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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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4th July 2017
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Postcard from Ukraine
I recently travelled to Ukraine with 26 other OSCE ambassadors, visiting Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk and Slovyansk. This was an important visit for us. In our diplomatic meetings we devote a lot of time to Ukraine and management of the conflict in the Donbas that has already cost over 10,000 lives and disrupted millions more. We […]
4th July 2017 Tripoli, Libya
Tolerance and Coexistence
Last week I had the opportunity to visit Kairouan, a Tunisian city that has been a centre of scholarship and Islamic science for hundreds of years. With some of the scholars, we talked about tolerance and co-existence, values that the city and its university have been promoting for generations. The city was founded in 670 […]
4th July 2017 Hanoi, Vietnam
The smarter the journalists are, the better off society is
Those of you who follow our UKinVietnam Facebook page closely will know that the UK believes strongly in the value of a vibrant and dynamic media. The media plays a vital role in providing reliable and accurate information, and giving people the opportunity to discuss and debate issues freely. That is why I’m proud of […]
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3rd July 2017 Geneva, Switzerland
The End of a Cycle
The Council came to a hot and weary end last Friday with some good results on the issues that mattered. Most importantly the EU and the African Group reached agreement on an investigation into reports of serious violations in the DRC. The Council also passed strong resolutions on violence against women, discrimination against women, child […]
3rd July 2017 Kolkata, India
Almost a year, almost 70 years
We now have the ability to surround ourselves with images that we record on our mobile phones. But the best images remain in your head. The monsoon rains have arrived in Kolkata. I was in my official car travelling through the city in the middle of a heavy storm last week. We passed an old […]
3rd July 2017 Guangzhou, China
Working together to tackle urban challenges: MoU signed between Innovate UK and Guangdong
Guangdong Province is China’s largest provincial economy and the principal driver of the national economy over the last 30 years. Under China’s innovation-driven development strategy, Guangdong is positioned as China’s Innovation Centre for Science and Technology Industry, with special focus on industrial development and technology transfer. Companies in Guangdong employ more R&D personnel than any […]
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28th June 2017 Vienna, Austria
#ViennaMemories #1: “Mann verliess sie…”
How do objects and memories affect each other? I explored these issues in my earlier blog, Things from Vienna? Or Viennese things? One of the costs, or possibly benefits, of of being a diplomat is that every few years you have to pack up everything you own and move to another country. Once you’ve arrived […]
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28th June 2017 Auckland, New Zealand
Space Science: The Next Generation
It was my pleasure to work with Professor Anu Ojha, Director of the National Space Academy (NSA), last week during his visit to Beijing. In my previous blog on this subject I highlighted the innovative space education model the NSA was introducing to China and how this was embraced by Chinese teachers and students. Well […]
23rd June 2017 Osaka, Japan
Innovation out west: cutting-edge regenerative medicine research, entrepreneurial support and business-academia collaboration in Fukuoka
Situated in the South West of Japan, Fukuoka is Japan’s fifth largest city and the fastest growing – from 2010 to 2015 it grew 5%, significantly faster than any other major city in Japan. With a population of 5.1m (larger than Ireland), it also has the highest ratio of young residents (c.20% aged 15-29). Geographically […]
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23rd June 2017 Beijing, China
Big Data, Bigger Opportunities
What do you think of when you think about big data technology? A matchbox sized sensor may not look like much, but it can significantly improve the safety of key infrastructure; for example it can collect data on humidity, weather conditions, and traffic volume, analyse the effect of these on the structure of a bridge […]