Public diplomacy Archives

Diplomatic Tours 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 16th October 2020
Skip to content Sian MacLeod
UK Ambassador to Serbia
Part of UK in Serbia
16th October 2020 Belgrade, Serbia
Diplomatic Tours Temporary wartime British Legation (1914-1915) site in NišI arrived in Belgrade just over a year ago. But for over half of that time lives have been turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic. For any newly arrived diplomat, that means that many of those first twelve months when you would be out and about starting to get to know your host country have been spent at home, probably learning how to use online technology.
For anxious months we have watched the coronavirus figures ebb and flow here as well as in our home countries. The current relative lull in the pandemic storm in Serbia has given Belgrade based diplomats the chance to venture out of the the city, with care and caution, to complete interrupted business and fulfil postponed promises to visit. It has been a bit like emerging from hibernation though without any certainty of how long the new freed..
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From applicant, scholar to panellist: A nervous Chevening journey 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 15th October 2020
Skip to content UK in Sri Lanka
Part of Chevening Conversations UK in Sri Lanka
15th October 2020 Colombo, Sri Lanka
From applicant, scholar to panellist: A nervous Chevening journeyNerves, nerves, and more nerves aptly describes my entire Chevening application experience. I was a bundle of nerves from the point of filling out the lengthy application online to that heart-racing moment I clicked open the acceptance email from the Chevening Secretariat. And this year – as I sat on the interview panel, grading the shortlisted candidates – I was reminded of how nerve-racking the whole experience was for me.
With this in mind, I felt it would be helpful to list out some advice to the 2021 applicants. I hope this helps you navigate the unavoidable anxiety, and outhustle those nerves so you don’t miss out on a brilliant opportunity to not only obtain a Master’s degree but also be part of the incredible Chevening journey.
The most basic yet crucial bit of advice I can share, is to not delay f..
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More Women in Politics is a Must 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 15th October 2020
Skip to content Aleksandra Cvetkovska
Program Director, NDI North Macedonia
Guest blogger for UK in North Macedonia
Part of UK in North Macedonia
15th October 2020 Skopje, North Macedonia
More Women in Politics is a Must In North Macedonia, we have fought the fight of gender equality since the country’s independence, and even though a lot has been accomplished, we are still far away from achieving full gender parity and equal opportunities. When I was asked, by the British Embassy, to write a blog post on women in politics, I welcomed it as the daily work and efforts of women politicians should always be promoted and praised. Women politicians have brought about many positive changes to other women and to society, in general, but I feel that they are not being talked about enough.
Let’s start with a couple of words on women’s political participation in North Macedonia. At the moment, there are 38,3% women MPs in Parliament and 21% women ministers in Government. We have never had a wom..
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Debating: today’s most important skill?0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 15th October 2020
Skip to content Pauline Trepczyk
Climate Change Policy Officer, British Embassy Vienna
Guest blogger for Leigh Turner
Part of UK in Austria
15th October 2020 Vienna, Austria
Debating: today’s most important skill? On 29 September the British Embassy Vienna invited young people from all over Austria to join a Debate Workshop. Youth from Salzburg, Upper and Lower Austria, Carinthia as well as Vienna came together, separated by appropriate “baby elephants” (Austria’s 1.5m rule) to practice their skills.
Trainers from Debattierklub Vienna, Joy Edobor and Miri Muntean, introduced the participants to the world of debating, specifically the rules of British parliamentary debates. Nerys Jones, British Deputy Head of Mission and Guiseppe Abignente, Deputy Ambassador from the Italian Embassy Vienna, opened the workshop.
Debating is a big part of British culture. Debating societies emerged in London as early as the 18th Century and have been a staple ever since. Topics ranged from current events..
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Faces of Diplomacy 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 9th October 2020
Skip to content Sian MacLeod
UK Ambassador to Serbia
Part of UK in Serbia
9th October 2020 Belgrade, Serbia
Faces of Diplomacy When I walk up the stairs to my office in the Embassy I pass a series of painted portraits and photographs of former heads of the UK’s diplomatic mission in Belgrade.
Over the years our diplomatic mission has had different names and a different status. It has been a Legation, a Consulate General and, as now, a British Embassy.
We are of now the UK Embassy to the Republic of Serbia. But my predecessors were accredited at different times to Serbia, the Kingdom of Serbia, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia, and Serbia and Montenegro.
The portraits start with George Hodges who arrived by boat across the Danube in 1837. They continue, with some gaps, up to my predecessor Denis Keefe who left Belgrade last year.
There is one very obvious difference between me and all the diplomats in the portraits: they are all men.
..
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Secrets of writing a good Chevening application 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 8th October 2020
Skip to content Dominic Otway
Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy Skopje
Guest blogger for UK in North Macedonia
Part of UK in North Macedonia
8th October 2020 Skopje, North Macedonia
Secrets of writing a good Chevening application We’re always excited when we launch the annual Chevening Scholarship fund. We’ll be spending the next few weeks hoping to encourage as many good quality applications as possible before the closing date on 3 November. Through a scholarship you can gain a world-class education, experience the UK’s diverse and welcoming culture, and become part of the lifelong Chevening community. A Chevening Scholarship offers full financial support by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and partner organisations. And if you are passionate about creating positive change in the communities around you, you are the person we are looking for!
I’ve spent the past two years here chairing the panel which shortlists and later interviews applicants. I’ve seen some ..
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