BEI Weekly Update - 16th January 2026

Dear Members and Friends,

The world really does seem to be speeding up.  While we try to keep up with the pace of developments and their implications for our work, we need at the same time to keep a focus on the “business as usual” which of course also is also ever-changing but with less of a “headline” dynamic.  

For us at BEI, we have spent the week preparing for the series of events we are hosting next week during BETT London. We are also working up ideas for a new round of engagement with FCDO in the light of the budget settlement, developing further events on water resilience with our sister organisation D Group and sketching out the agenda for an enhanced programme of in-person and virtual contacts with the multilateral development banks.

Next week we are looking forward to welcoming a good range of visitors to Birdcage Walk for our events during BETT. We will be hosting the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Indonesia to hear their perspectives and explore active projects in Indonesia’s education sector.  We expect the focus to be on policy reform, with key thematics including education assessment, quality assurance, framework AI and coding and learning digitalisation – areas in which BEI members have plenty to offer.

Once again, our programme includes a meeting with the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat to discuss education priorities and upcoming opportunities in the region. We’ll be joined again this year by Datuk Dr. Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat.

We have a busy schedule focussing on Central Asia, another priority region for BEI, including a series of MoU signings between UK education organisations, Kazakh education institutions and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan. We’ll also be joined by representatives of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Mongolia.  

Moving on to Africa, we will be hosting a delegation from Ghana to explore education infrastructure opportunities. All in all, I’m grateful to our guests for taking the time out of BETT to join us in Westminster.

A brief reminder of some of our forthcoming events. We will be assessing the significance of COP30 on 22 January at 10-11:30 GMT. Our panellists will reflect on their experiences during November's negotiations in Belém and provide insights on how COP30 might influence future climate and sustainability efforts. This webinar is open to members and non-members alike: if you’re interested in joining, please register here.  

On 27 January from 10:00-11:30 GMT, join us for a virtual event hosted in partnership with the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) on Unlocking Free Trade Agreements and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This session will explore opportunities for UK businesses exporting services as a result of a number of recent bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTA’s) between the UK and its key partners. The session will provide an overview of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and how it supports UK business. This event is for all BEI members and non-BEI members. Speakers are keen to hear from attendees on their experience of CPTPP so far and welcome feedback. Click here to register.  

Finally, BEI member SUMS Consulting is hosting a webinar at 11:00 on 22 January to explore the strategic insights of their report “University lands: Mapping risks and opportunities for the UK HE sector”. In the webinar, an expert panel will discuss the uses of the report and the accompanying geospatial mapping tool for different stakeholders, including considerations around climate risk and adaptation, strategic infrastructure, sustainability and regional development. The link to join the webinar is here.

Plenty on our agenda - and I’m sure on yours too. In the meantime, warm wishes for a restful weekend,

David Landsman

Executive Chair  

British Expertise International

Event Recordings and Resources:

(Member access only)‍

• 10th December 2025 - Integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) into Education Systems
• 2nd December 2025 - Working with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• 4th November 2025 - India - Water Resilience
• 23rd October 2025 - Trade and Investment Opportunities in the British Overseas Territories
• 18th September 2025 - Infrastructure Opportunities in South Africa
• 16th September 2025 - Meet UKEF: Asia and the Middle-East

Upcoming BEI Events:

