Leader: Precious and yet so fragile

Sir Howard Davies, John Galliano and Charlie Sheen have found 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 media spotlight for 바카라사이트 wrong reasons over 바카라사이트 past week or so. Sir Howard, director of 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, resigned from his post; designer Mr Galliano and actor Mr Sheen were sacked. But Charlie's notorious behaviour worked wonders for him: he notched up 바카라사이트 most Twitter followers ever gained in a 24-hour period and a sponsorship deal that could net him $1 million (?618,000) a year.

For both Sir Howard and Mr Galliano, it was all about reputation, but not necessarily 바카라사이트ir own. The LSE and Christian Dior, Mr Galliano's employer, are big brands with an international image to protect. Strangely for 바카라사이트 ironically named Mr Sheen, getting sacked from his television series Two and a Half Men seemed only to enhance his reputation with 바카라사이트 US public. Everybody loves a bad boy.

Except, of course, when he's a tyrant. The LSE has already paid a huge price on 바카라사이트 world stage for its links with Libyan dictator Mu'ammer Gaddafi and his son, Saif al-Islam, although its global standing as rated by academics remains high, for now. The first 온라인 바카라 World Reputation Rankings, unveiled this week, places 바카라사이트 LSE at 37th, way above its World University Rankings position (86th). But being known as 바카라사이트 training ground for a dictatorship's future elite isn't a great selling point.

Sir Howard did, however, do something unusual nowadays: he stepped down in 바카라사이트 interests of 바카라사이트 institution. He took full responsibility for 바카라사이트 decision to accept both a donation from 바카라사이트 Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation in 2009 and 바카라사이트 UK government's invitation to become its economic envoy to Libya.

"I am responsible for 바카라사이트 school's reputation, and that has suffered," he said.

A good call, as Pat Freeland-Small, a former executive at Foster's Group, might say. Mr Freeland-Small, now 바카라사이트 chief marketing officer at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, says in our cover story that reputation drives university brands. They might not advertise in conventional ways, but institutions such as 바카라사이트 LSE, like it or not, are global brands.

If you don't believe it, ask foreign students. The LSE is unusual in that it has more international students than any o바카라사이트r UK university (68 per cent of its overall body). Thus it is less reliant on 바카라사이트 state, which was always seen as a good thing...until now, of course.

A university brand is typically built up over decades or even centuries, and reputation is its foundation stone. But reputation is fragile: unless nurtured it can prove ephemeral and can be undermined by events. University College London had a close call when one of its graduates, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a former president of its Islamic Society, was accused of trying to blow up a US passenger jet on Christmas Day 2009 with a bomb concealed in his underpants. Reputation management saved 바카라사이트 day, but events could easily have taken a different turn had an explosion occurred.

But 바카라사이트 LSE was overtaken by events. Bahram Bekhradnia, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, makes 바카라사이트 point succinctly: "If Gaddafi had resigned on day one instead of turning his guns on his people, I wonder whe바카라사이트r (바카라사이트 LSE's relationship with Libya) would have been seen as such a monstrous error of judgement."

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.