[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]As part of our \u2018National Engagement Series\u2019, the BFPG hosted its third university event in Edinburgh in partnership with the University of Edinburgh School of Social and Political Science\u2019s Centre for Security Research and the Asia-Scotland Institute. The event, which took place in McEwan Hall in the heart of Edinburgh focused on Scotland\u2019s vital role in UK foreign policy and the need for greater debate and capacity around Scotland\u2019s international relations regardless of any questions concerning the constitutional position.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_gallery type=”flexslider_slide” interval=”0″ images=”18525,18529,18528,18527,18526,18524,18530″ img_size=”full” onclick=”” enable_drag=”yes” direction_nav=”yes” control_nav=”no” frame=”no”][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]The event consisted of two panel discussions which featured representatives from politics, the civil service, business, academia and the cultural sector. Speakers included Emily Thornberry MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary, Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, Minister for International Development and Europe, Lord Des Browne, Former Secretary of State for Defence and for Scotland, Tim Allan, President of Scottish Chambers of Commerce and Caroline Wilson CMG, Director Europe at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The panellists responded to an audience- led discussion touching on varied foreign policy topics including trade, soft power, international development and the environment.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_tabs style=”horizontal”][vc_tab title=”Interviews” tab_id=”7cfe3f5c-8a29-2″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/vimeo.com\/253665437″ align=”right” style=”“border: none; overflow: hidden“;” src=”“https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBritishForeignPolicyGroup%2Fvideos%2F420547848365597%2F&show_text=0&width=560“” width=”“560“” height=”“315“” frameborder=”“0“” scrolling=”“no“” css=”.vc_custom_1517435628032{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;border-radius: 1px !important;}”][\/vc_tab][vc_tab title=”Panel 1″ tab_id=”39a7067e-1450-9″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/vimeo.com\/253667138″ style=”“border: none; overflow: hidden“;” src=”“https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBritishForeignPolicyGroup%2Fvideos%2F420605821693133%2F&show_text=0&width=560“” width=”“560“” height=”“315“” frameborder=”“0“” scrolling=”“no“”][\/vc_tab][vc_tab title=”Panel 2″ tab_id=”1517435853045-2-8″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/vimeo.com\/253667223″ style=”“border: none; overflow: hidden“;” src=”“https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBritishForeignPolicyGroup%2Fvideos%2F420605821693133%2F&show_text=0&width=560“” width=”“560“” height=”“315“” frameborder=”“0“” scrolling=”“no“”][\/vc_tab][\/vc_tabs][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]There was great audience attendance and participation with over 125 attendees from many different sectors and backgrounds contributing to a rich and varied discussion on UK foreign policy. There was also a strong student presence throughout. Sofia Cogliano, one of BFPG\u2019s Student Ambassadors from the University of Edinburgh spoke on the first panel to represent the voice of young people in the debate on our foreign policy choices.\u00a0 Ananya Bhadauria, Head Ambassador at the University of Edinburgh and Christopher Hetherington, one of BFPG\u2019s Programme Coordinators for the Student Ambassador Programme conducted interviews with the speakers with the other Ambassadors helping out throughout<\/p>\n
The BFPG look forward to continuing its series of university events around the UK to provide the platform for important discussions on the UK\u2019s foreign policy choices and how they impact us all.<\/p>\n
The next university event with be hosted in partnership with the University of Leeds on the 23rd<\/sup> February, more details to follow.<\/p>\n Speakers:<\/p>\n Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary<\/p>\n Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, Minister for International Development and Europe<\/p>\n Lord Des Browne, Former Secretary of State for Defence and for Scotland<\/p>\n Sofia Cogliano, BFPG Student Ambassador, Student at the University of Edinburgh<\/p>\n Tim Allan, President, Scottish Chambers of Commerce<\/p>\n Caroline Wilson CMG, Director Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office<\/p>\n Lyndsey Jackson, Director of Operations, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society<\/p>\n Graham Caie, Vice President at The Royal Society of Edinburgh<\/p>\n Kurt Mills, Professor of International Relations and Human Rights, University of Dundee<\/p>\n Tom Cargill, Executive Director, British Foreign Policy Group<\/p>\n Dr Andrew Neal, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of Edinburgh<\/p>\n Peter Budd, Director, Arup<\/p>\n Professor James Smith, Vice-Principal International, University of Edinburgh<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column el_class=”bfpgview”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As part of our\u2018National Engagement Series\u2019, the BFPG hosted its third university event in Edinburgh in partnership with the University of Edinburgh School of Social and Political Science\u2019s Centre for Security Research and the Asia-Scotland Institute. The event, which took place in McEwan Hall in the heart of Edinburgh focused on Scotland\u2019s vital role in UK foreign policy and the need for greater debate and capacity around Scotland\u2019s international relations regardless of any questions concerning the constitutional position.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":18531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-past-event"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18523"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18523\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the BFPG. The BFPG is an independent not for profit organisation that encourages constructive, informed and considered opinions without taking an institutional position on any issue.<\/span><\/h6>\n