Former Ambassador John Hughes: “One of the most important global challenges we’re facing today is the political risk arising from a questioning of the post World War II order and a rising tide of nationalism”
Long term, the most important global challenge we’re facing today is climate change. Short term; it is political risk arising from a questioning of the post World War II order and a rising tide of nationalism. In my view that could seriously jeopardise the functioning of the world economy. It’s not that I am opposed to change in the world order, but it needs to be handled carefully. It was done well, mainly by the USA with some help from the UK, in the late 1940s. Others, for example China and India, have a crucial role to play now.
I had the pleasure to interview John Hughes. John has had an illustrious career in global political negotiation — from being the British Ambassador to Venezuela during the coup against President Chavez, to the Ambassador to Argentina during the Kirchner years. He is now the Head Practitioner on the Executive Masters, a programme designed by world-leading think tank LSE Ideas, at the London School of Economics, to help global leaders tackle times of shaky international relations, rising political tensions and rapid geopolitical change. He shares his knowledge with those working in international relations or decision-making roles across politics and business and society have an unprecedented and uncertain future to navigate. John believes that, in times of geopolitical change and shifting global alliances, to tackle emerging global threats from terrorism to climate change, we must bring together leading minds in academia, politics, business and society to find solutions.
Thank you for speaking with us! You have an impressive diplomatic background, can you tell us a bit about it please?
It’s been varied and never boring! I’ve been a specialist as a Research Analyst on the USA and Canada. I’ve spent some 20 years working on the Western Hemisphere in the Foreign Office and in Embassies in Washington D.C., Santiago, Caracas and Buenos Aires. The latter two postings as Ambassador.
I’ve done the whole range of diplomatic work; political, press, trade negotiations (bilateral and multilateral), environmental issues, and change management. I’ve also been seconded to the Cabinet Office and to private industry- British Aerospace and Shell.
And I am the only US desk officer in the history of the FCO who was on duty when the President of the USA resigned. Throw in, for example, other work in the Foreign Office Emergency Unit during the Falklands crisis, being Ambassador in Venezuela during the coup and general strike against President Chavez and you can understand why it’s been exciting!
Nor is that the end of it. I can now draw on my experience by teaching and participating in LSE Ideas: the foreign policy Think Tank of the London School of Economics (LSE), rated No 2 University Think Tank in the world.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give to leaders around the world today?
It’s rather presumptuous to answer that, but I’ll try.
They should think of “others”.
Domestically, they should remember that in democracies they represent those who didn’t vote for them as well as those who did.
Internationally, it’s a fundamental principle of international relations to understand “others”. How will they react our government were to do x? Will it be y (which we may want), or might it be z (which we don’t particularly want). You need to take account of that in both formulating and then executing foreign policy.
It’s not rocket science, but it’s important.
Can you tell us about a challenge that you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome it?
Trying to understand the make up of two very powerful Presidents (Hugo Chavez and Nestor Kirchner) in two very different countries; Venezuela and Argentina.
In each case, soon after arrival I travelled many hundreds of miles to their birthplaces to talk to people who knew them early on in their life. And, in the case of Hugo Chavez, to his parents and his brother. I wanted to gain a picture of what made these Presidents tick.
That’s quite unusual practice for newly arrived Ambassadors. But I, at least, thought it paid dividends for me and my country.
In your opinion, what do you think are the most important global challenges we’re facing today?
Long term it must be climate change.
Short term; political risk arising from a questioning of the post World War II order and a rising tide of nationalism. In my view that could seriously jeopardise the functioning of the world economy. It’s not that I am opposed to change in the world order, but it needs to be handled carefully. It was done well, mainly by the USA with some help from the UK, in the late 1940s. Others, for example China and India, have a crucial role to play now.
You’ve had an illustrious career. Do you have any regrets?
Yes, I was Deputy Ambassador in Norway for four years during which the Norwegians held a referendum and decided not to join the EU. In that time, I learnt to speak reasonably good Norwegian.
