How a British company keeps Austrian train passenger 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...
View ArticleHow Austria has – and hasn’t – changed
‘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...
View ArticleGetting 391 British Nationals home safely
A plane approaches London Heathrow, appearing to grow larger as it nears the runway. As British airways flight BA0961 lands safely, a collective sigh of relief is heard at the British Embassy in...
View ArticleWhy now is the time to take global action against COVID-19
Coronavirus or COVID-19 has been shaping the reality of life and work in Austria, the UK and around the world. As we are all trying to do our bit to fight the spread of the virus (stay at home!) and...
View ArticleHow “The adjoining house at the Lustig Prean Gasse” became the British Embassy
“The Ministry of Works may have ideas about office accommodation. I doubt whether it would be possible to extend the existing offices by building in the courtyard. Failing this, it might be possible...
View ArticleCycling in Vienna: diplomatic, healthy and green
The freshly oiled crank purrs like a sewing machine. The sun has come out from behind the clouds, casting a silverish gleam on the Danube. There is a mild breeze. Hundreds of people are cycling on...
View ArticleMaking face masks and jobs in Grimsby
“Two months ago this was just an empty warehouse”, the project manager says. We are entering a building adjacent to the Vienna HQ of Austrian company Hygiene Austria, south of Vienna. Inside, after...
View ArticleOnline Q&A for UK nationals in Austria – Monday 6 July
UPDATE: The questions and answers (including those from Facebook) can be downloaded here. Do you have questions about how the UK’s exit from the EU affects you? The embassy is running an online...
View ArticleCOVID-19 vaccine developed in Austria – produced in Scotland
“When we started to develop our vaccine candidate we needed to push; now there is a massive pull from governments around the world,” says Thomas Lingelbach, CEO of Vienna-based pharmaceutical company...
View ArticleGood 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...
View ArticleHow 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...
View ArticleHow Austria has – and hasn’t – changed
‘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...
View ArticleWhy the British Embassy in Vienna is proud to be green
Diplomats from the British Embassy are off to an important meeting in Vienna. The Ringstrasse, as so often, is gridlocked. No problem for our diplomats, who hop on an embassy bike and arrive not only...
View ArticleDebating: 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,...
View ArticleDiplomatic lessons 1: 1979-83
I’m delivering an online apprenticeship talk to staff in Vienna when someone asks me if I’ve thought of summarising everything I’ve learned in my 41-year career. ‘No,’ I say. They urge me to think...
View ArticleEmbassy Q&A for UK nationals in Austria – Thursday 26 November 2020
COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED. Thanks everyone. We will set to work answering them and post as many responses as possible next week. The British Embassy Vienna is running an online Q&A session on our...
View ArticleDiplomatic lessons 2, 1983-87: languages change everything
I was working in the personnel departments of the FCO[1] when Judith Macgregor[2], head of my section, put her head around the door and beckoned. An officer named John Everard[2] had resigned from his...
View ArticleDiplomatic lessons 3, 1987-91: go for the hard jobs
The day I started my job as Desk Officer for Budget and Finance in the European Community Department (Internal) of the Foreign Office on 2 November 1987 turned out to be a long one. In the evening, I...
View Article2021: a turning point for climate ambition
We are at a turning point for our planet. As the world comes back from COVID-19, it is vital that we build back greener and more resilient. This year, the UK will host the 26th UN climate change...
View ArticleDiplomatic lessons 4, Russia 1991-95: have a plan, and break it
Outside “The Two Chairmen”[1], the beer was cool and fresh. My colleague raised his glass. ‘You had children a few years back,’ he said. ‘We can’t decide on the best time. What do you think?’ ‘Some...
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