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NOVEMBER 2010

Helen Clark, United Nations Development Programme Administrator, gave the annual UCL Lancet Lecture on 22 November. Talking afterwards to UCL students, she explained: "The main role I see for academic institutions, both now and in the future, is the provision of sound evidence and research. This body of research can then be used in the formulation of policy underpinned by a strong rationale." 

You can watch Helen Clark's lecture in full below:

Journalist and author Simon Jenkins, Chairman of The National Trust, was at UCL on 2 November to deliver the UCL Mishcon Lecture 2010: 'Do we need defence at all?'

 

 

UCL, The Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK and The Wellcome Trust signed an agreement on 9 November to set up the UKCMRI as a charitable foundation. The signing ceremony was attended by the Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts MP and Health Minister Lord Howe. David Willetts said: "I am delighted to be present at the signing of the Joint Venture Agreement for UKCMRI. This will be crucial for British biomedical research in the future.  The four partners will create a world class centre with a mix of expertise and critical mass to capture cutting-edge science for the benefit of patients."

 

 

Also on 9 November, UCL opened the UCL Jill Dando Institute Centre for the Forensic Sciences. The opening included a panel discussion which was chaired by broadcaster Nick Ross. The panel included BAFTA-winning television producer Simon Ford, Dr Ann Priston, President of the Forensic Science Society and Gary Pugh, Director of Forensic Services at the Metropolitan Police.

UCL Laws marked the launch of the UCL Judicial Institute with a panel debate entitled 'The Future of Judging' on 16 November. Speakers included the Rt Hon Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls, and Professor Richard Susskind OBE, IT Adviser to the Lord Chief Justice. The debate was chaired by Joshua Rozenberg, Presenter of the BBC's Law in Action.

Natascha Engel, Labour MP for North East Derbyshire and Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, gave a public seminar at UCL on the topic of parliamentary reform and the work of her committee at UCL on 17 November.

Image (from top): Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts MP at the formal UKCMRI signing, broadcaster Nick Ross chairs the discussion panel at the opening of the UCL Jill Dando Institute Centre for the Forensic Sciences.


OCTOBER 2010

 

 

 

 

A delegation from Peking University, headed by Executive Vice-President Professor Lin Jianhua, visited UCL on 12 October. Professor Lin met with Professor Michael Worton, Vice-Provost (Academic and International) and Professor Xiao Guo, Pro-Provost for China and toured the International Centre for Chinese Heritage and Archaeology - a collaborative research centre between Peking and UCL.

Peking University is one of UCL's longest-standing international collaborators and the focus of Professor Lin's visit was to renew the Memorandum of Collaboration between the two universities. The agreement will build on the existing links in biomedicine and archaeology and extend to knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship.

On Monday 18 October, Will Hellon (First Secretary, Science and Innovation, British Embassy, Beijing) and Richard Mills (Consul and Head of Science & Innovation, British Consulate General, Shanghai) visited UCL as the guests of Professor Xiao Guo, UCL Pro-Provost for China. They ran an open workshop for members of UCL staff to outline what the UK Government is doing to support UCL in work with Chinese researchers and academic institutions.

On Wednesday 27 October, UCL hosted a professional networking event for alumni entitled based around the theme 'Politics & Government'. Among those speaking at the event was Michael White, Assistant Editor of the Guardian and a UCL graduate and a UCL fellow. Also speaking was Alison McGovern MP, who studied Philosophy at UCL before entering politics.

Images from left to right: Peking University Delegation; Michael White


SEPTEMBER 2010

 

 

 

 

Former US Secretary of State Dr Madeleine Albright was at an event organised by the Czech, Slovak and Polish ambassadors and the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES).

On the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, Dr Albright spoke at a symposium held jointly at the Czech and Slovak embassies about her impressions as a young child in London during the Blitz, when her father was part of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile. She urged the international audience to heed the advice of Tomáš Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia, telling them to: "(Seek harmony) by expecting evil without ever accepting it; by striving for good without ever taking success for granted; and by demanding the most of ourselves while searching for the best in each other."

On 13 September, artist Chila Kumari Burman, a leading figure among UK Black and Asian artists, held an exhibition dedicated to Potent Substances, the boundaries of food and medicine at the UCL Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine.

