Huge congratulations to alumna Nicola Willey (married name Nicolaus) who left STAHS in 1992 and was presented with her MBE by HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, at the Investiture Ceremony which took place at Buckingham Palace in December 2022.

We spoke to Nicola about how she felt receiving this fantastic accolade:

"I was really honoured to be awarded an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours List for services to UK Science and Innovation Overseas. I was recognised for my work as the Regional Director for Science and Innovation, based in the British High Commission in Singapore. This photo was taken at Buckingham Palace just before Christmas, when I was formally presented with my MBE.

I've worked for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office almost since graduation. I've spent most of my overseas career in Asia, and have lived and worked for long periods of time in China and Singapore, as well as making what feels like a lifetime of commitment to learning Chinese! My husband, daughters and I returned to the UK in summer 2021 and are now well back in the swing of life in the UK (though I can't say that I don't miss the food in Singapore, and the weather...!). "

We wish Nicola all the best for her career in the future.