• 19th January 2026 11:30 – 14:00 GMT: Roundtable with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Indonesia - This in-person event will offer our members a valuable opportunity to explore active projects in Indonesia’s primary education sector and engage directly with decision-makers. The discussion will focus on policy reform, with particular interest in education assessment, quality assurance, framework AI and coding, and learning digitalisation. Please note registration for this event is invitation only.‍
• 19th January 2026 14:00 – 15:30 GMT: Roundtable with Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat - We are delighted to host a roundtable with Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat on Education priorities and upcoming opportunities in the region with Datuk Dr. Habibah Abdul Rahim, Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat. Please note registration for this event is invitation only.‍
• 19th January 2026 16:00 – 19:00 GMT: Roundtable and Reception with H.E. Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan - We are delighted to host a roundtable on Higher Education priorities and opportunities in Kazakhstan with H.E. Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, followed by a reception and MoU signings between a number of Higher Education Institutions. Please note registration for this event is invitation only.‍
• 22nd January 2026 10:00 – 11:30 GMT: COP30 Insights - As policy makers, investors and the wider business community continue to assess the lasting significance of COP30, our speakers will help participants unpack the outcomes of November's negotiations by reflecting on their experiences in Belém, sharing key takeaways and exploring how COP30 may shape future climate and sustainability efforts.‍
• 27th January 2026 10:00 – 11:30 GMT: Unlocking Free Trade Agreements and CPTPP in Practice - This session, hosted in partnership with the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT), will explore opportunities for UK businesses exporting services as a result of a number of recent bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTA’s) between the UK and its key partners. The session will provide an overview of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and how it supports UK business.‍
• 19th February 2026 12:00 – 13:00 GMT: Water Resilience Working Group - The UK has a distinctive offer and world-leading expertise in sustainable and climate-resilient water services. This group, in partnership with UK government, IFIs and other key stakeholders, aims to define that offer and leverage it to increase exports.

Register for an upcoming event →

News & Articles:

• Yearly review: Strategy International 2025 Yearbook by Strategy International
• Article: 2025 Christmas Message from British Expertise International
• Report: From Strategy to Delivery: What New Zealand Can Learn from the UK Infrastructure System from Infrastructure New Zealand
• Written evidence: Future of UK aid and development assistance from British Expertise International
• Communique: UK and Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council 2025: communiqué from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
• Article: Infrastructure as Legacy: UK Perspectives on Strategic Delivery and Innovation by Sasha Barnes and Sofia Pennacchietti
• Press Release: Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council Business Engagement Session from British Expertise International
• Article: Why Water is Everyone’s Business: A UK Perspective on Global Water Challenges by Evie Ramsay
• Article: Ukraine’s Recovery – Mobilising Private Sector Engagement by Sasha Barnes
• Article: Global Energy Landscapes: Key Takeaways and Insights by Sofia Pennacchietti
• Press Release: Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, South Africa, Mr Dean Macpherson at British Expertise International (BEI) from British Expertise International
• Article: Shaping the Future of the Higher Education Sector by Evie Ramsay
• Article: With FCDO slashing budgets, where will UK NGOs turn for funding? from DevEx
• Report: Water Resilience - Unlocking local and global benefits through collaboration (Second Edition) by British Expertise International & Water Resilience Working Group
• Report: Systems Strengthening: The UK Education providers’ contribution to the global education systems by British Expertise International & Education Working Group
• Report: Beyond Boundaries: The Role of UK-Based Organisations in Advancing Global Gender Equality and Social Inclusion by British Expertise International and its members delivering GESI

External Events and Reports:

• 22nd January 2026 11:00 GMT - SUMS Consulting - Webinar - University lands: Mapping risks and opportunities for the UK HE sector. This webinar will draw on insights from SUMS Consulting's report, “University lands: Mapping risks and opportunities for the UK HE sector”. In the webinar, an expert panel will discuss the uses of the report and the accompanying geospatial mapping tool for different stakeholders, including considerations around climate risk and adaptation, strategic infrastructure, sustainability and regional development. The panel members are Joel Arber, CEO, The SUMS Group (host); Nick Hillman OBE, Director, the Higher Education Policy Institute; Charlotte Bonner, CEO, EAUC; Donna Lyndsay, CEO and Founder, The True Position; and the report’s authors Thomas Owen-Smith, Principal Consultant, SUMS Consulting and William Phillips, Data Analyst, The SUMS Group. The link to join the webinar is here.

Not a member?

Apply for membership →

‍
Learn more

For more information about British Expertise International: Sign up to receive this Weekly Update

• View our upcoming events
• Becoming a member
• Follow us on X‍
• Follow us on Linkedin