The IC Global Café: ‘China Now: What are the latest key trends and opportunities?’

At the next IC Global Café, we will be focusing on UK institutions’ engagement in China, with an up-to-date overview of the China market, including current observations, recruitment trends and opportunities for partnerships. The session will feature expert insights from Leina Shi, Director Education, British Council China, who will also draw on findings from recent British Council research. We will also hear from Christina Ke, UK Managing Director at Uoffer Global, who brings a deep knowledge of engaging students in the Chinese market with the UK HE sector.

Together, our expert speakers will provide valuable information and insights to support the UK higher education sector in this vast and highly significant market. They will cover:

• UK institutions’ understanding of and engagement in China
• China market update – current observations and insights on China
• Trends in student recruitment & partnerships

Register now for what promises to be an invaluable session to join if you are seeking to grow your engagement in China.  Also, do invite your colleagues to benefit from the very latest insights.

We are delighted to collaborate with Uoffer Global to bring you our next IC Global Café.

Facilitator & Expert speakers

Facilitator:

• Sirin Myles, Co-founder and Director, The IC Global Partnership

Expert speakers:

• Leina Shi, Director Education, British Council, China

Leina Shi is the Director Education for the British Council, and the British Embassy Culture & Education section, China. Leina leads the development and implementation of the British Council’s Education and English portfolio across complex partnerships, programmes, and contracts across mixed funding streams and business models in China and East Asia.

Leina has over two decades of experience in international education, strategic planning, business development, leadership and management with a proven track record of full execution of large and complex projects and programmes globally, including Europe, East Asia, South Asia and the Americas.

Leina is a qualified executive coach from Henley Business School, and she holds an MBA in Higher Education Management from the UCL Institute of Education. She has bilingual proficiency in both English and Mandarin Chinese.

• Christina Ke, UK Managing Director, Uoffer Global

Christina Ke is the UK Managing Director of Uoffer Global. With over 15 years’ experience in international student recruitment, she has worked closely with universities across the UK, Ireland and other key markets to support international growth and student engagement. A former UK international student from China, she brings a global perspective shaped by cross-border leadership and multiple market cycles. Under her leadership, Uoffer Global has supported more than 200,000 students across 40 branches worldwide.

Christina sits on the UCAS International Advisory Group and serves as Executive Director of the AI & Sustainable Education Foundation. In this role, she focuses on digital transformation, leading the development of AI-enabled and digitally integrated recruitment models. She also works with sector organisations including HEPI and Oxford Saïd Business School, contributing to research and data-led insight on the future of student mobility and sustainable growth.

• Chen Zhao, Senior Education Manager (Insight and Engagement), British Council, China

Chen Zhao is the Senior Education Manager (Insight and Engagement) at the British Council China, leading the research and higher education engagement work.

He joined the British Council in 2022 to manage the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF), funded by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), across China and other countries in East and South Asia. He has led key initiatives such as the 2023 UK-Japan-India Resilient Planet Symposium in Delhi and the 2024 UK-China Symposium on Resilient Planet in Beijing.

Chen currently oversees Insight and Engagement programmes that deliver strategic thought leadership on UK-China higher education and build institutional capacity through high-level missions and learning forums, including the 2023 and 2025 UK Higher Education Missions to China. His work focuses on supporting higher education leaders, international offices, and local teams to navigate China’s education, research, and policy environment.

Before joining the British Council, he worked in government and consulting roles across China, Japan, the UK, and the UAE, focusing on higher education and science. He holds an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Oxford.