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An Old Elizabethan who co-founded a $1bn-plus AI company urged boys to be flexible, to develop transferable skills, and to keep learning throughout their lives if they want to build successful careers.

Amar Shah (OE 1999-2006) said society is moving so fast that their career preparations are likely to be for job roles that do not yet exist.

Addressing a special QE Futures assembly, he pointed out to the Year 7 & 9 pupils that iPhones had not even been launched when he left QE – and that was only 19 years ago.

Assistant Head (Pupil Destinations) said: “Amar gave a really inspiring assembly on Dream Jobs. His message – with its focus on skills, being adaptable to emerging opportunities and lifelong learning – dovetails very well with our QE Futures strategy.

“The emphasis on transferable skills resonates deeply with our focus on the six QE Employability Skills – communication, critical thinking, digital literacy, leadership, resilience and teamwork.

“Thank you, Amar, for doing so much to get our pupils dreaming big and thinking boldly.”

The introduction came from an OE of the same generation, Asif Ahmed (OE 1997-2004), who said: “You might know that Amar is one of the co-founders of Wayve, the autonomous driving business that is widely regarded as one of the world’s (and certainly the UK’s) leading AI scale-ups.”

At the time of Wayve’s $1.05 billion Series C investment funding round last year, the then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “I’m incredibly proud that the UK is the home for pioneers like Wayve who are breaking ground as they develop the next generation of AI models for self-driving cars.”

Amar has moved on to investing in and building other equally exciting businesses.

Having already worked with AI-designed medicines, he is now focusing on a project to ‘democratise’ the MRI scanner to help the developing world– making the hardware cheaper to purchase, so it is more accessible, and using AI to mitigate the loss of functionality.

QE Futures is the School’s programme of careers and universities guidance & support. Its slogan is Find Your Path.

Amar’s own path has taken him from reading Mathematics at Cambridge to positions at Goldman Sachs and NASA, and to a PhD in Machine Learning. He has successfully founded several businesses.

His key messages were:

• Don’t prepare for one particular job, since many future careers are not even in existence yet.
• Build transferable skills. Adaptability and curiosity will matter more than any single qualification.
• Never stop learning. In doing so, you can help shape the solutions the world needs.

Amar argued for breadth of education – “every subject will impact your life”. He added: “Life is long; the world is constantly changing; learning is lifelong.” And he had his own clear idea of the importance of this stage in the boys’ lives: “School is learning how to learn (forever).”

Amar concluded his presentation with these words: “I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.”

Queen Elizabeth’s School commemorated Elizabethans who gave their lives in conflicts in traditional fashion, while pupils and staff deepened their knowledge of QE’s wartime history through a special Remembrance quiz.

The QE Combined Cadet Force took their places in the Remembrance Sunday parade and service in High Barnet, and then also played a leading role in the Armistice Day event at the School yesterday.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “The Armistice Day ceremony here is an important opportunity for today’s young Elizabethans to honour forebears who made the ultimate sacrifice in the two world wars and other conflicts. This year’s quiz creatively reinforced that aim by teaching pupils interesting facts about what war meant, both generally and for QE Barnet in particular.

“I am, of course, very grateful to the members of our CCF who represented the School so effectively in the civic Remembrance Sunday parade.”

The CCF set off from – and returned to – 240 (Barnet) Transport Squadron RLC on St Albans Road. The service took place at St John the Baptist Church and at the Chipping Barnet war memorial outside the parish church.

The ceremony at QE took place as in previous years in the ‘Crush Hall’ in the Main Building at 11am. The poem, In Flanders Fields, was read, the Last Post played, and wreaths were laid at the School’s war memorial. A two-minute silence was observed across the School.

The Remembrance Day quiz, compiled by Enrichment tutor and Mathematics teacher Nadeem Kydd, was made available to form groups over the past few days. Many staff participated.

Form tutors were encouraged to use the 17-question, multiple-choice quiz as a springboard for discussions about the significance of the Armistice Day events and QE’s history during the world wars.

Here are some of the questions. (Answers are at the bottom).

