News - 26 November 2014

Students Set to Help Local Firms Learn Ways to Break into Chinese Market

Chinese-speaking students are to be placed with UK organisations, including Chatsworth House, to help them break into the Chinese market or find new investment, Trade Minister Lord Livingston announced.

The GREAT Ambassadors scheme is a pilot programme which will be run by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the University of Sheffield to provide valuable and cost-effective access to Chinese language, cultural and business knowledge.

China has been chosen as the target market for the pilot as their import demand is expected to dwarf all the other emerging powers, rising by $3.4 trillion between 2010 and 2020. China is also expected to invest $1.25 trillion overseas in the next decade.

China has more students studying in the UK than any other overseas group, with more than 70,000 according to the most recent figures.

Chatsworth House has over the last few years welcomed an increasing number of Chinese visitors and has already signed up to the scheme

Sally Hogg, Head of Marketing attended the event. She said:

“We are excited to be part of this pilot programme. This opportunity will help the students to experience the business side of tourism in one of the most visited heritage attractions in England.  With their language skills and cultural awareness, we will be able to develop the visitor experience for Chinese visitors, from etiquette and social media to improved events, exhibitions, guided tours, signage and translated materials.”    

Trade Minister Lord Livingston said:

“China offers great opportunities for UK companies of all sizes, with growing demand for brand Britain. Chinese-speaking students can help UK businesses to overcome the linguistic and cultural barriers that could stand between them and the Chinese market.

“Contact UKTI to find out how they can help you with your export ambitions in China and beyond.”

Suzannah Hutton, UKTI East Midlands’ Language and Cultural specialist added:

“The benefits of hiring a foreign language student to work in your organisation are enormous. We know that companies can struggle to communicate well with their overseas target markets,  but issues can be overcome by taking on a student who is a national. It is really important to get the language and culture right for all markets, particularly one such as China which is one of the biggest overseas markets for East Midlands businesses. In fact, in the second quarter of this year, it was worth £400 million to our local firms, including trade to Hong Kong. 

UKTI’s Postgraduates for International Business programme is also helping companies to employ the expertise of  foreign-language speaking students based at local universities or higher education institutions so I would encourage companies to contact UKTI East Midlands on 0345 052 4001 or email info@uktiem.co.uk to find out more about benefitting from both of these initiatives.”   

 The University of Sheffield was chosen for the programme as it has one of the largest Chinese student populations in the UK as well as one of the largest and most established schools of East Asian Studies in the UK.

Interns will undertake a range of projects including:

  • Helping companies establish online Chinese presence for example on Tmall – China’s equivalent to eBay;
  • Help market the company via Chinese social media channels such as Weibo (Chinese equivalent to Twitter);
  • Liaising with Chinese distributors;
  • Provide advice and support on Chinese business culture and etiquette;
  • Helping companies develop a Chinese version of their brand;
  • Support company representatives on market visits to China; and
  • Identify ways to cater for growing numbers of Chinese tourists such as menus and signage.

Latest News & Events

19 July 2024

Local business support boosted with launch of Early Stage Angel Investment Fund

Read Article

21 June 2024

Spotlight on our Board: Scott Knowles, Chief Executive, East Midlands Chamber, on the D2N2 LEP transition and East Midlands devolution

Read Article

11 June 2024

The D2N2 LEP staff team joins the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA)

Read Article

07 June 2024

Becky Rix, Marketing Director at Roadgas, explains why Roadgas is a proud member of the East Midlands Hydrogen Consortium

Read Article

05 June 2024

Spotlight on our Board: D2N2 LEP Board Member Natasha Johnson, Director of Partnerships at Global Entrepreneurs UK

Read Article

05 June 2024

Free Expert Business Advice and Support available through East Midlands Chamber’s Accelerator Programme

Read Article

03 June 2024

Spotlight on our Board: D2N2 LEP Board Member Professor Edward Peck CBE, Vice-Chancellor and President, Nottingham Trent University

Read Article

24 May 2024

Focus on the East Midlands: our time is NOW!

Read Article

24 May 2024

D2N2 LEP CEO, Will Morlidge, shares our East Midlands Hydrogen ambitions at UKREiiF

Read Article

24 May 2024

East Midlands Freeport and Freeport East Sign Green Freight Corridor Initiative at UKREiiF

Read Article

Get in touch.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up
Address

D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership
8 Experian Way
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
NG2 1EP

Social

Our Partners