The London School of Economics and Political Science (more commonly referred

to as the London School of Economics or LSE) is a public research university

specialised in social sciences located in London, England, and a constituent
college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society
members Sidney Webb, Beatrice Webb, Graham Wallas and George Bernard
Shaw, LSE joined the University of London in 1900 and first issued degrees to its
students in 1902.[4] Despite its name, LSE conducts teaching and research
across a range of social sciences, as well as in mathematics, statistics, media,
philosophy and history.[5]

LSE is located in Westminster, central London, near the boundary between

Covent Garden and Holborn. The area is historically known as Clare Market. It has
around 9,500 full-time students and just over 3,000 staff[6] and had a total
income of 263.2 million in 2012/13, of which 23.7 million was from research
grants.[7] The School is organised into 24 academic departments and 19
research centres.[8][9] LSE's library, the British Library of Political and Economic
Science, contains over 4 million print volumes, 60,000 online journals and 29,000
electronic books.[10] The Digital Library contains digitised material from LSE
Library collections and also born-digital material that has been collected and
preserved in digital formats.[11]

LSE is a global leading social sciences dedicated institution and is considered one
of the most prestigious universities in the world.[12][13][14] Among 12 specific
subjects evaluated, QS World University Rankings has put LSE as a top ten in the
world in eight, a top three in five of them and second within the macro discipline
of social sciences and management.[15] In the UK, the School is often ranked 3rd
in domestic ranking tables.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22] According to The
Research Excellence Framework 2014 LSE has "the highest proportion of 'worldleading' research among UK universities".[23]

The School has produced many notable alumni in the fields of law, economics,
philosophy, history, business, literature, media and politics. To date, there have
been 16 Nobel Prize winners amongst its alumni and current and former staff,[24]
at least 37 world leaders,[25] seven Pulitzer Prize winners[citation needed] and
fellows of the British Academy[citation needed]. Out of all European universities,
LSE has educated the most billionaires according to a 2014 global census of
dollar billionaires.[26]

LSE is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the

Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs,[27] the European
University Association,[28] the G5, the Global Alliance in Management Education,
the Russell Group and Universities UK.[29] It is sometimes described as forming
part of the 'golden triangle' of British universities.[30]

Contents

1 History
1.1 Origins
1.2 20th century
1.3 21st century
2 Campus and estate
2.1 Location and transport
3 Organisation and administration
3.1 Governance
3.2 Director
3.3 Finances
3.4 Institutions with Permission to teach the Diploma
4 Academic profile
4.1 Admissions
4.2 Programmes and degrees
4.3 Research
4.3.1 Centres and think tanks
4.4 Partnerships
4.5 Libraries and archives
4.6 LSE Summer School
4.7 Public lectures
4.8 iXXi Briefings
4.9 Rankings and reputation
5 Student life
5.1 Student body
5.2 Students' Union
5.3 Student housing

6 Notable people
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links

History
Main article: History of the London School of Economics
Origins

The London School of Economics was founded in 1895[31] by Beatrice and Sidney
Webb,[32] initially funded by a bequest of 20,000[33][34] from the estate of
Henry Hunt Hutchinson. Hutchinson, a lawyer[33] and member of the Fabian
Society,[35][36] left the money in trust, to be put "towards advancing its [The
Fabian Society's] objects in any way they [the trustees] deem advisable".[36] The
five trustees were Sidney Webb, Edward Pease, Constance Hutchinson, William de
Mattos and William Clark.[33]

LSE records that the proposal to establish the school was conceived during a
breakfast meeting on 4 August 1894, between the Webbs, Graham Wallas and
George Bernard Shaw.[31] The proposal was accepted by the trustees in February
1895[36] and LSE held its first classes in October of that year, in rooms at 9 John
Street, Adelphi,[37] in the City of Westminster.
20th century

The School joined the federal University of London in 1900, becoming the
university's Faculty of Economics and awarding degrees of the University from
1902.[37] Expanding rapidly over the following years, the school moved initially
to the nearby 10 Adelphi Terrace, then to Clare Market and Houghton Street. The
foundation stone of the Old Building, on Houghton Street, was laid by King
George V in 1920;[31] the building was opened in 1922.
Friedrich Hayek, who taught at LSE during the 1930 and 1940s

The 1930s economic debate between LSE and Cambridge is well known in
academic circles. Rivalry between academic opinion at LSE and Cambridge goes
back to the school's roots when LSE's Edwin Cannan (18611935), Professor of
Economics, and Cambridge's Professor of Political Economy, Alfred Marshall
(18421924), the leading economist of the day, argued about the bedrock matter

of economics and whether the subject should be considered as an organic whole.

