Dukakis Center welcomes Consul General Fong

Following an invitation by the Dukakis Center, the newly installed US Consul General in Thessaloniki, Ms. Rebecca Fong, visited ACT on November 30 to address students on interested in a diplomatic career, sharing some of her experience in the field.

With a diverse academic and professional background, Ms. Fong discussed various aspects of working in the foreign service, ranging from the reasons why one could or should choose such a career, to a training process that involves language skills and expertise development, such as in trade or in refugee matters.

Drawing from her international experience both as a diplomat and as an executive in the private sector, Ms. Fong shared some of her insight on understanding, respecting and adjusting to different cultural norms as part of building bridges of trust in any professional environment. She also highlighted the importance of integrity and honesty in establishing personal relations with various interlocutors.

Ms. Fong interacted with students on issues such as balancing a lifestyle that involves moving around the world every few years, being a woman in a male-dominated environment, and managing more bureaucratic tasks as part of her job.