Nobel Prizewinner Professor Barry Marshall gave the 2010 UCL Clinical Prize Lecture on 20 September. Professor Marshall told a full house how he courageously infected himself with a microscopic corkscrew-shaped organism called Helicobacter pylori in order to prove this bacteria was the cause of many chronic, painful and often disabling stomach ailments. UCL PhD student Gavin Sewell explained: "We met Professor Marshall in the Wilkins building in the heart of UCL. Admittedly, we all felt a little awestruck. Even in UCL, it isn't every day that one has the opportunity to speak with a Nobel Prize winner! However, we managed to overcome this to discuss Professor Marshall's current plans and his background, as well as our own personal research projects and ambitions."

Watch Professor Marshall's lecture in full by clicking on the player below

Alex Zane appeared at the UCL Bloomsbury Theatre, when stars of the comedy world came together for two nights only to raise money for the UCLH Cancer Centre on 22 and 23 September.

Images from top: Dr Madelaine Albright, Chila Kumari Burman.


 

JULY 2010

The beginning of July saw the launch of the UCL Institute of Sport, Science and Health. Among those present at the launch were David Willetts, MP and Sir Clive Woodward, who won the Rugby World Cup as manager of the England team. 

 

 

The Director of the institute, Dr Fares Haddad, explained:

"A great deal of the research is focused on optimising our athletes for London 2012. The Institute includes the British Olympic Medical Institute Science and Research Unit. The work of the Institute will focus partly on translating the current knowledge in sports and exercise medicine to the general public for public health benefit, but also on trying to deliver that extra 1% that makes a difference between gold medals and also-rans in elite sport/athletics. The whole idea is that exercise medicine is made available in the community to decrease risks of cardiovascular problems, diabetes and other problems."

On 6 July, Mayor of London Boris Johnson was at the UCL Institute of Neurology, at an event to mark 150 years of the National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery (NHNN).

 

 


To celebrate the hospital's 150th anniversary, the Mayor attended an open event and unveiled a plaque for the Molly Lane Fox Unit - a new brain cancer unit which will be the first of its kind in the country when it opens early next year.

The Mayor said:

"The pioneering work of the doctors and researchers in this unit will give hope to people with brain cancer and their loved ones. What is more, with new clinical drugs trials and numerous projects to help us better understand the biology of this disease, the work of the National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery and UCL will help ensure the city remains a world leader at the forefront of the treatment of cancer."

The NHNN, based in Camden, is one of the world's leading centres for the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with a wide range of neurological conditions including multiple sclerosis (MS), brain cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and head injury.  Click here to view a slideshow of the first 150 years of the NHNN.

On 12 July, the president of The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science  Professor Peter Gruss, accompanied by Dr Berthold Neizert and Dr Michaela Zimmermann visited UCL to sign a Framework Agreement on Scientific Cooperation. UCL President and Provost Malcolm Grant signed the agreement on behalf of UCL.

The Max Planck Society is an independent, non-profit research organisation and UCL's main research collaborator in Germany.

Images from top: Mayor of London Boris Johnson unveils a plaque at UCL NHNN; former England rugby team manager Sir Clive Woodward


 

JUNE 2010

On Wednesday 16 June, UCL held the symposium 'Wellbeing for All? Achieving wellbeing in an unequal society' as part of the UCL Grand Challenge for Human Wellbeing. It was chaired by Polly Toynbee from the Guardian and featured a keynote lecture by Professor Richard Wilkinson, Honorary Professor at UCL and author of The Spirit Level. You can watch Polly Toynbee speaking at UCL below.

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On 1 June, zoologist Mark Carwardine was at the UCL Grant Museum for an entertaining and enlightening behind-the-scenes talk about the popular six-part BBC TV series he co-presented with Stephen Fry 'Last Chance to See'. Andy Richmond from the UCL Grant Museum explained:

 

 

"This term's events were all about endings, as from July the Grant Museum will be closed to the public and the collection moved to a new space in the Rockefeller Building. We were delighted that Mark Carwardine agreed to contribute, as Last Chance to See and his search for the world's rarest animals fitted in perfectly with our theme. The Grant Museum itself houses a number of endangered or extinct species - such as the Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine, the Quagga, and the Dodo - and is itself somewhat threatened being the only remaining university zoological museum left in London. We hope that Mark's talk raised awareness of critically endangered animals, and helped prevent at least some of them ending up as exhibits in museums like ours."

