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An Inquiry Into the LSE's Links with Libya and Lessons to Be Learned

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An Inquiry Into the LSE's Links with Libya and Lessons to Be Learned The Woolf Inquiry An inquiry into the LSE’s links with Libya and lessons to be learned October 2011 The Woolf Inqu I r y An inquiry into the LSE’s links with Libya and lessons to be learned o c T o b e r 2 0 1 1 An inquiry into the LSE’s links with Libya and lessons to be learned This report has been prepared by the Woolf Inquiry, an independent inquiry appointed by the council of the lSe to establish the full facts of the lSe’s links with libya. The Inquiry’s Terms of reference, and information on the approach it has taken are included in Appendix 1 of this report. The views and recommendations included in this report are entirely those of lord Woolf. It is for the lSe and it alone to decide whether, and if so how, to act on this report. The Inquiry accepts no legal responsibility or liability for the contents of, or any omissions from, this report. The Inquiry was advertised publicly, and the report is based solely on the information which was provided to the Inquiry prior to 5 october 2011, the date upon which this report was finished. 4 Contents Contents Index of individuals and entities mentioned in the Report 8 Chronology of key events 11 1 Introduction 19 I. The background to the Inquiry 20 II. The central conclusion of the Inquiry 22 III. The LSE’s links with Libya 22 IV. The wider context: the university as a global enterprise 25 2 Saif Gaddafi as a student at LSE 27 I. Saif’s admission: MSc and PhD 28 (A) Saif’s admission to the lSe: MSc in Philosophy, Policy and Social Value 28 (b) Criteria and procedure for PhD admissions 30 (c) Saif’s admission as a PhD student in 2003 31 II. Assistance received by Saif during his academic career 36 III. Unknown outside assistance received by Saif 37 (A) Justification for concern whilst Saif was a student 38 (b) Investigation in 2011 42 (c) The adequacy of the lSe’s response to concerns about outside assistance with Saif’s work 43 IV. Lessons to be learned 46 (A) Differing practices as to PhD admissions 46 (b) Departmental differences 48 (c) Communication and escalation of concerns 50 (D) Guidance on the levels of permissible assistance for a PhD student and rigour in using existing regulations 53 3 The donation 59 I. Introduction: universities and donations 60 II. The source of the funding for the donation 61 (A) The Development committee’s question: what is the source of the money? 62 5 An inquiry into the LSE’s links with Libya and lessons to be learned (b) The source of the donation: payments for contracts? 66 (c) The Gaddafi International charity and Development foundation 68 III. The presentation of the donation to Council: a chapter of failures 70 (A) The failure to give prior notification to council members of the decision they were required to make 71 (b) The failure to present council with sufficient material 72 (1) The available documentation on the donation 73 (2) Preparation of papers for the first Council meeting 74 (3) Preparation of papers for the second Council meeting 74 (c) Council’s focus was drawn away from the essential issue 77 (D) Professor held’s presentation of the donation at the second Council meeting 80 (e) The presentation of the views of Professor fred halliday 84 (f) The presentation of the views of the Development committee 88 (1) The Development Committee view: conditional referral 88 (2) The view of the Development Committee Chairman 89 (G) Conclusion on the presentation to council 90 IV. The second donation from the GICDF 90 V. Attribution of responsibility 90 (A) Responsibility amongst senior members of the lSe staff 90 (b) The contribution of inadequate systems at the lSe for dealing with the ethics of accepting a donation 91 (1) The LSE’s policy 92 (2) Entities within the LSE involved in the scrutiny of donations 93 – Use of the Development Committee to scrutinise donations 93 – ODAR’s role in the scrutiny of donations 94 – Use of the Council to scrutinise donations 95 (3) A new policy and procedure 96 VI. Additional circumstances of the donation: timing of the donation ceremony 98 VII. The influence of gifts 99 (A) The use of the donation from the GIcDf 100 (b) The ability of donors to influence research interests 101 (c) Governance structures within research centres 104 (D) The report of the lSe Global Governance review committee 105 4 Incidental links with Libya 107 I. Introduction 108 II. Incidental links with Libya 109 (A) Links between lord Giddens (former Director of the lSe) and libya 109 (b) Sir howard Davies 109 6 Contents (c) Involvement of other academics in libya 111 (1) Professor Ned McClennen 111 (2) Professor David Held 112 – Business introduction in Libya 112 – Professor Held’s continued advisory role with the Board