Tech Made Simple is a series of talks organised at the British Council in Paris every three months.
Its origin comes from a personal experience.
I moved back to Paris at the end of 2021. I had then spent a third of my life in the UK. I had never worked in France, and I felt that something might end up getting disconnected if I stayed away from a UK environment for too long.
To avoid this disconnection, I started attending the regular UK university alumni events organised by the British Council in Paris. This experience made me think: it could actually be nice for UK alumni here in Paris to get to know each other through tech conversations.
I moved to the UK in the late 2000s to pursue a research career in computer science, working on computer network infrastructures - you know, the things that are behind the Internet. When I tried to explain my research to family and friends, I realised that digital systems are often seen as black boxes. Back in Paris, I thought opening up these black boxes could be a good way to create momentum within the community of UK alumni in France - and a good excuse to meet up from time to time.
Having ideas is one thing but turning them into reality is another. How do you reach the right people? How do you find a venue for your event? So, I asked the team at the British Council in Paris if they might be able to support us.
The team embraced the idea from day one! They’re fantastic people who, despite their busy schedules, are always enthusiastic about trying new things.
Once we began organising the events, we decided that the more, the merrier - so I brought in my long-time friend Raoul Guiazon from my PhD days at University College London.
Raoul had also moved back to France after spending many years studying and doing research in telecommunications and cybersecurity in the UK. Together, we started working with the British Council team, and in February 2025, we launched the first Tech Made Simple event.
The goal of Tech Made Simple is, well, to make tech simple - in an informal setting. These are afterwork events, hosted at the British Council in Paris. Each session starts with a talk delivered by an expert in a tech topic, who is also a UK university alumnus, followed by networking time over drinks and snacks.
The events are open to anyone interested in emerging and evolving technologies, looking to maintain ties with the UK, practise their English, or just spend an enjoyable evening. There’s something for everyone.
Raoul and I led the first two sessions, on Quantum Computing and the Internet.
Speaking of the Internet - have you ever wondered what’s happening behind your screen when you watch a new episode of your favourite series?
The Internet is a global structure that has become critical in our societies. It involves many different types of machines communicating in many different ways. It also follows a set of evolving rules shaped by six decades of technical and socio-economic development.
Our aim with Tech Made Simple is to share insights into what these technologies are, and to spark engaging conversations - not only about the opportunities they create, but also about the urgent challenges they raise and which we all need to tackle together.
We’re happy that the first two events attracted participants from such varied backgrounds. We hope the next ones will be just as successful.
If you’re interested in learning more, giving a talk, or just sharing ideas, don’t hesitate to connect with us.
We look forward to seeing you at the British Council. Let’s make tech simple for everyone!