As part of the UCL Global Migration Symposia Series, award-winning director, producer and screenwriter Mitko Panov was at UCL on 7 June for a screening of his 2009 film The War is Over followed by a panel discussion and a Q&A with Panov, film professionals and critics.

The 9 June saw UCL's Bloomsbury Theatre hosting Time Out live's 'Laugh out Loud' comedy show. Jason Byrne, Josie Long and star of The Thick of It Will Smith were among the comedians taking part.

 

 

UCL welcomed a delegation from the Japan-British Society of Yamaguchi on 14 June. The Society was at UCL to honour the achievements of the Choshu five and their role in the foundation of modern Japan. The delegation was lead by Mr Teiji Yamada and included former officials from the Yamaguchi Prefecture and colleagues from Yamaguchi University. They were hosted by Professor Derek Tocher, UCL Pro-Provost for East and South-east Asia and Marco Federighi from UCL Engineering Sciences, which has a long-standing partnership with Yamaguchi University. After a visit to the Japan Memorial and a tour conducted by colleagues from Library Services, the visitors were shown the UCL record books with the registration signatures of the early Japanese scholars.

Lord Neuberger

A delegation from The Italian National Research Council (CNR) visited UCL on 15 June to renew a Memorandum of Understanding with the UCL Centre for Sustainable Heritage. The delegation was led by Professor Roberto dei Mattei, Vice-President of CNR and accompanied by Professor Salvator Amendolia, Scientific Attaché of the Italian Embassy.

UCL Vice-Provost (Academic and International) Michael Worton explained: "CNR was visiting UCL to sign a memorandum of understanding and foster research collaboration between Italy and the UK in the area of science applied to cultural heritage. This is something which UCL is already pioneering, particularly through our Centre for Sustainable Heritage and the work of UCL Museums and Collections."

On June 16, The Rt Hon the Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury (LLD), Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice, was at UCL to receive an Honorary Degree at the annual UCL Fellows event, alongside Nobel Prize winner and UCL alumnus Professor Charles Kao who also received an Honorary Degree.

Warsaw: a Jewish Metropolis was a conference hosted at UCL from 22-25 June in honour of the scholar Anthony Polonsky. Participants from around the world were in attendance, representing the very best of world scholarship on Eastern Europe, including the Mayor of Warsaw and the Director of the Polish Cultural Institute. You can listen below to UCL conference host Dr François Guesnet talk about the character of this special city and the institutions and speakers involved in this event. 

Listen!

 

 

23 June saw The Rt Hon Baroness Hayman, Lord Speaker, giving a seminar on how recent political developments are likely to impact on the work of the House of Lords.

 

 

 

 

The seminar was organised and hosted by the UCL Constitution Unit. Baroness Hayman was elected as the first ever Lord Speaker in 2006. The following day on June 24, 'Arts and Humanities in the Media' - a conference for the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) - took place at UCL. Speakers at the event included Mary Beard (Professor of Classics at University of Cambridge and columnist for The Times) and the broadcaster Martin Davidson, BBC Factual Commissioner. British Museum Curator JD Hill and Radio 4 programme editor Rob Ketteridge were also in attendance to discuss the success of the Radio 4 programme A History of the World in 100 Objects.

Images from top: Zoologist Mark Carwardine with Steven Fry; The Japan-British Society of Yamaguchi; The Rt Hon the Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury receives his honorary degree; The Rt Hon Baroness Hayman


 

MAY 2010

Speaking at the UCL this month, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams stated that negative concerns about the impact of migration on British identity "betrays a lack of proper confidence in the capacity and the commitment of our society both to learn and to teach." The Archbishop was at UCL on 18 March to deliver a lecture entitled 'Enriching the arguments: the refugee contribution to British life'. The event was organised by UCL together with the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA).

Watch Dr Williams' lecture in full below.


At the beginning of the month, comedian Chris Addison from Bafta Award-winning comedy The Thick of It was at the UCL Bloomsbury Theatre to record his latest stand-up DVD over two sold-out nights on 4 and 5 May.

