Strategic Plan 2011-16 LSE in Profile RESEARCH CENTRES Asia Research Centre for Economic Centre Performance (ESRC) Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion Accounting Centre for Anthropology Philosophy of Centre for Analysis Finance Natural and of Time Series Economics Social Science Centre for Climate Economic History European Institute Change Economics Centre for and Policy (ESRC) ACADEMIC the Study of DEPARTMENTS Gender Human Rights International LSE Health and History Geography and Social Care Environment Financial Markets International Group Relations BSc/BA Government LSE Ideas: Centre for International Language LLB/LLM Grantham Research Affairs, Diplomacy Centre MA/MSc/MPA/MRes International Institute on Climate and Strategy MPhil/PhD Development Law Change and the MBA CORE Media and Environment Suntory and Toyota Management Communications International Centres International for Economics and Mathematics Methodology Growth Centre Related Disciplines Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method Social Psychology Social Policy LSE Cities Spatial Economics Sociology Research Centre (ESRC) Statistics Middle East Centre ESSENTIAL FOUNDATIONS LSE Library Centre for Learning Technology Central Administration IT Services Other Support Services The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is one of the world’s foremost centres for social science teaching and research. This profile illustrates the breadth of academic expertise in the School’s academic departments and research centres. All academics are involved in teaching and research. Teaching is organised by departments and by inter- departmental collaborations, while research is based in both departments and in major single and interdisciplinary research centres and groups. 2 Strategic Plan 2011-16 Contents 1 Chairman’s foreword 4 2 Our vision 5 3 Our values and commitments 6 4 Director’s statement 7 5 The School’s Priorities and essential foundations: – Teaching and student experience 10 – Research 11 – Engagement 13 – Essential foundations 16 Any queries or requests for additional information should be addressed to: Gary Barclay Planning Officer Planning Unit Planning and Corporate Policy Division The London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton Street London WC2A 2AE Tel: 020 7955 7948 Email: [email protected] Strategic Plan 2011-16 3 1 Chairman’s foreword This Strategic Plan is a statement of the School’s purposes, aspirations and intended actions between 2011 and 2016. This is a turbulent time My remarks may seem somewhat for UK higher education. downbeat. In fact I am full of optimism Key challenges include for the future. I am certain that under preparing for the the leadership of Professor Craig radically new student Calhoun from 2012, LSE will go from support arrangements strength to strength as one of the world’s for UK and other EU leading social science universities. And undergraduates, which take effect implementing the recommendations of for new students from 2012, and the Woolf Report, some of which are adjusting to sharp reductions in direct reflected in broad terms in this Plan, government support for teaching will make the institution stronger in and to some extent research. Our an increasingly competitive world. determination to keep the School on This Plan is designed to guide every a sound financial footing, to honour member of the LSE community our commitment to research excellence and I commend it to you. and an outstanding student experience, is more important than ever. Peter Sutherland KCMG Alongside issues facing the whole sector, LSE faces another level of challenge arising from the lessons we must learn from our engagement with Libya. Lord Woolf’s Report into our links with that country was released shortly before this Plan was finalised. The Report identifies a number of mistakes made, and sets out fifteen recommendations to improve our systems of governance and oversight. The Report makes uncomfortable reading at times. But I remain convinced that we were right to address the issue in such an open and transparent way. 4 Strategic Plan 2011-16 2 Our vision Our vision is • to deliver challenging research led degree • to extend our engagement with society programmes in an environment that supports across our full academic portfolio and in key learning and develops independent thinking regions of the world and among our students; • to enrol the best students from around • to ensure that our research and teaching the world to benefit from, and contribute remain at the forefront of the social sciences, to, the learning environment at the School. addressing the evolving challenges of society; • to be among the most internationally- oriented centres of social science excellence in the world; Strategic Plan 2011-16 5 3 Our values and commitments In all that we do as a university we hold to the following values and commitments: Integrity: we will develop new procedures economic backgrounds. We will uphold to uphold the highest standards of ethics a culture free of discrimination on the and conduct. basis of race, disability, gender, age, religion, belief or sexual orientation. Intellectual freedom: we will defend and promote the right of all staff, students and Participation: we will encourage the the wider LSE community to express their involvement and collaboration of staff, views freely in the pursuit, advancement and students, alumni and governors in the dissemination of knowledge in a spirit of development of the School as an essential mutual respect. part of our organisational culture. Excellence in education: we aim to cultivate Good governance: we will continue, graduates of distinctive quality with a breadth through the Court of Governors and the and depth of knowledge, the capacity for Council, to aspire to the highest quality independent critical thinking and an awareness of governance, fully complying with the of global economic and political issues. standards required of universities. Excellence in research: we aim to be a world- leading centre of social science research, both I am a strong in terms of fundamental academic outputs and supporter of associated public benefits. internship schemes. Engagement: we will promote interaction They offer young with the wider world so that the insights of the people the social sciences are disseminated as widely as opportunity to possible for the improvement of society. develop the skills they need for the Supporting the LSE community: we are workplace. For this reason I have committed to involving and encouraging our been happy to take LSE interns 102,000+ alumni in almost every country of for the last few years through the world and the LSE Alumni Groups and the LSE parliamentary internship Contact Networks in 74 countries to take an active part in the spread of LSE values programme. The interns have and in the development of the School. undertaken key research projects for me personally and I have found Respect for the environment: we will them invaluable and of a consistently manage the School’s resources in ways that meet the needs of the present without high quality. I have also enjoyed compromising the options of future generations. staying in touch with them as they progress in their careers. Equality and diversity: we will promote equality of opportunity for students David Willetts MP, minister and staff from all social, cultural and for universities and science 6 Strategic Plan 2011-16 4 Director’s statement By the time this Plan is published, I will have been director of LSE for some nine months. It has been an extremely busy period, and the coming year promises to be equally so. Howard Davies served as director with great also being conducted. This Strategic Plan distinction from September 2003 until his takes account of the importance of this departure in April 2011. His contribution to work, while keeping its focus on the mission the School and his drive and commitment of the School and its continued development to improving it cannot be questioned. in line with our strategic objectives. The end of my own tenure is in sight with The Higher Education sector in the UK is the recent appointment of my successor, entering a period of greater uncertainty, Professor Craig Calhoun of NYU, who will with more competition for students, staff join the School on 1 September 2012. He is and research funding. We must improve an outstanding academic and an excellent our facilities, increase our research impact choice to steer the institution forward. and delivery of public benefit, attract I hope he will find the job as rewarding students with the best potential to benefit and stimulating as I have, and that he will from an LSE education whatever their experience the same level of commitment background, and ensure that they get the and support that I have been fortunate most out of their time at LSE. Maintaining enough to enjoy from my colleagues. our reputation as a leading research-led The Woolf Report, published on 30 university is critical to our ability to attract November, contained some serious criticisms and retain high quality staff, recruit the about governance and information flows best students and continue to develop in the School. All fifteen recommendations innovative teaching programmes. We must made in the Report have the ability to compete internationally have been approved with the best universities in the world. by Council and There is no doubt that LSE staff are an extensive producing high quality research and are programme of performing very well against available implementation indicators. We are actively preparing for has begun. High the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, level reviews of which will evaluate the quality of our the governance research and its impact, and hope to and management emulate our outstanding success in the implications are 2008 UK Research Assessment Exercise. Key to our aspirations in research are enhanced funding and support. It is evident that we cannot rely on increased direct government funding. Instead we must develop a wide range of alternative Strategic Plan 2011-16 7 funding sources and ensure that our In July LSE won research makes a real contribution to our an award for the academic priorities and reputation.