(Marshall disapproved of LSE's separate listing of pure theory and its insistence
on economic history.)

The dispute also concerned the question of the economist's role, and whether
this should be as a detached expert or a practical adviser. LSE and Cambridge
economists worked jointly in the 1920sfor example, the London and Cambridge
Economic Servicebut the 1930s brought a return to the dispute as LSE and
Cambridge argued over the solution to the economic depression.

LSE's Lionel Robbins and Friedrich Hayek, and Cambridge's John Maynard Keynes
were chief figures in the intellectual disagreement between the institutions. The
controversy widened from deflation versus demand management as a solution to
the economic problems of the day, to broader conceptions of economics and
macroeconomics. Robbins and Hayek's views were based on the Austrian School
of Economics with its emphasis on free trade and anti-interventionism, while
Keynes advanced a brand of economic theory now known as Keynesianism which
advocates active policy responses by the public sector.

During World War II, the School decamped from London to University of
Cambridge, occupying buildings belonging to Peterhouse.[38]

The School's arms,[39] including its motto and beaver mascot, were adopted in
February 1922,[40] on the recommendation of a committee of twelve, including
eight students, which was established to research the matter.[41] The Latin
motto, "Rerum cognoscere causas", is taken from Virgil's Georgics. Its English
translation is "to Know the Causes of Things"[40] and it was suggested by
Professor Edwin Cannan.[31] The beaver mascot was selected for its associations
with "foresight, constructiveness and industrious behaviour".[41]
21st century
Stonework featuring the initials of LSE

LSE continues to have a wide impact within British society, through its
relationships and influence in politics, business and law. The Guardian describes
such influence when it stated:

Once again the political clout of the school, which seems to be closely wired
into parliament, Whitehall and the Bank of England, is being felt by ministers....
The strength of LSE is that it is close to the political process: Mervyn King, was a

former LSE professor. The chairman of the House of Commons education

committee, Barry Sheerman, sits on its board of governors, along with Labour
peer Lord (Frank) Judd. Also on the board are Tory MPs Virginia Bottomley and
Richard Shepherd, as well as Lord Saatchi and Lady Howe.[42]

Recently, the School has been active in opposing British government proposals to
introduce compulsory ID cards,[43][44] researching into the associated costs of
the scheme, and shifting public and government opinion on the issue.[45] The
institution is also popular with politicians and MPs to launch new policy,
legislation and manifesto pledges, prominently with the launch of the Liberal
Democrats Manifesto Conference under Nick Clegg on 12 January 2008.[46][47]

In the early 2010s, its academics have been at the forefront of both national and
international government consultations, reviews and policy, including
representation on the UK Airports Commission,[48] Independent Police
Commission,[49] Migration Advisory Committee,[50] UN Advisory Board on Water
and Sanitation,[51] London Finance Commission,[52] HS2 Limited,[53] and
advising on Architecture and Urbanism for the London 2012 Olympics[54]

The Sunday Times' recent profile of LSE for the 2008 Sunday Times University
Guide commented:

There are many who have achieved in the world of politics, business or
academia who can trace their success to the years they spent at LSE. Inspired by
tuition from academics who are often familiar faces, if not household names, LSE
students take their first steps to greatness in the debating chambers, cafes, bars
and even occasionally in their seminar groups during three or four years of
studying.[55]

The School is heavily targeted by employers and its graduates are in great
demand despite the current economic climate. It has ranked in the top four best
global universities according to employers for the past five years.[56] The vast
majority of LSE students are engaged in employment or further study within six
months of graduating and the School is listed first for employability in the 2012
Sunday Times Good University Guide.[57] The most common sectors for LSE
graduates to work in within six months of graduating are banking, finance and
accountancy; development, NGOs and international organisations; consultancy;
education; and central and local government.[58] In addition, the average
starting salary of graduates who have completed both undergraduate and
graduate degrees with LSE is significantly higher than the overall national
average salary with 28,100 (undergraduates) and 35,400 (graduates).[59]

Professor Craig Calhoun took up the post of Director in September 2012. Its
previous Director, Professor Judith Rees, is also chair of the school's Grantham
Institute on Climate Change, an adviser to the World Bank as well as sitting on
the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation and the
International Scientific Advisory Council (ISAC).[60] She is also a former Convenor
of the Department of Geography and Environment, and served as Deputy
Director from 19982004.

