Prof Alan Barrell DBA FRSA Universities of Cambridge, Bedfordshire and Essex, UK, Xiamen University, China and Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Finland; and Holder of The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion.
Professor Barrell graduated in biology, worked in the National Health Service as a haematologist before spending 20 years in the health care industry, and was CEO of Baxter UK for six years. Subsequently he was CEO of two Cambridge based hi-tech printing companies, and for four years, Managing Partner of the Cambridge Gateway Fund. He is a founder shareholder of the investor and research organisation, The Library House Ltd, and a director of Dragon Cambridge International - a service offering liaison between the UK and China, for both personal and business clients. He is appointed Investment Attorney by the Municipality of Xiamen and International Advisor to Youth Business China, has set up manufacturing operations in Guangdong Province, and visits China regularly on teaching and business missions. He has chaired and is a sought-after speaker at various school conferences, including the Senior Schools Enterprise Conference in recent years.
Professor Alan Barrell's Message of Support
EDUCATION WITHOUT BORDERS - AND LIBERATED MINDS
It is a great pleasure for me, and a source of real excitement to be invited to work in support of Dr Wei Wang's exceptional initiative "2W Education". His motives regarding Society and a World with fewer barriers – maybe one day "Without Borders" - are so much in line with my own, and indeed with the thoughts of many in education, business and communities throughout the world. I had the honour and privilege recently to speak at two major events.
One was in Beijing – in December 2007, when 1500 Chinese students gathered together in the Central Library Hall in the city – brought together by Chinese and British students from Cambridge University for a day together, with key speakers from all continents – exploring "A World without Borders" and how we may "Turn Visions into Action". "Liberating Minds", a favourite saying these days of Mr Hu Jintao, President of China, also had great resonance at our meeting. Here was the Next Generation leading us "oldies" by the hand into a fabulous experience of cross cultural, cross border and cross generation communication and experience sharing. "Education without Borders" is a magnificent concept.
The other event I mentioned was in February in Brussels, a very big conference with the European Commissioner for Education and several National Ministers present – and many hundreds of delegates. The subject "University – Business Collaboration" was again exciting – and is such an important subject. And these concepts, these visions, these ideas to improve understanding and knowledge across cultures and borders has to happen at the grass roots. The changes in thought and attitude – and learning, must happen from an early age before minds get "fixed". Indeed it will only work if it is "bottom up" in terms of action. Governments can offer policy and seek to specify – but only PEOPLE can deliver. And people need to deliver from their positions and circumstances, and from their own communities.
And this is where a wonderful set of ideas such as those Dr Wei Wang is setting out for action are so very important, and why I am so delighted to offer him and all those he works with my full support and all the energy I can muster. Jules Verne, the great imaginative writer once said "There is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come" I believe the ideas of Wei Wang expressed as "2W Education" – are ideas "whose time has come". I shall be very pleased to help him as he turns the ideas into ACTION!
Professor Alan Barrell 10 March, 2008