DIT leads trade mission for 7 Chartered professional bodies to build links with China and Hong Kong. Memorandum of Understanding signed between UK and China to enhance international education collaboration.
Seven Chartered professional bodies have this week joined the Department for International Trade (DIT) on a trade mission to China and Hong Kong. The DIT-led mission aimed to enable UK Chartered Bodies to develop and promote partnership accreditation links with universities, polytechnics, colleges and employers in China and Hong Kong.
The 7-day tour took place from 12-18 April and was organised as part of DIT’s Knowledge is GREAT campaign. Chartered professional bodies from a range of sectors including insurance, transport and science took part in a programme of networking, meetings and roundtables in Hong Kong, Shenzen and Beijing to help develop connections with businesses.
Chartered bodies provide professionals with a formal credential as a mark of professional competency and include the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Chartered Institutions of Highways and Transportation and the Chartered Management Institute.
During the visit a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the DIT in the UK to enhance the exchange and collaboration of international professional talent.
The MOU is intended to develop the cooperation and exchange of international professional talent and the educational vocational training which underpins it, in so doing it will support top talent in science and technology in both countries. The news comes as trade between the UK and China continues to rise; in 2018 trade between the 2 countries increased by 2.3% to £68.5bn.
International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox MP said:
The value countries place on British products and expertise is clear. Chartered professional bodies are a key component of the UK’s global leadership in driving best practice across a range of sectors. They are an indicator of high standards, knowledge and ethical practices.
I urge all Chartered Professional Bodies who have an interest in creating international partnerships to get in touch with our team to hear about how our trade missions can help make these vital connections.
Stephen Shields, Market Director – Partnerships & Recognition, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants said:
It is an honour for ACCA to be invited by the UK Department of International Trade to join the mission for Hong Kong and mainland China. We were pleased to have the tremendous opportunity to engage with government officials, regulators, universities and employers to further build on ACCA’s long-established and very strong base of collaboration in China.
Keith Richards, CEO, Chartered Insurance Institute added:
We are delighted to be part of this trade mission to Hong Kong and mainland China together with our sister chartered bodies.
With an existing membership spanning more than 150 countries, we are investing in international markets and our office in Hong Kong has been established to better support the domestic market, China and Asia more widely.
This week’s trade mission also follows a recent successful Chartered mission to Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore in April 2018. To find out more about DIT-led trade missions or to learn more about how we can help businesses export please visit GREAT.gov.uk.