 

 

On 13 May, UCL hosted an event entitled 'Examining the Relationship between Migration and Security'. Elspeth Guild, an internationally renowned expert in European immigration law attended and spoke. Also at the event was Anneliese Baldaccini, the Executive Officer for Asylum and Immigration at Amnesty International EU in Brussels. 

 

 

Lord Richard Rogers was at the UCL Bartlett School of Planning to give the 2010 Sir Peter Hall lecture on 19 May. Lord Rogers ended his lecture with a call for architects and planners to be brought together through their education, to create urban spaces with a sense of place and buildings that are flexible in use stating that "cities are for the meeting of people, both friend and strangers."

On Thursday 20 May, James Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive, Europe and Asia of News Corporation, spoke at the official launch of the UCL Centre for Digital Humanities. He said: "Digital technology has significantly changed the way we communicate and share knowledge. The Centre holds great promise, not only for finding new ways of applying technology to the study of the human record but also for providing insights and perspective on how we think about culture and creativity in the future." To read more about the event and to watch a video of James Murdoch's lecture, please click here.

Also on 20 May, UCL was pleased to welcome one of Time Magazine's 'Top 100 People who Shape our World' and Nobel Prize-winner Professor Elizabeth Blackburn, who was in the Crucifom building to give a lecture on her research into telomere and telomerase in human health and disease. 

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

On May 25, The UCL Constitution Unit held its annual summer party in the North Cloisters. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was in attendance and other guests included Sir Gus O'Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, Lord McNally, Minister of State for Justice, and Mark Harper MP, Parliamentary Secretary.

The UCL Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment hosted a dinner on 26 May in the engine rooms at Tower Bridge for a visiting Chinese delegation coming from the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiantan (CZT) region. Rapid urbanisation in recent years has seen the CZT population inflate to around 67 million people and this growth has seen a need for infrastructure development and to incorporate low carbon and sustainable practices for the region. UCL has already signed a memorandum of understanding and is developing a research project in the Zhuzhou area.

 

 

Thursday 27 May saw Earl Howe, the new Parliamentary undersecretary of State for Health in the Lords, visiting the Moorfields/UCL Institute of Ophthalmology Specialist Biomedical Research Centre.

UCL Scandinavian Studies hosted most of the world's university teachers of Icelandic language, literature and culture, at a symposium supported by the Icelandic government on 28-29 May. UCL is the only university outside Iceland to offer a full degree programme in Icelandic. Eighteen lecturers from North America, China, as well as from across Europe, attended the event, where they heard from UCL staff about the methods developed here in the area of digital learning.

Dr Daisy Neijmann, who hosted the event, said: "It is remarkable and encouraging, not least considering recent events and the size of the nation, that the Icelandic authorities have chosen to continue their support of the teaching of Icelandic studies abroad. It is also a great opportunity for us to share experiences and build relationships with colleagues working in a similar area. The event is also a good example of how UCL's expertise can contribute to the development of teaching and learning in other parts of the world."

 

 

Images from top: James Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive, Europe and Asia of News Corporation; Nobel Prize winner Professor Elizabeth Blackburn; Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in discussion with Professor Robert Hazell (UCL Constitution Unit);  Earl Howe, Parliamentary undersecretary of State for Health in the Lords


 

APRIL 2010

 

 

Comedian Lucy Porter was at UCL on 9 April to perform her latest solo show, described as 'a witty romp through the history of gold' at the UCL Bloomsbury Theatre.

Andrew Trotter, Chief Constable of the British Transport Police, gave a keynote speech about the 7 July bombings to the delegates at a UCL-hosted public forensic science showcase, as part of the UK Fingerprint Society's Annual Educational Conference on 10 April.

 

 

On April 26, renowned author S. I. Martin, gave a seminar on behalf of the UCL Thames Discovery Programme entitled 'Along the Black Waterfront', explaining the complex history of the Black community and the River Thames.

Also on April 26, bestselling author Jodi Picoult discussed her new book House Rules in the UCL Bloomsbury Theatre.

The UCL School of Energy and Resources, in Adelaide, Australia, was formally opened on 28 April by the British High Commissioner to Australia, Baroness Valerie Amos; South Australian Premier Mike Rann; and Chief Executive Officer of energy company Santos, David Knox.