Calhoun's predecessor, Sir Howard Davies stepped down after controversy

regarding the school's links to the Libyan regime. In February 2011, LSE had to
face the consequences of awarding a PhD to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, one of
Muammar Gaddafi's sons, while accepting a 1.5m donation to university from
his family.[61]

In March 2011, Howard Davies resigned over allegations about the institution's
links to the Libyan regime.[62] The LSE announced in a statement that it had
accepted his resignation with "great regret" and that it had set up an external
inquiry into the school's relationship with the Libyan regime and Saif al-Islam
Gaddafi, to be conducted by the former lord chief justice Harry Woolf.[62] At this
point, LSE's research centres remain relatively intransparent about who funds
them. It is, for example, not visible from the webpage of LSE IDEAS (a centre to
study international affairs, diplomacy and grand strategy) who supports its
ongoing work.[63]

In February 2015, Angelina Jolie and William Hague launched the UK's first
academic Centre on Women, Peace and Security, based at the School. The Centre
aims to contribute to global women's rights issues, including the prosecution of
war rape and women's engagement in politics, through academic research, a
post-graduate teaching program, public engagement, and collaboration with
international organisations.[64][65]
Campus and estate

LSE moved to its present day central London campus at Clare Market and
Houghton Street in Westminster, off the Aldwych and next to the Royal Courts of
Justice and Temple Bar in 1902. In 1920, King George V laid the foundation of the
Old Building, which remains the principal building on campus.
LSE's Old Building
32 Lincoln's Inn Fields houses the Department of Economics and the International
Growth Centre

The New Academic Building houses the Departments of Management and Law
The Old Curiosity Shop, which is located at the heart of the LSE campus
The George IV, a pub owned by LSE

Over the years the School has gradually increased its ownership of adjacent
buildings, creating an almost continuous campus between Kingsway and the
Royal Courts. It now comprises approximately thirty buildings on the Aldwych
campus as well as twelve halls of residence across the capital, two public houses,
a nursery school, West End theatre (the Peacock), medical centre and sports
grounds in Berrylands, south London. It is also noted for its numerous statues and
public art, including Richard Wilson's Square the Block,[66] Blue Rain[67] and the
campus' unofficial mascot, the Penguin.

In the early 2000s, the LSE campus began a period of renewal beginning with the
35 million renovation of the Lionel Robbins Building by Sir Norman Foster to
house the British Library of Political and Economic Science (BLPES), the world's
largest social science and political library, containing over 4.7 million volumes.
This also makes it the second largest single entity library in Britain, after the
British Library at King's Cross.[68]

A recent fund-raising scheme, called the "Campaign for LSE" raised over 100
million in one of the largest university fund-raising exercises ever seen in Britain.
In 2003, LSE purchased the former Public Trustee building at 24 Kingsway, and
engaged Sir Nicholas Grimshaw to redesign it into an ultra-modern educational
facility at a total cost of over 45 million increasing the size of the campus by
120,000 square feet (11,000 m2). The building opened for teaching in October
2008, with an official opening by Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of
Edinburgh on 5 November 2008.[69]

The School now has an ongoing capital investment project, purchasing a number
of sites to add to its portfolio. In November 2009, LSE purchased the freeholds of
both Sardinia House, overlooking the New Academic Building, and the Old White
Horse public house. In October 2010 it was announced the School had been
successful in acquiring for freehold of the grade-II listed Land Registry Building at
32 Lincoln's Inn Fields, which was reopened in March 2013 by HRH The Princess
Royal as the new home for the Department of Economics and its associated
research centres.

The first new building on the site for more than 40 years, the Saw Swee Hock
Student Centre, opened in January 2014 providing new accommodation for the

Students' Union, accommodation office and careers service as well as a bar,

events space, gymnasium, rooftop terrace, learning caf, dance studio and media
centre.[70] The building, designed as a showpiece for the City of Westminster
and Midtown was recognised as having a low environmental impact receiving an
'Outstanding' status under BREEAM, and in 2012 was one of three winners of the
New London Award in the Education category.[71][72] In May 2014 the Saw Swee
Hock Student Centre won the RIBA London Building of the Year Award.[73]

In September 2013, LSE purchased the freehold of 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields,

currently the home of Cancer Research UK's laboratories which it will move into in
2016.[74] It has also recently completed a RIBA design competition for a new 90
million building to house the Global Centre for the Social Sciences, which was
won by Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, construction of which will begin in spring
2014.[75]
Location and transport

LSE is situated in the City of Westminster between Covent Garden, Aldwych and
Temple Bar, bordering the City of London. It resides adjacent to the Royal Courts
of Justice, Lincoln's Inn and Kingsway, in what used to be Clare Market. The
School lies within the London Congestion Charge zone.

