Stephen Ebbrell is a British national and has worked in China since August 2013. He has a First Class (Hons) degree from Liverpool John Moores University in Mechanical Engineering. In 2003, he was awarded his PhD from which he published four papers. He has a PGCE from the University of Wales. He has worked in the automotive industry and carried out research for multi-national companies such as, Rolls Royce (aerospace), Timken Bearings, Saint Gobain and Castrol. He has been a Lecturer in both further education and higher education and served as a Visiting Lecturer to the Sino-British College, Shanghai in four occasions.