ALYSON BAILES Belvedere School 1961-66

Director, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

My interest in international work was kindled already at Belvedere, where I chose to make my further studies in History - with special interest in modern diplomatic history - and where I won a scholarship for a very successful study trip to Sweden.  I went on to do a 3-year Modern History degree at Somerville College Oxford, when my interest in twentieth-century diplomacy deepened and I also got invaluable experience of organizational politics by working on various club committees and launching a campaign for reform of the history syllabus! My tutor recommended me to try the entrance exams for the Diplomatic Service, an option I would never have considered myself because my family background was so remote from anything of the kind.   But already when I took the exams, I realized that the pressures and variety of this kind of life would be very much to my taste.  Luckily, I passed and was able to start work at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London in 1969.  (It is worth noting that up to this point I had not done any serious modern language study but the FCO exams did not require it: they merely demanded evidence of abstract language ability.  All the languages I needed were taught to me later at FCO expense - Hungarian, French, German, Chinese, Norwegian, Finnish and Swedish.  While not all diplomats need to learn so many, nobody today gets away without learning French and probably one or two more.)

My diplomatic career lasted 33 years and included postings abroad in Budapest, Brussels (NATO business), Bonn, Beijing, Oslo, and finally eighteen months as Ambassador to Helsinki before I decided to resign and take up the SIPRI job. I also did desk jobs in London on Germany, EU policy, general policy planning and security policy.  I took full advantage of the FCO's readiness to permit temporary career breaks and sabbaticals, and under this heading I had some of my most rewarding experiences e.g. as a member of a roving EU study team, a Ministry of Defence official dealing with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, an academic writing on Chinese/East European relations, Deputy Director of a New York think-tank assisting Central Europe and  finally – three years as Political Director of the Brussels-based Western European Union.  These "roving” habits partly explain why I opted to leave the diplomatic Service again to end my career as head of an international think-tank.  Also important for me was the chance to lead a multi-cultural team, and the opportunity for more intellectual and educational work in a context of absolute independence.

For those thinking of following my footsteps into a diplomatic career I would say, by way of encouragement, that many different kinds of people can succeed in this work and that the conditions for women's success in it have definitely improved lately (stricter anti-discrimination rules, a more objective approach to goal. setting and performance, and more family-friendly conditions of service).  The basic requirements remain much as they have been through the ages: a balanced, self-controlled but outgoing personality; communication skills and mental agility; being a "people person"; resilience and adaptability.  I would also encourage anyone who does join, to take advantage of the career break options which for me were a vital defence against burn-out and also against the frustrations of too much conformity in a setting where men remain the basic role models.

Now I am head of a 50-person think-tank working for objective analysis, transparency and constructive solutions in the field of arms control and disarmament, conflict management, and security policy generally.  Most of our people are occupied with research and writing, but my job as leader of the Institute also requires a lot of publicity work, speech-making, fund-raising, networking, and general management skills. For suitably qualified women this is a very rewarding branch of work and their voice needs to be heard more on security and defence issues overall.  I think my own appointment was due to the fact that I was perceived as a good manager and publicist, but also to the efforts I had made throughout my official career to keep my intellectual interests alive and to put in extra hours on drafting speeches and articles whenever possible.  This is a point to bear in mind for those who hope to move from sector to sector within their own future careers.

SIPRI rarely has vacancies for graduate staff and they need to be pretty specialized, but we are open at all times to unpaid interns and can give them a rewarding stay amid a lively, committed and unstuffy team.  I am happy to advise those thinking of a diplomatic career and also those
interested in a career in security studies, though it must be remembered I don't have personal experience of entering the latter "from the bottom up".

Contact me via the Minerva Network Development Office.