As those of you that I am connected to on LinkedIn will know, I have recently started a new job. I’ve moved to the Joint Research Centre, which is the Commission’s in-house scientific service. I’m in the EU Policy Lab, working on “the strategic foresight agenda and … the development of foresight and horizon scanningContinue reading “A new chapter”
Category Archives: European Union
Retuning my cultural antenna
I had a funny reminder recently of how I’m going to face some real culture shock when I head back to Brussels. This story is a useful reminder of the importance of inter-cultural communication skills, and the dangers inherent in making assumptions. I’m trying to find a role to go back to and had beenContinue reading “Retuning my cultural antenna”
Erasmus mon amour
This week the UK Parliament voted to end the UK’s involvement in the Erasmus scheme, which for more than 30 years has provided an opportunity for students and researchers to experience life beyond their own borders. I find this inexplicable. Here is a post I wrote almost three years ago (23 May 2017) about myContinue reading “Erasmus mon amour”
PLAYING THE SIMULATION GAME
In September of this year, I attended a workshop organised by UACES/BACES on ‘Teaching and Learning with Impact’, looking at how European studies courses could be building in elements that enhance the employability of their students. Or put more simply, how will doing European studies help me get a job?At the time I mentioned the MockContinue reading “PLAYING THE SIMULATION GAME”
Working for a living
This week is clearly careers week. I don’t think I’ve done a single careers talk since I arrived, and I’m doing two this week. On Monday we had someone from EPSO, our recruitment service, in the Rep holding open sessions for graduates (or soon-to-be-graduates) on the new round of recruitment and the new system. IContinue reading “Working for a living”
Domino dancing
You might have heard about the dominoes that will be toppled this evening in Berlin, which have been painted by schools. You may NOT know that one of them is from a UK school, Chosen Hill in Gloucestershire, and photos are showing that their domino is right by the Brandenburg Gate. If you click here,Continue reading “Domino dancing”
Silly season
There’s been a story doing the rounds a bit during “silly season” that’s actually pretty interesting. It all comes from a piece in the Sunday Times about how there is a dearth of quality English native speaker translators and interpreters in the European institutions. While there may be some nuance that was missed, the articleContinue reading “Silly season”
Making the most of our research funding
More science news – you didn’t know this was a science blog, did you…! We’ve made an announcement today about a pilot project to make the results of EU-funded research more available. Basically research groups that receive money from the EU’s Research Framework Programme will be required to put any articles or reports into aContinue reading “Making the most of our research funding”
Kids should know their rights
We’re launching a campaign today for children to design a poster to that depicts their rights. “The right of the child to protection” competition is open to children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18 and asks them to design a poster on the right of children to protection in the European Union.Continue reading “Kids should know their rights”
Loving the science
As the very few of you that read this probably know, I used to be Commission Spokesperson for Science and so am really passionate about the role of the EU in helping bring scientists together, within Europe and also around the world. A big event was recently held in Barcelona called the EuroScience Open Forum,Continue reading “Loving the science”