Welcoming the Beifang Education Group to Brighton

We recently welcomed China-based Beifang International Educational Group to our Falmer campus here in Brighton.  

The visit was arranged in order to enhance our connections with Beifang International Education Group (BIEG) and Yanching Institute of Technology, who we have not had the opportunity to meet face-to-face in the UK previously. 

Beifang International Education Group (BIEG) run 22 universities and vocational schools in more than 16 major cities and provinces across China. 

Our presentations began with a welcome talk from University of Brighton Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange), Professor Rusi Jaspal, who spoke about our institution vision, mission and the Brighton ethos. Brighton’s passion for students and their academic journey resonated well with our guests.

Following Rusi, there were also talks from:

• Interim Dean of the School of Business and Law – Rachael Carden
• Associate Dean (Academic Operations) of the School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering – Glenn Longden-Thurgood
• Associate Dean (Academic Operations) of the School of Art and Media – Irmgard Karl
• Head of Internationalisation – Brían McNamara

Heading up Brighton’s international team, Brían McNamara, Head of Internationalisation at the University, said: “The University of Brighton has a growing population of students from China, and it is clear that they are attracted by Brighton’s ethos and diverse course choices. Strengthening partnerships with overseas institutions is a key priority within our International Recruitment Strategy and we look forward to expanding our partnership with BIEG in the years ahead”. He added: “I would also like to say a very big thank you to Jinyi, who was able to provide live translation for our delegates, as well as our International Student Ambassador, Fernando Davila Vargas, and International Partnerships Manager, Suzi Lamb, who co-ordinated the visit.” 

 It was then time for our guests to present. Director of Beifang International Education Group’s UK Office, Dr Kai Liu, spoke of their three educational principles: academic excellence; global mindset and personal growth; and their geographical reach. He also explained the variety in course popularity. 

The visit ended with a gift exchange between Brighton and Beifang to thank each other for their presentations.

This successful visit highlights the importance of global partnerships and relationships.

Suzi Lamb, International Partnerships Manager said: “We have been working closely with BIEG since 2020. Colleagues Liz Gao, our International Recruitment Officer based in China, and Xi Li, our Regional Advisor, have done a fantastic job in building the relationship. However, this visit has given us a real opportunity to showcase the University of Brighton and everything that we can offer to BIEG students. Much of the success in international recruitment comes from these more personal connections, so visits like these are extremely valuable.” 

We’d like to thank Beifang International Education Group for visiting our university, and all of the presenters for sharing their insight.