The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) has signed a strategic framework agreement with the British Council, establishing a new partnership to strengthen English language education, enhance teaching quality and support the development of globally competitive graduates.
Signed on 30 October at the 27th China Annual Conference for International Education (CACIE 2026), the agreement brings together UNNC's distinctive international education model and the British Council's global expertise in English language teaching and assessment. The agreement deepens the long-standing partnership between the British Council, UNNC’s Centre for English Language Education (CELE) and the Business Development Office, whose collaboration forms the foundation of the new framework.It will extend across teacher development, language assessment and academic support, creating a more comprehensive language learning ecosystem for the University.
A key feature of the partnership is the introduction of the British Council’s newly upgraded IELTS Teacher Essentials (ITE) training system, through which the two parties will develop a structured professional development pathway for teachers, promoting assessment-driven teaching and continuous improvements in teaching quality. UNNC will also join the IELTS Global Recognition System, gaining access to online verification of IELTS results and score data reports. In addition, a dedicated British Council examination service team will support the implementation of Aptis assessments, enabling the university to track students’ English proficiency at different stages of their studies and provide more targeted language support.
UNNC students and staff will also benefit from access to official IELTS preparation resources, including digital practice platforms. Supported by the British Council’s global network of higher education institutions, the partnership will further strengthen international recognition of UNNC students’ academic and language capabilities, supporting their progression to leading universities overseas and expanding opportunities for international mobility.
Panos Vlachopoulos, Vice Provost for Education and Student Experience at UNNC, said: “At UNNC, we often describe ourselves as a university without borders. For us, this means creating opportunities for knowledge, ideas and people to move freely across cultures and institutions. We believe our partnership with the British Council can help turn this vision into reality. By combining UNNC’s experience in transnational education with the British Council’s expertise and international connections, we hope to develop new approaches that benefit students, empower educators and contribute to more innovative, sustainable and high-quality transnational education in China.”
Beyond the immediate benefits to teaching and learning, the partnership reinforces UNNC’s commitment to international education and academic excellence. By integrating globally recognised assessment expertise with its English-medium teaching environment, the university will further enhance its educational offering and international profile. This will also strengthen its appeal to prospective students and their families, while supporting its efforts to attract and develop high-quality academic and professional talent from around the world.
“We look forward to working with UNNC to establish a leading model for the deep integration of international language assessment and teaching within the Sino-foreign cooperative education sector,” said Lü Hui, Director of China Business Development at the British Council.
The partnership marks another step in UNNC’s ongoing efforts to enhance the quality and international standing of its education, ensuring that students and staff benefit from world-class resources, expertise and opportunities.
Published on 30 October 2026