Volume Twenty-Nine • Number Four • 28 October 2002 - News & Views - Press and Information Office

LSE is launching a dual MPA (Master of Public Administration) with the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University in the city of New York.

The new MPA programme will start in 2003. It is aimed at existing top-level officials, those hoping to be officials, or those seeking to exert influence on policy makers. Potential students are expected to work in central, regional and local government, and on such policy areas as finance, health or housing in the UK, the rest of Europe or in the US.

The LSE/Columbia MPA will be the first UK MPA to offer an international dual element of teaching. Students can opt to undertake the full 21 month programme entirely at LSE or entirely at SIPA, or to take the dual degree programme by studying at both LSE and SIPA.

At a launch event at the School, Professor George Jones of the Government Department highlighted the 'hard edged analytical skills' at the core of the new programme, reflecting too that LSE's study of public policy dates back to the School's establishment in 1895.

'This programme offers students unrivalled experience in two of the world's leading cities as well as expert teaching from the internationally renowned faculty of two premier educational institutions,' said SIPA dean Lisa Anderson.

Professor Patrick Dunleavy, chair of LSE's Public Policy Group, within which the MPA will be based, said: 'Policy making has become very complex - citizens find it hard to understand and so do governments.

'We believe this new MPA will offer professional expertise and techniques of analysis that use rigorous methods rooted in economics but also take account of international, political, social and cultural factors. There is a serious lack of such analytical capacity, both quantitative and qualitative, which this programme aims to fill by developing a trained community of policy analysts and evaluators.'

The dual MPA is one of the first tangible outcomes of an alliance between LSE and Columbia University. This alliance links the two universities in teaching, research, fund-raising and other related activities, and has already convened an environmental State of the Planet conference in May 2002 on the world summit themes around sustainable development.

Global Civil Society 2002 launch

On 7 October, the LSE's second Global Civil Society yearbook, Global Civil Society 2002, was launched with a press conference and public debate in the Old Theatre.

This debate was chaired by Anna Ford, with the panel comprising journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, author Naomi Klein, and LSE academics Chris Brown and Mary Kaldor.

Drawing on the yearbook's opening chapter, Mary Kaldor discussed how the terrorist attacks of 11 September, and the subsequent war on terrorism, had affected global civil society. In the first instance, she argued, the attacks themselves were an attack on global civil society because fundamentalism and terrorism are diametrically opposed to the idea of global civil society.

The response of the Bush administration, as well as many other governments, was also harmful to global civil society, she added, both because of its polarising rhetoric and its military and repressive methods. However, since then, global civil society has begun to respond by developing new synergies between the peace movement, the anti-capitalist movement, and Muslim communities.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown opened her speech by saying that, while the tragedy of 11 September should not be played down, it should not be seen as a monumental benchmark in world history. For her, the massacre at Srebrenica had been the moment when she lost her sense of security. She pointed out that the US had had tremendous sympathy from people worldwide, but had squandered it with its approach to the war on terrorism.

Chris Brown's view was that 11 September merely provided a reality check to post-Cold War utopians. He expressed scepticism about the idea of a global civil society on the basis that a healthy, functioning civil society cannot really exist without a healthy, functioning state.

He went on to say that 11 September showed once again that the global level simply does not have the enforcement machinery that a state has, and that calls for non-violent dialogue of civil society activists will not stop the 'nasty people' of all faiths who wish to kill innocent people.

Naomi Klein confirmed the analysis in the first chapter of the yearbook that, just before 11 September, global civil society was beginning to be taken seriously with invitations to engage in dialogue with corporations and international financial institutions. However, in her view, this was not an entirely healthy and happy development as many of the so-called dialogues took place in private and were subsequently used by the power-holders as proof that they were 'consulting' civil society. The partners in dialogue were, she added, hand-picked and few in number, and could not 'represent' the movement.

