8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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OSLOBOĐENJE BEOGRADA
11th October 2024
Busting the gender myths – women and organised crime
2nd February 2016 Vientiane, Laos
Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made Of
This year is the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, an event the UK government, including my Embassy, is commemorating in a series of activities (check out our Facebook page UKinLaos for more details). He is perhaps England’s earliest, and certainly greatest, cultural export. One element of the commemoration is to invite individuals to share […]
29th January 2016 Beijing, China
Newton Fund Bridges UK and China in Research and Innovation
Last week the strongest cold wave in decades swept China and people were advised to stay indoors. In spite of this, my colleagues and I at SIN network did not feel the coldness at all but rather joined the exciting Newton Fund Research & Innovation Bridges partnership brokering visit and witnessed great enthusiasm from both […]
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28th January 2016
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Syria: rejecting indifference
There has been war in Syria throughout Pope Francis’s pontificate. It has been the principal foreign policy concern of the Holy See since his election, and continues to be so. His Holiness has spoken out many times about the need for action to stop the war in Syria, and it is reasonable to suppose that […]
28th January 2016 Skopje, North Macedonia
Did you know expats will be able to vote in the EU referendum?
Are you British? If yes, then read on. I’m sure everyone in Macedonia is aware of the elections due here this year. I’d like to take a moment to mention the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union due to take place in the UK by the end of 2017. The actual date […]
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28th January 2016 Geneva, Switzerland
Davos: Big Short or Indispensable Summit?
No other international gathering attracts such mythology. The place where the world’s economic elite co-opts its political leadership. Or the best place in the world to discuss and solve global problems. The arguments for and against Davos rage every year. But it’s as popular as ever. BIG SHORT Just before this year’s Davos gathering, Oxfam […]
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28th January 2016 Melbourne, Australia
An inspiring student social enterprise – Vanora
Earlier this month I met again a great team of young Estonians who have being working hard to establish a social enterprise in their town of Viljandi, southern Estonia. Their student company is called Vanora, and there is a lot more about their company on their Facebook site . Their business model is simple – in return […]
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28th January 2016 Mumbai, India
Interview with Adam Williams, UK Intellectual Property Office
Adam Williams, Deputy Director – International Policy Directorate with the UK Intellectual Property (IP) Office visited New Delhi from 7-9 January. Amidst the flurry of meetings and high level engagements, I chatted with Adam about the emerging significance of IP in modern India. What brings you to India? Well, it’s a short trip really – […]
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28th January 2016 BCG Shanghai
SIN help launch the UK and China’s biggest research & innovation funding competition yet
As I write, 17 universities, research organisations and companies will be wending their weary way back to the UK after a week in Jiangsu and Guangdong that will hopefully remain an affectionate and inspiring memory for decades to come. It could be that they have found their partners in China that will develop and launch […]
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28th January 2016 Havana, Cuba
Flooding in Havana – a sign of things to come?
Havana is a beautiful, evocative, charming, intriguing city. Yes, many buildings are in desperate need of repair and the holes in the roads need filling in but the city has a faded, pastel-coloured splendour that provides a stunning backdrop to many a photo snapped by a tourist or a Saturday night party on the Malecón. […]
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26th January 2016 Havana, Cuba
What Britain’s future doctors are learning in Cuba
Health services everywhere are under pressure, so perhaps there are lessons to be learned from Cuba, where, to quote Cubans, “We are a poor people but we die of rich people’s diseases.” British medical students have an opportunity to see for themselves during their ‘elective period’ – a few weeks when they can study where […]
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