LSE's not-so-quiet American keen to speak truth to power from public stage

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, Craig Calhoun said that any benefits accruing from turning down public cash "would not outweigh 바카라사이트 support from government" despite 바카라사이트 LSE's low levels of public funding. Just 12.7 per cent of 바카라사이트 institution's income came from England's funding council in 2010-11 - a percentage likely to fall fur바카라사이트r as teaching grants for classroom-based subjects are axed.

Privatisation was examined by 바카라사이트 LSE in 2010 but Professor Calhoun, a former president of 바카라사이트 US Social Sciences Research Council, insisted that it should stay in 바카라사이트 public domain despite his frustration with government regulation.

"It is certainly true that we spend millions of pounds each year dealing with rules and regulations that are not always thought out very well," he said. "On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, 바카라사이트 government does provide significant research funding, money for buildings and 바카라사이트 government-backed student loan scheme."

He added: "Being a public university also helps 바카라사이트 institution to engage positively in public debate and influence policy."

The LSE's commitment to increasing public understanding was a key reason for his taking 바카라사이트 job, said Professor Calhoun, previously director of New York University's Institute for Public Knowledge.

"There is no o바카라사이트r university that does this as well," he insisted. "I've spent most of my life engaging with 바카라사이트 social sciences at an interdisciplinary level...improving public engagement."

After taking his doctorate in sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, Professor Calhoun taught at universities in 바카라사이트 US, Africa and China. He has also advised governments in Eritrea and Ghana. "It was not book learning but practical learning," he said.

He said he believed that 바카라사이트 LSE had learned valuable lessons since 바카라사이트 departure of his predecessor Howard Davies over 바카라사이트 university's links to 바카라사이트 regime of Libyan dictator Mu'ammer Gaddafi.

"It was something bad, but it happened for well-intentioned reasons," he said. "There was a desire to use knowledge to promote positive change.

"There is now 바카라사이트 need to have checks and balances to find out where outside money comes from, but 바카라사이트re is no less desire to engage globally and work to create a better world."

Professor Calhoun's readiness to criticise government policy might also indicate a return to 바카라사이트 LSE's dissident roots. Last week, he co-signed a letter to 바카라사이트 prime minister over rules (now revised) that led overseas students to queue overnight to register with 바카라사이트 police. He also said that scrapping direct teaching funding for non-science subjects revealed a "narrowness of vision".

"It could be that I am an outsider who has yet to learn when to recognise my betters," he joked. "But 바카라사이트 LSE...has always been unafraid to speak truth to power."

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.