Director/Principal
Originally from Denmark, Allan has over four decades of experience as an educator; and over three decades of experience in senior administrative positions in Denmark. He is armed with an M.A. in the Danish language, literature and history as well as a Master’s in Public Administration.
He has taught the Danish language
and literature as well as communication and IT.
Allan is a visionary leader in the field of education and believes that preparing students to succeed in a rapidly changing 21st-century environment begins in schools. He is the Founder and Principal of the globally recognised Oerestad High School in Copenhagen, Denmark. The school was the first globally to go 100% digital and has been visited by eminent personalities like Prince Harry. The school is renowned for its innovative learning environment with open spaces instead of traditional classrooms, its strong emphasis on media skills, fully digitalised teaching material and innovative teaching practices.
According to him, non-traditional teaching environments form the backbone of the teaching-learning process. The digital environment also encourages a more personalised style of teaching. He has been an active participant in public debate in Denmark on topics related to education and challenges faced by youth. He has also presented at international seminars and conferences on 21st-century learning spaces and learning, technology in teaching and the “why of education” in the 21st century. He is one of the founders of the Global Schools Alliance, which is a select gathering of innovative schools. Allan is also a member of the Academy of the Finnish organization HundrEd, which collects, shares and rewards innovative school projects from all over the world.
Allan is the Director of Chaman Bhartiya School. The school prepares students for living and leading in India in the 21st century. To realise this vision Allan is one of the key contributors to the development of the unique ‘We Lead’ curriculum which incorporates leadership across the entire breadth of the educational journey. The school also incorporates best practices in open learning spaces, innovative teaching practices, as well as incorporating technology to personalise learning.
“What’s important is for the teacher to talk less and let the students work more. The teacher has to organise processes that encourage that to happen. The architecture of the school forces the teacher to do just that.” says Allan.
