Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

26th January 2016 San Francisco, USA

Tomas Coates Ulrichsen

Tomas Coates Ulrichsen

BLOG: Unlocking Value through Strategic University-Industry Partnerships

This guest blog entry was written by Tomas Coates Ulrichsen who is part of the Center for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (CSTI) at the University of Cambridge. If you are involved in strategic university-industry partnerships, you are invited to contribute to ongoing research by completing the questionnaire available at the end of this blog piece. Overview […]

Read more on BLOG: Unlocking Value through Strategic University-Industry Partnerships | Reply

26th January 2016 Jerusalem, Israel

Avatar photo

by Alastair McPhail

British Consul General to Jerusalem

We must not forget Area C

It has been another hard year for the community of Fasayil.  Located in Area C of the West Bank, the community faced the demolition of 17 structures last August.  The demolitions left 48 people without homes.  Like other communities in Area C, Fasayil’s farmers face severe restrictions on access to farmland and irrigation.  The village’s […]

Read more on We must not forget Area C | Reply (2)

25th January 2016 London, England

Avatar photo

by James Duddridge

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The 26th African Union Summit

This week I will be attending the 26th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa. While I am a relative newcomer to the Summit, certainly in comparison to some of those present, the UK relationship with Africa is both long and rich. It is also a much more modern partnership than many may think. One that […]

Read more on The 26th African Union Summit | Reply

25th January 2016

Avatar photo

by Keith Allan

British High Commissioner to Mauritius

Robert Burns and Russia

I was delighted to host our annual Burns Supper at the consulate in St Petersburg on 23 January. It was a truly international evening with guests from Russia, the USA, Norway, the Netherlands and New Zealand joining us to celebrate the birthday of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. We enjoyed eating haggis, Scottish dancing and […]

Read more on Robert Burns and Russia | Reply (2)

22nd January 2016

Avatar photo

by Peter Beckingham

Former governor in Turks and Caicos Islands

VALUING OUR PAST – A MUSEUM FOR ALL OUR SCHOOLCHILDREN

I’ve always been a big fan of museums, and working in the Caribbean hasn’t changed my view. The Museum of Slavery in Nassau presents a detailed, and disturbing, account of the impact of slavery in the Bahamas, and museums in St Kitts and Nevis portray a fascinating picture of life before independence. Nelson’s Dockyard in […]

Read more on VALUING OUR PAST – A MUSEUM FOR ALL OUR SCHOOLCHILDREN | Reply

22nd January 2016 London, UK

Communications evaluation training Amsterdam to Zagreb – all from a small office in Cornwall

Earlier this year we heard Stephen Linzell talk about how we are using a digital analysis tool to manage the FCO’s online presence, evaluate our campaigns and respond to crises. He spoke about how we were beginning to use Ripjar, one of a suite of tools we have, to help us do this. We hope […]

Read more on Communications evaluation training Amsterdam to Zagreb – all from a small office in Cornwall | Reply

22nd January 2016 Moscow, Russia

by Tatiana Iakovleva

Senior Science & Innovation Adviser, Moscow

Of science and synchrotrons

In late November SIN Russia delivered – an extremely successful follow-up to our February 2015 Novosibirsk UK-Russia science cafe on the next generation synchrotron light sources. We teamed-up with the world famous Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, and the UK’s national synchrotron science facility, Diamond Light Source (DLS), to deliver a talk on synchrotrons in […]

Read more on Of science and synchrotrons | Reply

21st January 2016 London, UK

Avatar photo

by Steven Linzell

Digital Communications Officer, Madrid

Building (digital) platforms for discussion – something we should do more of in 2016

Digital and diplomacy: it hasn’t always been easy to put the two together. Over time our use of digital has matured, become more sophisticated and, we hope, more effective. Seeing the online activity from around the network, one thing has stood out above all else – the ability to engage, and, through that, the opportunity […]

Read more on Building (digital) platforms for discussion – something we should do more of in 2016 | Reply

21st January 2016 Madrid, Spain

Avatar photo

by Daniel Pruce

British Ambassador to the Philippines and to Palau

The Pioneering Spirit of British Business

I was very pleased to be able to welcome a group of over 20 smaller British companies to the Embassy this week. They were each highly successful in the UK in their particular sectors and were each looking to broaden their horizons and develop their business in Spain. Here in the Embassy we have an […]

Read more on The Pioneering Spirit of British Business | Reply (1)

21st January 2016 Colombo, Sri Lanka

Laura Davies » Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives

by Laura Davies

Former Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives

Glorious British Cheeses in Colombo

There are 700 named varieties of British cheese.   On Monday night, at the High Commissioner’s Residence, we tasted four of these: a blue Stilton and a mature cheddar, two of the most famous British cheeses, as well as a Red Leicester and a white Stilton with mango and ginger. Cheddar is probably the most consumed […]

Read more on Glorious British Cheeses in Colombo | Reply