Global Civil Society 2002 is available from the Centre for the study of Global Governance (email: r.field@lse.ac.uk or call ext 6628), or from major academic bookstores.

Obituary

Professor Snape gained his PhD from LSE in 1962 and had a distinguished academic career at Monash University, Australia, as Professor of Economics from 1971 until his retirement.

His first published articles were based on his doctoral research in the economics of the world sugar industry. Among his academic distinctions, Snape was a fellow of the Australian Academy of the Social Sciences and was elected a distinguished fellow of the Economic Society of Australia.He combined his academic career with a parallel career in a variety of appointments, contributing to the development of public economic policy in Australia and in its implementation. Snape was well known outside Australia for his work on both the theory and practice of international trade policy.

Public lectures

Goran Svilanovic
The Burden of Historical Perceptions and the Way Forward for Yugoslavia and the Balkans

Free but ticketed. Email: s.w.quinn-judge@lse.ac.uk (staff); LSESU reception, East Building (students).

Professor Bill Hillier
Space Matters: the hard thing is to say how it matters

Bill Hillier is the original pioneer of the methods for the analysis of spatial patterns known as 'space syntax'. In this illustrated lecture, he will describe his 'configurational emergence' approach to space within challenges the theoretical assumption that space is just the neutral receptor of whatever society imposes on it.

Professor Oscar H Gandy jr
Data Mining, Discrimination and the Decline of the Public Sphere

This lecture explores the ways in which data mining, and a host of discriminatory techniques that have been developed in support of the marketing of commercial goods, are being applied to the management of the public sphere.

Debate

The European Institute with SIPA, Columbia University, and International Relations, LSE

Gwyn Prins, Jack Snyder; disucssant: Margot Light
From Inter-regnum to General Crisis: a discussion on trends in international politics now

This event marks a further celebration of LSE's strategic alliance with Columbia and will centre on current world politics.

Gwyn Prins is the first new Alliance Research Professor to be affiliated jointly with LSE and Columbia and is the author of Heart of War. Jack Snyder, former director, Institute for War and Peace, Columbia, is about to publish a new book on democracy and war. Margot Light is Professor of International Relations and, with Karen Smith, co-edited Ethics and Foreign Policy.

IT Services /Library training courses

Library: Information skills training for all
No booking necessary. All classes are held in the Library Training Room.

Recruitment scheme

A new scheme aimed at tackling recruitment difficulties at Commonwealth universities is being launched by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). The Retired Academics Database (RAD) will comprise a worldwide register of retired academics who are willing to undertake short-term contracts at overseas universities, mainly in Africa and Asia.

While the scheme is primarily aimed at retired academics, the ACU is also interested in hearing from academics at earlier stages in their careers who would be interested in undertaking such assignments. Further information can be found at: www.acu.ac.uk/adverts/rad.

Exploring e-sources

IT Services, the Library, and the Centre for Learning Technology staff will be holding an event on Wednesday 27 Nov, 10.30am-3.30pm and Thursday 28 November, 10.30am-2pm, in A588, at which academics and PhD students can find out about electronic teaching, learning and research resources at LSE. Coffee and snacks will be provided.

Whether you'd like to learn about a new software package you could make use of in your teaching or research, have a specific information query you'd like resolved, or are simply interested in an overview of the online resources available, our expert IT and Library staff will be on hand to guide you through the process. We will have specialist information stands covering:

Teaching and Learning Development

Academic Development Workshops
An Introduction to WebCT: how it can benefit your course

Aimed at staff who may be interested in using WebCT, a virtual learning environment used within the School.

WebCT is an effective framework for providing web-based resources, course information, computer conferences, discussion areas, and online assessment. It is already used extensively within the School and this session will provide an opportunity to see ways in which others have used it and to discuss with CLT staff how it might become part of your course.

This course is aimed at those who wish to develop their lecturing skills. Each participant will have the opportunity to present a 'mini-lecture' which will be videoed, reviewed and discussed in the group. The session will include pointers on presentation skills. This workshop is limited to a maximum of six people. Further sessions can be arranged as required.

