LSE: Public lectures and events

Contributor(s): Professor Lelia Green, Professor Jessica Ringrose, Dr Kim Sylwander, Giselle Woodley | With the ubiquity of technological devices, young people are more visible and accessible than ever before, and they are encountering, using and producing an unprecedented amount of sexualised imagery. Although evidence suggests that ‘sexting’ is considered a normal practice among teens, there are, nonetheless, inherent risks. Teens who sext run a range of legal, financial, health, educational and sociosexual risks, yet still they do it. Apart from image-based sexual harassment and abuse, teens also face emerging risks such as AI-informed deepfakes and sextortion. In this public event, four speakers will discuss empirical findings from three different countries: Australia, Sweden and the UK.

Contributor(s): Professor Michael Posner | Join us for the launch of Conscience Incorporated by Michael Posner. In today’s world, where corporations wield immense power and influence, how can business leaders balance the pursuit of profits with ethical responsibility? Drawing from decades of experience as a human rights lawyer, former State Department official, and Director of the Centre for Business and Human Rights at NYU Stern School of Business, Posner presents a clear roadmap for business leaders to align profitability with ethical practices. Through well-researched case studies of major corporations—including Nike, Coca-Cola, Walmart, and Meta—he explores how companies can, and must, do better in addressing human rights abuses within their supply chains, labour practices, and digital platforms. With governments, particularly in Europe, stepping in to regulate corporate behaviour, Conscience Incorporated is a guide for executives, investors, and policymakers navigating the evolving landscape of corporate accountability.

Contributor(s): Professor Patrick Wallis | In his latest book, The Market for Skill: apprenticeship and economic growth in early-modern England, which forms the basis of this event, Patrick Wallis shows how apprenticeship helped reshape the English economy between 1500-1800. By detailing the activities of apprentices and masters, the strategies of ambitious parents, the interventions of guilds and the decisions of town officials, he shows how the system contributed to the growth of cities, the movement of workers, and the spread of new technologies. He argues that this success was because it was a flexible institution which allowed apprentices to change their minds and exit contracts early, providing a vital training accessible to most young people, whatever their background.

Contributor(s): Dr Nick Cowen, Dr Paola Romero | This event will explore the relationship between Rawlsian liberal egalitarianism and neoliberalism, based on Nick Cowen's book Neoliberal Social Justice. His timely and provocative book challenges the conventional wisdom that neoliberal capitalism is incompatible with social justice. In the book Nick tackles the crucial intersection of economic liberty and moral philosophy, highlighting the perspectives of John Rawls and Adam Smith. He confronts the ongoing debate between classical and egalitarian liberalism, showing how commerce does more than create consumer goods but also shapes society’s moral character, often in a positive direction. The lecture will explore how and whether market economies can be a driving force for social equality and the case for recognizing basic economic liberties as fundamental rights. This lecture is significant for anyone passionate about political theory, economics, and social justice, as Cowen illuminates the indispensable role of economic activity in developing moral powers.

Contributor(s): Professor Sir John Kay | Join us as John Kay, one of Britain’s leading economists, discusses his new book The Corporation in the 21st Century: Why (almost) everything we are told about business is wrong, a radical reappraisal of the nature and activities of business - what it is for and how it works.

Contributor(s): Dr Alison Powell, Dr Chris Wiggins, Dr Erin Young | Data profoundly influences all of our lives and the social, economic and political systems that govern them. Everywhere we turn we are creating increasing amounts of data that powers decision-making algorithms and shapes our future. It is however important to remember how partial and biased data can be given the privileged position it has in the perception of absolute truth. This event will discuss important questions around the role of data science in understanding and shaping the public interest, from access to information to civic participation and business development to democratic processes. It will offer a framework for understanding the persistent role of data in rearranging power, with Chris Wiggins reflecting on the history and future of data drawing on his book How Data Happened. Alison Powell, author of Undoing Optimization, discussing the ethics and politics of data practices and Erin Young considering inclusion practices in data science and AI across the public and private sectors.