Unfortunately, the old saying is true; use it or lose it. Since leaving Norway over 20 years ago, I’ve lost it!
Who has inspired you to become a great leader?
My PhD supervisor at Cambridge University, Professor Sir Harry Hinsley.
In 1970 I pitched up in Cambridge having already obtained a BSc Econ, specialising in International Relations at the LSE and an M.A. in International Relations at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania.
Whilst in Pennsylvania. I had visited the UK mission to the UN in New York and rather pleasantly and very surprisingly had been given lunch by Lord Caradon, our Ambassador there at the time. I told him I wanted to write my PhD on co-operation between the US and the UK in pushing through UN Resolution 242 on the Arab- Israeli dispute in 1967.
At my first meeting with Harry Hinsley , I told him about my proposed thesis title. There was a short intake of breath, and a pause before he said “Good God, you can’t submit a thesis in the History Faculty of Cambridge on something that happened yesterday”
Instead he suggested that I should write a thesis on US/UK co-operation and planning during World War II for the establishment of the United Nations Organisation. I took his advice and submitted my thesis three years later. By that time, I had received an offer to join the FCO, and was strongly advised by Harry to take it. The rest is history!
You recently started to teach the Executive Masters in International Strategy and Diplomacy, a programme designed by the London School of Economics’ LSE Ideas. Can you share with us why you decided to teach there?
Because I had thought of becoming an academic while I was at Cambridge. I chose a different path, only when securing the offer of being a Research Analyst in the FCO.
In retirement from the Diplomatic Service, I returned to academia so to speak, holding senior fellowships at the School of Advanced Study, London University and later on at the LSE. When I heard about the MSc Executive Level Course in International Strategy and Diplomacy at the LSE with an opening for a Professorship in Practice, acting as Head Practitioner, I jumped at it.
You are a practitioner, rather than an academic. How would you describe why it’s important to teach others?
It’s really about merging practical experience with the academic study of international strategy and diplomacy. That’s what I am interested in; it’s the essence of our one year Executive Level MSc course.
I’m responsible for giving lectures and for also bringing in leading practitioners to our lectures and seminars. We’re lucky. It’s the LSE. We are in the centre of London and with personal contacts and the prestige of the LSE we have lectures and seminars given by former Foreign Ministers (UK and Nigeria), by a former High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the EU, members of the House of Lords, former and current Ambassadors.
And I’m still learning, including from the cohort of around 30 students we take on the course each year. They are usually in their 30s and early 40s, with experience in the private or public sector, or having worked for NGOs. They usually have a lot to say, which is what we expect at the LSE.
What kind of experiences do you share with your students?
I draw on many experiences, too many to set out here. But I tell my students about how I got things right in Venezuela and how I got them wrong.
On the right side I was pretty much on the mark in terms of attempts to overthrow President Chavez. But wrong in advising a personal representative of our Prime Minister to give a Manchester United shirt as a present when visiting Chavez.
I knew Chavez would not want something staid. What I had forgotten was that Chavez was a great baseball fan, to the extent that he clearly had never heard of Manchester United who were European Champions at the time. Strike one against the British Ambassador!
We are living in turbulent times. What are your hopes for the future?
I really enjoy what I do at LSE Ideas. Exchanging ideas with my academic colleagues who have spent their whole careers thinking things through can be a humbling experience. But I like it and hope to continue for a few years more.
More generally, I am convinced that a no deal Brexit will be seriously dangerous for the UK and hope that it can be avoided. There’s a short term hope, that will be resolved fairly soon.
My more long term hope is that, while accepting that the world order will change, I very much hope that the rise of what I see as perverted nationalism will not lead us down a dangerous path. Europeans and Americans (amongst others) have vivid memories of what happened in the last century.
I’m proud to be Welsh and to be British. I’m also aware of the extraordinary diversity of the countries and peoples around the world. They quite rightly value their own national identities. Let’s not have a narrow nationalism. But continue to respect “others”.