of the GICDF, after October 2009 113 (D) Lectures by colonel and Saif Gaddafi at the lSe 114 (1) Saif Gaddafi and the Miliband Lecture 114 (2) Colonel Gaddafi: “Libya’s Place in the World” 114 (3) Lessons to be learned 116 III. Structures to monitor risk across the institution 116 5 LSE Enterprise 119 I. Introduction 120 II. LSE-E’s Libyan contracts 121 (A) Training libyan civil servants 121 (b) Individualised tuition for a member of the libyan Investment Authority 122 (c) Other suggestions for training in libya 122 (D) LSe-e’s decision to engage in work in libya 122 III. Commercial contracts and current students 124 IV. The accumulation of reputational risks 125 6 Conclusions 127 I. The broad picture 129 II. Saif as a student 130 III. The donation 134 IV. Incidental links with Libya 136 V. Governance 137 VI. Acknowledgements 139 7 Recommendations 141 Appendices 145 7 An inquiry into the LSE’s links with Libya and lessons to be learned Index of individuals and entities mentioned in the Report ‘Ab’ businessman; donor to centre for Global Governance Allen, Sir Mark Member of the Advisory board of lSe Ideas; bP Special Advisor barber, Professor benjamin former member of the board of the GIcDf barclay, Stephen lSe enterprise, Director; lSe council Member barker, Professor rodney lSe Department of Government; research Student Tutor responsible for admissions to the MPhil/PhD Programme in the Department of Government for 2003-4 battishill, Sir Anthony lSe council Member; chair of october 2009 council Meeting blair, Dr Mary lSe office of Development and Alumni relations, former Director bovens, Professor luc head of lSe Philosophy Department, September 2009 – present bradley, Professor richard head of lSe Philosophy Department, September 2006 – September 2009; Supervisor of Saif Gaddafi’s MPhil/PhD brahimi, Dr Alia research fellow, north Africa Programme, former lSe centre for Global Governance brown, Professor chris lSe Department of International relations; Vice- chair of the lSe Academic board and as such ex-officio member of the lSe council bukhres, omran believed to be an assistant to Saif Gaddafi camber, Angela lSe council Member cartwright, Professor nancy lSe Philosophy Department; Supervisor of Saif Gaddafi’s MPhil/PhD chakrabarti, Shami lSe council Member Dahdaleh, Victor Phillip Governor of the lSe; member of the lSe Development committee Dalton, Sir richard british Ambassador to libya, 1999-2002 Davies, Sir howard Director of the lSe, 2003-2011 Desai, Professor lord Meghnad emeritus Professor at the lSe centre for Global Governance; internal examiner for the examination of Saif Gaddafi’s PhD Dorstewitz, Dr Philipp Tutored Saif Gaddafi during his MSc and MPhil eDb libyan economic Development board fean, Sir Vincent british Ambassador to libya, 2006-2010 8 Index of individuals and entities mentioned in the Report fisher, Aled Dilwyn General Secretary of the lSe Student union, 2008-2010 flemington, Simon lSe enterprise, chief executive Gaskell, louise lSe conference and events office, Deputy events Manager Gaskell, Professor George lSe Pro-Director for Planning and resources, August 2007 - present GIcDf Gaddafi International charity and Development foundation, “Saif’s foundation” Giddens, Professor lord Anthony Director of the lSe 1996-2003; emeritus Professor at the lSe centre for Global Governance hall, Adrian lSe Secretary and Director of Administration halliday, Professor fred lSe Professor of International relations 1985- 2008 hartley, Professor Janet lSe Pro-Director for Teaching and learning, since August 2007 held, Professor David lSe Government Department; co-Director, former centre for Global Governance; commented on two chapters of Saif Gaddafi’s PhD thesis Joffé, Professor George Affiliated lecturer at the Department of Politics and International Studies, university of cambridge; formerly deputy director and acting director of the royal Institute of International Affairs 1997-2000 Kaldor, Professor Mary Professor in the lSe Department of International Development; co-Director, former centre for Global Governance; taught Saif Gaddafi on a course in “Global civil Society” during his MSc Kirk, fiona lSe office of Development and Alumni relations, Director, January 2009- present lIA libyan Investment Authority, libyan sovereign wealth fund Mahmoud, Dr Jibril former Secretary of the libyan economic Development board Marsh, Simon lSe office of Development and Alumni relations, member of staff Mcclennen, Professor edward centennial Professor in Philosophy at the lSe, (“ned”) 2000-2003; formerly coordinator of the MSc in Philosophy, Policy and Social Value McGrew, Professor Anthony external examiner for the examination of Saif Gaddafi’s PhD Monitor Group Global management consulting firm Mountford, roger lSe enterprise, chairman 9 An inquiry into the LSE’s links with Libya and lessons to be learned
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