Today is the first day of Baroness Northover’s visit to Tanzania, where she is championing the progress of development programmes supported by DFID. The trip’s overarching theme is ‘leave no one behind’ – a key principle the UK is aiming …
I have been something of a habitual weekend flier to and from New York over the last year (although I still barely know the city outside the vicinity of the UN) and I’ve clocked up a few UN General Assembly …
Anyone following my Twitter account will have noticed that I've recently developed a strange obsession with all things China. China even featured in my blog post last week, although my key message was about development partnerships. The reason I've been …
In January, I always enjoy reading the Economist's World In Year X publication – which sets out their forecasts for big headlines under a number of categories. What I particularly like is their review of how correct their forecasts were …
I almost broke into a cold sweat entering the historic Oxford University Examination Schools for the first time in 20 years, memories of stumbling through a viva (oral examination) grilling and multiple 3 hour written papers on long forgotten inorganic chemistry …
Here in the UK, according to national statistics (PDF 2.44MB) the government spends an average of £8,745 on each person per year providing services. But if you live in a lower middle-income country like Pakistan or Sudan, your government will …
The coverage of the Tax, Transparency and Trade "Three T’s" agenda for the G8 over the past few days has been excellent. On my twitter feed I’ve seen many commentators, Non-Governmental Organisations and others welcoming the outcomes. As a civil …
I was privileged to participate in a fascinating debate on the future of learning, in the somewhat surreal futuristic setting of downtown Dubai, under the lofty spire of the Burj Khalifa - the tallest (currently) manmade structure on the planet. I spend …
It might be over a month away, but my husband and I have already begun to think about the Christmas and New Year holidays here in the UK. In particular, it looks like lots of my family are likely to travel from …
Over the past couple of weeks, two big changes have happened in my life. First, one of my sisters has moved to Glasgow from London with her little baby girl. So I've become a very busy auntie! Second, I've got …
Recent Comments