11.123 Big Plans (MIT)
This course explores social, technological, political, economic, and cultural implications of "Big Plans" in the urban context. Local and international case studies (such as Boston's Central Artery and Curitiba, Brazil's bus transit system) are used to understand the process of making major changes to the city fabric. The efficacy of top-down and bottom-up planning and the applicability of planning strategies across cultural boundaries are considered.
Boston University's Prof Cathie Jo Martin talks to Warwick's Prof Wyn Grant about her research in th
IAS Visiting Fellow Prof Cathie Jo Martin, Professor of Political Science at Boston University and chair of the Council for European Studies talks to the University of Warwick's Professor Wyn Grant about her research and new book which focuses on the origins of coordinated capitalism and the circumstances under which employers are persuaded to endorse social policies, promoting economic productivity and social solidarity.
Beyond the Genome: the challenge of synthetic biology
The 1970s introduced genetic modification, the 1990s cloning and GM food, and the human genome was sequenced in 2000. Synthetic biology is heralded as the next frontier. But what is synthetic biology and how do we imagine its future directions? What are the implications of this new field for scientists, lawyers, regulators and ethicists? What social and political challenges does it pose and what role will the social sciences, the humanities and the public play in shaping the direction of this ne
Migration North to Alaska
This site offers suggestions for projects that use the Archives' photographs, letters, drawings, and it highlights economic, social, and political factors that prompted thousands to migrate to Alaska.
What is Wrong with Secularism of all Sorts? Priority for Democracy
The lecture presents a contextualised criticism of first and second order myths of secularisms and of the conflation of liberal-democratic institutions with secular ones, and argues for the priority of liberal democracy. Veit Bader holds chairs in sociology, and social and political philosophy, both at the Universiteit van Amsterdam.
Economic Agendas in a Global Context: reflections on the role of Korea
The global economy is going through a turbulent time and it is time for a fundamental re-design of the global economic system. In doing this, Korea has a unique set of assets to provide. It is one of the few countries that have transformed itself from one of the poorest to the one of the industrialized in living memory, so it can understand the concerns that span across a huge spectrum of countries. In this lecture, Ha-Joon Chang will discuss how Korea can, and should, contribute to the reform o
The Politics of Mobility
Sprawl versus dense? Public transport versus private car? This debate will outline how London's transport strategy shapes - and is shaped by - environmental policy, quality of life and political imperatives. Peter Hendy is commissioner of Transport for London.
Ross Cranston, QC in Conversation with Lord Mackay of Clashfern
The separation of powers idea is at the heart of all legal democracies. Yet within those democracies there will often be positions of high office which require their holders to perform functions which are both legal and political. In this series of events senior figures who hold or have held positions of this type talk about their lives in the law, the nature of their office, the institutions which they serve, their roles and responsibilities within those institutions, the role of lawyers in gov
LSE Literary Weekend - Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire
Editors note: Unfortunately the last few minutes of this event are missing from the podcast. Iain Sinclair is a writer, poet and film-maker and widely regarded as one of London's greatest chroniclers. Jerry White has been writing about London for thirty years. His London in the Twentieth Century: A City and Its People won the Wolfson History Prize 2001. Patrick Wright is a writer with an interest in the cultural and political dimensions of modern history. He is the author of a number of highly a
Capitalism 3.0
Capitalism needs to be reinvented for a new century in which the forces of economic globalization are much more powerful than before. Just as Adam Smith's minimal capitalism was transformed into Keynes' mixed economy, we need to contemplate a transition from the national version of the mixed economy to its global counterpart. We have to imagine a better balance between markets and their supporting institutions at the global level. Sometimes, this will require extending institutions outward from
The Post-American World and the Rise of the Rest
