Contributor(s): Dr Helen Pearson | On 5th March 1946 a survey began that is, today, the longest-running study of human development in the world, and has grown to encompass six generations of children and over 70,000 people. They have become some of the best-studied people on the planet. The simple act of observing human life has changed the way we are born, schooled, parent and die, and irrevocably altered our understanding of inequality and health. In this lecture Helen Pearson will talk about her new book, The Life Project: The Extraordinary Story of 70,000 Ordinary Lives, which is the tale of these studies, the scientists who created and sustain them, the discoveries that have come from them. The envy of scientists around the world, they are one of Britain's best-kept secrets. Helen Pearson (@hcpearson) is a science journalist and editor for the international science journal Nature. She has been writing for Nature since 2001 and her stories have won accolades including the 2010 Wistar Institute Science Journalism Award and two Best Feature awards from the Association of British Science Writers. Mike Savage (@MikeSav47032563) is Martin White Professor of Sociology, head of the department of Sociology and Co-Director of the LSE International Inequalities Institute. The Department of Sociology at LSE (@LSEsociology) was established in 1904 and remains committed to top quality teaching and leading research and scholarship today.…

Contributor(s): Pierre Vimont | The Ukraine crisis marked the return of geopolitics in Europe. Can the EU, which has been originally designed to prevent geopolitics inside its borders, act as decisive foreign policy actor outside of them? How to cope in particular with the severe and manifold crisis in its neighbourhoods? Pierre Vimont is Senior Associate at Carnegie Europe. Robert Falkner (@robert_falkner) is Associate Professor in International Relations at LSE. LSE IDEAS (@LSEIDEAS) is a foreign policy think-tank within LSE's Institute for Global Affairs.…

Contributor(s): Hilary Benn | Hilary Benn (@hilarybennmp) is the Labour Member of Parliament for Leeds Central and the Shadow Foreign Secretary. Previously, he served as International Development Secretary, as a Minister in the Home Office, as Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons and the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Tony Travers is Director of LSE London, a research centre at the London School of Economics. British Government @ LSE (@lsegovernment) is an initiative currently based in the Government Department to promote and develop research on British Government being conducted at the LSE. So far world class speakers have attended our events, talking on a range of topics.…

Contributor(s): Johan Ahlback, Dr Joseph Hanlon, Dr Jouni Kuha | 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. This is a first report on a unique project to put the journalists and statisticians together - and test the official outcome of five presidential elections. Johan Ahlback is a PhD student in the Department of Government at LSE. Joseph Hanlon is a Visiting Fellow in International Development at LSE. Jouni Kuha is an Associate Professor of Statistics and Research Methodology in the Department of Statistics at LSE. Wendy Willems is an Associate Professor in the Media & Communications Department at LSE. A blog post entitled Mozambique returns to war, as opposition claims electoral ‘fraud’ by Johan Ahlback and Dr Joseph Hanlon is available to read at the LSE Department of International Development Blog. The Department of International Development (@LSE_ID) promotes interdisciplinary post-graduate teaching and research on processes of social, political and economic development and change. The Department of Statistics (@StatsDeptLSE) enjoys a vibrant research environment and offers a comprehensive programme of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Statistics.…

Contributor(s): Dr Christopher Bennett, Professor Kimberley Brownlee, Andrew Neilson | In this time of austerity, many of those who want a small state are also committed to a highly expensive criminal justice apparatus that has little demonstrable deterrent effect. But are there other, more direct arguments against the use of imprisonment as a dominant form of punishment? If so, what are they? Why do they so often fall on deaf ears? And does the current economic climate make it more likely that those in power will listen? Christopher Bennett is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Sheffield. Kimberley Brownlee is Associate Professor in Legal and Moral Philosophy at the University of Warwick. Andrew Neilson is from theHoward League for Penal Reform. Peter Dennis is a Fellow in the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, LSE and a Forum for European Philosophy Fellow. The Forum for European Philosophy (@ForumPhilosophy) is an educational charity that organises a full and varied programme of philosophy and interdisciplinary events in the UK.…

