3rd December 2024
RENEWING OLD TIES: THE NEW BISHOP OF LONDON
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
25th November 2024
The climate crisis and gender-based violence
8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
31st October 2019
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Mostar deserves better
The British Embassy recently moved its whole operation down to Mostar for a day. In addition to many other activities across the city, we set up a ‘pop-up’ reception in front of the Mepas Mall. This gave the chance for different teams to explain our work – defence cooperation, education, projects, scholarships, consular support, political […]
30th October 2019 London,UK
Mind your language
The Indigenous Peoples’ Memorial is one of the many striking buildings in the Brazilian capital designed by the prolific modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer. Built in a spiral-shaped design around a central courtyard it was apparently inspired by a Yanomami house. In truth, the building is looking a little the worse for wear. The permanent collection […]
25th October 2019 Vienna, Austria
White trees, blue skies and a green plan
Have you ever wondered why the trees are painted white in Vienna? To stop cars running into them, protect them from dogs? The special paint protects new bark from the summer sun! Woodland trees don’t require sun cream but the intense environments of our cities means it’s not only humans who need protection from harmful […]
Read more on White trees, blue skies and a green plan | Reply
18th October 2019 Belgrade, Serbia
First Impressions
It’s a beautiful October day as I write. As I sit in my Belgrade garden I see clouds of newly hatched late ladybirds, the first yellow leaves shaken by a mild breeze, warm weak sunshine and distant haze. Around me the hum of urban life is punctuated by hammering and bursts of drilling from nearby […]
18th October 2019 Los Angeles, USA
Better than Hal: UK companies applying AI to the space industry
In March, the Science and Innovation Network, DIT, and Innovate UK led a Global Expert Mission to US robotics centers of excellence. The UK-USA Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (RAI) in Extreme Environments delegation spent a week in Los Angeles, San Diego and Houston, meeting with a variety of potential partners in space, oceans and nuclear […]
Read more on Better than Hal: UK companies applying AI to the space industry | Reply
17th October 2019 Vienna, Austria
Discovering Austria through Hiking in the Fog
“Are you getting out?” “Yes”, I replied. “I’m getting out of the cable car. And the Prime Minister has made clear we will leave the EU on 31 October.“ I never thought I would have to explain British Government policy whilst trying to jump out of a moving cable car. But perhaps it helps. Part […]
Read more on Discovering Austria through Hiking in the Fog | Reply (1)
15th October 2019 Science and Innovation Network
India and the UK join forces for Affordable Approaches to Cancer – Funding for Seven Research Challenges open now!
Late last year, just over 60 leading cancer experts from India and the UK gathered in Delhi for 2 days. They were attending a researchers’ summit with one important aim: to identify the core research challenges in developing affordable approaches to the prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer. During those 2 days in India, […]
Read more on India and the UK join forces for Affordable Approaches to Cancer – Funding for Seven Research Challenges open now! | Reply
15th October 2019 Skopje, North Macedonia
Bitola Babam Bitola
In pursuing my goal of visiting local cities and exploring local communities, last week my destination was Bitola city. While on the road, I was excited to learn a few words and expressions in the local dialect as I had heard so much about its uniqueness. Fortunately, my first attempts were mostly well received by […]
14th October 2019 Shanghai, China
The Bear and The Catapult
OK, now I’ve got your attention I should point out that the headline refers to Sir Michael Bear, former Lord Mayor of London and senior advisor to the Connected Places Catapult. Sir Michael was joined by Connected Places Catapult chief executive Nicola Yates OBE, and 5 UK SMEs on a recent mission to China, which […]
13th October 2019 London,UK
What is Chevening?
It was great to have the opportunity to speak to our 1,750 new Chevening Scholars yesterday at the exuberant event that is Chevening Orientation. This is what I said. What is Chevening? Chevening is a place. It is a large rural mansion house in the English county of Kent, to the south-east of London, built […]