In this lecture, Fareed Zakaria will expound on the 'The Post-American World'; a world in which the United States no longer dominates the global economy, orchestrates geopolitics or overwhelms cultures. He will explain how the 'rise of the rest' - the growth of countries like China, India, Brazil, Russia, and many others - is the great story of our time. He will also explain how economic growth in any given country produces political confidence, national pride, and international problems. What d
Housing Markets and the Global Financial Crisis
Residential property is the single largest asset in people's everyday lives and its associated mortgage debt constitutes one of the biggest financial assets in most economies. Yet political economy largely ignores both. We know that the kind of housing people occupy and their level of debt affects their preferences for the level of public spending, taxation, and inflation. Housing is intimately tied to welfare systems and can be seen as a social right or as a means to acquire wealth over one's l
The current state of the economy
The recent collapse of financial markets plunged economies around the world into recession. The series of events following the downfall of Lehman Brothers last September scripted an unprecedented chapter in economic history. Whether it was enormous bail-out packages, monetary policy or quantitative easing, economies around the world took expansive steps to stay afloat. This leaves us in a very sensitive and interesting position today. Is the worst over? With US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke
The Future of Global Capitalism, Convergence or Divergence Across the World
This event brings together Martin Jacques, Professor Michael Cox, and Professor Robert Wade to debate the changing nature and form of modern capitalism and to explore some of the challenges that will confront capitalism in the years ahead. Martin Jacques is the author of When China Rules the World: the Rise of the Middle Kingdom and the End of the Western World, and a Senior Visiting Fellow at LSE IDEAS. Michael Cox is professor of international relations and co-director of LSE IDEAS. Robert Wad
LSE Literary Weekend - At the margins - are hard times good times for literature?
Editors note: We apologise for the poor audio quality of this podcast. The UK has been buffeted by financial crises and an economic collapse which have seen public debt soar and corporate budgets constrict. The publishing industry has arguably seen its worst financial year in decades, with flagging book sales and dwindling literature coverage in the national press. How will literature will fare in the current climate, and in the years to come? Will major publishers' dwindling revenues mean fewer
LSE Literary Festival - How to write a novel- an introduction for beginners with Justine Mann
Does the task of writing a novel both excite and daunt you? Using the political novel as an example, this workshop will examine how to progress from initial ideas to a successful draft. Participants should emerge with an understanding of the task that lies ahead and a greater sense of what is required in terms of structure, characterisation and plot.
LSE Literary Weekend - Theatre of Action?
Editors note: We apologise for the poor audio quality of this podcast. Theatre has a rich tradition of raising political issues, as evidenced in LSE founder George Bernard Shaw’s work. A discussion between a playwright and director on whether contemporary drama still aims to challenge audiences.
Jimmy Stewart Is Dead -- Ending the World's Ongoing Financial Plague with Limited Purpose Banking
Let's call a spade a spade. Today's financial system, with its limited liability, insider rating, political kickbacks, director sweetheart deals, non disclosure, and internal corporate raiders, was built for hucksters -- hucksters who systematically manufactured and sold trillions in fraudulent securities, grabbed hoards of loot, and left the public to pick up the pieces.
HIV/AIDS In Uganda: How Anti-Retrovirals Change People's Lives.
Until only a few years ago, an AIDS diagnosis in Africa was seen as the harbinger of an inevitable and lingering death. In rich countries, anti-retroviral therapy has made AIDS a manageable condition for most infected people. The challenge has been to provide such treatment in resource constrained settings, particularly in Africa. In a unique study combining sophisticated quantitative and qualitative analysis, Antonieta Medina Lara and Barbara Nyanzi-Wakholi examine the way that the roll out of
The Party: The Secret World Of China's Communist Rulers
China's political and economic growth in the past three decades is one of astonishing, epochal dimensions. The country has undergone a remarkable transformation on a scale similar to the industrial revolution in the West. The most remarkable part of this transformation, however, has been largely left untold—the central role of the Chinese Communist Party. As an organization alone, the Party is a phenomenon of unique scale and power. With more than seventy-three million members, it does more th