Contributor(s): Will Hutton, Professor Robert Kuttner, Professor Stephanie J. Rickard | Since the 1990s, progressive parties have tended to combine globalist neoliberal policies with avant-garde social views. Life steadily became more precarious for large numbers of working people, who lost confidence in traditional left-of-center parties. Economically stressed and culturally conservative lower- and middle-income voters found themselves no political champion and turned increasingly to the nationalist, authoritarian right. This trend is in drastic contrast to the economics of the postwar boom, when the center-left and center-right shared basic assumptions about how to manage and regulate capitalism. Global trade and migration expanded at a socially bearable pace that did not undermine national social contracts. The politics of that era produced economic security for ordinary people and strengthened democratic institutions. With the loss of confidence in both center-left parties and in democracy itself, what is a conceivable road back to building a society that is both dynamic and secure, and that restores a believable center-left?

Contributor(s): Professor Gudni Jóhannesson, Professor Kristina Spohr | President Trump’s determination to increase American influence and presence in Greenland has generated great interest in the future of the world’s largest island and its surrounding regions in the Arctic and the North Atlantic. While Trump's offhand idea of purchasing Greenland is preposterous, it jolted the Danish government and its European NATO/EU allies. At the same time, the evident US-Danish tensions may have increased the Greenlanders’ resolve to move faster towards full independence in the not-too-distant future. Iceland is Greenland’s closest neighbour in Europe. In 1944, Iceland declared full independence from Denmark, at a time when Greenland was still a Danish colony. When the Icelanders severed their final ties with their erstwhile masters in Copenhagen, there were doubters among the Great Powers about this small nation’s ability to stand on its own feet in a bipolar world. Similar words can be heard today about the capabilities of some 57,000 Greenlanders and their national aspirations when so many have their eyes on the Arctic. This event will focus on the current position and future developments of these two countries in the Arctic and the North Atlantic at large.

Contributor(s): Professor Nick Couldry, Dr Eugenie Dugoua, Ceara Carney | Artificial intelligence is transforming the world around us, offering increased productivity and promising to help tackle difficult problems like global warming. But behind the scenes, its environmental costs are mounting. From massive energy use to vast quantities of water required to cool data centres, AI’s footprint is growing fast. So, in an age of water scarcity and climate crisis, can we justify this technological boom? In this episode of LSE iQ, Anna Bevan asks: Is AI destroying the planet? She travels to a data centre in Slough to find out exactly how data centres work, and speaks to Nick Couldry, Professor of Media, Communications and Social Theory at LSE; Eugenie Dugoua, Assistant Professor in Environmental Economics at LSE; and Ceara Carney, an actor and climate activist.  This episode explores the AI sustainability paradox: can AI be both a climate solution and a climate problem? And discusses surprising ways AI is being used for good, such as catching poachers in the Serengeti. Research Data Grab: The New Colonialism of Big Tech and How to Fight it, Nick Couldry and Ulises Mejias The Space of the World: can Human Solidarity Survive Social Media and What if it Can't? Nick Couldry Induced innovation, inventors and the energy transition, Eugenie Dugoua and Todd D. Gerarden Directed technological change and general purpose technologies: can AI accelerate clean energy innovation? Pia Andres, Eugenie Dugoua and Marion Dumas  Could artificial intelligence deliver a green transition? Marion Dumas LSE iQ is a university podcast by the London School of Economics and Political Science. We’re keen to find out more about our audience so we can better tailor our content to suit your interests. With this in mind, we would be grateful if you could please take the time to fill out this short survey and share your feedback.

In this engaging discussion, Valerie Ramey, Professor Emerita of Economics at UC San Diego and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institute, revisits the role of Keynesian fiscal stimulus during economic crises. She explores how governmental spending has evolved, particularly during the Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Ramey analyzes the effectiveness of fiscal policies like tax rebates, infrastructure spending, and transfers, while challenging traditional views on their impact on consumption and debt, prompting a reconsideration of modern economic strategies.