Public lecture with HE Emma Hopkins, Ambassador of Great Britain to Bulgaria

The International Relations Research Student Association (IRRSA)had the pleasure to welcome HE  Emma Hopkins, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Bulgaria, on 20.02.2018 in the Large Conference Hall at the University of National and World Economy. The event was held in front of a large audience of students and lecturers. Among them were Associate Professor  Dr.Plamen Ralchev (Deputy Head of Department International Relations) and Associate Professor Dr. Milanka Slavova (Vice-Rector on Education in EQD of Bachelor and Lifelong Learning). HE Emma Hopkins was introduced by the Chairman of IRRSA – Petar Nikolushev. Emma Kate Hopkins was appointed Ambassador of Great Britain to Bulgaria in September 2014 and took her post in May 2015. Before her appointment in Sofia, Emma Hopkins had led the UK government’s Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) to end impunity for sexual violence committed in war. The campaign included the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict – which brought together over 125 countries in the largest gathering ever on this topic. She was awarded as the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, for services for the prevention of sexual violence in conflict affected countries. As part of her work in the government, Emma Hopkins heads legal and political departments. She works on migration and finding asylums, human rights, European legislation, home affairs, international criminal law, organized crime and violence against women. Emma Hopkins graduated from the University of Cambridge and worked as a lawyer from 1995 to 2001, and then she went to the public sector. The theme of the lecture was "EU - UK Relations after Brexit". Her Excellency, Emma Hopkins pointed out the main reasons that led to Brexit and said that Britain had its own view for its future in the globalizing world. Democracy deficit, increasing migration, populism and nationalism in the EU do not overlap with the democratic principle of sovereignty over which the UK has built its multicultural society. The country's priority is to address the threats and challenges of the modern world by preserving the principles of democracy, respect for human rights and ensuring security and sovereignty. The lecturer paid special attention to the tasks that the UK has set itself during the two-year EU exit process: transforming legislation, creating new trade agreements, building new international relations on the principle of democracy. She specified that Britain opens its doors to the world and "Brexit does not mean nationalism, but internationalism." At the end of the discussion, lecturers and students had the opportunity to ask their questions. HE Emma Hopkins answered thoroughly all questions.