Once again this year our wonderful alumni community took part in what has become a regular feature of the Foreign Policy Analysis module – our hybrid Working in Diplomacy session. This year’s guests included our Visiting Professor John Macgregor and graduates who have built careers in diplomacy in the UK and around the world.

Emil Ahmagic, graduated 2012. Economic Assistant at the U.S. Embassy to Bosnia and Herzegovina, working on environment, science, technology and health issues within the Embassy’s Economic Section.

Serena Mills, graduated 2017. Programme and Policy Manager (Africa Climate and Humanitarian) at the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Serena has recently joined FCDO, having worked in other departments in the Civil Service including Ministry of Housing and HM Revenue and Customs.  

Christian Turner, graduated 2018. Senior Executive Officer, UK Ministry of Defence. Christian is the Lead Desk Officer (Senior Policy Advisor) for India in Military Capabilities, Ministry of Defence. His work is focussed on building the U.K.-India bilateral relationship via defence collaboration projects and implementing the 2030 India-UK Roadmap

The graduates were joined by our Visiting Professor John Malcolm Macgregor CVO. John is a retired British diplomat. Between posts at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office John served in New Delhi, Prague, Paris and Düsseldorf before being appointed Ambassador to Poland 1998–2000 and to the IAEA Austria 2003–07.

Ondrej Bohac, has been a regular participant since these these workshops began. He was also scheduled to join us but at the last minute had to attend a meeting with the Interior Minister of Ukraine at the last minute. This is more or less the only acceptable excuse for missing the event of the year!

We do this every year because students tell us how incredibly inspiring they find it. Thanks to the encouragement of the panel, one student was motivated to apply for an internship at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was successful. We look forward to welcoming Sara back in a few years to inspire a new generation of students.