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Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Part of UK in Australia

5th December 2011

UCL Graduation Ceremony in Adelaide

I was honoured to be the guest speaker at University College London’s (UCL) first ever overseas graduation ceremony in Adelaide last week. UCL is a great British institution, regularly ranked in the top ten universities in the world. It recently established its first overseas campus – a School of Energy and Resources – in South Australia, with the encouragement of the state government and local business. This was its first graduating cohort. The School is located in the historic Torrens Building in Victoria Square, and the graduation ceremony took place at the Royal Institution (another UK-linked organisation) housed in the former Stock Exchange.

Having taken a mid-career MBA myself ten years ago I had a great deal of admiration for the graduating students, who had managed to combine study with work and family commitments. They all looked delighted to be graduating with such a prestigious qualification.

Whilst in Adelaide I had breakfast with the new Premier, Jay Weatherill who took office in October. It was interesting to see that a British-born Premier, Mike Rann, has been succeeded by a Premier whose parents met on the boat over from England. He discussed his priorities for his premiership and we talked about the opportunities for further UK/South Australia collaboration.

About Paul Madden

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017. He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia…

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017.

He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia until February 2015. Prior to this he was British High Commissioner in Singapore from 2007-2011.

A career diplomat, he was previously Managing Director at UK Trade and Investment (2004-2006), responsible for co-ordinating and
implementing international trade development strategies to support
companies across a wide range of business sectors.

As Assistant Director of Information at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (2003-2004) he was responsible for public diplomacy policy,
including managing the FCO funding of the BBC World Service, the British
Council and the Chevening Scholarships programme. He led the team
responsible for the award-winning UK pavilion at the Aichi Expo in Japan
2005.

He was Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore from 2000-2003 and has
also served in Washington (1996-2000) and Tokyo (1988-92). Between
1992-96 he worked on EU enlargement and Environmental issues at the FCO
in London.

Before joining FCO he worked at the Department of Trade and Industry
(1980-87) on a range of industrial sectors and trade policy, including
two years as a minister’s Private Secretary.

He has an MA in Economic Geography from Cambridge University, an MBA
from Durham University, studied Japanese at London University’s School
of Oriental and African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society. His first book, Raffles: Lessons in Business
Leadership, was published in 2003.

Married to Sarah, with three children, he was born in 1959, in Devon.

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adelaide Politics UCL