A MODEL OF DIPLOMACY CHARMS AN APPRECIATIVE NORWICH SCHOOL AUDIENCE
June 10, 2024
As part of our series of lectures held on site in partnership with external cultural organisations, last night’s 20th Norfolk Cambridge Society (NCS) talk concluded this academic year’s rich programme of lectures on a real high.
A completely full refectory on 10th June 2024 was held enthralled by a presentation entitled “Lessons from a Life in Diplomacy" given by Sir Simon McDonald GCMG KCMG KCVO.
Lord McDonald was the Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service until September 2020. Earlier in his career he was British Ambassador to Israel (2003-2006) and to Germany (2010-15). He was the last professional head of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office before the creation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. After leaving the FCO in Autumn 2020, he was appointed a life peer, taking his seat in the House of Lords as a cross-bencher in February 2021. He has been Master of Christ's College, Cambridge since September 2022.
In his wide-ranging lecture drawing on such extensive experience, Lord McDonald explored with impressive perspicacity the West’s dealings with two great superpowers, Russia and China - relationships that have changed beyond all expectations over the past decade. He assessed the implications of new technologies, particularly in the unregulated AI markets, followed by some home truths on the ecological challenges faced by our planet (from microplastics to surging population growth) that politicians from all parties will be forced to grapple with in coming years.
The second part of his talk focussed on what our speaker saw, as a career diplomat, as compelling examples of the soft power that the UK still wields on the global stage in this post-empire period - the judiciary; higher education; science and tech; culture; sport; the media and government. He concluded the outside world looks at these with envy but cautioned that (in the light of the new post-Covid financial environment) such jewels in the crown are under pressure like never before.
Finally, Lord McDonald offered some advice to budding diplomats in the audience on the value of truth in a world of spin, together with some personal assessments of being firmly in the public eye during his final period in senior Government, prior to moving to head a Cambridge College.
Questions inevitably came thick and fast from the very sparky audience of truth seekers, Oxbridge alumni, parents, staff, ONs and pupils, including some particularly searching questions from our current pupils, all of which Lord McDonald answered with the humour, candour and a breezy pragmatism that had typified his approach throughout this fascinating evening.
This lecture concluded our external lecture series for the academic year, and we offer our thanks to all those who joined us for the many memorable and high-profile talks on site this year. However, the 2024 Gather Festival is almost upon us, and we greatly look forward to welcoming allcomers to this highly anticipated end-of-term explosion of culture. See: Gather24 Programme (flippingbook.com)
