31st July 2015 Havana, Cuba
A lot of people ask me which are the best books written about Cuba. This year, more than ever it seems, people are interested. The rapprochement between Cuba and the United States, the two countries re-opening embassies after 54 years, the Cuban government’s steady economic reforms; all of this, and the thought that it will […]
29th July 2015 Skopje, North Macedonia
Having in mind the recent political developments in the country, it has never been more important to deconstruct the meaning of the term Public interest. It seems that the term has various meanings, depending on who you ask, and whose interests are on the line. In general, public interest involves matters, or policies that affect […]
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5th June 2015 Beirut, Lebanon
Last month, we launched the UK Lebanon Tech Hub. You can see a clip of a drone delivering my speech – for the first and last time, I can suggest that Enrique Iglesias take note. I normally try to write speeches while running. Jogging with bodyguards makes me look like the poor man’s slow Madonna, […]
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4th June 2015 Havana, Cuba
This is the third in a series of blogs by Cubans who received Chevening scholarships and have studied or are studying in the UK. This week, Carlos Rangel Irola writes about his experiences, studying an MSc in Finance and Banking at the University of Essex in Colchester. Thanks to Carlos for this great blog! Don’t expect this story to […]
27th February 2015 Beirut, Lebanon
I spend a lot of time in universities, talking with students about their hopes for the region and their perceptions of the UK. Lebanon has always been a good place to listen to the currents surging through the Middle East. These sessions are always lively, surprising, challenging. It is foolish to try to generalise about […]
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13th February 2015 Kingston, Jamaica
Ever so often your private life and your public life collide – thankfully this time it’s for the better! In July, I will attend my graduation at the University of Leicester, where I will be given my certificate acknowledging that I have completed a Masters of Business Administration programme. It is the culmination of almost […]
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12th February 2015 Skopje, North Macedonia
There are some conceptions for educating children that when they are born, they are ‘tabula rasa’. According to this, children are like sponges, they import whatever we teach them as they grow up. Thereto, if children are tabula rasa, our mission is to teach them of everything that is good. To teach them to care […]
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12th December 2014 Skopje, North Macedonia
Since I arrived in Macedonia, many people have spoken to me (usually with enthusiasm, though sometimes rather wistfully) about the role of Wilton Park in 2008 in helping to establish parliamentary procedures here. I have often been asked why we haven’t, given the success of the 2008 conference, done more Wilton Park events for Macedonia. […]
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28th November 2014 Beirut, Lebanon
I recently got a Jawbone ‘Up’, a device that monitors your daily activity, sleep patterns and exercise, and helps you better control your health. As a father of two boys, I don’t need anyone to tell me I don’t get enough sleep. But, like many, I’m outsourcing the collection of my data to a plastic […]
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25th November 2014 New Delhi, India
The UK’s Minister for Universities, Science and Cities, Greg Clark was in Delhi earlier in November for two and a half days to take stock of UK India collaborations in all three areas in his portfolio – Education, Science and Cities! He landed in Delhi with a delegation of 30 distinguished dignitaries from the arena […]
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