'Intergeneric translation: Iranian modernity and the West' was the lecture given on 28 April by Dr Homa Katouzian, Iran Heritage Foundation Research Fellow, St Antony's College, University of Oxford. During the lecture, Dr Katouzian explored European liberalisms and modern concepts of liberty in Iran.

Images from top: Andrew Trotter, Chief Constable of the British Transport Police; Baroness Amos and South Australian Premier Mike Rann


 

MARCH 2010

On 2 March Mark Prisk MP, Shadow Minister for Business and Enterprise visited UCL for a briefing on the university's outreach and research commercialisation activities.

Andrei Capusan, Diplomat and Historian at the Romanian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, hosted the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies guest lecture on 10 March entitled 'Friends and Allies: Romanians and the British throughout history'.

 

 

Frank Dobson, MP for Holborn and St Pancras, was on site visiting Dr Oyinkan Sofola (UCL Genetics, Evolution and Environment) on 11 March at UCL's Institute for Healthy Ageing. The visit formed part of the Royal Society MP/Scientist Pairing Scheme that was established in 2001 and works by pairing scientists with either a civil servant or an MP.

 

 

Gavin Esler, BBC broadcaster moderated part of the Education Without Borders European Forum held at UCL from Friday 26 to Saturday 27 March. The goal of the forum was to create an increasingly borderless world, a platform for conversation, information sharing, and the exploration of ideas that pave the way for mobility, global awareness and collaboration across borders in higher education within Europe. Esler hosted a discussion on student recruitment that included promoting international competitiveness and preparing students for work in a globalised environment.

The UCL Jewish Society invited Anthony Julius, barrister and author, to campus on 11 March. Julius spoke about the changing nature of anti-semitism in England. He expanded upon the different forms that anti-semitism has taken over the centuries, and said: " In order to understand anti-semitism, we must understand its irrationality, and must have a theory of what it is and furthermore a theory of hatred in general."

On 23 March Professor Gordon Hanson from UC San Diego visited UCL to speak about 'Managing Immigration Policy in High Income Countries'. The UCL Centre for the Research and Analysis of Migration (CreAM) convened the event.

The UCL Environment Institute continued its Public Lecture Series on 24 March with Andy Atkins on 'After Copenhagen: Where next to address climate change'. Andy is Executive Director of Friends of the Earth and was a founder of the Make Poverty History campaign.

 

 

UCL President and Provost Professor Malcolm Grant welcomed the President of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Professor Timothy Tong and a senior delegation to UCL on 25 March. The delegation was greeted by Professor Xiao Guo, UCL Pro-Provost for China, Hong Kong and Macau and later met colleagues from UCL Business, Engineering Sciences and the Built Environment to explore potential collaborative links. UCL has long-standing links with Hong Kong and currently has 430 Hong Kong students enrolled.

A group of Europe's leading academics and educators attended the inaugural 'Education Without Borders' European Forum in London, from 26-27 March to formulate a collaborative approach to higher education throughout Europe. Held at UCL, the forum included representatives from 18 European countries including Professor Georg Winckler, Rector of the University of Vienna and Professor Ralph Eichler, President of ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology).

Bill Rammell, Armed Forces Minister and Ivan Lewis, Middle East Minister visited UCL on 15 March to speak to a student audience about Afghanistan. UCL student Edward Malnick interviewed the ministers for UCL's student newspaper Pi.

Images from top: Frank Dobson MP, BBC broadcaster Gavin Esler, Professor Timothy Tong with UCL President and Provost, Professor Malcolm Grant 

 


 

FEBRUARY 2010

 

 

HRH The Prince of Wales visited University College Hospital on2 February to find out more about its work in developing a groundbreaking cancer treatment. The Prince spoke with patients and clinicians about photodynamic therapy - a pioneering form of cancer treatment using lasers. University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the UK leader in this innovative approach.

The Rector of Kazakh National University, Professor Bakytzhan Zhumagulov, came to UCL on 8 February to talk to President and Provost Professor Malcolm Grant and the Vice-Provost (Academic and International) Professor Michael Worton. The trio signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities to enable further collaboration in research and teaching.