1. During World War I, QE pupils who won prizes were given money. But what did most choose to do with their money?
2. Where were soldiers’ horses kept during World War I?
3. In 1637, plans to unite QE with which school were shelved because of increasing political uncertainty in the run-up to the English Civil War?
4. Why were loudspeakers at Founder’s Day originally installed?
5. A memorial to Commonwealth soldiers, including those from the Indian sub-continent, Africa, Nepal, and the Caribbean, can be found where in London?

Answers

1. Donate it to refugees
2. The School playground
3. Merchant Taylors’
4. To warn of bombing raids
5. Constitution Hill

Click on the thumbnails to view the images.

Inspirational business leader Gary Shaughnessy gave QE’s younger boys a heartfelt message born out of his own experience of dealing with adversity.

Mr Shaughnessy was an international CEO of Zurich Insurance and at the peak of his career when, in 2015, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

In a special Lower School assembly lecture, he spoke of how he overcame his initial despair and, with the help of his wife, used the news as a springboard into what became the happiest period of his life. He is now a philanthropist, an advocate for several charities and a fundraising athlete.

Thanking Mr Shaughnessy, QE Flourish coordinator Lev Crofts reflected afterwards on the talk: “He chose to accelerate his career rather than ‘stow’ it; to become involved in athletics, sports challenges and break multiple world records; and to become more involved in charity work – eventually becoming the chair of Parkinson’s UK. Ultimately, his message was about responding positively to difficulty, of seeing failure as opportunity, and to be appreciative of how much we are given by life.”

His entertaining lecture to Years 7–9 in the Shearly Hall included Mr Shaughnessy leading the boys in his regular chant of ‘Live life, love life, stop Parkinson’s’.

Mr Shaughnessy began his career in the UK financial services sector, holding key roles at the Automobile Association, the Bank of Scotland, and AXA, before joining Zurich in 2012 and rising to become its CEO for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. In that role, he managed approximately 20,000 employees across 22 countries, driving major cultural and digital transformations.

He initially kept his diagnosis private, but came to recognise that openness could be both empowering and liberating, helping to challenge stigma in the workplace. By publicly sharing his condition, he became a visible example of strength and transparency for others living with chronic illness.

His philosophy – “focus on what you can do, not what you can’t” – reflects his belief in resilience, adaptation, and positive action.

Since his diagnosis he has completed numerous endurance events, including marathons, cycling challenges, triathlons and a 30 sports in 30 days feat – all to raise funds for Parkinson’s research. He even set Guinness World Records for the longest three-legged distances covered in 12 and 24 hours.

In the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his contributions to business, his charitable leadership, and his work supporting people with Parkinson’s.

Mr Shaughnessy is Chair of the Z Zurich Foundation, which was established to help vulnerable people, and Chair of England Athletics.

Sixth-former Paarth Aggarwal has again won the national category for his age group in a global technology competition. 

Paarth’s AI-powered app for visually impaired people took first prize among UK entrants in Intel’s AI Global Impact Festival 2025. 

Paarth last year won the same UK prize, having then entered an app that offered personalised learning to children with autism.  

Congratulating him, QE’s Head of Technology, Bilaal Khan, said: “Many congratulations to Paarth, who has shown great initiative in pursuing these opportunities: his enthusiasm for the exciting possibilities that AI and other new technologies offer is inspiring.” 

Intel’s annual challenge aims to encourage next-generation technologists and to showcase AI innovations and impact. This year, there were more than 1,000 entries worldwide.  

On learning of his success as the winner for the UK AI Changemakers category for ages 13–17, Paarth, of Year 12, said:  “The competition was challenging and it required me to put in countless hours researching, developing, and refining the project, which focused on enhancing independence for individuals with visual impairments.” 

Called NavigateAssist, his winning app describes the surroundings in natural language, so helping to reduce feelings of isolation, thereby boosting self-confidence and fostering independence in visually impaired people. 

Users can take a picture of their surroundings, or of an object, and ask questions, receiving detailed answers in real time. This helps them navigate the world more easily. 

Paarth hopes his success will “encourage more students to explore the world of AI, inspire them to become the next generation of AI innovators, and realise the limitless possibilities for them in their future life”. 

