One Foot In Britain And One Foot In Spain: Una conversación sobre la vida Hispano-Británica with Dr Mike Short, CBE

An exclusive invitation to the becarios, executive committee and trustees of the British-Spanish Society

25 March 2021: 6 – 7pm GMT

Price: Free To attend, please send an email to info@britishspanishsociety.org

In the first of a series of talks and discussions exclusively for the BSS’ becarios, executive committee and trustees, BSS Trustee and Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK’s Department for International Trade, Dr Mike Short CBE, will be in conversation with Ben Welch, Trustee for Alumni, about a life balancing academia, business, policy and the UK and Spain on the evening of 25th March.

We are thrilled that Mike will be the inaugural speaker in what we hope will be a series of conversations in which we talk about lives and careers that the BSS’ members, friends and becarios have forged in across the arts and sciences – whether working in academia, the public sector, the private sector, or following different paths like music or journalism. 

The talks will explore how best to balance academic research interests with the demands of working life – hopefully giving some useful advice along the way! And the leitmotif is how to accomplish all this while keeping a strong foothold in both Britain and Spain.

For those who don’t yet know Mike, he leads the science and engineering profession in the UK’s Department for International Trade, ensuring that policy is informed by the best science, engineering and technical advice. He advises on the technical aspects of future trade deals and works with the UK’s research, development and academic communities to boost scientific and engineering exports. He has over 40 years’ experience in electronics and telecommunications, and served as Vice President of Telefónica, the parent company of O2, for 17 years to December 2016. In this post, he managed the launch of 2G (GSM) and 3G mobile technologies in the UK, and led research and development for Telefonica Europe.

His career also includes the promotion of international technical standards in mobile technology, and Mike is also a former Chairman of the Global GSM Association, the UK Mobile Data Association, and president of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. He is currently a visiting Professor at the universities of Surrey, Coventry, Leeds, Lancaster and Salford, where in recent years he has led the development on collaborations in areas such as smart cities, digital healthcare, cybersecurity and driverless vehicles. Mike was honoured with a CBE in 2012 for his services to the mobile industry.

As this is above all for our becario community, there is no cost to join what we hope will be an interesting and worthwhile evening. Mike and Ben look forward to seeing and hearing you on the 25th March. (The conversation wil be in English)