Contributor(s): Professor Stuart Green | The work discussed in this lecture is part of a much larger, book-length project titled Criminalizing Sex: A Unified Theory. Although the incidence of voyeurism and indecent exposure is relatively low compared to other sexual offences, both crimes raise important questions about the proper scope of the criminal law in a liberal society, the resolution of competing rights to sexual autonomy, and the nature of privacy rights in our digital age. This lecture will consider four basic points: First, the wrongs entailed by voyeurism and indecent exposure are in some sense reciprocal. The former involves a violation of the victim’s right to exclude others from her private sexual domain; the latter involves a violation of the victim’s right not to be included in the private sexual domain of others. Second, the harms entailed by both voyeurism and indecent exposure are often elusive. While the exhibitionist typically intends to cause shock or dismay in his victim through his exposure, the voyeur normally intends that his victim will be unaware of his act. Any harm that results from either offence is at most psychological and, in the case of voyeurism, often lacking entirely. Third, while the “offence” caused by voyeurism is relatively straightforward, the offense caused by indecent exposure is more contested, more sensitive to cultural variation and individual tolerances, and more likely to vary depending on the specific purposes for which such conduct is performed. Finally, the means by which a potential victim of voyeurism or indecent exposure loses her right not to be exposed to such conduct are quite different from the means by which a potential victim loses her right not to be raped or sexually assaulted. There is no requirement that the potential victim must give her voluntary consent; it is normally sufficient that she assume the risk of exposure. Stuart Green is Distinguished Professor of Law at Rutgers University and Visiting Leverhulme Professor at LSE Law for 2016-17. Jeremy Horder is Professor of Criminal Law and Head of LSE Law. LSE Law (@lselaw) is an integral part of the School's mission, plays a major role in policy debates & in the education of lawyers and law teachers from around the world.…

Contributor(s): Professor Ian Morris | Changes in how we capture energy from the environment have determined the degree of inequality in society – but what does this mean for the future? Ian Morris is Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at LSE IDEAS for 2015-16. LSE IDEAS (@LSEIDEAS) is a foreign policy think-tank within LSE's Institute for Global Affairs.…

Contributor(s): Siv Jensen | The low oil price is testing the Norwegian economy’s flexibility and ability to re-adjust. Economic policy should facilitate restructuring and stimulate productivity growth. Open and well-functioning markets – both domestically and internationally – are important to succeed. Siv Jensen (@Siv_Jensen_FrP) is Norwegian Minister of Finance, a position she has held since October 2013. She is a long serving member of the Norwegian Parliament and leader of the Progress Party. In Parliament, Ms Jensen has served as member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs and Defence and Chair of the Financial Committee. She started her political career as member of Oslo City Council. Iain Begg is Professorial Research Fellow at the European Institute, LSE. The LSE European Institute (@LSEEI) was established in 1991 as a dedicated centre for the interdisciplinary study of processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. In the most recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) the Institute was ranked first for research in its sector.…

Contributor(s): Dr Keyu Jin | Dr Keyu Jin will discuss the impact of China’s financial reforms. Keyu Jin (@KeyuJin) is a Lecturer in the Department of Economics and a member of the Centre for Macroeconomics and Centre for Economic Performance. The Department of Economics at LSE (@LSEEcon) is one of the largest economics departments in the world. Its size ensures that all areas of economics are strongly represented in both research and teaching. The Centre For Macroeconomics (@CFMUK) brings together world-class experts to carry out pioneering research on the global economic crisis and to help design policies that alleviate it.…

Contributor(s): Professor Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni | The university in South Africa became a key site of struggle in 2015. Faculty and university leadership were taken by surprise as students demanded a change in the curriculum and increased access to affordable education. The protests were spearheaded by students part of the Rhodes Must Fall Movement (RMF) at the University of Cape Town but were later taken forward by a range of movements at other universities, including the University of Oxford. The student struggles expanded into broader demands for decolonisation, transformation and Africanisation. This public lecture examines why the university in South Africa has become a site of struggle and aims to make sense of the recent rise of student movements. Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni is Director of Scholarship in the Change Management Unit in the Vice-Chancellor’s Office at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria, and the founder and coordinator of the Africa Decolonial Research Network (ADERN). He is a historian and decolonial theorist who has published extensively in African history, politics, and development. His most recent books include Mugabeism? History, Politics and Power in Zimbabwe (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015); The Decolonial Mandela: Peace, Justice and the Politics of Life (Berghahn Books, 2016); and Empire, Global Coloniality and African Subjectivity (Berghahn Books, 2013). He is currently working on a co-edited book provisionally entitled Epistemic Break in Humanities and Social Sciences: Towards Decolonization of the African University. Wendy Willems is Assistant Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Africa Talks is a programme of high-profile events that creates a platform for African voices to inform and transform the global debate.…

Contributor(s): Javier Marías | Distinguished Spanish novelist Javier Marías discusses his latest work with the historian Paul Preston. Javier Marías is the author of sixteen works in Spanish, which have been translated into forty-two languages. His latest novel, Thus Bad Begins, explores the cruel, tender punishments we exact on those we love. Paul Preston is Professor of Contemporary Spanish Studies and Director of the Cañada Blanch Centre at LSE. He is author of The Spanish Holocaust: Inquisition and Extermination in Twentieth-Century Spain. The Cañada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Spanish Studies is part of the European Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science and is the focus of a flourishing interest in contemporary Spain in Britain.…

