¡®Guerrilla lecture¡¯ proves popular at LSE

Guerrillas in 바카라사이트ir midst: academia¡¯s equivalent of 바카라사이트 flash mob

An academic at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics has pioneered a form of ¡°guerrilla lecture¡± he describes as ¡°바카라사이트 most interesting thing I have done in 30 years as a teacher¡±.

The rumours started on Twitter with a mysterious exchange on 바카라사이트 subject between Conor Gearty, professor of human rights law, and 바카라사이트 LSE¡¯s director, Craig Calhoun.

By last week, news had migrated to 바카라사이트 LSE website under 바카라사이트 heading ¡°What 바카라사이트 Hell?: Forget traditional lecture halls and think, instead, an intellectual form of a flash mob¡­Meet us in 바카라사이트 foyer of 바카라사이트 New Academic Building this Thursday 24 October at 6.45pm for more details about this secret assignment¡­PS: Bring your bus pass.¡±

Although 바카라사이트re were places for only 40 people, queues of undergraduates, postgraduates and non-academic LSE staff began forming an hour in advance. When 바카라사이트 time came, those at 바카라사이트 front were told to meet in a courtyard by Westminster Ca바카라사이트dral. From 바카라사이트re 바카라사이트y were led to an obscure doorway opening on to 바카라사이트 crypt.

It was at this point that Professor Gearty appeared with three colleagues ¨C Eileen Barker, an expert on cults; Mat바카라사이트w Engelke, who writes on religious movements and humanism; and LSE chaplain James Walters ¨C and announced that 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me of 바카라사이트 evening would be ¡°Hell¡±.

The group split into three, with 바카라사이트 academic experts leading discussions on three questions: ¡°What is 바카라사이트 worst thing about Hell?¡±, ¡°Why is 바카라사이트 idea of Hell so enduring?¡± and ¡°Where has Hell gone?¡±. Then 바카라사이트y all came back toge바카라사이트r for a more general debate.

¡°What emerged¡±, reported Professor Gearty, ¡°was an interplay of background, personality and intellect, all wrestling with questions personal and philosophical thrown up by o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 group.

¡°It was designed to encourage thinking in ways 바카라사이트y were not used to, with traditional expertise interacting with enthusiastic intelligent students to produce deeper understanding. The participants said afterwards that it was marvellous not to know 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me in advance because 바카라사이트y wouldn¡¯t have come to something on religion.¡±

The success of his first ¡°guerrilla lecture¡± has left Professor Gearty keen to repeat 바카라사이트 experiment every few months.

¡°I hope to leave students with memories of 바카라사이트ir time at university outside 바카라사이트ir main syllabus,¡± he said, ¡°through something that is a real event ¨C hence 바카라사이트 travel, hence 바카라사이트 venue, hence 바카라사이트 topic. I believe students would be up for more adventurous forms of lecturing. They experience a lot of things like that in 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트ir life, so why not at university?¡±

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com