26th February 2026
Different Memories, Shared Futures: Why Inclusive Remembrance Matters for Serbia and the Region
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
22nd December 2025
Continuing to grow the global alliance for women and girls
17th December 2025
MAKING LIFE SAFER, FOR EVERYONE
30th July 2013 Chevening, UK
Saying Farewell to our Chevening Class of 2012/13
On 23 July 2013 we bade a sad farewell to our Chevening class of 2012/13. FCO Minister Hugo Swire hosted and Malaysian scholar Ruth Garnet Maran, representing the class, gave the valedictory address. There are several defining moments, both positive and negative in life that define and redefine who you are. These events shake the consciousness with […]
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30th July 2013 New Delhi, India
Innovation is GREAT round up
At the UK-India Summit in February this year our Prime Ministers issued a declaration in which they “welcomed the rapid expansion of India-UK research and development cooperation, which is helping to generate and develop high quality, high impact research partnerships leading to new knowledge creation”. But they also stated there was “considerable potential for expanding […]
30th July 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Should’ve gone to Specsavers
“Should’ve gone to Specsavers”. Millions of Australians have. Last week they were voted Australian Retailer of the Year and Retail Employer of the Year. A remarkable success story for a company which has grown to nearly 300 stores in just five years since coming to Australia. I visited their Asia Pacific HQ in Melbourne to […]
29th July 2013 Los Angeles, USA
Crowdsourcing Science: Becoming Citizen Scientists
While studying international affairs in graduate school at Penn State, I found others like me who wanted to “save the world.” I’m not talking about becoming a super hero in the hottest comic book flying off the shelves, but we were in school to develop skills that would help put us in a position to […]
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29th July 2013 Toronto, Canada
Canadian science news: 22-28 July 2013
[View the story “Canadian science news: 22-28 July 2013” on Storify]
29th July 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Ramadan
Traditionally the embassy hosts a large Iftar for our Sudanese friends and partners. This year we are doing things a little differently. I am hosting half a dozen smaller Iftars to which we have invited 20 or 30 guests only. I am enjoying these Iftars greatly. They are special events. It is clear that for […]
28th July 2013 Sana’a, Yemen
Yemen – First Impressions
Some initial impressions from my first week and a half in Sanaa: 1. Yemen is a great country with huge potential to take control of the future of over 24 million people. The challenges, though, are immense. 2. The National Dialogue and transition process are progressing: the major questions, around the future structure of Yemen, […]
26th July 2013 New York, USA
The lasting Olympic impression
Exactly a year ago tomorrow, I sat down with my twelve-year-old son in the Olympic Stadium to watch the Opening Ceremony. Extra tickets had become available about a month or so beforehand – they weren’t cheap, but as a Londoner the chance to be there was too good to miss. We’d got there early, long […]
26th July 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Inspired by London 2012
Can it really be one year since the London Olympics!? To tell us how we are celebrating the anniversary, we have a guest blog from our very own Sigrid Pineda. Over to you Sigrid. When I started to think about this blog, I thought what inspires us? What is it that makes us want to […]
26th July 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Inspirados por Londres 2012
Puede ser que ya pasó un año desde los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres?! Para contarles cómo vamos a celebrar el aniversario, tenemos una invitada a nuestro blog, nuestra propia Sigrid Pineda. A ti Sigrid: Cuando comencé a imaginar sobre este blog, pensé qué es lo que nos inspira? Qué es lo que nos hace ser […]