The nearest London Underground stations are Holborn, Temple and Covent
Garden. Charing Cross, at the Trafalgar Square end of Strand, and the City
Thameslink entrance at Ludgate Hill are the nearest mainline stations, whilst
London Waterloo is a walk or bus across the River Thames. Buses to Aldwych,
Kingsway and the Royal Courts of Justice will stop a short distance from the
School.
Organisation and administration
Governance

LSE is incorporated under the Companies Act as a company limited by guarantee

and is an exempt charity within the meaning of Schedule Two of the Charities Act
1993.[76] The principal governance bodies of the LSE are: the LSE Council; the
Court of Governors; the Academic Board; and the Director and Directors
Management Team.[76]

The LSE Council is responsible for strategy and its members are company
directors of the school. It has specific responsibilities in relation to areas
including: the monitoring of institutional performance; finance and financial

sustainability; audit arrangements; estate strategy; human resource and

employment policy; health and safety; "educational character and mission", and
student experience. The council is supported in carrying out its role by a number
of committees which report directly to it.[76]

The Court of Governors deals with certain constitutional matters and has predecision discussions on key policy issues and the involvement of individual
governors in the school's activities. The court has the following formal powers:
the appointment of members of court, its subcommittees and of the council;
election of the chair and vice chairs of the court and council and honorary fellows
of the School; the amendment of the Memorandum and Articles of Association;
and the appointment of external auditors.[76]

The Academic Board is LSE's principal academic body, and considers all major
issues of general policy affecting the academic life of the School and its
development. It is chaired by the director, with staff and student membership,
and is supported by its own structure of committees. The Vice Chair of the
Academic Board serves as a non-director member of the council and makes a
termly report to the Council.[76]
Director
Sir Walter Adams
I.G. Patel
Sir John Ashworth

The director is the head of LSE and its chief executive officer, responsible for
executive management and leadership on academic issues. The director reports
to and is accountable to the Council. The director is also the accountable officer
for the purposes of the Higher Education Funding Council for England Financial
Memorandum. The School's current director is Craig Calhoun.
Years Director'
18951903 William Hewins
19031908 Sir Halford Mackinder
19081919 The Hon. William Pember Reeves
19191937 Lord Beveridge
19371957 Sir Alexander Carr-Saunders
19571967 Sir Sydney Caine

19671974 Sir Walter Adams

19741984 Lord Dahrendorf
19841990 Indraprasad Gordhanbhai Patel
19901996 Sir John Ashworth
19962003 Lord Giddens
20032011 Sir Howard Davies
20112012 Dame Judith Rees
2012

Craig Calhoun

Finances

In the financial year ended 31 July 2013, LSE had a total income of 263.2 million
(2011/12 243.7 million) and total expenditure of 232.6 million (2011/12
219 million). Key sources of income included 139.8 million from tuition fees
(2011/12 126.7 million), 26.6 million from Funding Council grants (2011/12
28 million), 23.7 million from research grants (2011/12 22.7 million) and
7.7 million from endowment and investment income (2011/12 6 million).
During the 2012/13 financial year LSE had a capital expenditure of 33 million.
[77]
Institutions with Permission to teach the Diploma

There are various institutions throughout the world that have been awarded
permission to teach the diploma in Economics and Social Sciences by LSE. LSE
has also allowed them to use the LSE Logo on their advertising and promotional
material.[78] Some of these institutions are given below:

Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, Egypt

DEI Bachelor and Masters Degrees, Greece
Russell Square International College, India
Stansfield School of Business, India
Indian School of Business & Finance, India
Alta Vista College, Pakistan
Roots College International, Pakistan
University College Lahore, Pakistan

Singapore Institute of Management, Singapore

Stansfield College, Singapore
Royal Institute of Colombo, Sri Lanka
Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey
International Institute of Technology & Management, Dubai

Academic profile
Admissions
St Clement's Building

Admission to LSE is highly competitive.[citation needed] In 2012, the school

received 17,500 applications for 1,200 undergraduate places.[79] This means
that there were approximately 14.6 applicants per place, with UCAS permitting
undergraduate applicants to apply to no more than five institutions, making LSE
an institution with one of the lowest admissions rate in the world.[80] Most
programmes have typical offers of A*A*A-AAA at A level, with new
undergraduates in 2013 arriving with an average of 551 UCAS points (equivalent
to over AAAA at A level).

