2010 FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME
The 2010 John Smith Fellows arrived in Edinburgh in early June where they spent ten days exploring issues such as leadership and policy delivery with some of Scotland’s leading public figures. Highlights of the Scotland week included meeting the First Minister Alex Salmond MSP at Bute House, dining with Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson MSP at the Scottish Parliament, and visiting the law courts with former Solicitor General for Scotland Lord McCluskey. To read more about the 2010 Fellows’ experience in Scotland please click here
The 2010 Fellows departed Edinburgh on 13th June to travel to their attachments - a series of individual meetings and work placements tailored to each Fellow’s particular expertise and interests. Ukrainian Fellow Nataliya Gumenyuk is an independent journalist specialising in foreign news and events. She is a regular contributor to the BBC Ukrainian Service and the Ukrainian weekly magazine PROFIL. Nataliya's attachment period involved visits to Hardtalk, BBC World, The Independent and The Guardian. Speaking about her experience, Nataliya said:
"I was really excited by shadowing The Guardian political correspondent Michael White on the day that George Osborne introduced the budget. Firstly it is a unique opportunity to see how the British parliament works, to follow the debates, to observe the reactions of the MPs and how they relate the impact of the possible changes to their constituencies. Secondly, I really got a deep insight to the work of the press at Westminster, and I could learn more about the relations between the politicians and the journalists in the UK. This kind of knowledge is very relevant for me as a journalist, especially when the media situation back home has deteriorated."
On her return to the Ukraine, Nataliya plans to strengthen support for public broadcasting with a long term goal to launch public broadcasting in Ukraine in 3 years. 2010 Fellow Azer Aleskerov (pictured below) is Director of the Monetary Policy Department at the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA). He spent time at the Bank of England, Office of Public Management, the Ministry of Justice, and HM Treasury. He has also met with MPs Angus Robertson and Angela Eagle. Following completion of the John Smith Fellowship Programme, Azer plans to develop the communications strategy of the CBA (both internally and externally) in order to improve the formulation of economic policy.
Azer Aleskerov (Azerbaijan) with Verity Threlfell, Senior Policy Adviser, Better Regulation Executive, Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
2010 Fellow Irakli Kotetishvili (pictured below) is Director of the Public Service Bureau in Georgia, an advisory body to the President of Georgia responsible for: monitoring and reform of the civil service system in Georgia and drafting state policy in the sphere of public service. As Director, Irakli is responsible for the management of all the Bureau’s activities. During his individual attachment programme Irakli held meetings with the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly (pictured below), Clifford Chance, National School of Government, and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Using this experience, Irakli intends to increase the efficiency and transparency of the Georgian parliament via introduction of a new bill system similar to the UK's use of green and white papers.
Irakli Kotetishvili (Georgia) meets William Hay, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
The attachment period was followed by a weekend conference (26th / 27th June) in Ross-on-Wye at the Leadership Trust – an educational charitable trust dedicated to the development and enhancement of leadership skills in individuals and organisations. Paul K Winter (Chief Executive, Leadership Trust) ran an interactive session for the Fellows on 'Leadership Challenges'. Other highlights of the weekend included panel discussions with Bayan Rahman (High Representative to the UK of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq), Dr. Mark Grigoryan (BBC) and Linda Duffield (Chief Executive, Westminster Foundation for Democracy) on models of leadership, followed by presentations by the Fellows on the leadership challenges in their own countries. The weekend concluded with a trip to the village of Castle Combe by kind invitation of Trustee Roger Munnings and his family.
The 2010 Fellows then completed a second week of the Academic Programme in London (28th June to 2nd July). Speakers included Dr James Ker Lindsay and Jonathan Cohen (Conciliation Resources) on conflict resolution, actors Peter Guinness and Roberta Taylor on effective communication, Iain Dale on blogging and internet campaigning, General Sir Mike Jackson on leadership and policy delivery, and Baroness Stern and Lord Falconer on legal policy delivery.
The 2010 Fellowship Programme concluded at No. 11 Downing Street on 8th July where each Fellow delivered a presentation on the aims of their ‘action plan’ to Trustees, advisors and invited guests by kind permission of the Rt Hon George Osborne MP.
To read more about the final day of the Fellowship Programme please click here