Sep 8, 2023

BEI Weekly Update — 8th September 2023

by

David Landsman

by

Dear Members and Friends,

Despite the summer holiday-like weather, this week has seen a return to BEI’s intensive schedule of events. We were very grateful to Sir Steve Smith, the Government’s International Education Champion for sharing his thoughts on how the UK can leverage its tremendous comparative advantage in every part of the sector from universities to FE, Ed tech, standards, examinations, capacity building and more. Look out for a blog from Luisa Edves, our Director of Education and Skills, in the coming days. We are actively considering a number of ideas for enhancing further offering in the education sector, leveraging Strategy International’s combined networks. I’ll have more to say on this soon.

I had the opportunity to attend the second of two drop–in sessions, helping members as they prepare to input to the Government's consultation on the forthcoming International Development White Paper. It was exciting to hear about the wide range of work which members do in the sector and to discuss how we can help make the benefits of this real success for “British expertise “ better known.

Across the globe, the impacts of the climate crisis are becoming more tangible as temperatures continue to soar. Our Programme Manager for Climate Resilience and Infrastructure, Katie, has written a blog about the current and future potential disruptions caused by extreme heat on cities, businesses and communities.

Our sister organisation, British Foreign Policy Group (BFPG) has also been very active over the last few days. Directly Evie Aspinall has blogged on the recent Government and Shadow Cabinet reshuffles, with particular focus on the international-facing changes and what they might mean for policy now and in the future. Please take a look here. Also this week BFPG formally launched its annual survey of British public opinion on foreign policy at a packed event. Evie presented the key findings and analysis and we enjoyed a stimulating debate with a panel comprising Baroness (Gisela) Stuart, Lord (Peter) Ricketts and James Hughes, COO of Integrity Global. We are hugely grateful to Integrity for their generous support for the survey. As well as plenty of geopolitics, the report contains much useful detail on attitudes to international development and some important pointers for those who hope to increase public support for the sector.

Next week we have another dynamic program of events; please do register now. And do get in touch with your feedback and ideas.

Warm Regards

David Landsman

Executive Chairman

British Expertise International

Key events coming up include the following:

13th September 2023 09:30-10:30 BST: FCDO Development Director Series: Ethiopia - Join us as we host Paul Walters, the Development Director in Ethiopia for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) who will present FCDO’s development strategy, programming and pipeline of opportunities in Ethiopia.
19th September 2023 09:30-10:30 BST: FCDO Development Director Series: Pakistan - Join us as we host Jo Moir, the Development Director in Pakistan for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) who will present FCDO’s development strategy, programming and pipeline of opportunities in Pakistan.
21st September 2023 15:00-18:30 BST: Launch Event: NbS in Urban Areas - a Guide for Local Actors - On Thursday 21st September at 15:00 for 15:30, join BEI as we launch our latest member publication: ‘Financing and Implementing Nature-based Solutions in Urban Areas - a Guide for Local Actors’. BEI members will provide an overview of the publication and discuss next steps and activities with some of our key stakeholders.
26th September 2023 10:00-11:30 BST: Intersections with Climate Change in International Development - The BEI ‘Intersections with Climate Change’ event series brings a focus on the intersections of climate change remediation and adaptation with other development priorities. As we re-launch the series for the autumn, our panel will discuss the importance of considering intersections with Climate Change across International Development programming and interventions.
27th September 2023 09:00-11:00 BST: Skills and Training WG: Standards - Join us for our quarterly in-person Skills & Training Working Group with presentation from the British Standards Institution (BSI) and Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) on the topic of Standards. This discussion will provide an overview of what standards are and their importance in the education sector.
17th October 2023 10:15-11:15 BST: FCDO Development Director Series: Nepal - Join us as we host Pippa Bird, the Development Director in Nepal for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) who will present FCDO’s development strategy, programming and pipeline of opportunities in Nepal.
17th October 2023 15:00-16:30 BST: Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures - Join us at 23 Grafton Street or virtually as we showcase the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework. If joining in person, please feel free to arrive from 14:30 for tea/coffee/networking. If you are joining us virtually, the Teams link for the 15:00-16:00 meeting will be shared with you following registration.
19th October 2023 15:00-16:30 BST: Operational Sustainability - In the time of climate crisis, it is paramount that businesses continuously evaluate and improve sustainability within all of their activities. Our panel will discuss how organisations can understand, assess, improve and communicate their environmental sustainability at the operational level, taking into account the international policy landscape and regulation, and building the business case for sustainability.
23rd October 2023 09:00-16:30 BST: Engaging with USAID - UK Partners Day - Join us for BEI’s Series of events engaging with USAID. We are delighted to be joined for a one-day event by 4 senior representatives from USAID as well as welcoming back Mike Shanley from Konektid International. Our speakers will run 2 panel discussions in the morning followed by afternoon break out sessions and 1-1 sessions which can be booked by members individually with each of the speakers.
24th October 2023 10:00-11:00 BST: Morocco Education Deep Dive with the Department for Business and Trade - Join us for a deep dive into the education opportunities in Morocco. Leading on from BEI’s Ambassador Series, we are following up with a deep dive into the education opportunities in Morocco led by the Department of Business and Trade where representatives will provide us with an insight into the key education priorities for the UK looking to do business in Morocco.
31st October 2023 10:00-11:30 BST: Intersection of Climate Change and Conflict Prevention - The BEI ‘Intersections with Climate Change’ series continues with an event focusing on the key intersection of Climate Change and Conflict Prevention. Our panel will discuss how their organisations are adapting their approach in response to climate change across their programmes and interventions relating to the intersection of climate change and conflict prevention.
15th November 2023 10:00-11:30 GMT: FCDO Development Director Series: Syria - Join us as we host Peter McDermot, the Development Director in Syria for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) who will present FCDO’s development strategy, programming and pipeline of opportunities in Syria.