Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

7th September 2020 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

How Austria has – and hasn’t – changed

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‘You were a diplomat in Vienna in the ‘80s?’ My interlocutor scans me, perhaps wondering why I am still working, or alive. ‘It must have changed so much!’ ‘Well…’ I seek a diplomatic reply. ‘Yes and no.’ Oscar Wilde famously said “Comparisons are odious”. I often cite him when asked which of my diplomatic postings I have preferred out […]

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31st August 2020 Guangzhou, China

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by Ming Liu

Head of Science and Innovation, BCG Guangzhou

‘He that is thy friend indeed, he will help thee in thy need.’

In March, a large shipment of thousands of masks, gloves, overalls and goggles arrived in Birmingham. Stapled to the side of each of the crates was a quote, in both Chinese and English, attributed to William Shakespeare: ‘He that is thy friend indeed, he will help thee in thy need.’ (“岁寒知松柏,患难见真情.”) This consignment was one […]

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30th August 2020

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by Matt Field

British Diplomat

The Search Continues

International Day of the Disappeared is not an abstract commemoration of a far off event. Many around us are living with a terrible curse, not only of losing a loved one, but of not being able to put them and their memory to rest. In my time in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), I’ve met many […]

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28th August 2020 Vienna, Austria

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

How a British company keeps Austrian train passengers online

A train swoops at high speed through the Austrian Alps. Despite the stunning scenery, the passengers are – this being the twenty-first century – more interested in what’s happening on their screens as they work, browse the internet and use social media… also at high speed, thanks to a British company.   Nomad Digital is the world’s leading provider of passenger and fleet connectivity solutions […]

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27th August 2020 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Aidan Liddle

UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament

Disarmament blog: a new initiative on outer space security

When we think about security in outer space, it’s tempting to fall back on tropes from science fiction or the movies – dramatic battles between space-suited soldiers in Moonraker, or powerful weapons threatening planets in Star Wars. In reality, there are threats to security and stability on Earth involving outer space, but they don’t include […]

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24th August 2020 London, United Kingdom

Carole Mundell

by Professor Carole Mundell

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Chief Scientific Adviser

Scientists from the first UK lab to work on live COVID-19: ‘We knew this virus was going to be different’

Over the past few months, my work has been dominated by the UK’s response to COVID-19, and how we can tackle this pandemic together internationally. I and my colleagues have been in touch with UK universities up and down the country, who are working tirelessly on researching COVID-19. We’ve heard from Andrew Davidson and David […]

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21st August 2020

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by Matt Field

British Diplomat

PRIDE (In the Name of Love)

Last September, I counted myself lucky to join hundreds of others in the first ever PRIDE march in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite security concerns beforehand, it was a happy and joyful event, a celebration showing that this country is a home and open to all. This year there will be no physical event – a […]

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17th August 2020 Stockholm, Sweden

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by Mikael Allan Mikaelsson

PhD, Science and Innovation Policy Advisor, Europe Lead on Net-Zero Innovation & Climate Change

The European Energy Transition

Over the last year, the UK government’s international Science and Innovation Network has been collaborating with UK Research & Innovation and the Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) to produce a market study to identify some of the key European countries that are seeing significant changes in their domestic energy system as a result of the energy […]

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17th August 2020 Tokyo, Japan

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

William Adams: the first Briton in Japan

If you have ever seen the 1980s TV mini-series “Shogun” you will be familiar with the story of William Adams, the “first Englishman in Japan”. It’s a fascinating tale. Shipwrecked in Japan in 1600, ship’s pilot Adams quickly won the confidence of the warlord Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, advising him on many aspects of international affairs, shipbuilding and navigation.   He was to stay […]

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11th August 2020 Vienna, Austria

Karin Baker

Political Officer, British Embassy Vienna

Good news for students in Austria and the UK

The UK education sector is one of the most popular destinations for international – EU and non-EU – students to study abroad. Worldwide, only the US attracts larger numbers. Academics like working in the UK, too: in 2017-18, 20% of staff working at UK higher education institutions were international, with almost 60% of that 20% […]

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