1st October 2026
A Year Too Big for Two Suitcases: Notes From a Chevening Scholar
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
11th May 2026
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: turning a global ocean agreement into UK law
9th April 2026
The Gulf, Berlin and the Commission on the Status of Women: building global alliances to advance women’s progress
26th June 2018 London, UK
UK interviewing and investigation techniques take a detour through Norway and go global
For the last decade, the Norwegian Police Service and the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) at the University of Oslo have cooperated on implementing methods of interviewing and investigations in law enforcement, military and intelligence services around the world. The methods originated in the UK and the ongoing projects involve close cooperation with British […]
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25th June 2018 Geneva, Switzerland
Keeping the light on
My Council session got off to an unfortunate and slightly messy start. As I rushed to leave the house I discovered that the cat had regurgitated something unpleasant inside my freshly polished work shoes. I’m not prone to superstition but it felt like a worrying omen for what lay ahead. And so it proved to be. […]
19th June 2018 New Delhi, India
Engineering Innovation thrives on the ‘Living Bridge’
At its essence engineering is about making ‘things’ that work and making ‘things’ work better. From farming to sanitation and healthcare to infrastructure, engineering has led to advances in technology which have saved and improved the lives of – and unlocked opportunities for – billions of people around the world. However, such breakthroughs don’t happen […]
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18th June 2018 Tokyo, Japan
AI, synthesised speech and elderflower lemon cake at the QBP in Tokyo
Your speech at the Queen’s Birthday Party is one of the big events of the year for most Ambassadors, in front of hundreds of VIPs and important embassy contacts. So, I suppose it was a bit brave to give up part of mine to a synthesised version of my voice, speaking random sentences written by […]
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15th June 2018 Vienna, Austria
Meeting Hugo Portisch – again
The guest of honour takes up his place at the podium. The room is hushed. He begins to speak. I was recently invited to attend the award of the honorary citizenship of the city of Vienna to Dr Hugo Portisch, at the splendid Vienna town hall. I had met Dr Portisch briefly when I was […]
13th June 2018 Ulaanbaatar, MongoliaLondon, UK
Media freedom in Mongolia: a Human Rights Defender’s perspective
“If we don’t protect freedom of expression and free press, we will lose democratic values.” I am a free media advocate from Mongolia, working to ensure fellow Mongolians are able to enjoy their right to freedom of expression both on- and offline. I am passionate about the right to enjoy media freedom and for journalists […]
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13th June 2018 New Delhi, India
A ‘Deep’ dive into the AI future
“Our intelligence is what makes us human, and AI is an extension of that quality” – Yann Lecun It was at the Newton Regional Conference held recently in Singapore that I got to meet ‘Jena’. She was the most popular staff among all the guests in the hotel that we were staying in. Unflattered by […]
12th June 2018 Science Innovation USA
Agribots and the tech revolution on the farm
What does the farm of the future look like? Increasing automation and big data promise to revolutionise every industry, including the agricultural countryside with a tech sector that will be worth more than £136 billion globally by 2025. The UK Government recognized this early on and launched an Agri-Tech strategy in 2013 to lead on […]
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8th June 2018 Delhi, India
Witnessing the future of innovation policy
As the member of the UK government’s team in New Delhi tasked with building collaborations between the UK and India on Science, Technology and Innovation through the Newton-Bhabha Fund, a central part of my job is to build connections between UK and Indian innovation communities. So I was delighted that at the end of May […]
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5th June 2018 Vienna, Austria
Motor City UK, Motor City Austria and the Jaguar i-Pace
The car is bright red – and silent. It is, perhaps, the best electric car in the world. I recently had the privilege to attend the launch of the new Jaguar i-Pace in Graz, a couple of hours south of Vienna. Graz is one of my favourite Austrian cities, with a huge student population, a […]
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