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Alan Barrell elected International Fellow of Laurea University of Applied Sciences – Helsinki | April 2008

Professor Alan Barrell, Entrepreneur in Residence, Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, University of Cambridge and Senior Enterprise Fellow, School of Entrepreneurship and Business, University of Essex, has been appointed International Fellow by the Laurea University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland. The links between Laurea and the Universities of Cambridge and Essex have become stronger in the past year with twenty students from Helsinki enjoying an outstanding three week "Bootcamp" hosted by the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning late in 2007. Professor Barrell, who worked with the students when they were in Cambridge, has been to Helsinki, lecturing and helping with a major initiative aimed at profitable partnerships between Finnish companies and institutions and Asian counterparts. Laurea has masterminded a "Roadmap to Asia" programme, and Professor Barrel’s significant engagement in China, where he is a Fellow of Xiamen University, Fujian province and Advisor to Youth Business China has been put to good use.

At both Cambridge and Essex – the accent is on Entrepreneurship, and innovative approaches to entrepreneurial support and new business creation. Alan Barrell works extensively with large and small companies in support of imaginative and creative ways of developing profitable and competitive businesses. Following the visit of the Laurea students to Cambridge, one of the group also travelled with Professor Barrell to Beijing to participate in the highly successful “Education Without Borders “ conference – attended by 1500 Chinese students from 15 Beijing Universities and organised by Cambridge student Raymond Li and a group of Chinese Master and PhD student friends.

At a time when the European Union and Commission are encouraging more practical activities to bring Universities and businesses closer together to assist all aspects of lifelong learning, the strengthening of bonds between Cambridge, Essex and Helsinki is timely and welcome.

Alan Barrell said ..."Laurea and its staff represent the most entrepreneurial and creative aspects of University education and student support in Helsinki and Finland. The willingness shown to launch into imaginative new programmes, giving students much greater freedom to organise events and start businesses, is right in line with so much we are trying to do in Cambridge, Essex and other key centres. It is an honour for me to be appointed Fellow by Laurea and I look forward to making stronger still, the links between our Universities, our Businesses and our Regions."

In 2005 Alan Barrell was one of the first 10 recipients of the Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion. He works as an investor and is a director of a number of technology companies. Alan is currently Chairman of NHS Innovations East Ltd and is a founder shareholder of Library House Ltd., and founder of Dragon Cambridge International Ltd.