May 1, 2026

BEI Weekly Update - 1st May 2026

by

David Landsman

by

Dear Members and Friends,

Once again this week, there has been more than enough news, both domestic and international, to keep us all engaged and often – sadly – troubled. But the State Visit by HM The King to the United States and particularly his address to both Houses of Congress, has been a reminder of how the UK can present itself at its best as a country with much to offer the world for good. For those of us working internationally, there was much to inspire us in his words.

On our side of the Atlantic, a number of our international development members met yesterday to discuss how, in the light of the approach to development to be highlighted at the forthcoming Global Partnerships Conference later this month, we can support the UK’s convening power by making the connections and enabling the environment for development programmes to flourish.

On Tuesday, education members met to explore how to sustain the sector amid the crisis, supporting learners and educators at a critical moment across the parts of the Middle East most affected by the ongoing conflict. I’m glad to hear that this was a useful opportunity to share experiences and solutions.

After a quieter week next week, the latter half of May and most of June will be particularly busy, largely as several major conferences, which feature strongly in members’ calendars, are taking place within a few days of one another. BEI will be present in or on the margins of most of them with a full programme of events.

To take advantage of the many senior visitors to the Education World Forum in the week of 18 May, we will again host a series of country-focused sessions around the conference, covering Morocco, Ghana, Central Asia, and Oman. More details to follow soon.

I should also mention that on 12 May from 10:00-11:30 BST, we will host a session on preventing technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Our panel of speakers from Social Development Direct and BBC Media Action will explore what effective prevention looks like in practice and discuss how the media can help change behaviours to challenge harmful social norms. If you are interested in joining, click here.

On 3 June from 10:00-11:30, we look forward to hosting a webinar on ‘Strengthening Equitable and Inclusive Health’ that will explore best practices for strengthening global health systems. The session will highlight gender and disability inclusion and include a deep dive into Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) programming within international development. If you are interested in joining, click here.

In June, we will once again mark London Climate Action Week with a series of events linked to our climate and nature programme. It’s also great to report that BEI will be an official partner of London Ed-Tech Week. We will soon be circulating details of the benefits and special offers available to BEI members interested in attending the conference or collaborating on the summit programme. Finally, we have begun work on our annual Meet The Ambassador series, which this year will take place at the end of June. I’m delighted that we have already had many positive responses from Heads of Mission, so we can be confident of an excellent programme once again.

I hope you enjoy a restful Bank Holiday weekend. If you are in need of some reading over the holiday, we have published two pieces drawing on engagements during a trade and investment study visit with a delegation from the Overseas Territories. Both pieces explore BEI member expertise in water resilience. You can read ‘Blue-Green Infrastructure in Urban Areas: UKCEH Contributions to the Overseas Territories Trade & Investment Dialogue’ and ‘Innovative Solutions to Water Challenges: HR Wallingford's Contributions to the Overseas Territories Trade & Investment Dialogue’ at the following links.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the host of events in the coming weeks,

David Landsman

Executive Chair

British Expertise International

Event Recordings and Resources:

(Member access only)‍

Upcoming BEI Events:

Tuesday 12th May 2026 10:00 – 11:30 BST: Preventing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) - Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) is a growing problem around the world. During this session, our panel of speakers from Social Development Direct and BBC Media Action will explore what effective prevention looks like in practice and will discuss how the media can help change behaviours to challenge harmful social norms.
Thursday 14th May 2026 10:30 – 13:00 BST: Exploring Opportunities in India's Built Environment - We are taking expressions of interest for a built environment roundtable with a delegation of senior representatives from leading Indian infrastructure businesses
Wednesday 3rd June 2026 10:00 – 11:30 BST: Strengthening Equitable and Inclusive Health - This webinar will explore best practices for strengthening global health systems. With a focus on equitable and inclusive health, the session will highlight gender and disability inclusion, with a deep dive on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SHRH) programming within international development programming.
Wednesday 10th June 2026 09:00 – 10:00 BST: Procurement Opportunities with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia - This webinar with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia, will provide UK companies with insights into DFAT's procurement processes. This session will be an opportunity for UK organisations to learn about and access opportunities to work with DFAT, and to provide a platform for DFAT to meet with UK private-sector and NGO delivery partners.
Wednesday 10th June 2026 14:00 – 15:00 BST: Rwanda Market Opportunity Overview - Join us for a virtual market opportunity overview session on Rwanda. We will be joined by speakers from the British Chamber of Commerce in Rwanda, the British High Commission in Rwanda and the Rwanda Development Board.
Wednesday 17th June 2026 18:30 – 20:30 BST: Strategy International Summer Reception - Join British Expertise International and the organisations across Strategy International for our annual summer reception. BEI members should register through this page, or otherwise email events@britishexpertise.org.
Wednesday 8th July 2026 09:30 – 11:00 BST: Infrastructure Deep Dive - Republic of Korea - Join us for a virtual Market Opportunity Overview on the Republic of Korea to explore opportunities for UK organisations looking to work in the region. This session will highlight available support for UK private sector delivery partners and offer a platform for discussions of success, challenges and market access barriers.
Date and Time TBC: Working with the Inter-American Development Bank - Preceding the Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) visit to the UK in early June, join us for this virtual session exploring the IDB's work as a principle source of financing, technical expertise and knowledge for sustainable and inclusive development. Our panel of speakers from the IDB will share an update on its strategy, alongside information about how it works with suppliers and guidance on navigating its procurement process.

Register for an upcoming event →

External Events and Resources:

13th May 2026 09:00 – 17:30 BST: R ealising Libya's Energy Ambitions - Convened by the Libyan British Business Council (LBBC), this event will take place as a featured country focus within the Africa Energies Summit 2026 - Africa's premier global upstream gathering.
11th - 14th May: Endeavor Jordan alongside some of the most successful Jordanian entrepreneurs, will be in London from May 11–14 and are looking to connect with the British companies, business incubators and Jordanian diaspora in the entrepreneurial space, including founders, investors, operators, ecosystem builders, and industry leaders building and scaling from the UK. If you are interested in meeting with the group, please email Sofia Pennacchietti via sp@britishexpertise.org. There is also an event taking place on Tuesday, 12th May from 18:00-20:00, which you can register for at this link.
Cambridge Education Legacy Webinar Series - A special legacy webinar series sharing key lessons from 45 years of supporting education systems worldwide, with a look ahead to the future of the global education sector.
AI for Social Impact Webcast Series from Accenture - A series of one-hour sessions, open to all organizations in the social impact sector including non-profits and social enterprises. Each webcast will focus on a key theme within AI, designed to be relevant and applicable to social impact organizations of a variety of sizes, geographies, and current levels of AI proficiency.
City & Guilds: Essential Digital Skills: Employer Perceptions Survey