Apr 9, 2021

BEI Weekly Update — 9th April 2021

Dear Members and Friends,

It is with great sadness that we learnt of the death of HRH Prince Philip from Buckingham Palace this morning. On behalf of BEI we extend our sincere condolences to Her Majesty the Queen, the Royal family and the nation as a whole.

As we all face up to the Global challenges presented by Climate Change, I was intrigued to learn that on Easter Monday, 76% of the UK’s electricity was clean and green — with around 40% generated by offshore/onshore wind and a further 21% by solar power. Of course, overall consumption is lower, but this is a great sign of the leadership role the UK will continue to take on this critical issue. Our Climate Change Working Group will provide a platform for all members to showcase British expertise and capabilities in this key area. If you wish to join the Working Group, please contact Joe for more details — membership to the Group is restricted to BEI members only.

Next week we kick off an intense period of activity focusing on the wide range opportunities in key regions and countries as well as exploring the recently published Integrated Review, its impact on our sectors and what it means in practical terms.

On Tuesday 13th April, we will be joined by HE Iain Walker, the UK High Commissioner to Ghana and his team. They will provide a country overview into one of the fastest growing economies in the world. They will also provide insights into specific areas of opportunity for British exporters in a market that is already worth over £700m to the UK.

On Thursday 15th April we will hear from the Chargé d’Affaires in Nur Sultan, Jonathan Layfield, and British Embassy colleagues on Kazakhstan’s politics, economic development and the wide range of opportunities the country has to offer British businesses — specifically, in Clean Energy, Education, Healthcare, AgriTech, Mining, and Financial & Professional Business Services. As countries throughout Central Asia and the Trans-Caucasus celebrate 30 years of Independence, we are proud to have been representing UK interests there throughout that time, and in this and the series of events that follow, we look forward to the next 30 years.

We have now been able to reschedule the “Leave No One Behind” event which had to be postponed at short notice and will now be held on May 5th. It will provide an opportunity to hear from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), who will present and discuss their ‘Leave No One Behind’ (LNOB) report and the practical applications of its findings. The LNOB agenda seeks to make progress for the poorest groups central to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals. You can read more about the event and register here.

Finally, it is half term in many parts of the UK and with the slight easing of Covid-19 restrictions many families will have taken the opportunity to spend some time together! I will myself be enjoying a week with my family before the return to school, but the team are of course available to all members and partners should you have any issues that need attention.

With Best Wishes
Derrick

Derrick Sanyahumbi
Chief Executive Officer
British Expertise International

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Upcoming Events

Currently all our events are hosted virtually and look forward to exploring hybrid event options as the government eases socialising restrictions. For any event registration support please contact Matthew Gibbons. Click on titles to access full event details. The full calendar of events can be viewed here and recently added event dates are highlighted with an asterisk*.

13th April — Ghana Deep Dive

15th April — Kazakhstan Deep Dive

19th April — Diversity and Inclusion Working Group

20th April — Azerbaijan Deep Dive

21st April* — Climate Change Working Group (tentative)

22nd April — Kyrgyzstan Deep Dive

29th April — Risk Mapping in the Middle East

5th May* — Leave No One Behind — Concept to Action

6th May — In Conversation with Lord Deben

9th June — Doing Business in Pakistan

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External News & Events

Over the coming months, the Department for International Trade (DIT) will host a series of events on clean growth in partnership with overseas colleagues.

The British and Colombian Chamber of Commerce is hosting a series of monthly virtual meetings this year called ‘Meet the Buyers’ to build relationships between Latin American Buyers and UK exporters.

13th April — The Department for International Trade is hosting a webinar series on Catch the Train on the latest news from the sector and to further relationships between the European and UK rail markets.

4th May — British Water is hosting an International Forum Tech Showcase on India’s waste and water sector. Please send technology submissions to Hannah Martin by 27th April.

18th May — The British-Kazakh Society is hosting a webinar on ‘Science and Industry in Central Asia — Dynamic degrees: Unpacking Advanced Qualifications and Skills, Pathways for Scientific and Industrial Development’ with lecturer Dr. Miljana Radivojevic from University College London and Dr. Ainur Seitkan from Astana International University.

13th — 16th July — The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology will host an interactive online course on Spatial Analysis in QGIS and R — An Introduction for Environmental Scientists.