He wins a prize worth $100 and a certificate. 

Tech spec
NavigateAssist uses AI, including GenAI, a subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on creating new content. 

To build the app, Paarth used Intel’s Core Ultra processor and its OpenVINO software toolkit running on the company’s AIDevCloud. 

• To watch Paarth’s video entry and learn more about the app, click here. 

Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet, has secured initial approval to open the first international branch campus under its QE Global Schools initiative. 

Queen Elizabeth’s School, Dubai Sports City, will provide an education delivered to the same high academic standards that have made QE Barnet one of the UK’s leading schools. The new school will offer the QE Essentials – the coherent set of meticulously developed programmes, initiatives and concepts which together underpin a QE education. 

QE Barnet is working with its partner, GEDU Global Education, to open independent, fee-paying schools in UAE and India – the first such venture by a UK state school. The international schools will open under the QE banner but will operate as independent campuses, each with its own principal, senior leadership team, and teaching staff. 

The approval from Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) clears the way for the school to open next August: applications for places open on 4 November 2025. 

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “We are delighted to have received this encouragement from the KHDA to offer a rounded and enriching QE education to children in the UAE, spreading opportunity and supporting students to become the leaders of their generation.  

“We are also excited by the potential for international collaboration, which, in time, will build a global network of Elizabethans for the benefit of our new students as well as those within the state sector in Barnet. 

“Our intention is also to use revenue from QE Global Schools to support long-term educational excellence at Queen’s Road.”

The announcement drew praise from Edward Hobart, His Majesty’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, who said: “I am delighted that Queen Elizabeth’s School will open in Dubai Sports City next year. This milestone represents the first time a British state-funded grammar school has expanded globally, testament to the enduring strength of UK-UAE educational partnerships.” 

“By bringing QE’s proven educational methodology and 450-year heritage of academic excellence to Dubai, it increases the opportunity for young people in the UAE to access world-class British education. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this world-class institution will have on students and the broader educational landscape in the UAE.” 

Dubai Sports City is a complex built around five major sports venues that provides a mix of residential, retail, leisure and recreational facilities. Teaching at the new school will follow England’s National Curriculum. 

Caroline Pendleton-Nash, CEO of Queen Elizabeth’s Global Schools, said: “This landmark approval allows us to accelerate our vision to deliver world-leading K-12 education* to students from across the UAE. 

“While the model of establishing international branches is familiar among leading UK independent schools, this marks the first time in history that a distinguished UK state grammar school has embarked upon such a partnership. It represents an unprecedented and truly exciting milestone for global education.  

“Queen Elizabeth’s School, Dubai Sports City, will be a co-educational school, opening initially from Nursery to Year 8, with a phased growth through to the sixth form. Its location in Dubai Sports City affords our students privileged access to unrivalled sporting facilities, embedding sport and physical excellence as a defining pillar of their education. This will be brought to life through our QE Flourish Programme, which nurtures character and personal development across the strands of Care, Challenge, Create and Compete, realising the boundless potential of our students.” 

QE Flourish is one of the QE Essentials. Other elements include: an emphasis on free-thinking scholarship; bespoke pastoral care with a focus on character education (supported by the House system at QE Barnet); QE Futures, which helps all pupils find their individual pathways after school; and membership of QE Connect, the supportive global alumni network. 

“The Dubai branch campus will remain faithful to the mission, ethos, tradition, and exacting academic standards of Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet, while embracing Dubai’s spirit of innovation and ambition,” Ms Pendleton-Nash added. “Our mission is to nurture confident, able, and responsible young people who are prepared to lead happy and fulfilled adult lives and to make a positive contribution to others. In uniting the heritage of one of the UK’s most distinguished schools with the vision of Dubai, we aspire to set a new global benchmark for educational excellence.” 

*  K-12 is short for kindergarten through to 12th grade, reflecting the US school system from the age of around 5 to 17 or 18.  

• Top is an artist’s impression of the new campus in Dubai. Also pictured above is Mr Enright with GEDU Group CEO Dr Vishwajeet Rana and with Ms Pendleton-Nash.