Presentation of the panellists

For decades French has been the second working language of Algeria – a consequence of the colonial era. Times have substantially changed. Society has moved on. Horizons have opened up new opportunities – all in English.

Today with over 55% of the 43m population under 30 – that is around a 22m energetic new generation are a driving force for change. English is the buzzword. Employers are increasingly demanding English language skills as the economy opens up to overseas partners and suppliers. The new generation is alive to the internet, the wealth of information available, all in English. Professionals update their knowledge on the internet – all in English. Lawyers keep abreast on international law in English. Doctors need to access medical papers which are in English. Engineers need to read technical material to operate machines.

Algerian society is changing fast, as the new generation responds to the demands of multi-national companies opening up. The private sector has raced ahead with ensuring staff can deal with logistics, suppliers and customers overseas.

The result has been a boom for English language schools. The British School, Algiers now provides a full English curriculum from four to 18 year olds. And it is already full. The demand is not only for English language skills but access to British universities. This can be done directly from Algeria. After that the opportunities are open sky, and endless. This webinar will explore the changes in Algeria and the means to access ever greater language and with it professional skills.

Lord Risby of Haverhill

British Trade Envoy to Algeria and Lebanon.
Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He served as Member of Parliament (MP)
for Bury St Edmunds from 1992 to 1997, and for West Suffolk from 1997 to 2010.

H.E. Sharon Wardle

Sharon Wardle is Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Algeria. She took up her appointment in 2021. Prior to this appointment, Sharon was British High Commissioner to The Gambia.

H.E. Abderrahmane Benguerrah

Algerian politician and diplomat. Mr Benguerrah is currently serving as ambassador People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to The United Kingdom(since 8 November 2019). He is permanent representative of Algeria to the International Maritime organisation.

Prof. John Brewer

NCUK’s CEO has held DVC and PVC roles at UK universities and has extensive commercial experience, notably as Director of Sports Science at GlaxoSmithKline. He worked for the English FA, headed the “bleep test” research team and was part of the England cricket team support staff at the 1992 World Cup.

Orlando Edwards

Director of the British Council Algeria. Mr Edwards led the delivery of EU-funded programmes and managed academic teams and consultants with expertise in rule of law, media law and disability rights to promote the rights of detainees, journalists and the UNCRPD.

Lotfi Ghazi

Lotfi Ghazi is the Founder and CEO of the British study centres Algeria English language schools the first ever BSC schools outside the UK NCUK ALGERIA study centres first British university courses for undergraduates and pre-masters programs.

Andrew Straughan

Andy has managed NCUK’s partnerships across the African and Middle Eastern region for nearly eight years and in that time has worked on building new partnerships as well as introducing and growing NCUK qualifications in a diverse set of new markets such as; Algeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, amongst others.

Bernardo Bruzzone

Bernardo is the Regional Editor for Africa at Oxford Business Group (OBG) and currently leads the development of OBG’s business intelligence in the region. Bernardo holds a master’s degree in international studies from the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, and is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

David Rice

David Rice is the Regional Manager for Central Asia, the Middle East and South East Asia at the University of Birmingham. David specialises in supporting students with their applications to study in the UK, as well as advising organisations on sponsor opportunities.

Matthew Virr

Regional Manager (MENA region) at Liverpool John Moores University. With nearly 20 years’ experience in international education, Matthew worked as an EFL Teacher in Morocco before working at the University of Warwick and Liverpool Hope.

Lady Olga Maitland

In 1983 she was founder and thereafter chairman of Families for Defence, and from 1992 was President of the Defence and Security Forum. She is currently the ABBC chairman. Lady Olga will be moderating the webinar on 16th March 2021.

Lamia Hamini

Lamia is a PhD student at Northampton University.