The annual diplomacy ball, a collaboration between 8 societies across LSE, KCL, UCL, SOAS, and Oxford, is an incredible night of networking and merriment for students interested in international affairs.

Held at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms on March 2nd in central London, our guests enjoyed a three course meal with wine while mingling with our diplomats in attendance.

Keynote Speaker:

Mr George Cunningham, currently Chair of UK Liberal Democrats Abroad, and Co-Chair of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Policy Advisory Group on China. Mr Cunningham retired from the European External Action Service two years ago as its Strategic Advisor on Asia-Pacific Affairs. He served the EU for 30 years, including as Deputy EU Ambassador to Afghanistan, as well as postings in New Zealand, Cyprus and New York during the 9/11. In preparation for his diplomatic career, Mr Cunningham spent the first decade of his working life as a British Army officer, a marketing executive, a founder and director of an NGO educating young people about international affairs, and as a United Nations official in New York. In his youth, he walked Africa for over two years, to learn about different cultures and the challenges facing them, far from his home and his upbringing in London. It was the beginning of his “journey to Become a Diplomat”.

Diplomats

Mr. Nong Dam Tuan Lin: Vietnamese First Secretary (Political) and Private Assistant to the Ambassador at the Embassy of Vietnam since July 2021. Previously, Tuan Linh worked at the State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and a post in the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil from 2015 and 2018. Tuan Linh graduated from the Foreign Trade University of Vietnam with a bachelors degree in International Economics in 2005 and earned a masters degree in International Relations at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in 2020.

Mrs. Sonja Cirrotti: German Assistant Attache (Cultural), joined the German Foreign Office in January 1999. She has mostly worked with International Organisations: IMO in London, Food and Agricultural Organisation in Rome, the UN in Geneva as well as in New York and at the Disarmament Conference in Geneva. Prior to joining the Foreign Office she worked in Germany and Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and spent some time in Spain (Barcelona).

Miss Rasha Haddad: 1st Secretary at the Embassy of Lebanon in London. She started her current posting in August 2019. In November 2017, Rasha introduced the Lebanese Gastrodiplomacy concept under the slogan “Tasty Lebanon” to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants (MoFAE) to promote Lebanon’s culture and economy through Lebanese cuisine and products. Rasha joined the Lebanese Foreign Service as a career diplomat in 2016. Before joining the diplomatic service 2016, Rasha worked with the UNDP on the regional project Anti-Corruption and Integrity in the Arab Countries (ACIAC).

H.E. Dr. Zalmai Rassoul: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary

Mrs. Mariana Plaza: Argentina - Head of Mission to the UK

Minister Gonzalo Ortiz de Zarate: Argentina - Deputy Consul General

Mrs. Dao Thi Hong: Vietnam - First Secretary (Education)

Mr. John Everard: UK - Former Ambassador to Uruguay, Belarus, and North Korea

Shaikha Alanood Ebrahim Al Khalifa: Bahrain - First Secretary

Mr. Ebarhim Al Shalaan: Bahrain - Councillor

Mr. Ali Almahmood: Bahrain - Councillor

Miss Hajer Ameen: Bahrain - Second Secretary