LSE president to leave post early for US

Craig Calhoun, who has run the London School of Economics for the past four years, is stepping down a year early to become president at the Berggruen Institute, a political and philosophical think tank set up by the billionaire investor Nicolas Berggruen.

The Illinois-born social science professor, who told staff last year that he would not run for a second five-year term as president of the LSE, will return to the US to take up his new post in Los Angeles in September after the end of the current academic year writes the FT’s Stephen Foley.

Founded in the wake of the financial crisis as the Berggruen Institute on Governance, the organisation has advocated for new supranational institutions and greater cooperation and understanding between countries and cultures. It has recently launched an offshoot to promote philosophical debate and to award a $1m annual philosophy prize.

“Craig is a very special person,” Mr Berggruen said, “a thinker and a great writer, not just from a Western perspective but, having done a lot of work in China, he understands both sides.”

At LSE, Mr Calhoun led efforts to enhance interdisciplinary research and teaching, especially to address major global issues like climate change, urbanization, and inequality. With Mr Calhoun’s expertise in academe, the Berggruen Institute will be able to expand its international university scholarships program, Mr Berggruen added.

In a statement, Mr Calhoun said: “Like LSE, the Berggruen Institute seeks to use knowledge to improve society and deepen the capacity for international cooperation,” said Mr Calhoun. “It has been an enormous honor to lead LSE and I am looking forward to this new challenge.”

Mr Berggruen, who made his fortune through private equity deals, used to be known as the “homeless billionaire” until settling down with homes in New York and LA.