relations, sociology, philosophy, economics, public policy and government.

The workshop is free, but those wishing to attend should contact Ms Emma Peel, ext 6398, email: e.s.peel@lse.ac.uk, fax 020 7955 7385.

Give us your views

How do you think the structure of the School's academic committees could be improved or the tasks that fall on conveners and departmental support staff be handled in a less burdensome way?

The School's Review Group on Academic Management (RGAM) would like to hear comments and views from all members of the School on its proposals for changes to the structure of the School's academic committees and academic departments. You can read some preliminary proposals and take part in a discussion on this via the website and the School's public folders.

RGAM's report is available on the web at www.lse.ac.uk/RGAMconsultation as well as in the Microsoft Outlook Public Folders at Public Folders/Admin/Consultation-Depts & Committees.

Comments should be sent by Friday 2 March as the Group's proposals will be considered by the Academic Board on 14 March.

Academics abroad

Dr Tony Cornford of the Department of Information Systems has recently visited the Rotterdam Business School, Erasmus University Rotterdam. While there he presented a seminar on New Perspectives on Information Systems Implementation and met with staff in the Department of Information and Decision Sciences.

Your chance to win £30

The Library wants to know: is it meeting your Course Collection needs? The annual Course Collection Book Availability Survey takes place on 28 February, 9am to 7pm. Survey forms will be distributed to all those using the Course Collection that day. Completed forms will be entered into a prize draw to win a £30 book token.

Conference

The Government Department is hosting a conference on Transylvania: EU enlargement, regionalism and ethnic politics in Romania, on Saturday 3 March, 9.30am-5.30pm, D202.

The four sessions deal with the issues of: Fated Projects? Reform and Devolution; Is There a Transylvanian Identity and Does it Matter?; 'Provincial' -vs- Regional Politics in Romania; and Hungarian Minority Politics and Transylvania.

Ticket cost: £5 students; £10 academics; £15 others. While tickets will be available at the door, it is advisable to book them in advance. Please contact J Füzesi, ext 7651, Room K105, email: j.c.fuzesi@lse.ac.uk.

Noticeboard

Free Discussion Papers
The CEP wishes to reduce its stock of discussion papers from past years. Anyone interested in obtaining free papers should contact Alastair, tel 020 7955 7673 email: a.c.brett@lse.ac.uk before 12/3/01. Full list available at: http://cep.lse.ac.uk.

Postponement
The E-government Workshop, How Do You Build a Community Online?, due to be held on Wednesday 21 March, has been cancelled until the latter half of June. For further details, please email Emma Peel at: e.s.peel@lse.ac.uk.

CEE Seminar
Friday 2 March, DfEE, Sanctuary Buildings. Lorraine Dearden, Carl Emmerson, Christine Frayne, Alissa Goodman and Costas Meghir: The Impact of the Education Maintenance Allowance on Post-compulsory Education Participation.

The Jacob Bronowski Lecture
Tuesday 6 March, 5.30pm, The Skeel Lecture Theatre, The People's Palace, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road. George Steiner: Masters, Spread Yourselves.

Small ads

Offered: typing, transcription, proof-reading services. Professional, accurate and efficient. Competitive rates. Contact Emma, email: e.proctor@ahvg.maff.gsi.gov.uk, tel 020 7904 6196 or 07752 037454, further information/to discuss.

Wanted: accommodation in London for a visiting German professor, his wife and an 8 year old well-behaved son for 20 June-3 July 2000. Call ext 6767, or email: q.yao@lse.ac.uk.

Summer accommodation wanted: visitor to LSE from Stanford University needs a three bedroom flat from mid-May to mid-July. Please ring 020 7955 7048.

Wanted: flat-share or studio in central London for LSE grad (MSc 2000) recently moved back to London and working in the media. Preferably along the Jubilee, Victoria, Picadilly or Central Lines. Email Kate Galbraith at: kate_galbraith@post.harvard.edu.

To rent: brand new house near Tower Bridge. Three double bedrooms. Two bathrooms with power showers. Kitchen with dishwasher, washing machine. Double garage and off-street parking, Close to London Bridge, Borough, Southwark, Elephant & Castle and Tower Hill tubes. £400 p/w. Call: 01483 472064 or 0956 393624.

Holiday let: apartment in Roman/medieval village in the South Ardeche, France. Sleeps 2 -3. £100 per week (for 2). Tel: 020 7722 3698.

Holiday let in Lot Valley: two attractive, comfortable stone houses (sleep 2-4 and 4-8) each with its own garden area/terrace, sharing large heated swimming pool. Quiet riverside village, bakery, shop, restaurants, tennis court. Beautiful region. Walk, cycle, ride, canoe, fish - all nearby. Available together or separately. From £180 per week fully inclusive. Tel: 01223 311601.

Exchange: visiting lecturer wants to exchange fully furnished, modern flat in Cambridge city centre for similar close to LSE, Apr-Sept. LSE faculty preferred. Email: rs236@cus.cam.ac.uk.

A gift of life. Are you a woman aged 18-33? Would you consider giving the gift of pregnancy? I cannot produce eggs or afford to buy them. Donation would not affect your future conceptions. Donation in central London hospital. Please call hospital on 020 7380 9955 (ref: 8258).

LSE News & Views is published every Monday during term by the Press & Information Office. Printed by Reprographics Department. The aim is to provide a means of communication for all members of the School as well as news and information about people and activities. Articles, news and photographs are welcome. Contributions should be sent to Toni Sym, Press & Information Office, H615, to arrive no later than one week before publication date. All personal ads carry a standard charge of £2 for up to 50 words.

Volume Twenty-Four • Number Seven • 19 February 2001

Concern over UK's genetic testing laws