The Teaching and Learning Development Office offers a drop-in service for students facing difficulties with essay/dissertation writing, study, reading etc. Students can book a 45-minute appointment with Dr Peter Levin on Mondays or Thursdays, 1-6pm.

For students facing numeracy/quantitative study problems, Tony Whelan and David Balmer will be available for drop-in tutorials on Tuesdays, 11.15am-12.45pm and 2.30-4.30pm.

Advanced booking is advisable as sessions fill up quickly. Email: s.haines@lse.ac.uk. The venue for all session is H417. If you would like further details or would like to make a booking, please contact Rebecca Trumble, email: r.j.trumble@lse.ac.uk, ext 6624.

Disability equality

About 40 students with disabilities and/or dyslexia met for lunch on Tuesday 15 October to prepare for the next Disability Consultative Forum Meeting.

The meeting will be the first to be held under the new School committees' structure and will report to the Teaching and Learning Committee and Student Affairs Committee

This is an encouraging step forward which should make it easier to address issues raised and influence School policy. The next meeting will take place on Wedndesday 30 October at 2pm in room D209. The agenda will include:

Media bites

Noticeboard

Lunch hour concert
Allegro Ensemble, a quartet of Venezuelan, British, and Spanish musicians specialising in Latin American music will be performing on Thursday 31 October, 1pm, in the Shaw Library. The ensemble met as postgraduates at the Royal Academy of Music and, since 1998, have performed at many venues in the UK and abroad.

This performance includes music from baroque (using period instruments) to modern and folk music, including: Piazzolla, L'Histoire du Tango (Bordello, Café, Night-club, Concert d'aujourd-hui); Pujol, Suite Buenos Aires (Pompeya, Palermo, San Telmo); and Lecuona, Galindez, Perez Bravini, Lauro, Fernandez, and Villa-Lobos.

Learn for You
The next committee meeting for Learn for You will be held on 4 November so if you would like to put in an application, you'll need do so before that date. Application forms can also be collected from U1006 or by emailing: learn.for.you@lse.ac.uk.

St Giles-in-the-Field Lecture
Monday 4 November, 6.15pm, 60 St Giles High Street, London. The Very Revd Keith Jones, Dean of Exeter: The Mystical Tradition of Prayer.

Human Rights Lunchtime Lecture
Thursday 7 November, 1pm, Great Hall, King's College. George Joffe, Centre for International Studies, Cambridge: Reluctant Imperialism: human rights, regime change and pre-emptive intervention.

Education, Business and the Community conference
The Higher Education Funding Council for England and the University of Surrey will host the first Higher Education Working with Business and the Community conference, Celebrating Achievement - Developing Potential, on 7-9 January 2003.

The conference aims to support and develop the professional capabilities of those working on third leg activities within higher education by disseminating good practice and developing strategic planning. Those attending will represent higher education, employers, business intermediaries and resource agencies.

Word Processing and Typing Service offered: APA Secretarial provides an efficient and professional service with a no hassle guarantee. For more details please email apasecretarial@btinternet.com. You can also call us on 01273 488220. We are Sussex based but with a national reputation.

To let: delightful, self-contained, fully equipped one bedroom flat in Georgian square adjacent to Imperial War Museum. Just over 1 mile from LSE. Suit couple/single person. £200 p/w plus utilities. Tel: 020 7735 3116, fax: 020 7587 1681.

Offer: LA Fitness membership, £55 per month, starting ASAP, near LSE, full training equipment, swimming pool, sauna, steam room, aerobics and spin classes, and spa facilities; save £75 joining fee. Contact: Freyan Panthaki, tel 07789 717492, email: f.panthaki@lse.ac.uk.

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, 6th Floor, Tower 1, 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-Nine • Number Four • 28 October 2002

LSE people

Launch of dual MPA