British Council. Michael Houlgate has been appointed as British Council country director and cluster lead for Central Asia, based in Uzbekistan, where he leads the British Council’s programs and partnerships across Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Michael brings over a decade of experience in international education and cultural exchange, having started his career as an English teacher in China before joining the British Council in 2012. He has managed major education initiatives in China and Egypt, and since 2016 has held senior leadership roles in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. In these roles, Michael led education and cultural engagement projects, steered operations across multiple cities and offices, and supported UK-India partnership building with a particular focus on transnational education and the creative economy. Michael said: “I’m honoured to continue building international partnerships and supporting UK engagement across Central Asia, working with talented colleagues to strengthen cultural, educational and linguistic links between the UK and the region.”