The big event on the investment front this week was the Global Investment Conference in London. The US network of Posts worked closely with colleagues in London to ensure strong representation by US companies. And it took a team effort to place an opinion piece by the Prime Minister in USA Today.
On the ground in New York this week, we were focused on the visit by Ambassador Nigel Sheinwald.
Nigel spoke to students at Yale University on Afghanistan. British links with Yale are very healthy. University College London has a thriving research partnership with Yale. And the Center for British Art is a magnificent showcase for the Mellon collection of British art, covering a wide range of periods and styles. We had the chance to talk to President Richard Levin and some of his faculty about their unviersity.
A few things struck me:
– how quickly Yale is internationalising its offer to students, both US and foreign.
– how central China and India are to that globalisation- we heard that many students expect to spend time abroad during their degree- and that almost all will spend time in Asia.
– that the UK is still of great interest to Yale undergraduates– increasingly as a polyglot, multicultural destination and a gateway to the rest of the world.
At the end of the week, we welcomed Shaun Woodward, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Shaun is engaging the influential Irish American community in New York, whose support for the peace process has been important in the last few years. Many of these individuals are now playing a big part in attracting US investment into Northern Ireland.
Thursday, Robert Rubin, former US Treasury Secretary, spoke to a meeting of the Atlantic Partnership at the Consul-General’s residence. It’s a good example of a New York group that brings together some big players in their respective fields to discuss issues which matter to Europe and the US. Chatham House rules prevent me from attributing any comments, but the future of US/Europe relations, financial regulation and Iran were all on people’s minds.
Finally, a word on culture. At any one time there’s a host of British cultural activity in New York. But I’ll mention the 50th anniversary for the Guggenheim Museum because 12 British artists, designers and architects are represented in their special anniversary show. If you’ve been to New York, you’ve almost certainly been to the museum. And if you haven’t, you really should- it’s a stunning building.
Next week- more Ministers, more on the economy and even more culture.