Entry standards are also high for postgraduate students, who are required to
have (for taught Master's programmes) a First Class or high Upper Second Class
UK honours degree, or its foreign equivalent.[81] The applications success rate
for postgraduate programmes varies, although most of the major courses,
including Economics and Law, consistently have an acceptance rate below 7%.
[citation needed] Some of the very top premium programmes such as the MSc
Finance and the MSc Financial Mathematics have admission rates below 5%.[82]
[83]
Programmes and degrees
View of Houghton Street

LSE is dedicated solely to the study and research of social sciences, and is the
only university in the UK to be so. LSE awards a range of academic degrees
spanning bachelors, masters and PhDs. The postnominals awarded are the
degree abbreviations used commonly among British universities.

The School offers over 140 MSc programmes, 5 MPA programmes, an LLM, 30 BSc
programmes, an LLB, 4 BA programmes (including International History and
Geography), and 35 PhD programmes.[84][85] LSE is the only British university to
teach a BSc in Economic History. Other subjects pioneered by LSE include
anthropology, criminology, social psychology, sociology and social policy; with
international relations being first taught as a discipline at LSE.[86] Courses are
split across more than thirty research centres and nineteen departments, plus a
Language Centre.[87] Since programmes are all within the social sciences, they
closely resemble each other, and undergraduate students usually take at least
one course module in a subject outside of their degree for their first and second
years of study, promoting a broader education in the social sciences. At
undergraduate level, certain departments are very small (90 students across
three years of study), ensuring small lecture sizes and a more hands-on approach
than other institutions. Since September 2010, it has been compulsory for first
year undergraduates to participate in LSE 100: Understanding the Causes of
Things alongside normal studies.

In conjunction with New York University's Stern School and HEC Paris LSE also
offers an executive global MBA called TRIUM. This is globally ranked first by the
Financial Times in 2014 and strives to meld the strong social sciences,
management strategy and financial accumen providing senior executives a well
rounded view.[88]

From 1902, following its absorption into the University of London, and up until
2007, all degrees were awarded by the federal university, in common with all
other colleges of the university. This system was changed in 2007 to enable some
colleges to award their own degrees. LSE was granted the power to begin
awarding its own degrees from June 2008. Students graduating between June
2008 and June 2010 have the option of receiving a degree either from the
University of London or the school. All undergraduate students entering from
2007 and postgraduate students from 2009 received an LSE degree.[citation
needed]

LSE does not award annual honorary degrees in common with other universities.
In its 113-year history, the school has awarded only fifteen honorary doctorates
to established figures such as Nelson Mandela (Doctor of Science, Economics).
Research

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, LSE had the highest percentage of
world-leading research of any British higher education institution.[89] The
Independent Newspaper placed LSE first in the country for its research, on the
basis that 35% of its faculty were judged to be doing world leading work,

compared to 32% for both Oxford and Cambridge respectively.[90] Furthermore,

according to the Times Newspaper, LSE ranks as joint-second (with Oxford) by
grade point average across the fourteen units of assessment submitted, behind
only Cambridge.[91][92][93] According to these RAE results, LSE is the UK's top
research university in Anthropology, Economics, Law, Social Policy and European
Studies.[94][95]
Centres and think tanks

The School houses a number of notable centres and think tanks, including LSE
IDEAS, the Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion, the Centre for Climate
Change Economics and Policy, LSE Global Governance, the Grantham Research
Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, the Crisis States Research
Centre and the LSE Public Policy Group.[96]

The influence of these centres is diverse and significant, with much of the
research they generate feeding into the formulation of high level policy. For
example, in a global survey conducted by the University of Pennsylvania in 2013,
LSE IDEAS and the LSE Public Policy Group were jointly ranked as world's secondbest university think tanks, after Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science
and International Affairs.[97]

In February 2015, Angelina Jolie and William Hague launched the UK's first
academic Centre on Women, Peace and Security, based at the School. The Centre
aims to contribute to global women's rights issues, including the prosecution of
war rape and women's engagement in politics, through academic research, a
post-graduate teaching program, public engagement, and collaboration with
international organisations.[64][98]
Partnerships

