'What London can teach the rest of the world’
Guests attending are invited to come from 18:00 for a 18:30 start.
Colleen Harris will deliver The Portal Trust Education Lecture hosted at Bayes Business School, to consider ‘What London can teach the rest of the world’.
One of the world’s oldest cities also looks like the future as it sits at the forefront of intellectual and technological advancement and continues to attract some of the brightest minds. London teaches the world that strength lies in diversity as its renowned universities and institutions continue to draw students from diverse backgrounds and cultures from home and from all corners of the world.
The City’s ability to seamlessly integrate its historical legacy with contemporary innovation, like AI, is why the best and brightest continue to come to the brainy city. All good news, but it comes with a price.
Colleen Harris MVO, DL
Colleen is a Communications and diversity professional with more than 30 years’ experience. Voted one of the Top 100 Black Leaders in Business, and a Woman of the Year and listed as one of London’s most powerful Black women. She started her career as a teacher and went on to hold a number of high-profile senior roles including former Press Secretary to the HRH The Prince of Wales (now HM King Charles III), and to former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher.
Colleen also worked as Communications Consultant at the WHO and the World Bank and was Director of Communications at the Commission for Racial Equality and Director of Strategy at the Equality & Human Rights Commission. Described as the PR woman ‘who helped turn Prince Charles into a human being’ Colleen was the first and most senior Black member of the Royal Household and the first Black press officer in Government.
The Portal Trust
The Portal Trust, are a grant making charity providing funds to individuals and organisations to further the education of young people from inner London. We are a small team of nine staff, 12 Trustees and a number of advisors and ambassadors who work together to make a meaningful education available to all.
We were originally founded in 1748, and along the way have become the trustee for two schools (The Aldgate School and Stepney All Saints CE Secondary School), created and supported two Technical Institutes, a Nautical College and an affordable student Hall of Residence. We've also provided major grants to set up new departments and widen access at several of London's universities, most recently at London College of Fashion, UAL
Each year we bring our friends – old and new - and partners together for a lecture, kindly hosted in the auditorium at the Bayes Business School, to explore an important topic of the day, before a relaxed drinks and canapés reception.
If you would like to know more, you can find us on Twitter and Instagram or on our website.
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