May 8, 2026

BEI Weekly Update - 8th May 2026

by

David Landsman

by

Dear Members and Friends,

Domestic politics is inevitably dominating the UK headlines at the end of this week, even though there has been little let-up in conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East and beyond, which provide the backdrop to our own challenges. Spending this week out of the country, I’m reminded that, in moments of peak introspection, it can be useful to observe how others see us. It’s not only that there are different views of our world, but it’s also worth noting how much – or how little – others are paying attention to what’s absorbing us and whether what seems dramatic to us looks rather less so from a distance. For those of us who spend much of our professional lives watching, commenting on or in some way influencing others, it can be a salutary lesson. If we can better understand our own strengths and weaknesses, perhaps we can see more clearly where “British expertise” brings value and how we can best present it. Maybe it’s best to come back to this once the dust has settled after this week’s news.

For my colleagues in Birdcage Walk, this week has been taken up largely with preparations for our activities around the series of international conferences about to hit London. To make the most 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. If you are interested in our EWF-related activities, please take a look at our events page as we continue to publish events. Space is limited to one person per organisation for most of these; please register via our website or email events@britishexpertise.org to enquire about attending any of the sessions.

As far as next week is concerned, we will host a session on Tuesday 12 May from 10:00-11:30 BST on approaches for preventing technology-facilitated gender-based violence with speakers from Social Development Direct, BBC Media Action and the Sexual Violence Research Initiative. If you are interested in joining, please click this link to register.

On Thursday 14 May, we look forward to welcoming a delegation from India for a round table discussion on partnership opportunities in the built environment. The session forms part a DBT India-led five day Built Environment Trade Mission which is bringing to the UK senior real estate developers, infrastructure owners, architects, engineers, contractors and material manufacturers.

Looking further ahead, you may be interested in some of our webinars planned for June, including ‘Strengthening Equitable and Inclusive Health’ on 3 June from 10:00-11:30 BST; a session on opportunities and procurement with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on 10 June from 09:00-10:00; and finally on 10 June from 14:00-15:00, a Market Opportunity Overview focusing on Rwanda. We also look forward to welcoming the FCDO Development Director in Ukraine for an online session – more details on this to come, so do watch this space. If you are interested in joining any of these webinars, please click the corresponding links above or see the events section in the bottom half of this newsletter.

I shall be back in London on Monday and look forward to seeing a number of members at next week’s events and many more in the busy period ahead of us. I hope you manage a restful weekend before then,

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.
Tuesday 19th May 2026 10:00 – 12:00 BST: Roundtable with the Minister of National Education, Preschool, and Sports, Morocco - As part of British Expertise International’s activities surrounding the Education World Forum (EWF), join us on 19th May for an education roundtable with H.E. Mohamed Saad Berrada, Minister of National Education, Preschool, and Sports, in Morocco. The session will focus on strengthening school leadership in the pre-school and primary education sectors and on pedagogical support throughout the education journey.
Thursday 21st May 2026 09:30 – 11:00 BST: Foundational Learning: Roundtable with the Minister of Education, Ghana - As part of British Expertise International’s activities surrounding the Education World Forum (EWF), join us on 21st May for a roundtable on foundational learning in Ghana, featuring the Minister of Education, H.E. Haruna Iddrisu. The session will provide a forum for dialogue on how to support access to quality education at the school level across Ghana (primary and secondary).
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.
11 - 15th May: UK-Turkmenistan B2B Exchange - For those with a geographical focus on Central Asia, there is a UK-Turkmenistan B2B Exchange in London next week from 11-15 May, organised by the Turkmenistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, West London Chambers of Commerce, TurkmenExpo and the MAP Centre. The programme will bring a delegation of Turkmen business owners and senior executives to London for a schedule of sector-matched B2B meetings and advisory sessions focused on partnership structuring, market entry and project development. Key sectors represented include construction, education, agri-food and tourism, with cross-sector opportunities also in discussion. UK participants can use the official platform to register and request meetings.
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