Andrew Burns

For nearly 40 years I have been a member of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service, working in a wide variety of jobs in Whitehall and overseas.

Much of my career has had an Asian focus. I was sent to the School of Oriental and African Studies in the 1960s to learn Urdu and Hindi. This was followed by a long posting to India which began a lifelong involvement with the affairs of the Indian Sub-Continent. Later postings immersed me in the issues of European Security and then plunged me into the world of the press and media and the handling of government/media relations in the US and London . For 15 years I found myself increasingly involved with the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to China , which culminated in my taking over as Consul-General in Hong Kong (and Macau ) after the departure of the British Governor (1997-2000) and thus acquiring a keen interest in contemporary China and South-East Asia .

In the early 90s I was appointed Ambassador to Israel (1992-1995) at the time of the prime ministership of Yitzhak Rabin and the Oslo Peace Process. This in turn led to a deep and active interest in the prospects for peace and reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians. My final job in Whitehall (1995-1997) involved oversight of all British bilateral relations outside Europe and the management of our worldwide trade and inward investment work. My last posting abroad took me to Ottawa as the British High Commissioner to Canada (2000-2003).

Since returning to the UK I have maintained through various bodies an active interest in Asia, in Israel and the Middle East and in the transatlantic relationship, but I have also branched out into new fields of financial and academic governance, as the Director of a Chinese Investment Trust, as a Trustee of Hestercombe Gardens in Somerset and as Chairman of the Council of Royal Holloway, one of the constituent Colleges of the University of London and now one of the country’s leading research led university institutions.