LSE has university-wide partnerships in teaching and research with Columbia

University in New York, Tsinghua, Peking University and Sciences Po Paris, with
whom it offers various joint degrees.[99] For example, the International History
department offers a joint MA in International and World History with Columbia
University and an MSc in International Affairs with Peking University, with
graduates earning degrees from both institutions.[100] LSE also offers various
joint degrees with other universities. It offers the TRIUM Global Executive MBA
programme[101] jointly with Stern School of Business of New York University and
HEC School of Management, Paris. It is divided into six modules held in five
international business locations over a 16-month period. LSE also offers a Dual
Master of Public Administration (MPA) with Global Public Policy Network schools
such as Sciences Po Paris,[102] the Hertie School of Governance and National

University of Singapore. The school also runs exchange programmes with the
University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Fuqua School of Business, Kellogg
School of Management, Stern School of Business and Yale School of Management
as part of its MSc in International Management and an undergraduate student
exchange programme with the University of California, Berkeley in Political
Science.[103] It is however distincly not part of the European Union-wide
Erasmus Programme.

The School has formed formal academic agreements with five international
universities Columbia University (New York City), Sciences Po (Paris), the
University of Cape Town, Peking University (Beijing) and the National University of
Singapore, in addition to numerous research agreements with Oxford, Harvard,
Yale, Chicago, NYU, Imperial College and the University of California.
Libraries and archives
The interior of the main LSE library, designed by Norman Foster
Main articles: British Library of Political and Economic Science and Women's
Library

The main library of LSE is the British Library of Political and Economic Science
(BLPES), located in the Lionel Robbins Building. It is the home of the world's
largest social and political sciences library.[citation needed] Founded in 1896, it is
also the national social science library of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth
and all its collections have been recognised for their outstanding national and
international importance and awarded 'Designation' status by the Museums,
Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). BLPES responds to around 7,500 visits from
students and staff each day. In addition, it provides a specialist international
research collection, serving over 12,000 registered external users each year.

The Shaw Library, housed in an impressive room in the Old Building contains the
university's collection of fiction and general readings for leisure and
entertainment. The Fabian Window, also located within the library, was unveiled
by Tony Blair in 2003.

In 2013, the school purchased the Women's Library, Britain's main library and
museum resource on women and the women's movement and a UNESCO
classified resource. It opened within the main library during summer 2013.

Several subject specific libraries also exist including the Seligman Library for
Anthropology, the Himmelweit Library for Social Psychology, the Leverhulme

Library for Statistics, the Robert McKenzie library for Sociology, the Michael Wise
Library for Geography and the Gender Institute Library.

Additionally, students are permitted to use the libraries of any other University of
London college, and the extensive facilities at Senate House Library, situated in
Russell Square.
LSE Summer School

The LSE Summer School was established in 1989 and has expanded extensively
with more than 4,400 participants in 2011. The Summer School offers over 60
courses, from the Accounting & Finance, Economics, English Language, Law,
International Relations, Government & Society and Management departments,
and takes place over two sessions of three weeks, in July and August each year.
LSE also offers LSE-PKU Summer School in collaboration with Peking University.
Courses from both summer schools can be used as credit against other
qualifications. In 2011 the Summer School accepted students from over 115
countries, from some of the top colleges and universities in the world, as well as
professionals from several national banks and major financial institutions. As well
as the courses, accommodation in LSE halls of residence is available, and the
Summer School provides a full social programme including guest lectures and
receptions.[104]
Public lectures
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev addressing students and staff at LSE on 2
April 2009.

LSE is famous for its programme of public lectures.[citation needed] These

lectures, organised by the LSE Events office, are open to students, alumni and
the general public. As well as leading academics and commentators, speakers
frequently include prominent national and international figures such as
ambassadors, CEOs, Members of Parliament, and heads of state.

Recent speakers at the LSE have included Kofi Annan, Ben Bernanke, Tony Blair,
Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Noam Chomsky, Bill Clinton, Niall Ferguson,
Joschka Fischer, Vicente Fox, Milton Friedman, Muammar Gaddafi, John Lewis
Gaddis, Alan Greenspan, Tenzin Gyatso, Paul Krugman, Jens Lehmann, Lee Hsien
Loong, John Major, Nelson Mandela, Dmitri Medvedev, John Atta Mills, Mario
Monti, George Osborne, Robert Peston, Sebastin Piera, Kevin Rudd, Jeffrey
Sachs, Gerhard Schroeder, Carlos D. Mesa, Luiz Incio Lula da Silva, Costas
Simitis, George Soros, Lord Stern, Aung San Suu Kyi, Baroness Thatcher and
Rowan Williams.

