Following a degree in Classics and Archaeology, Carolyn lectured in Ancient History and Mythology in the Department of Mediterranean Studies at Queen Mary College, University of London before re-training to teach primary school children, eventually specialising in Special Education. In 1997 she moved to the Education Department of The British Museum, where she set up and ran the Arab World Education Programme, a ground-breaking project which used the relevant collections of the British Museum to counteract negative images and stereotyping of the Arab world and related Islamic cultures The programme involved a range of events and activities for all audiences and had a strong focus on outreach.
In 2002, Carolyn left the British Museum to become the administrator of the newly formed MBI Al Jaber Foundation, a UK based charity which aims to promote better understanding between the peoples of the Middle East and the wider world through activities in the areas of education, cultural dialogue and good governance. The MBI Al Jaber recently established an independent media training Institute in Yemen. As part of this project, Caabu and the MBI Al Jaber Foundation held a joint event on press and journalism in the Middle East. She has been Director of the Foundation since 2006 and is now also responsible for all aspects of Sheikh Mohamed's philanthropy, within the Foundation and beyond.
From January 2008 to February 2009 Carolyn was Manager of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. The Petrie Museum houses an estimated 80,000 objects, making it one of the greatest collections of Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology in the world and illustrates life in the Nile Valley. Carolyn also lectures on aspects of the ancient Mediterranean and Islamic world and is a regular speaker at the British Museum and elsewhere on Islamic Art and Architecture, Ancient Arabia and Ancient Mediterranean history and mythology. In addition Carolyn accompanies tours as a guest lecturer – she led one of the first British tours to Saudi Arabia, and has also taken tours to Iran and Syria.
Carolyn Tweets at @CarolynPPerry.