Contributor(s): Professor José van Dijck, Professor Sonia Livingstone | Online platforms are penetrating the organisation of societies, disrupting private and public sectors. What is their impact on the governance of public life and social order? José van Dijck is Professor of Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam and President of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Sonia Livingstone (@Livingstone_S) is Professor of Social Psychology in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE. Andrew Murray (@AndrewDMurray) is Professor of Law with particular reference to New Media and Technology Law at LSE. LSE Law (@lselaw) is an integral part of the School's mission, plays a major role in policy debates & in the education of lawyers and law teachers from around the world. The Department of Media and Communications (@MediaLSE) undertakes outstanding and innovative research and provides excellent research-based graduate programmes for the study of media and communications. The Department was established in 2003 and in 2014 our research was ranked number 1 in the most recent UK research evaluation, with 91% of research outputs ranked world-leading or internationally excellent.…

Contributor(s): Caroline Lucas | Caroline Lucas will explore the role of the EU as a force for progress; the likely impact of the EU referendum campaign and what green progress means in the EU context. Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) is MP for Brighton Pavilion and former Leader of the Green Party. Robin Archer is Director of the Ralph Miliband Programme at LSE. The Ralph Miliband Programme (@rmilibandlse) is one of LSE's most prestigious lecture series and seeks to advance Ralph Miliband's spirit of free social inquiry.…

Contributor(s): Dr Wolfgang Schäuble | Wolfgang Schäuble is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has served as Germany’s Federal Minister of Finance in the second and third Merkel cabinets since 2009. Involved at the centre of the crisis management efforts to save the euro, the Wall Street Journal called Schäuble “Germany’s second most powerful person after Chancellor Merkel”. Between 1998 to 2000 he was CDU party chairman, and served again as Federal Minister of the Interior in the first Merkel cabinet from 2005 to 2009. Kevin Featherstone is Head of the European Institute, Eleftherios Venizelos Professor of Contemporary Greek Studies and Director of the Hellenic Observatory at LSE. This event is part of the LSESU German Society’s (@SuSocGerman) Annual German Symposium which takes place from 29 February to 4 March. Details about all of the events which make up this year’s Symposium can be found at German Symposium 2016. The LSE European Institute (@LSEEI) is celebrating its Twenty Fifth Anniversary in 2016. It is a centre for research and graduate teaching on the processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. In the most recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) the Institute was ranked first for research in its sector.…

Contributor(s): Kate Andrews, Steve Erlanger, Gideon Rachman, Stephanie Rickard, Peter Trubowitz | On the 1st of March millions of American voters in 12 states will go to the polls in the 2016 US presidential election's 'Super Tuesday’ primary. The race so far has been unlike any in recent memory with the rise of outsider candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties which has led to the most open-ended election in decades. Super Tuesday will make the direction of the race much clearer on both sides, paving the way for the party conventions in the early summer. Join us for a lively evening of discussion and debate with six experts on US politics. Kate Andrews (@KateAndrs) is News Editor at the Institute for Economic Affairs. Kate was former Head of Communications and a Research Fellow at the Adam Smith Institute. Kate has previously worked for the Institute of Economic Affairs, Townhall.com, the Open Currency Standard think tank and on Mitt Romney’s and Linda McMahon’s campaigns. Steve Erlanger (@StevenErlanger) is London bureau chief for the New York Times, having moved here in August 2013 after more than five years as the paper's bureau chief in Paris. Erlanger joined the NYT in September 1987. Gideon Rachman (@gideonrachman) became chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times in July 2006. He joined the FT after a 15-year career at The Economist, which included spells as a foreign correspondent in Brussels, Washington and Bangkok. He also edited The Economist’s business and Asia sections. His particular interests include American foreign policy, the European Union and globalisation. Stephanie J. Rickard (@SJRickard) is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics in the Department of Government. She earned her PhD at the University of California, San Diego and her BA at the University of Rochester. Her research examines the effects of political institutions on economic policies. Peter Trubowitz (@ptrubowitz) is Professor of International Relations and Director of the US Centre at LSE. His most recent book is Politics and Strategy: Partisan Ambition and American Statecraft (Princeton University Press). Michael Cox is Director of LSE Ideas and Emeritus Professor of International Relations at LSE. The United States Centre at LSE (@LSE_US) is a hub for global expertise, analysis and commentary on America. Its mission is to promote policy-relevant and internationally-oriented scholarship to meet the growing demand for fresh analysis and critical debate on the United States.…