LSE has also introduced LSE Live, which is a series of public lectures that are
broadcast live over the internet, as well as being open to LSE community, and
occasionally to the general public. Introduced in 2008, the series has seen many
prominent speakers such as George Soros, Thomas L. Friedman, Fareed Zakaria
and Ben Bernanke, who was then chairman of the Federal Reserve System of the
United States.[105] In addition LSE, hosts several business and political
conferences, with prestigious speakers such as the LSE Alternative Investment
Conference.
iXXi Briefings

The iXXi Briefings are private discussions which are attended by 40 experts from
within LSE and elsewhere and are chaired by Lord Desai. At the briefings
speakers talk for 15 minutes before discussion is opened to all attendees. iXXi
briefings provide an opportunity to for the LSE to exhibit its resources and
engage with experts and prominent figures. The iXXi Briefings are run by LSE
Enterprise.[106]
Rankings and reputation
Rankings ARWU[107]
(2014, national)

917

ARWU[107]
(2014, world)

101150

QS[108]
(2014/15, world)

69

THE[109]
(2014/15, world)

32

THE Reputation[110]
(2014, world)

24

Complete[111]
(2015, national)

The Guardian[112]
(2015, national)

Times/Sunday Times[113]
(2015, national)

LSE ranked 3rd overall in the Sunday Times University Guide cumulative ranking
over a ten-year period (19972007),[114] and ranked 3rd in the Complete
University Guide 2014.[115] A number of departments also ranked among the
top three in subject rankings, including but not limited to Law (2nd), Philosophy
(2nd), Economics (2nd), Social Policy (1st), Accounting and Finance (2nd), History
(3rd) and Geography (2nd). Its Department of International Relations has also
been ranked amongst the top ten in the world in recent years, and second only to
Harvard in 2013 according to THE-QS World University Rankings, making it the
best such department in Europe.[116]

In the THE-QS World University Rankings, the School was ranked 11th in the
world in 2004 and 2005, but dropped to 66th and 67th in the 2008 and 2009
edition. The school administration asserts that the fall was due to a controversial
change in methodology which hindered social science institutions.[117] In
January 2010, THE concluded that their existing methodology system with
Quacquarelli Symonds was flawed in such a way that it was unfairly biased
against certain schools, including LSE.[118] A representative of Thomson Reuters,
THE's new partner, commented on the controversy: "LSE stood at only 67th in the
last Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings some mistake
surely? Yes, and quite a big one."[118] Nonetheless, after the change of data
provider to Thomson Reuters the following year, LSE fell even further to 86th
place, with the ranking described by a representative of Thomson Reuters as 'a
fair reflection of their status as a world class university'.[116] LSE has continued
to attain these lower rankings (reaching 69th in 2013/14), which place it behind
eleven other British universities, with this being described as a 'pleasing
improvement' by LSE.[116][119] In the (now separated from QS) THE 2014
ranking the school climbed up to 32nd in the world.

In its first world ranking prepared by the US News & World Report, the School was
ranked 328th in the world, and 32nd in the country.[120]

Nevertheless, the school was the only one of its type to finish in the top 200
universities, and was thus stated to be the best "medium sized specialised
research university" in the world. LSE is ranked 25th globally for Reputation[121]
and often scores very highly in the social science specific section of the ranking.
The 2014 QS World University Rankings by Subject rank LSE 3rd in the world in
Economics and Econometrics,[122] 3rd in Politics and International Studies,[123]
5th in Sociology,[124] 2nd in Geography, 3rd in Accounting and Finance and 7th
in Law.[125]

The Fulbright Commission has stated that LSE is "the world's leading dedicated
social science institution".[126]

According to Wealth-X and UBS's "Billionaire Census", London School of

Economics (LSE) ranked 10th among the list of top 20 schools that have produced
the most billionaire alumni.[127] The LSE was the only UK university to make the
list.
Student life
LSE students revising in Lincoln's Inn Fields
Student body

In the 201112 academic year there were 9,300 full-time students and around
700 part-time students at the school. Of these, approximately two-thirds came
from outside the United Kingdom. LSE has a highly international student body,
with over 145 countries represented.[128]

Over half of LSE's students are postgraduates,[129] an unusually high proportion

in comparison with other British institutions.[citation needed] There is
approximately an equal split between genders with 51% male and 49% female
students.[129]
Students' Union
Main article: LSE Students' Union
The logo of LSE Students' Union

LSE has its own students' union (LSESU), which is affiliated to the National Union
of Students and the National Postgraduate Committee, as well as to the
University of London Union. The students' union is often regarded as the most
politically active in Britain a reputation it has held since the well documented
LSE student riots in 196667 and 196869,[130][131] which made international
headlines.

