Lse: Public Lectures And Events

Contributor(s): Leopoldo López | Join us for a public event with Leopoldo López, political leader in Venezuela and prominent advocate for democracy. Mr López will share his experiences as a former leader of the Venezuelan opposition and reflect on the political challenges facing Venezuela today. Leopoldo López is a Venezuelan opposition leader and pro-democracy activist. He founded the Venezuelan opposition party Voluntad Popular and served as mayor of the Chacao municipality in Caracas. In 2014, Leopoldo was arrested on trumped-up charges for leading peaceful, nationwide protests denouncing Nicolás Maduro’s regime. After a 19-month show trial, he was sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison. Today, he continues to be a leading voice in calling for democracy not only in Venezuela but also across the globe. Leopoldo is a co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, which he strongly believes will be instrumental in unifying pro-democracy and human rights activists to combat the global trend toward authoritarianism.

Contributor(s): Dr Michela Giorcelli | British business productivity growth has been lagging for the past couple of decades, and key to the Labour government’s goal of improving economic growth is raising productivity. This lecture explores a period of very high productivity growth in history, WWII, to understand the sources of productivity growth generally. Traditionally, World War II has been considered the source of “an extraordinary surge of growth” in the US, thanks to the advancements in science and technology it pushed. Michela Giorcelli argues that wartime was also a major inflection point in the history of American business. The large-scale diffusion of innovative management practices to US firms involved in war production acted as a technology that put them on a higher growth path for decades, but also helped creating the “American Way” of business.

Contributor(s): Professor Eduardo Bonilla-Silva | In this year’s annual British Journal of Sociology lecture, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva will review the basics of his “racialized social system” with a focus on explaining how he has improved the theoretical apparatus over the years. Specifically, dealing with the import of racial ideology (color-blind racism) and racial grammar as swell as the matter of “racialized emotions” as central to maintain racial order. The lecture will explore his recent and ongoing work on (white) normativity and racial habituation, racial subjects and RWF (regular white folks henceforth), and the various roads to change.

Contributor(s): Professor Jonathan Roberts | Private actions for public benefit - philanthropy, charity, voluntary action or social entrepreneurship - have long been at the core of societies, religions and human activity. Fuelled by increasing frustration at the perceived inability of governments, markets and NGOs to solve social and environmental problems, this arena of private action for public benefit is currently experiencing both resurgence and disruption. New ideologies of doing good stress the importance of maximising the social impact of our altruism and seeking long-term solutions to social problems. Innovative mechanisms of financing and organisation mix business practice with philanthropy and charity, stretching from impact investing and venture philanthropy to the social enterprise and the purpose-driven corporation. These new institutions and approaches to private action for public benefit open valuable new windows for achieving social change. But they also create tensions, puzzles and discomfort

Contributor(s): Professor Sir Michael Marmot | In LSE Health's Annual Lecture, kicking off the centre’s 30th anniversary celebration, Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology at University College London and Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, will outline why the need to reduce inequalities in health is a matter of social justice. In developing strategies for tackling health inequalities we need to confront the social gradient in health, not just the difference between the worst off and everybody else. There is clear evidence when we look across countries that national policies make a difference and that much can be done in cities, towns and local areas. But policies and interventions must not be confined to the health care system; they need to address the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. The evidence shows that economic circumstances are important, but they are not the only drivers of health inequalities. Tackling the health gap will take action, based on sound evi

Contributor(s): Professor Kenneth Chambaere, Professor Emily Jackson, Father Hugh MacKenzie, Professor Alex Voorhoeve | A new bill proposes to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill patients in England and Wales. Many difficult philosophical, moral, legal and social questions are raised by end-of-life legislation. Do people have a right to die? Is suicide ethically permissible? Can we create laws that protect the vulnerable from being pressured into ending their lives? Should psychological as well as physical illnesses be covered by right-to-die laws? How do such laws work in other countries?

