BEI x HMG: International Education Strategy Briefing

British Expertise International provides a full programme of events and briefings that enable our members to engage collaboratively with key stakeholders across HMG, the London diplomatic corps, multilateral institutions and others.

A key example was through our collaboration with the Department for Education, the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which provided an in-depth briefing of the UK's newest International Education Strategy. The Strategy sets out the government’s plans to place the UK’s world-class education system at the heart of the UK’s global engagement. Key ambitions include:

• Increasing the UK’s international standing through education and making the UK the global partner of choice at every stage of learning;
• Sustainably recruit high-quality international higher education students from a diverse range of countries; and
• Collectively grow education exports to £40 billion per year by 2030.

The strategy is a joint commitment across government, developed in close collaboration with the education sector across the UK and the devolved governments. It is co-owned by the Department for Education, the Department for Business and Trade, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

This engagement raised awareness of the IES and cross-government engagement with industry delivery partners, ranging from SMEs to large, multinational companies and enabled dialogue between the government policy experts behind the IES and industry delivery partners. It also provided an opportunity to explore how industry partners can support delivery of the IES.

Our discussions brought together UK companies across the education sector with the government departments driving this strategy. The briefing highlighted what went into the development of the strategy, the implications for delivery partners as the UK enters the 'action' phase, and the support available from all three government departments to drive the UK's international education partnerships.

Our sincere thanks to Sarah Chidgey, Head of International Education, The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade; Daley Middleton, Head of Trade, Department for Education; and Calum Hebron, Higher Education and Skills Policy and Programme Adviser, at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.