In 2013, LSESU moved into a purpose-built new building on the Aldwych campus,
[132] having moved out of its former East Building and Clare Market sites.

The Union is responsible for the organisation and undertaking of entertainment

events and student societies, as well as student welfare and issues regarding

accommodation and other matters. As of 2013, there are over 200 societies, 40
sports clubs, a Raising and Giving (RAG) branch and a thriving media group.

The Media Group is a collective of four distinct outlets, each with their own
history and identity. A weekly student newspaper The Beaver, is published each
Tuesday during term time and is amongst the oldest student newspapers in the
country. The Union's radio station Pulse! has existed since 1999, and the
television station LooSE Television has existed since 2005. The Clare Market
Review one of Britain's oldest student publications was revived in 2008 and has
gone on to win many national awards. Students also get access to London
Student, which is published by the University of London Union.

In various forms, RAG Week has been operating since 1980, when it was started
by then Student Union Entertainments Officer and now New Zealand MP Tim
Barnett.

Affiliated with LSESU, LSE Athletics Union is the body responsible for all sporting
activity within the university. It is a member of British Universities & Colleges
Sport (BUCS). In distinction to the "blues" awarded for sporting excellence at
Oxford and Cambridge, LSE's outstanding athletes are awarded "purples".
Student housing
Northumberland House

There are 12 LSE halls of residence in and around central London, of which 10 are
owned and operated by LSE and one is operated by Shaftesbury Student Housing.
Together, these residences accommodate over 3,500 students.[133] In addition,
there are also eight intercollegiate halls shared with other constituent colleges of
the University of London, which accommodate approximately 25% of LSE's firstyear undergraduate students.

The School guarantees accommodation for all first-year undergraduate students,

regardless of their present address. Many of the school's larger postgraduate
population are also catered for, with some specific residences available for
postgraduate living. Whilst none of the residences are located at the Houghton
Street campus, the closest, Grosvenor House is within a five-minute walk from
the school in Covent Garden, whilst the farthest residences (Nutford and Butler's
Wharf) are approximately forty-five minutes by Tube or Bus.

Each residence accommodates a mixture of students both domestic and foreign,

male and female, and, usually, undergraduate and postgraduate. New
undergraduate students (including General Course students) occupy
approximately 36% of all spaces, with postgraduates taking approximately 56%
and continuing students about 8% of places.
Grosvenor House Studios

The largest LSE student residence, Bankside, opened in 1996 and accommodates
617 students across eight floors overlooking the River Thames and located
behind the popular Tate Modern art gallery on the south bank of the River. The
second-largest residence is based in High Holborn, was opened in 1995 and is
approximately 10 minutes walk from the main campus. Other accommodation is
located well for London's attractions and facilities Butler's Wharf is situated next
to Tower Bridge, Rosebery Hall is located in the London Borough of Islington close
to Sadler's Wells, and Carr-Saunders Hall, named after LSE professor is
approximately 5 minutes from Telecom Tower in the heart of Fitzrovia.

Since 2005, the school has opened three new residences to provide
accommodation for all first-year students. Lilian Knowles, independently operated
in Spitalfields, is home for approximately 360 students and opened in 2006. It is
located in a converted Victorian night refuge; the remnants of which can still be
seen on the outside facade. It is a common stop on Jack the Ripper tours as one
of his victims is commonly believed to have been a one-time resident. Planning
permission was sought to convert Northumberland House, on Northumberland
Avenue into a new residence on 2 June 2005, and the accommodation opened to
students in October 2006.

The newest accommodation development is Northumberland House, a Grade II

listed building, located between the Strand and Thames Embankment. It was
formerly a Victorian grand hotel and lately government offices.

The closest residence to the Houghton Street campus is reserved for

postgraduate students and is located on the eastern side of Drury Lane at the
crossroads of Great Queen Street and Long Acre. Grosvenor House, converted
from a Victorian office building, opened in September 2005. The residence is
unique in that all of its 169 rooms are small, self-contained studios, with private
toilet and shower facilities and a mini-kitchen.

There are also eight intercollegiate halls and some students are selected to live in
International Students House, London.