A brief CV

Chris Souvlis worked in London at the British Council, the UK Agency for the EU Education Programs, from 1999 to 2010.

Since leaving, he continues to represent the Agency as a British Council Schools Ambassador, supporting schools in England to make international links and undertake international projects and training. He led a London schools network and coordinated their European project applications, training workshops and international project work including 5 large Comenius and Erasmus+ projects with partners including the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 

Since 2015, he has been the Deputy Chair of the (UK) Global Learning Association which supports current and former local government advisers across the UK with their international education links. 

 In that role, he has helped to build the organisations collaboration with international partners.

 2019 saw him leading teacher groups to China, Sweden, Iceland and Gran Canaria, as well as hosting study visits of school staff from France, Italy and Denmark in the UK http://globallearningassociation.org/?page_id=383     

 The Covid pandemic has halted most of his work recently and the Brexit settlement negotiated by the UK’s Conservative Party government means that the current Erasmus+ projects that the UK is undertaking may sadly be their last. 

 But Chris’s belief in the importance of international education opportunities continues and in October 2020, he prepared a successful, final Erasmus+ project application with partners including Aristotle University in Greece, Get Creative in Italy and CEE AutoLearn in Sweden.  Get Creative with Art Online 2021 – 2023will see the partners producing teaching resources for primary level Art, Drama and Languages and Chris is the project’s coordinator. 

Effects of Brexit and COVID on UK education

The last 2 years have seen historic upheaval in the UK, with the country leaving the EU family after 40 years  and with the Global pandemic hitting all areas of UK life  hard. 

The changes are deep and will be felt for generations. 

How have UK life and education and language learning been affected by this double crisis?

Will the language skills of those in the UK fall even further behind as the country tries to reorganise in the wake of the turmoil? 

Chris Souvlis, who lives and works in London, will share his thoughts on the recent past and near future for the UK and for education, as the British move into a new and uncertain world with new priorities and new problems.