Contributor(s): Lord Maurice Saatchi | In an age of conformists and faux-contrarians, Maurice Saatchi has revolutionised British business and politics through his willingness to question received wisdom. He discusses with Larry Kramer his new book Orgasm, a vivid and engaging blend of memoir, philosophy and critical thinking, in which he debunks some of the modern world’s most widely-held social and cultural delusions, in his inimitably witty and pugnacious style.

Contributor(s): Professor Mike Hulme, Professor Elizabeth Robinson | This lecture explores the merits of epistemic pluralism in understanding climate change today. Epistemic pluralism emphasises the need for diverse ways of knowing, analysing, and interpreting climate change—drawing insights from the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. This event is based on a recently published book Climate Change Isn’t Everything by Professor Mike Hulme. In this talk, Professor Hulme will discuss “climatism”, an ideology that reduces politics and society to the singular goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by a given date. Accordingly, this event seeks to broaden the conversation. Hulme critiques climate reductionism, which frames contemporary problems exclusively through the lens of climate science and which overemphasizes the role of climate in shaping the future. Instead, he advocates for a more holistic approach that acknowledges the complexities and indeterminancies of social, political, and ecological sy

Contributor(s): Professor Lilie Chouliaraki, Professor Rosalind Gill, Radha Sarma Hegde, Professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen | Why is being a victim such a potent identity today? Who claims to be a victim, and why? How have such claims changed in the past century? Who benefits and who loses from the struggles over victimhood in public culture? In this timely and incisive book, Lilie Chouliaraki shows how claiming pain is about claiming power: who deserves to be protected as a victim and who should be punished as a perpetrator. She argues that even if suffering is universal, this "politics of pain" is deeply embedded within power relations and ultimately privileges the voices of the powerful over those of the powerless. Unless we come to recognize the suffering of the vulnerable for what it is—a matter not of victimhood but of injustice—Chouliaraki powerfully warns, the culture of victimhood will continue to perpetuate old exclusions and enable further injuries.

Contributor(s): Professor Mukulika Banerjee, Professor David Wengrow | A cultivar is a plant that people have selected for desired traits and which retains those when propagated. This inaugural lecture by Mukulika Banerjee draws on long-term fieldwork among paddy farmers in Bengal to explore the ways in which cultivation - of crops, neighbourly relations, and selves - can help democracy and truthful politics to flourish. It also considers how the university, through its own cultivation of knowledge and debate, is another vital site for nurturing active citizens and a better future.

Contributor(s): Professor Tanya Aplin, Professor Martin Kretschmer, Dr Luke McDonagh, Professor Madhavi Sunder | This event will explore the challenge of artificial intelligence technologies in the creative industries (film, theatre, music, video games). The panel will debate Intellectual Property Law issues related to the training and use of generative AI models that produce works of text, art and music, such as ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion, and will discuss the use of AI in the context of image rights of performers. The panel will explore the legal rights of authors, performers, and users, considering whether AI use can constitute copyright or trade mark infringement, and whether regional or global IP licensing solutions are feasible.

Contributor(s): Professor Mark Thomson, Professor Riccardo Crescenzi, Professor Sarah Sharples | The lecture will explore the cutting-edge frontier of particle physics and astronomy and the pivotal role of major research infrastructures in advancing our fundamental understanding of the universe. It will delve into how groundbreaking scientific endeavours – ranging from understanding dark matter to exploring the early universe – not only push the boundaries of human knowledge but also necessarily catalyse technological innovation. The discussion also will highlight the broader socio-economic impacts of Big Science, including skills development, and real-world applications. By fostering innovation, these large-scale scientific investments provide tangible benefits to the countries, regions, and communities that support them, particularly in the context of intensified global competition for technological leadership.

Contributor(s): Professor Danny Dorling, Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, Professor Kitty Stewart, Polly Toynbee. | Why has absolute deprivation continued to grow in the UK? What role does high inequality play in understanding how we have got to the point of peak injustice? With child mortality rising in the UK and a majority of parents with three or more children going to bed hungry, Danny Dorling looks to the future, highlighting the challenges ahead and identifying solutions for change.

