A panel of judges made up of senior representatives from Cathay Pacific, The China-Britain Business Council, HSBC and The Daily Telegraph reviewed numerous entries before choosing The University of Nottingham as the winner of the Continued Commitment Award. One of three categories, the Continued Commitment Award recognises ongoing sustainable and ethical investment in China and/or Hong Kong.
First foreign University to establish China campus
The University of Nottingham became the first foreign university to establish a campus in China when it opened The University of Nottingham Ningbo China campus in 2004.
For over a decade, the University’s engagement with China has been an innovative and multi-faceted initiative which includes the development of its campus in Ningbo; the recruitment of Chinese students to study both in China and at the UK campus; creating ground breaking research capacity through collaborative Sino-UK research and development programmes; engaging with Chinese industry; and helping to build closer links between UK and Chinese societie through its work.
A beacon for Sino-UK higher education collaboration
China related activities are worth approximately £80 million to the University each year and it has won the praise of many senior officials for its work, such as Sir Sebastian Wood, the former British Ambassador to China, who described its achievements as “a beacon for Sino-UK higher education collaboration”.
Judges were impressed by the scale and breadth of The University of Nottingham’s investment in, and commitment to China. They commended this great British brand for showing true innovation as the first foreign university, with a great reputation in China. The judges admired the University for engaging with Ningbo, as opposed to one of the more traditional targets for UK investments. They also applauded them for their hard work in setting up a new campus when others were not and real success, both in terms of growth and plans for the future.
Jason Feehily, Head of the Asia Business Centre at The University of Nottingham, commented: “The University of Nottingham is delighted to receive this prestigious award. We recently celebrated 10 years at our University of Nottingham Ningbo China Campus, the first ever sino-foreign higher education venture. The award also recognises the tremendous efforts made by our staff to engage with Chinese students in the UK, build collaborations with universities in China and develop strong research partnerships with industry.
Excellent partners in both countries
“We have also been fortunate to work with excellent partners in both countries who have fully supported our efforts over the last decade" added Feehily.
"In the UK we are working closely with Nottingham City Council and other stakeholders to develop trade and inward investment between the UK and China, with a particular focus on Ningbo. The University has ambitious plans for the next phase of our development in China, including campus growth and really exciting and innovative industry collaborations such as our marine economy work. We are very much looking forward to the future and continuing to build our partnerships with China.”
Angus Barclay, General Manager Europe, Cathay Pacific, said: “These awards provide a platform to showcase talent, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit between the UK and China and, as Hong Kong’s pre-eminent carrier, we are committed to promoting growth and economic prosperity in this dynamic region. This year we not only celebrate our 35th anniversary of flying passengers between the UK and Hong Kong, but are proudly marking 10 years of the China Business Awards, making the 2015 event a real milestone in Cathay Pacific’s history.
Consistently high standards
“The standard of entries has been consistently high in recent years with stiff competition and we hope that the business awards will encourage other businesses and provide them with the opportunity to receive the recognition they deserve. Congratulations to all of our winners.”
The awards are overseen by an advisory panel which includes Ivan Chu, Chief Executive at Cathay Pacific Airways, Lord Sassoon, Chairman of CBBC, Baroness Dunn, Chairman of The Hong Kong Association, Douglas Flint, group Chairman of HSBC Holdings, Lord Wei of Shoreditch, Erica Ng, Director General at HKETO and Nicola Bolton, Managing Director for Trade at UKTI.
The Cathay Pacific China Business Awards event took place at London’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Friday 22nd May and was hosted by HSBC’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive, Global Commercial Banking, Simon Cooper, and Cathay Pacific’s General Manager Europe, Angus Barclay, in front of a room of leading dignitaries from the UK, China and Hong Kong; including Lord Wei of the Houses of Parliament and Minister Counsellor (Commercial Section), Mr Jin Xu.
-Ends-
More information is available from Jason Feehily, Head of the Asia Business Centre, University of Nottingham on +44 (0)778 049 1136, jason.feehily@nottingham.ac.uk; or Nick King, Marketing Manager, Business Engagement, University of Nottingham on +44 (0)115 823 2184, nicholas.king@nottingham.ac.uk
For details about the Cathay Pacific China Business Awards, please contact Sylvie Pender, McCann PR on +44 (0)117 921 8131, sylvie.pender@mccann.com or Daisy Pratt, McCann PR on +44 (0)117 921 8127, daisy.pratt@mccann.com
Photo shows, left to right: Cathay Pacific cabin crew members (far left and right); Angus Barclay, General Manager Europe, Cathay Pacific; Simon Cooper, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive, Global Commercial Banking for HSBC; Jason Feehily, Head of Asia Business Centre, The University of Nottingham; Min Rose, Senior Executive, Asia Business Centre, The University of Nottingham.
Our academics can now be interviewed for broadcast via our Media Hub, which offers a Globelynx fixed camera and ISDN line facilities at University Park campus. For further information please contact a member of the Communications team on +44 (0)115 951 5798, email mediahub@nottingham.ac.uk or see the Globelynx website for how to register for this service.
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham has 43,000 students and is ‘the nearest Britain has to a truly global university, with campuses in China and Malaysia modelled on a headquarters that is among the most attractive in Britain’ (Times Good University Guide 2014). It is also one of the most popular universities in the UK among graduate employers and the winner of ‘Research Project of the Year’ at the THE Awards 2014. It is ranked in the world’s top one per cent of universities by the QS World University Rankings, and 8th in the UK by research power according to REF 2014.
The University of Nottingham in Malaysia (UNMC) is holding events throughout 2015 to celebrate 15 years as a pioneer of transnational education. Based in Semenyih, UNMC was established as the UK's first overseas campus in Malaysia and one of the first world-wide.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest-ever fundraising campaign, is delivering the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news…
About Cathay Pacific and the Cathay Pacific China Business Awards
• Cathay Pacific is honoured to announce that the Cathay Pacific China Business Awards are in association with HSBC. HSBC is well known for its global banking connections and is currently expanding services and network in tandem with China’s economic development, by supporting customers' needs in the this market. With one of the largest networks of any foreign bank in mainland China, HSBC is the ideal partner for companies involved in international trade
• Cathay Pacific, UKTI and HKTDC are all members of the Hong Kong-United Kingdom Business Partnership
• The Awards were decided by a judging and advisory panel which includes senior personnel from HSBC, China Britain Business Council, Cathay Pacific and the Telegraph
• Cathay Pacific Airways is a Hong Kong-based international airline offering scheduled passenger and cargo services to Asia, North America, Australia, Europe and Africa, using a fleet of more than 140 wide-bodied aircraft
• Cathay Pacific flies from London Heathrow to Hong Kong five times daily, and from Manchester to Hong Kong four times per week, with interconnecting flights to over 190 destinations globally, including 22 in China (through its sister airline, Dragonair)
• Cathay Pacific is a member of the Swire Group and has made substantial investments to develop Hong Kong as one of the world’s leading global transportation hubs. The airline is a founder member of the oneworld global alliance
• 2015 marks Cathay Pacific’s 35th anniversary of flying business and leisure travellers between the UK and Hong Kong
• Cathay Pacific was named “World’s Best Airline” in the 2014 Skytrax World Airline Awards. This was the fourth time the airline has received the top Skytrax honour – the only airline to achieve such a feat
• Cathay Pacific believes that travelling well is an important part of living well. To discover what #lifewelltravelled means, visit: lifewelltravelled.cathaypacific.com
• The Cathay Pacific UK website can be found at: www.cathaypacific.co.uk