LSE: Public lectures and events
The London School of Economics and Political Science public events podcast series is a platform for thought, ideas and lively debate where you can hear from some of the world's leading thinkers. Listen to more than 200 new episodes every year.
Episodes
Reading wars: the story (so far) of Western literacy and the future of free speech
Who gets access to books? And, to what extent does the act of reading shape our humanity?
Ten years on: Brexit and Britain’s political future
In June 2016, the UK voted to leave the European Union in a referendum that reshaped British politics, society, and the economy in profound and lasting ways. Ten years on, this event brings together leading voices from politics, journalism, and academia to reflect on how Brexit has transformed political identities, party competition, public trust, and Britain’s place in the world.
How to win a trade war
In this public event, Soumaya Keynes and Chad Bown discuss their new book, How to Win a Trade War.
The everywhere millionaire: who is really rich in America and how they got there
The story of wealth in America isn’t just about Wall Street or Silicon Valley—it’s also about the quiet fortunes of Main Street business owners, whose growing economic and political power often escapes the spotlight.
The halted march of the European left: lessons from history
In the 1970s, the European left was thriving. Across the continent, numerous groups emerged to defend the working‑class in all its diversity. New waves of organising—led by women, migrants, and young workers—pointed to the vitality of the labour movement. And then... the left’s progress came to a sharp halt. What brought about such decline? What lessons must we take away from this historical turni
From citizen to subject: police militarisation and the imperial boomerang
Militarised policing is one of the preconditions for fascist rule, but how and why would police in liberal democracies militarise?
Inheritance, demographics, and economic development
Inheritance institutions shape family structures and demographic decisions, with enduring implications for economic development. This lecture describes how inheritance rules affect fertility, marriage, and migration decisions in historical and development contexts.
Trade under strain: policy challenges in a fractured world
In an increasingly fragmented global order, new forms of geopolitical and economic division are reshaping the world economy. Long‑standing trade partnerships face growing pressure, and rising tensions threaten to unwind decades of cooperation
Economics, ethics, and the role of the state in climate action
Climate change and biodiversity loss are among the defining challenges of our time — but they also open the door to extraordinary possibility. The investments, innovation, and structural change required for climate action can unlock, particularly when combined with AI, far more dynamic and resilient paths of growth and development than anything the past has offered.
Investable transition opportunities: what counts as a climate solution?
As companies in high-emitting sectors move from setting net zero targets to implementing detailed transition plans, investors are demanding greater transparency and fully quantified strategies.
Why populists are winning and how to beat them
In 2024, two billion people went to vote – and populism won big. Donald Trump returned to the White House. Marine Le Pen surged in France. Reform UK became Britain’s most successful far-right party in modern history. Across the West, authoritarian populists now govern one-quarter of the world’s democracies. But is this peak populism – or the populists’ tipping point?
Cooling a warming India: ecology and equity in our time
This talk will examine housing and work, sleep and sociality, as key aspects of everyday life where strategies to create more equitable and sustainable access to cooling must focus.
Development finance after Trump
The Trump Administration has closed the world’s largest bilateral aid programme, USAID and poured scorn on its past effectiveness. Other donors are also cutting their aid programmes at the same time as there is a growing chorus of concern around aid effectiveness. It has created ‘’ a perfect storm” in the world of development finance. Can there be a happy ending or is development another casualty
The foreign policy of Donald Trump in historical perspective
Commentators around the world draw some startling analogies when they seek to assess President Donald Trump, some even likening him to a Roman emperor or an inter-war dictator. In this lecture, Niall Ferguson puts Trump's foreign policy in an Anglo-American historical perspective.
Who is Britain really saving in the fight against modern slavery?
As Black Lives Matter has exposed the legacies of transatlantic slavery and empire, Britain has launched a new moral crusade at home: the fight against “modern slavery.” This panel discussion marks the launch of Drugs, Race and the Politics of Modern Slavery Law by Insa Lee Koch and asks what this crusade is really doing.
The ethics of foreign intervention: philosophical perspectives on Venezuela and Iran
The US capture of President Nicolás Maduro in January 2026 and the US–Israeli military campaign against Iran have thrust foreign intervention back to the centre of global debate.
