Summer 2009 Vol 21 Number 1 Magazine Spotlight on Africa LSE’s first chair in African Development THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI OF THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE NEW LSE staff, students and alumni can obtain their 10% discount via online booking* (*staff, student or alumni ID required) ACCOMMODATION LSE TopFloor! www.lsevacations.co.uk/lse A range of high quality rooms, studios and 10% discount for alumni, apartments available year round staff and current students www.lsetopfloor.co.uk The residences offer good quality, centrally located accommodation to all during the summer with Carr-Saunders, Passfield and Rosebery also open during the Christmas and Easter vacations! Bankside House London SE1 Butler’s Wharf London SE1 Carr-Saunders Hall London W1 Grosvenor House Studios London WC2 High Holborn London WC1 Northumberland House London WC2 Passfield Hall London WC1 Rosebery Hall London EC1 For further information and booking enquiries contact us on +44 (0)20 7955 7575 or visit our website. Contents Editor’s message Features As an LSE alumnus reading this magazine you will 6 Africa on the march be one of nearly 90,000 spread across the globe Thandika Mkandawire, the and working in all walks of life. Few of you will have first holder of LSE’s new chair escaped the ravages of the financial crisis that in African Development, talks to Jo Beall about his role seems to be deepening with every passing month. in the School’s developing Those of you working in Africa may be particularly African Initiative. affected or concerned. This is one of the reasons why this issue focuses on Africa and the appointment 8 Raising the red lantern 13 of LSE’s first chair in African Development – Professor in Africa Thandika Mkandawire. Professor Mkandawire is a development economist Chris Alden explores the who has been director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social burgeoning relationship Development since 1998. On page 6 he talks to Professor Jo Beall about between China and Africa. the new chair and what it means for LSE and its engagement with Africa. 11 How does your In a further push for development economics, LSE has secured country grow? joint funding with Oxford University for the new LSE-Oxford Gobind Nankani explains International Growth Centre which will provide developing countries how the new LSE-Oxford with practical help to support growth and development. Dr International Growth Centre Gobind Nankani has been appointed as its first executive director is offering practical help to following a distinguished career as a development economist, developing countries facing 19 and on page 11 he sets out the goals of the new centre. extreme poverty. LSE itself is well positioned to survive the recession, as Howard Davies explains on page 13. Further, the School’s international reputation was 13 Surviving the crunch 24 Romance or reason? boosted by its outstanding performance in the 2008 Research Assessment Howard Davies considers Richard Bronk and Jon Exercise carried out jointly by the four funding councils for higher education what the recession means Adams debate the place of in the UK. LSE achieved the highest percentage of world-leading for LSE and its newest, literature in the social sciences. research of any UK university, topping or coming close to the top of a job-hunting graduates. number of rankings of research excellence. Full details are on page 4. 14 Finance, failure Regulars Our next issue will be in six months time when the impact of the and fairness recession will be clearer still. We hope to bring you a redesigned LSE The recent failure of the global 4 Headline news Magazine, with wider pages and a clearer format. In the meantime, we financial system points to would welcome short submissions (250 words) from alumni on how the profound faults in our system 26 Letters financial crisis has affected them – whether at home or at work. Have of global governance. 27 Rodent’s rambles you lost your job, failed to secure a job or had to battle with policies David Held and Kevin Young to mitigate the crisis? Whatever the impact,we explore the options for reform. 28 Supporting LSE would be interested in hearing from you 30 LSE news (submissions to [email protected]). 16 A world of difference The world has invested an 34 Research update Claire Sanders enormous amount of hope in President Obama. But, 35 Alumni news asks Michael Cox, will we 36 Spotlight on groups really see much change in US 8 foreign policy? 38 Events and reunions COVER PHOTO: CRISTIANO GALBIATI/SXC 19 A line in the sand 39 Where are they now? LSE Magazine is published twice a year by the Press and Information Office at LSE is training Libya’s new the London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London 40 Rapid resumé WC2A 2AE. Tel: +44 (0)20 7955 7060. Fax: +44 (0)20 7852 3658. Email: [email protected] civil servants to carry forward Commissioning Editor Claire Sanders the country’s reforming Production Editor Fiona Whiteman 41 Around the groups Alumni News Editor Nat Holtham agenda. Francis Terry Art and Design Editor Claire Harrison 44 Obituaries Assistant Art and Design Editor Ailsa Drake describes the challenges. Photography (unless stated) Nigel Stead Editorial Assistants Deirdre French, Toni Sym Printed by: Warners 21 Young lives online 46 Books Published by The London School of Economics and Political Science (‘LSE’), Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE. LSE is a School of the University of London. It is a Charity and is incorporated in England as a company limited by guarantee under the Companies Acts (Reg number 70527). Sonia Livingstone reports Copyright in editorial matter and in the Magazine as a whole belongs to LSE ©2009. Copyright in individual articles belongs to the on the latest findings of a LSE Magazine online authors who have asserted their moral rights ©2009. All rights reserved. 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In the interests of providing a free flow of debate, views expressed in this Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor, The link enables readers to have LSE alumni or LSE. an electronic archive of features as Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this Magazine, LSE accepts no responsibility for the veracity of claims or accuracy of information provided by contributors. 23 Making history well as quick links to alumni news, Freedom of thought and expression is essential to the pursuit, advancement and dissemination of knowledge. LSE seeks to ensure that Alumna Lindsey Hall delves intellectual freedom and freedom of expression within the law is secured for all our members and those we invite to the School. groups and events, plus advertising Printed on into the School’s archives. and contact information. recycled paper I Summer 2009 I LSE Magazine I 3 Headline news Research quality? Simply outstanding …but excellence is not always LSE’s status as a university which produces world-leading research was emphatically confirmed in the new Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). rewarded Despite the excellence of LSE’s research, there was a LSE’s Economics department was sting in the tail when future ranked the best in the country, funding was unveiled by the whether by grade point average UK government in March. or by the percentage of research receiving the top 4* grade, with Research funding for LSE was 60 per cent of research activity cut by more than 13 per cent considered world-leading and a (£2.5 million a year), compared further 35 per cent considered to an average increase across internationally excellent. higher education of almost eight per cent. Law also tops national tables, LSE is a victim of a funding whether ranked by grade point formula which protects STEM average or by the percentage subjects (science, technology, of research receiving the top engineering and mathematics) 4* grade, with 45 per cent of its at the expense of social research ranked world-leading sciences, arts and humanities. and 75 per cent world-leading or internationally excellent. In a statement, the School said it was extremely Social Policy leads the field disappointed with the nationally, whether ranked by outcome and added: ‘This grade point average or by the result means that LSE will percentage of research receiving be increasingly reliant on the top 4* grade, with 50 per alternative (government cent of its research recognised as In this exercise a panel of experts second among UK universities, and non-government) world-leading, and 100 per cent scrutinises, subject by subject, the using a grade point average, is funding sources to quality of the articles, books and impressive testament to the ranked at international level. sustain its international other research projects published genuinely world class research Anthropology has the highest research reputation.’ by academics at UK universities. that goes on here – and we percentage of world-leading And the verdict on LSE (delivered in have the highest percentage of research of any UK anthropology December) was simply outstanding 4*, or world-leading, research department (40 per cent), and is – showing that it has the highest of any UK institution.’ also equal second when ranked by percentage of world-leading Individual subject areas at LSE also grade point average.