The British Council is delighted to invite UK institutions to nominate their top students and graduates to participate in the Study UK Showcase 2020 from 30 November to 6 December 2020 in Shanghai, China. This showcase forms part of the Best of British exhibition, a major event celebrating British Arts, Design, Education and Lifestyle. The event is expected to attract 25,000 visitors this year, including industry buyers and the public, and is also expected to generate substantial media interest. The theme for the Study UK Showcase this year will be Health.

UK higher education institutions are invited to nominate their top graduates and students in subject areas relating to the exhibit categories to showcase their creative projects, designs and entrepreneurial ideas.

This is a great opportunity for UK institutions to raise the profile of their institutions and demonstrate student outcomes to a large Chinese audience. It also offers a platform for the selected alumni to present their achievements, build up their personal brands and make connections among relevant industry influencers.

UK institution responsibilities

• Provide one or two alumni to hold an exhibit at the showcase
• Provide in-country staff to attend the event (If available)

Relevant subjects may include:

• Healthcare
• Medicine
• Pharmaceuticals
• Biotech/ Bioengineering / Immunology
• Nutrition

There are no specific criteria for how exhibits should be presented. Exhibits will be selected based on their visual impact, degree of innovation, and potential for visitor interaction and learning.  Mainly focusing on:

• Quality and interactiveness of content
• Relevance to the theme of the UK pavilion

Benefits for UK Institutions

• Opportunity to raise your profile through direct involvement in one of the largest British-themed events of the year in Shanghai, which is expected to attract over 25,000 visitors
• Platform to showcase your institutional achievements and student outcomes - visitors will be industry practitioners, buyers and also high-value Chinese individuals who are interested in understanding UK culture, education, lifestyle, fashion, and technology – a priority group for UK higher education institutions in China.
• Extensive exposure to local and national media in China, with exhibits and participating institutions featured in promotional activity, including on a range of social media platforms.
• Opportunity to raise awareness of their educational offering at a key stage in the decision-making process for study abroad.

Event Programme

The participating UK institution(s) would join the media day and the exhibition.

Venue

Shanghai Exhibition Centre

Format

• Study UK stand for alumni

The British Council will provide one booth for each alumni representative’s exhibit.

• VIP room for UK universities and alumni

In the VIP room, alumni can give short speeches on their area of expertise, the healthcare field in the UK, and their study experience.

If your university has in-country representatives who are able to attend in person, the British Council will also provide a booth in the VIP room for the university to speak to attendees, provide information about their healthcare-related programmes, and hold other seminars/activities if they wish.

Participation fee

UK institutions will be provided with an exhibition space free of charge. The British Council will discuss specific display requirements (eg. size) with all institutions who have exhibits selected.

Please note, participating institutions will need to cover transportation and insurance costs for their selected exhibits.

Action required

Institutions interested in contributing content should fill in the attached Expression of Interest Form and email ies.china@britishcouncil.org.cn by Monday 2 Nov 2020, 23.59pm (GMT).

The British Council will contact all institutions that have expressed interest in this opportunity before Wednesday 4 Nov 2020 to let them know if they have been successful or not.

Selection criteria:

• Quality and interactiveness of content
• Relevance to the theme of the UK pavilion

Please include a digital sample of content when submitting the Expression of Interest Form.

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Background

The Study UK Showcase 2020 will be an informative and interactive event featuring a wide range of exhibits provided by UK alumni and academics. Exhibits will showcase the work of current students, graduates, and UK higher education institutions. In addition, the showcase will provide participating UK institutions with a platform to engage directly with prospective students and build links with potential industry partners.

The 2019 Study UK Showcase received over 25,000 visitors over the four days, connecting with a further 575,000 online audience. The digital promotion campaign around the showcase period also reached an audience of 44.5 million.

The Study UK Showcase will form part of the Best of British exhibition, supported by the British Council, the British Consulate-General in Shanghai, the UK Department for International Trade, and Visit Britain. The event will feature more than 150 leading UK retail and consumer brands and attract VIP visitors, including senior government representatives.

The theme of the Showcase will be Health – the impact of Covid-19 has brought health issues to the forefront of many people’s minds. The showcase will be a demonstration of the UK’s outstanding educational offering, showcasing the quality of British education in healthcare fields. the advanced knowledge that UK higher education institutions have in Health-related subjects.