Greek Prime Ministers in the eye of the storm
This public lecture is for the book launch of Greek Prime Ministers in the Eye of the Storm: Crisis Management and Institutional Change, featuring authors Kevin Featherstone and Dimitris Papadimitriou.
Global ideas for global challenges: a panel in honour of Nick Stern
Leaders of the world’s premier economic institutions and a Nobel Prize winning economist discuss how ideas have evolved to shape our world and what is needed for the future.
From curiosity to prosperity: sharing the gains of science
Why should governments back “Big Science” when discoveries are uncertain and the benefits may seem distant from taxpayers’ daily lives? In this public lecture, France A Córdova—astrophysicist and former Director of the US National Science Foundation, NASA Chief Scientist, and President of the Science Philanthropy Alliance—explores how curiosity-driven research and the large infrastructures that en
End of the America era? Looking back, looking forward
At a time of intensifying geopolitical rivalry, economic nationalism, and ideological extremism, this roundtable brings together a group of leading political scientists and historians to take stock of the choices and pathways that have brought America and the world to this unsettled moment.
Mediate the middle: moving with and beyond dichotomies
Join us in celebrating the launch of Bart Cammaerts’ latest textbook, Dichotomies in Media and Communication Theory — a bold and original exploration of the key theoretical tensions that shape our media landscape.
Is a democratic economy possible? Lessons from history, horizons for the future
Fifty years after powerful labour movements launched radical plans to democratise the economy and gain control of large businesses, what is the legacy of these efforts and what are the prospects for economic democracy today?
Assessing risk assessment in cases of domestic abuse
Domestic abuse affects roughly one-third of women worldwide and carries serious consequences for victims, their children, and society at large. This lecture presents findings from three studies examining the risk assessment process which has been used across England since 2009 to help police identify victims at high risk of serious repeat abuse and connect them with protective services.
Animal economics
Humans care about animals, and many would argue that animals are morally relevant. Many of our decisions profoundly affect the welfare of animals and yet welfare economics has not, up to this point, considered animals in its frameworks, theories and cost-benefit calculations.
Mass media, justice and me: a victim’s perspective
Step into the lives of those whose pursuit of justice collided with the power of the press.
Housing supply and the future of our urban planet
Join us for this special Economica Coase lecture which this year will be delivered by Harvard academic Edward Glaeser.
How stories can transcend borders and boxes of identity
By drawing upon multiple disciplines and weaving these threads into the broader practice of literary arts, the Turkish-British writer Elif Shafak offers an inspirational talk about our world today, the stories that bring us together, and the silences that keep us apart.
The geopolitical implications of the Israel-US-Iran war
A panel of academic experts is brought together by the Middle East Centre at LSE to discuss the current Israel-US-Iran war.
The world is your office: AI and the evolution of work from anywhere
During the past decade, technological change and management practices have disrupted how organisations access global talent and organise work. Thousands of employees are now enabled to work from anywhere. Why? Because trailblazing organisations recognise that geographic flexibility offers a competitive edge.
Infinite justice: political cosmologies that protect our future
In her inaugural lecture, Shakuntala Banaji explores how our ethical and political imaginations of love, justice and rights—shaped by education systems, media and technologies under savage capitalism—differ between individuals, communities and geopolitical entities.
Rebalancing the new world order in an age of fragmentation
Join us for this special event with LSE alumnus and President of Finland Alexander Stubb.
Donald Trump and the unmaking of Europe
Join us for this lecture by Nathalie Tocci who will argue that Donald Trump’s foreign policy record has not been very successful so far, as wars continue to rage in Ukraine and in the Middle East.
Gender, culture and equality in today’s Britain
Join us for a timely conversation on equality, gender and culture in contemporary Britain with Sarah Owen MP, chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee.
Invisible inputs: gender bias in AI systems
Behind every algorithm lies a set of choices, some visible, many not. This panel discusses the unseen forces that shape AI, focusing on how gender bias enters systems through data, design, and deployment.
Women’s health matters: science, systems, and global change
The LSE Health and Department of Health Policy Annual Lecture 2026 was delivered by Michelle A Williams, Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University.
Complexity and complicity in social anthropology
Join us for Hans Steinmüller's inaugural lecture.
