Visiting St Aloysius’ College, Glasgow by Nigel Baker, HM Ambassador to the Holy See

As Ambassador to the Holy See, I am often asked to speak about my work. The requests have tripled, though, since Pope Francis was elected in March 2013, such is the global interest in his Pontificate. I was delighted to receive a request to give one of the traditional evening Lent 2014 Gonzaga lectures at St Aloysius College in Glasgow, a Jesuit foundation with over 1,200 pupils, and certainly one of the West of Scotland’s best known schools.

I could hardly go to St Aloysius, however, and not also speak to the pupils. Head Master John Browne kindly asked me to meet some of the senior S6 pupils over a light lunch in his office, and then the same afternoon to speak to the S3 and S4 year groups about the work of a British diplomat, based on my own career serving at the Holy See, in Bolivia, Cuba, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London.

What did I find? A lively interest both in Pope Francis and the Holy See, but also in the work of a British diplomat more broadly. My impression was that few of the pupils at St Aloysius had considered the Diplomatic Service as a possible career. I encouraged them to think again! Some thought that you could only join the Diplomatic Service if you had studied languages, or went to certain types of universities. I was able to explain that while languages are useful, and an aptitude to language learning a valuable asset for any aspiring diplomat, the FCO recruits people with wide ranging interests and abilities, from people with a scientific bent to those more focused on humanities. And that it also recruits – indeed welcomes – men and women from diverse backgrounds, and from all corners of the United Kingdom.

Some of the questions suggested that there was real interest. What university courses might be most useful to an aspiring diplomat? Was the FCO interested in young people who had travelled (yes!), volunteered (definitely!), and been involved in international charitable work (certainly!)? I hope very much that the FCO will see an upturn in applications from St Aloysius alumni in the future.

The discussion was also challenging. Why had I joined the FCO? Had I always wanted to be a diplomat? Would I recommend it as a career now? It made me think about myself and why I do what I do. I have enjoyed my career immensely since I joined the FCO in 1989, just as the Berlin Wall came tumbling down. I hope I was able to transmit that enthusiasm to a future generation of British diplomats!