British Council: celebrating our community.

Working together to shape a better world.

Our Human Stories is back and our second edition shares amazing experiences. We have stories from:

two young polyglot English language students

a consolidated and an aspiring entrepreneur

an English teacher and advocate for disabled person's rights and a Biochemistry teacher nuts about science communication

a UK artist who travelled to Greece

British Council colleagues behind the release of a new online English test.

All of them have participated in the English, education, arts and culture programmes that the British Council has been developing in Europe for over eight decades. Thanks to them, while they are broadening their professional and life horizons, they are also contributing to transform society.

Discover how we celebrate the British Council Europe community with the Human Stories publication, collecting testimonials from students, collaborators, scholarship recipients and much more from across Europe.

Eoin Murphy, biochemist, educator and science communicator (Ireland)- Several science projects including Famelab.

'Adventure travel can offer the opportunity to go to difficult or extreme places. Visiting these places can help us to see the world in a different way and perhaps allow us to make new scientific discoveries.'

Buket Durmus, English teacher (Turkey)- English Together participant.

‘My primary motive was to share my personal experiences with my colleagues and give them an insight into a person from a minority group's life. I also aimed to show people with disabilities that they should be brave enough to take action regardless of their challenges.’

Anano Shaverdasvili, entrepreneur (Georgia)- Big Idea Challenge winner.

‘By winning this competition and further additional benefits, my social and communications skills got better, I got more determined towards my goals and took personal responsibility for BOOKi.’

Jonathan Partington, Head of Product Development at the British Council (UK)- IELTS Online.

‘It’s the same test we have been organising for over 30 years but delivered online. This means that in time, test takers will be able to sit the test whenever and wherever they wish (provided they have a private, quiet space with a good internet connection).’

Anne-Michelle Heron, student (France)- English language classes.

‘In the future, I want to become a famous pianist and play in the most famous concert halls in the world. I want to live on the wings of music and art. Music speaks louder than words!’.

Haizea Najera, entrepreneur (Spain)- Sustainable Maker Awards winner.

‘The advice I’d give to any female entrepreneur is to try and face the lack of knowledge with humility and admit that there are things you simply don’t know. Share this lack of knowledge with others and try to learn it’s essential.’

Alexandra Mavromatis, student (Georgia)- English language classes.

‘I want to be a lawyer and a dentist. Knowing English will be very important for me to do both jobs effectively: as a lawyer, I’ll be able to help foreign people, and as a dentist, I’ll be able to cure foreign patients.’

Grace Collins, artist (UK)- Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries.

‘Working abroad isn't something I’d considered accessible to me before; it seemed expensive, intimidating and a bit of a luxury.’