The politics of world heritage: visions, custodians, and futures of humanity
In this book launch, Elif Kalaycioglu, will present her new book, The Politics of World Heritage: Visions, Custodians, and Futures of Humanity, followed by a discussion and Q&A.
The care economy and social housing
What is the relationship between the care economy and social housing and how do they directly influence each other?
Grassroots: shaping the digital realm and through it – the world
The digital realm today concentrates power and wealth in the hands of the few, excluding most of humanity from equal participation.
Do molecules have structure? The view from quantum physics
Join us for the inaugural BJPS Popper Prize lecture, delivered by philosophers of science Alexander Franklin and Vanessa Seifert.
Creative destruction, AI, and the European recovery
Join us for this special event with LSE's Philippe Aghion, joint recipient of the 2025 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.
From dialogue to decarbonisation: can investor engagement deliver?
With momentum behind the low-carbon transition faltering and headwinds mounting, investors play an increasingly critical role in in sustaining climate ambition.
American foreign policy in the age of Trump
With the old world order visibly weakening, President Donald Trump’s foreign policy is both consequential and confusing. Does Mr Trump have a strategy and if so, what are its prospects for success?
Eco-social contracts for sustainable and just futures
For changemakers, students, and everyone seeking hope, direction, and clarity during a time of global uncertainty, join us for the launch of a book that serves as both a call to action and a guide for transformation—encouraging readers to imagine and co-create sustainable and just futures.
Balancing economic reform and stability: Paraguayan lessons for policymakers
Join us as we welcome Carlos Gustavo Fernández Valdovinos, Paraguay’s Minister of Economy and Finance, for a lecture on the country’s economic transformation from crisis management to achieving investment grade.
Narratives in policymaking
We all love a good story. Stories provide coherence and help to form our sense of identity. Personal and social narratives fundamentally affect the ways we live, how we interact and what is considered important at all levels of decision-making.
Immigration policy: challenges and options
In this third and final lecture Alan Manning offers solutions to the challenges facing immigration policy, and how to navigate among the often-competing claims of the economy, culture, justice, and democracy.
EdTech at the crossroads of pedagogy vs profit
Education technology (EdTech) is transforming education at a fast pace – but at what cost?
Governing with nature: towards transformative change?
Nature-based solutions are gaining traction as transformative interventions addressing biodiversity loss, climate change, and social justice. Their appeal lies in both the perceived ‘good’ of nature and the intent to harness its properties for multiple benefits
Can natural capital be replaced? How the weak versus strong sustainability divide will shape our common future
This event celebrates the open access publication of the 5th edition of Weak versus Strong Sustainability.
A picture of migration
Join us for the 2026 Lionel Robbins Memorial Lectures which this year will be delivered by Alan Manning. This lecture is one of three based on the newly published book, Why Immigration Policy Is Hard.
The national interest: politics after globalisation
Are the politics of national interest making a comeback in the multipolar world after the end of globalisation? What is the national interest and why did it get forgotten at the end of the 20th century? Does the idea offer a way out of the impasse afflicting politics in the 21st century?
Monetary policy in perspective
Join Klaas Knot, who served as President of the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) for 14 years, as he reflects on his extensive experience in the European Central Bank’s (ECB) Governing Council.
Why immigration policy is hard
Join us for the 2026 Lionel Robbins Memorial Lectures which this year will be delivered by Alan Manning. This lecture is one of three based on the newly published book, Why Immigration Policy Is Hard.
Our Dollar, your problem
Join us for this public lecture where Kenneth Rogoff will discuss his recently released book Our Dollar, Your Problem: An insider's view of seven turbulent decades of global finance and the road ahead.
Power and profit: stresses and futures of market economies
The famous epithet that “the old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters”, is most often attributed to the Marxist thinker and revolutionary Antonio Gramsci.
Abundant clean energy for all: the technological opportunity
For the past two centuries, growth in energy supply has been fundamental to human progress and economic development. But fossil fuel dependence is driving climate change at an unprecedented scale. Can emerging technologies for producing and using electricity help deliver a sustainable future?
Are revolutions justified?
Ralph Miliband has written poignantly on the limits of parliamentary democracy. But are revolutions justified?
