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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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The climate crisis and gender-based violence
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Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
18th November 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Obama comes to town
Hot on the heels of the visit by HM The Queen, Canberra played host to US President Obama this week. I attended a dinner at the Parliament and a key note speech he gave to a joint session of both houses of Parliament. By chance I found myself sitting next to PM Gillard’s partner Tim […]
17th November 2011 Chevening, UK
London from a Global Perspective
Ajay Gupta is one of our new 2011-12 Chevening scholars. He is studying for an MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. In this weeks entry, he gives us his first impressions of London life. “Vegetable Malay curry with rice, please.” “Here. Thanks!” – 3rd October 2011, 1:11 pm; I sit in the dining hall […]
17th November 2011 Ottawa, Canada
Dr. Jonathon Pines, Cancer Research UK Director of Research in Cell Division, visits the University of Ottawa
This is Alexandra Weirich( SIN intern) guestblogging about a recent UK scientist visit to Canada. Dr. Jonathon Pines jumped the pond this week to “cross fertilize” (Dr. Pines’ phrase) with researchers in Montreal and Ottawa; that is, to exchange ideas, research approaches, and information with Canadian researchers in the cell cycle field. Dr. Pines is […]
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17th November 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The King’s Speech: the Power of Partnership
I had the tremendous privilege of being in London last week during His Majesty King Abdullah’s visit. He saw The Queen, Prince Charles, the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Defence Secretary, Duke of York, Parliamentarians, Chatham House and the press. An impressive list by any measure. And a reflection of the importance of the partnership between […]
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17th November 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
We Will Rock You
Some of the things I get involved in doing seem particularly worthwhile. So it was great to be able to host and open a workshop on Theatre Sign-Language Interpreting today at the Embassy. The British Council first introduced this concept, to help deaf and hard of hearing Hungarians to enjoy the theatre more fully, a […]
17th November 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Ukrainians studying worldwide #2
Three young Ukrainians approach me at a conference. Having confirmed my identity, they take me to one side to say how much they have enjoyed doing Masters degrees in the UK and how different it was from their previous experience. I blogged recently about the “WorldWideStudies” programme of the Viktor Pinchuk Foundation to give outstanding […]
16th November 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Ukraine on the way to London 2012
Combine hundreds of enthusiastic schoolchildren, top sporting figures signing autographs, music and razzmatazz and you’re guaranteed a lively event. This was the scene at the “Ukrainian House” on 15 November when the All-Ukrainian campaign “On the way to London” was launched in central Kyiv. I won’t say too much about the event because you can […]
16th November 2011 Windhoek, Namibia
Launch of the new British Business Group (Namibia)
The British High Commission used the opportunity of the UK Minister for Africa’s visit to Namibia this month to launch a new British Business Group (Namibia) on 1 November. On my arrival to Namibia earlier this year, I was delighted to discover a wide range of British businesses operating here. British companies are active across the […]
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15th November 2011 Nairobi, Kenya
Remembering the Victims of Conflict in Somalia
The past few weeks have been dominated by military issues: AMISOM’s ongoing campaign and Kenya’s fight against Al Shabaab. On 8 November, Lord Howell, the Foreign Office Minister, made clear our support for Kenya in the House of Lords. Kenya bears much of the burden of the threat emanating from Somalia and the UK shares […]
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14th November 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
G.O.D – UK Civil Service Head in Canberra
Last week I accompanied Sir Gus O’Donnell, Head of the British Civil Service for some calls in Canberra on his way back from CHOGM. He met Australia’s “200 Group”, a collection of the country’s top 200 federal civil servants, and gave a fascinating talk drawing on his experience of delivering change, and improved performance across […]
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