Veteran campaigner Peter Tatchell visited the university on 11 February as part of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans History Month to give a lecture entitled 'The Global Struggle for Queer Rights rights - Fighting political and religious fundamentalism worldwide'. Tatchell has been campaigning for human rights, democracy and global justice since 1967.

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Heather Henriksen, Director of Office for Sustainability at Harvard University, visited UCL's Environment Institute on 24 February to talk about how the top-ranking US university has committed to making a 30% carbon footprint reduction by 2016. Harvard have already made large changes both in building energy use and social norms which are already translating into significant carbon and dollar savings.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal came to the UCL Eastman Dental Institute on 24 February for the official opening of a brand new clinical skills training facility. The state-of-the-art facility includes a clinical skills laboratory, seminar room and clinical chairs with the latest equipment including microscopes, digital radiography and a cone beam scanner.

Former Dragons' Den panellist Doug Richards brought his School for Startups team back to the university on 25 February to deliver a business masterclass organised by UCL Advances. The seminar incorporated 'live' on the day delegate case studies, video examples, lectures, interactive discussions and Q&A sessions.

Image: Professor Bakytzhan Zhumagulov and Professor Malcolm Grant 


Video: Peter Tatchell delivering his lecture
 

JANUARY 2010

 

 

John Hegley, the performance poet and stand-up comedian, visited the Bloomsbury Theatre this month to perform the Adventures of Mister Robinet on the 9 January. John's signature tales referred to a Frenchman with some unusual (but clean) habits, which include burying his dogs' kennel and his own luggage pieces.

The UCL Jewish Society invited Lady Jakobovits, a Holocaust survivor and widow of the previous Chief Rabbi Lord Jakobovits, to speak at an event on 28 January to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. She talked about how many holocaust survivors re-experience the horrors of the holocaust on a daily basis, and how for many of them; being able to relate their experiences to others has helped them through the painful memories. Lady Jacobovits described her time running away from the Nazis across Europe, which included being separated from her father and other members of her family, including her father being arrested.

She described the Nazi invasion of Paris (before the subsequent occupation) and the "huge miracle to be on the last train out from Paris, on the last carriage, and the last person to get on the carriage. I just can't get over it. As more generations pass, more people want to hear about the holocaust, which goes to show the extent of human care has increased over the generations. The pain of those who speak about it is little compared to those who cannot."

 

 

HRH The Princess Royal opened The Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) Facility of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and London Centre for Nanotechnology on 12 January 2010. The purpose of the new UCL Molecular Beam Epitaxy system is to create new and improved electronic and optical devices using special materials built by controlling their structure atom by atom. MBE is used worldwide for growing a wide-range of high-quality complex semiconductor structures for high-quality electronic and photonic devices, including high-speed transistors, light-emitting diodes, high-efficiency solar cells, and solid state lasers. 

On 20 January Jill Duggan, Head of International Emissions Trading for the UK government and UCL alumna, gave a talk entitled 'Two Cheers for Carbon Markets' at the UCL Environment Institute. In her presentation she referred to the "expectations in the nineties and noughties about how carbon markets should be designed and what they could deliver," but she said that "these expectations were based on an assumption that players would behave rationally and that it didn't matter which gas was reduced or where it was from. Since then we have hard experience of designing and implementing carbon markets and have learned some lessons". 

In the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal, the Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life Sir Christopher Kelly discussed his Committee's recent report on the future of MPs' expenses when he visited the UCL Constitution Unit on 20 January.

Since it was published in November, the Report's recommendations have generated considerable discussion and debate within Westminster. In the seminar Sir Christopher outlined weaknesses of the system which had "dishonesty at its core" and acknowledged the public outrage and distrust of politicians that the situation had created. He concluded by arguing that principles of public life need to be respected and practiced by our leaders - "rules and regulations, we have seen, just aren't enough. The tragedy - and it is a tragedy - of the expenses scandal is that it shows us what can go wrong when leadership fails do the right thing."

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Sir Christopher Kelly - MPs' Expenses and Allowances from Department of Political Science on Vimeo.

Images from top: John Hegley; HRH The Princess Royal at The Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) Facility

Video: Sir Christopher Kelly lecture

UCL guests in 2009