The measure of progress: counting what really matters
Professor Coyle argues that the way we measure the economy—developed in the 1940s—no longer fits today’s realities. The outdated framework underpinning economic statistics distorts how policymakers understand and respond to the digital economy.
How oil rents fuel populist foreign policy
In his inaugural lecture (based on his research with Ferdinand Eibl) Steffen Hertog argues that populist leaders in all but the largest countries can afford radical policies only if they enjoy autonomy from international economic constraints
Women, nature, and 2030: a transformational global climate solution
Climate change is not gender-neutral — not in its impact on women and girls, nor in the solutions women are leading. This lecture will share new research revealing how women’s leadership is providing new pathways to address the climate crisis.
Shared prosperity in a fractured world
Join us for this talk by Dani Rodrik where he will talk about his new book, Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World, in which he shows how the nations of the world can achieve all three objectives.
AI, technology and society: shaping the future together
AI is about people – the most sophisticated AI models are trained on trillions of tokens that capture human communication, behaviours, and interactions.
The ins and outs of sustainable supply chains
Presenting insights from over a decade of research, Professor Macchiavello will examine how companies can organise supply chains that are sustainable and resilient, creating value for stakeholders beyond the organisation's boundaries.
Common law: a better foundation for Liberalism
In conventional political philosophy, law is understood as consciously created rules that are a necessary mechanism for regulating the excesses of the free market. Although coercive in nature, law is seen as a necessary defence against anarchy.
Women in economics: progress, challenges and perspectives
Despite decades of progress, women remain underrepresented in the field of economics. This event explores the gender disparities in the discipline and what this means for economics and society.
Economic impacts and legacies of British rule in India
In her latest book An Economic History of India: Growth, income and inequalities from the Mughals to the 21st century, Bishnupriya Gupta builds a new framework for understanding the economic impacts and legacies of British Rule
The politics of hunger in Sudan
The ongoing war in Sudan has produced the world’s largest humanitarian and hunger crisis—devastating a country that could easily feed itself and its neighbours.
Why I am an anarchist: insights into British anarchist thought and politics
Anarchism has had a more powerful impact on political life than most people realise. What are the roots of this radical tradition? How has it had this impact? And what is the contemporary case for embracing it?
Should the UK have a wealth tax? The Wealth Tax Commission five years on
In 2020, the Wealth Tax Commission brought together world-leading academics, policymakers and tax practitioners to ‘think big’ about tax policy.
Fiscal threats in a changing global financial system
This lecture will discuss how policymakers should address these challenges by employing a carefully selected mix of tools that spans fiscal, monetary and prudential policy.
America first and the future of Eurasian geopolitics
In this lecture, one of India’s leading strategic thinkers and commentators examines the roots of Donald Trump’s America First agenda and assesses its implications for the future of stability on the Eurasian landmass and its surrounding waters.
John Rawls and unequivocal justice
Curious about how free markets and social justice intersect? Join us for an engaging lecture by Christopher Freiman, author of the book Unequivocal Justice.
AI, technology and society: shaping the future together
AI is about people – the most sophisticated AI models are trained on trillions of tokens that capture human communication, behaviours, and interactions.
Will the next World War be a cyberwar?
It seems every week we hear a new report of a cyber-attack. What if those attacks were on our critical infrastructure? Our national grid? Our water supply? Is the UK prepared?
World Children’s Day: digital futures for children – children’s rights under pressure in the digital environment
In 2021, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child introduced General Comment No. 25 on children’s rights in the digital environment, marking a milestone in aligning child rights with the digital age. But what real impact has it had?
Is there a Trump doctrine? Making sense of US foreign and security policy since Trump’s return to the White House
In January 2025, Donald Trump returned to the White House. The ensuing months have been a dizzying blur for American foreign and security policy.
Britain in a changing world
Discussing the topic, Britain in a changing world, former British Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party, Sir John Major, delivers this year’s Maurice Fraser Annual Lecture.
Greece’s economic and digital transformation: in conversation with Kyriakos Pierrakakis
Join us for a discussion with Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Greece's Minister of the Economy and Finance, on the key challenges shaping the country’s future.
Spreading it around: a new look at redistribution and tax
In this panel discussion, anthropologists working on redistribution and tax will present the findings of—and interrogate each other on—two recent books.
