Hosted by the China-Britain Business Council at the Underglobe in London, the event brought together leaders from business, education, culture, and innovation to recognise organisations making meaningful contributions to UK-China collaboration.
While the evening celebrated achievements across multiple industries, one theme stood out strongly: the strategic importance of education and talent development within the UK-China partnership.
Increasingly, students and families are looking at employability, career readiness, professional development, and long-term return on investment. In a highly competitive global market, the sustainability of the international education sector will depend not only on attracting students, but also on supporting them to succeed after graduation.
“It was wonderful to see how many education sector organisations were represented in the UK-China Business Awards shortlists, across a range of categories,” said Catherine Shipley, senior advisor education/knowledge economy at the China-Britain Business Council.
King’s College London received the Graduate Employability Initiative of the Year Award, recognising its commitment to supporting Chinese students and graduates in developing meaningful career pathways and global professional capabilities.
The award reflects a growing understanding across the sector that employability is no longer an added value component of international education but is becoming central to student decision-making, institutional reputation, and long-term sector resilience.
Equally notable was the University of Glasgow winning Marketing Campaign of the Year, recognising the importance of authentic engagement and strategic communication within international student recruitment. Successful international education strategies now require a much more holistic and student-centred approach.
It was a special evening and a unique opportunity to join colleagues from the education sector… to celebrate successful UK-China collaboration
Catherine Shipley, China-Britain Business Council
“It was a special evening and a unique opportunity to join colleagues from the education sector, alongside industry and government representatives, to celebrate successful UK-China collaborations,” added Shipley.
Highlights of the event included a drinks reception, welcome remarks from CBBC Chair Sir Sebastian Wood KCMG, speeches from the Chinese ambassador to the UK, ambassador Zheng Zeguang, and CBBC President Lord Sassoon.
The evening also featured a bilingual performance excerpt from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Sir Gregory Doran, former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, delivering a memorable ‘Toast to the Bard’.
Guests also had the opportunity to participate in a linguistic puzzle organised by LSE’s Confucius Institute for Business London, further reinforcing the evening’s celebration of language, culture, and cross-cultural engagement.
