The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is launching a new centre dedicated to the scientific study of animal sentience, backed by a £4million donation from Jewish philanthropist Jeremy Coller.
The Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience, due to open in autumn 2025, will be the first research institution of its kind. It will examine how animals experience emotions and sensations and how this knowledge can inform policies, laws and ethical standards.
The centre will be led by Professor Jonathan Birch from LSE’s department of philosophy, logic and scientific method. It will bring together researchers from across disciplines, including neuroscience, veterinary science, psychology, artificial intelligence, economics and law.
The centre aims to support NGOs in the animal advocacy sector, influence government policymaking, and work with stakeholders in science, technology and farming to ensure animals are considered in the development of AI. A code of practice for the AI industry is also planned.
LSE logo and signage on building. Photo: LSE
Coller, founder of the Jeremy Coller Foundation and a long-standing advocate for animal welfare, said: “Only when we have a better understanding of how other animals feel and communicate will we be able to acknowledge our own shortcomings in how we treat them.”
LSE president and vice-chancellor Larry Kramer said the new centre was in line with the university’s mission to focus on “important subjects that don’t always get the attention they deserve”.
Coller also funds the FAIRR Initiative, which works with investors managing more than £58 trillion to address the risks of intensive animal agriculture, and the Coller Dolittle Challenge, which offers £7 million for breakthroughs in interspecies communication.
