The first ever British Council East Asia Education Agent Awards took place in Guangzhou, China on Monday, staged to coincide with the Education Agent Conference, organised by the British Council and bringing together 160 delegates from 12 East Asia countries and the UK.

With at least 40 per cent of East Asia students who choose to study abroad employing the services of Education Agents, and over 110,000 UK Tier 4 and Student Visas issued to East Asia students in 2012, the industry is playing an increasingly critical role in the international operations of UK universities. The awards served as a timely opportunity to celebrate success and entrepreneurship, and lend credence and exposure to an often-misunderstood industry.

Eight International Directors from UK institutions from all sectors, British Council’s Higher Education Partnership Advisor and the Chief Executive of English UK formed the panel of judges.

Nominees were put forward in three award categories: Most Innovative, Most Entrepreneurial, and Best Partner.

Vincenzo Raimo, Director of the International Office at University of Nottingham and a member of the awards judging panel, was impressed with both the quality and quantity of the entries. “This region does have some of the best education advisors from around the world, and hopefully these awards show how important and how appreciative we are of the agents’ support to our work.

China’s Shinyway Education picked up the ‘Most Innovative’ award. Since its founding in 1996, the organisation has established partnerships with over 2000 institutions in 30 countries. Ms Ma Yawei, Shinyway’s CEO, was delighted to receive the award: “We are proud that we keep our promises to our students and parents by supporting them throughout their study abroad experience.”

GEN Education Malaysia scooped the Entrepreneurial Award, received by Mr Mr Joseph Hii, the Executive Director, “I’m proud to come here all the way from Malaysia, a regional hub for tertiary education. This award is an acknowledgement of all our hard work.”

The final accolade of the evening was awarded to Taiwan’s UKEAS Group (United Kingdom Education Advisory Service), with 29 offices in 6 countries. Accepting the award was an especially proud moment for Richard Smith, Director, and the founder of the company, with 2013 marking the company’s 20th year of operations.

Alistair Morgan, British Consul General in Guangzhou and 30-year veteran of East Asia, closed the awards by expressing his continuing admiration for the value placed on education in the region, and acknowledged the role of all present in shaping global citizens. “I find it inspiring to meet young people after they’ve come back from studying in the UK, and to see they feel they can really do something positive with their lives.”