Contributor(s): Professor Shani Orgad, Dr Divya Srivastava, Dr Julia King, Dr Olivia Theocharides-Feldman | Research links: “Listening in times of crisis: The value and limits of radio phone-in shows” by Shani Orgad, Divya Srivastava, and Diana Olaleye https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/01634437241308729?af=R Making Space for Girls project, with Dr Julia King and Olivia Theocharides-Feldman https://www.lse.ac.uk/Cities/research/cities-space-and-society/Making-Space-For-Girls We’re keen to find out more about our audience so we can better tailor our content to suit your interests. With this in mind, we would be grateful if you could please take the time to fill out this short survey and share your feedback.

Contributor(s): Professor Cormac Ó Gráda | In his latest book, which forms the basis of this lecture, Cormac O'Grada argues that previous estimates of civilian deaths in the two world wars are almost certainly too low. By carefully evaluating the available evidence, he estimates that these wars cost not the 35 million lives commonly agreed on but, in reality, 65 million lives - nearly two thirds of the 100 million total killed. O'Grada's book is the first to attempt to measure and describe the full scale of civilian deaths from all causes including genocide, starvation, aerial bombardment and disease. As he shows, getting the numbers right is important as it enables us to argue with those who try to deny, minimise, or exaggerate wartime savagery.

Contributor(s): Professor Allison Pugh | Allison Pugh explains how we have ended up in a moment in which machines have time for people, while human workers rush by, bent to the dictates of the industrial clock, and maps out its implications for the future of our social health. Critics commonly warn about three primary hazards of AI – job disruption, bias, and surveillance/privacy concerns. Yet the conventional story of AI’s dangers is missing a vital issue and blinding us to its role in a cresting “depersonalisation crisis.” If we are concerned about increasing loneliness and social fragmentation, then we need to reckon with how technologies enable or impede human connection.

Contributor(s): Dr Benjamin Braun, Professor Brett Christophers, Professor Daniela Gabor | As the climate emergency intensifies, the efficacy of market-based solutions is under growing scrutiny. Can capitalism solve a crisis of its own making? Is "green growth" a path to transformative change, or will it solely legitimise and perpetuate systemic inequalities? Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the opportunities and challenges of market-based solutions in bringing about a livable and fair future for all.

Contributor(s): Teresa Ribera | Join us for this special event at which European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera will take to the stage at LSE. In an era of rising inequality and economic transformation, the question of how to achieve fair and inclusive prosperity is more pressing than ever. At the same time, the green transition is reshaping industries, labor markets, and policies worldwide. But can economic justice be realized without a strong environmental agenda? Is sustainability a prerequisite for long-term prosperity, or can alternative paths lead to fair growth? This exclusive dialogue with Teresa Ribera, invites participants to delve into these pressing questions. With a distinguished background in environmental law and policy, Ribera brings a wealth of experience in crafting strategies that bridge economic growth with environmental stewardship.

Contributor(s): Dr Onni Gust, Professor Susan Stryker | This thought-provoking conversation will bring together diverse expertise to critically examine and address the urgent socio-political challenges of our time. As gender-critical feminism and right-wing populist movements gain traction globally, it becomes increasingly critical to examine the deep historical and structural roots of these ideologies in colonialism, neoliberalism, and biopolitical regimes. These systems have long functioned to regulate bodies, identities, and communities, wielding power to sustain racialised, gendered, and class-based hierarchies.

Contributor(s): Professor Mark Pennington | What are the implications of Michel Foucault’s critical social theories for how we think about freedom, power, and justice? Political economist Mark Pennington will address this question exploring themes from his forthcoming book Foucault and Liberal Political Economy: Power, Knowledge and Freedom. Pennington provides a unique engagement between Foucault’s account of power and knowledge and the most prominent theories of social justice in the liberal and social democratic traditions. He will suggest that the "positive" freedoms and rights favoured by contemporary liberal egalitarians, social democrats and standpoint theorists threaten to encase people in a web of bio-political surveillance "technologies" that narrow their scope to act as self-creating individuals. Building on this Foucauldian critique he will suggest that if we are to avoid the dangers of this species of "over-government" we may be best placed to re-explore the value of the "negative" freedoms and r