Professor & Pints: Conversation With Leigh Turner
Join Young Professionals in Foreign Policy London for our first Summer Series Event: an evening of candid conversation, career insights, and meaningful networking at The Perseverance.
Featuring former British Ambassador, author, and speaker Leigh Turner, this special “Professor & Pints” session explores lessons from a 42-year diplomatic career spanning Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Expect an engaging discussion on foreign policy, diplomacy, leadership, and navigating international careers — all in an informal pub setting designed to connect students, policy professionals, and future leaders.
Whether you’re breaking into international affairs or expanding your professional network, this is a unique opportunity to learn from an experienced diplomat while meeting others passionate about global issues.
More about Leigh Turner
Leigh Turner is a writer and inspirational speaker based in London. He was UK Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna from September 2016 to September 2021. Leigh's previous roles were as HM Consul General Istanbul and Director General for Trade and Investment Turkey, Central Asia and South Caucasus; HM Ambassador in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Director of Overseas Territories in London, responsible for territories including St Helena, the Falklands and Bermuda.
Leigh grew up in Nigeria, Exeter and Lesotho, before education in Swaziland, Manchester and Cambridge. After hitch-hiking around 27 of the United States in 1979, Leigh had a 42-year diplomatic career, lessons from which he draws in his 2024 book “Lessons in Diplomacy”. He is the author of three thrillers, including “Blood Summit”, set in Berlin, and two collections of black comedy short stories, ”Seven Hotel Stories” and “Seven More Hotel Stories”. He is also a former writer for the Financial Times.
Leigh has spoken at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, the LSE, UCL, the Universities of York, Loughborough, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Vienna and Graz, Strathclyde University, the Free University Amsterdam and the Danube University Krems.
How to Survive a Crisis, and other Diplomatic Lessons
Is a diplomat’s life really as glamorous as a royal visit, or as dramatic as a coup d’état in Turkey? Leigh Turner is a former British ambassador who led posts in Ukraine, Turkey and Austria. In a witty globe-trotting adventure through an intriguing career, Leigh will talk about his interactions with royalty of both the aristocratic and celebrity kinds, and with brilliant and extraordinary people, and the lessons we all can draw from this – whether aspiring diplomats or non-diplomats. Based on his book "Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and Parties" (Bristol University Press, 2024) Leigh will do a deep dive into key lessons such as “How to survive a crisis”, “How to handle politicians” and “How to know people”. Have you ever wondered what diplomats and ambassadors really do, or how to become one? Leigh Turner will be happy to explain.
Leigh will also be prepared to sign copies of "Lessons in Diplomacy" after his talk.
More about YPFP London
Founded in 2006, YPFP London is a long-standing community of young professionals interested in international affairs, bringing together researchers, civil servants, private sector leaders, journalists, entrepreneurs, and grassroots advocates.