The UK Team

Maggie Ricketts: Programme Development Manager

From 1989 until 2006, Maggie was Manager of Teacher Education and Deaf Studies, at City College Manchester. She has worked for several years as a primary and high school teacher, as a teacher trainer in NW Nigeria, and as an Ofsted Inspector. More recently she was Programme Manager of a national Further Education Professional Development programme with the Centre for Excellence in Leadership. She is currently working as an independent Educational Consultant with a number of national organisations, and is also a tutor for TESOL Teacher trainees. She is delighted to be involved with the China Pathways programme, and looks forward to successful outcomes for all of China Pathways’ participants.

Paul Turner: Beijing Consultant

Paul first arrived in China in 1988 and has since spent more than fifteen years there in various positions connected with education and Sino-foreign cultural exchanges, including work with the British Council, VSO, The Canadian and British Embassies and now as the Asia Pacific Director for NCUK, a company owned by eleven UK universities.

Paul doesn’t feel as if he has spent those 15 years in one country as China has changed so much over that time it now bears little relation to the place he came to in search of adventure two decades ago. However while the rapid pace of change continues to be a compelling and exciting reason to come to the Middle Kingdom, what Paul likes most about China is the warmth, enthusiasm and spirit of Chinese people which he discovered on his very first visit and which is still just as remarkable today.

Paul, who sits on committees for the British Chamber of Commerce and an International School, the Western Academy of Beijing, had yet another surprise recently when he took his first ride in one of thirty London ‘Black’ cabs (painted yellow) that have just been exported to Beijing. While this is a sign that the world is getting smaller he is glad to report that your money still goes a lot further in a ‘black’ cab in Beijing compared to the UK.

Elias Demetriou: Commodore Corporate Travel

A graduate in Travel and Tourism, and speaker of several languages, Elias has over 35 years of experience as a Director and a Manager within the industry, with a wide network of local contacts worldwide, including the Far East. He joined Commodore Corporate Travel in 2003 as Manager of the Groups and Incentives department. Commodore Corporate Travel provides a full spectrum of travel and travel related services including air travel, hotel, car hire, ferry bookings, British and international rail, travel insurance, foreign currency/travellers cheques, and an in-house visa/passport and courier service.

Commodore has full IATA, ATOL, ATOC and ABTA licences, is a member of the Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC) and is fully accredited under the terms of ISO 9001:2000.

Email: edemetriou@commodore.co.uk

Beijing Partners

Yanchao Qu: BLCU – China Pathways Partnership Manager

Yanchao Qu is Deputy Director: International Cooperation and Exchanges Department, Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU). He has worked for BLCU since 1979. He was born in Beijing, graduated from Renmin University of China, and studied at University of Nevada Reno as a visiting scholar for one year.

Ma Tieshi: BLCU

Ma Tieshi is Chief Executive Manager: Department of Confucius Affairs.

Dr Chen Weiheng: BLCU

Dr Chen Weiheng is the Deputy Director of International Affairs.

Prof Lu Wei: BLCU

Prof Lu Wei is the Deputy Dean of the College of Foreign Studies.

Prof Li Yanshu: BLCU

Prof Li Yanshu is Professor of English.