ASEAN: UK export minister on promotional tour

东盟：英国出口部长进行推介访问

The UK’s minister for exports, Marcus Fysh, is visiting Thailand in a bid to promote British education businesses to the ASEAN region this week.

英国出口部长马库斯·费什（Marcus Fysh）本周将访问泰国，以促进英国教育企业在东盟地区的发展。

Joining the BETT Asia show with a delegation 12 British firms, Fysh said the government wants to “see more British businesses entering the global education market”.

费什与12家英国公司代表团一起参加了BETT亚洲展，他说政府希望“看到更多的英国企业进入全球教育市场”。

“The UK’s education sector is one of the jewels in the crown of our service exports, and I’m pleased to see so many British businesses on display here at BETT Asia,” he said.

他表示，“英国教育服务是英国出口服务中的王牌，我很高兴看到这么多英国企业在BETT亚洲进行展览”。

“It’s through tradeshows like BETT Asia that businesses can really thrive and sell their services to the world. When more businesses export, it generates jobs and growth for the economy.”

“正是通过像BETT亚洲展这样的展会，企业才能真正蓬勃发展，并向世界出售他们的服务。当更多的企业走出国门，就会为经济创造就业机会和增长。“

The Department for International Trade is hoping to help UK education exports hit £35bn by 2030 – a key target of the country’s international education strategy. In 2019, education exports contributed £25.2bn to the UK economy.

国际贸易部希望帮助力助英国教育出口在2030年前达到350亿英镑，这是英国国际教育战略的关键目标。2019年，教育出口占英国经济体量的252亿英镑。

Opening the BETT Asia conference, Fysh stated that Britain “shares” a passion for education with Thailand and the nations of ASEAN.

费什在BETT亚洲展开幕式上表示，英国与泰国和东盟国家“共享”教育热情。

“Let’s work together now to strengthen our ties in education, and bring a new generation of young people in the UK, Thailand and across ASEAN together through the power of learning,” he told delegates.

他对代表们说：“让我们共同努力，加强教育联系，并通过知识的力量将英国、泰国和整个东盟的新一代年轻人联系在一起。”

As ASEAN’s newest Dialogue Partner, the UK is “committed to deepening cooperation” in the education, the minister said.

部长说，作为东盟最新的对话伙伴，英国“致力于深化教育合作”。

“We must work side-by-side with ASEAN nations to remove barriers to partnership in this field… setting our schools, colleges and universities free to thrive in each other’s markets.”

“我们必须与东盟国家并肩努力，消除建立该领域伙伴关系的障碍……让我们的学校、学院和大学在彼此的市场中蓬勃发展。”

Government-to-government engagement is helping to make progress, he suggested.

他认为，政府间密切合作有助于取得进展。

He pointed to the Joint Economic and Trade Committee that the UK and Thailand formed in June – “which could be the first step towards a free trade agreement” – and the five-year Plan of Action agreed with ASEAN members in August as initiatives that could “help us unleash more of our shared trading potential”.

他指出，英国和泰国在6月成立的联合经济和贸易委员会，“可能是走向自由贸易协定的第一步”，以及8月与东盟成员国达成的五年行动计划，这些举措可以“帮助我们释放更多共同贸易潜力”。

He also indicated the importance of memorandums of understanding the UK has signed with Malaysia and Vietnam, and another upcoming with Thailand, that “provide a framework for trade-led growth”.

他还表示，英国与马来西亚及越南签署的谅解备忘录以及即将与泰国签署的另一份谅解备忘录非常重要，这些备忘录“为贸易主导型增长提供了框架”。

The minister’s trip comes shortly after the UK home secretary was heavily criticised by UK stakeholders for comments calling for fewer international students, and their dependents, to come to the UK.

此前不久，英国内政大臣因呼吁缩招国际学生及控制学生家属赴英数量的言论而受到英国利益相关人士的严厉批评。

“We are welcoming an ever-growing number of international students to our shores, with more than 600,000 studying in the UK at present,” Fysh said in Thailand.

费什在泰国说，“我们欢迎更多的国际学生来到英国海岸，目前有超过60万名学生在英国学习”。

Tens of thousands more are studying overseas for British higher education qualifications, he added, suggesting that the “global pandemic has fuelled demand from students for education to be delivered at the click of a button in their home nations”.

他补充说，海外还有数万人在申请英国高等教育资格，这表明“全球流行病助长了学生出国留学的需求，该愿望通过在家点击鼠标即有机会实现”。

Along with the UK transnational education provisions, the “power of digital technology” will drive demand, he continued.

他继续说，随着英国跨国教育条款的出台，“数字技术的力量”将推动需求。

“British edtech providers are ahead of the curve in this field”

“英国教育技术供应商在该领域处于领先地位”

“British edtech providers are ahead of the curve in this field,” he said, “offering world class expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, mixed reality and immersive content…with the UK attracting around 40% of all European investment in edtech.”

他说，“英国的教育技术供应商在该领域居于领先地位。在人工智能、混合现实和沉浸式内容等领域提供世界级的专业知识……英国吸引了约40%的欧洲投资教育技术。”

DIT is working with British education providers to develop their presence in Asia, he added, pointing to the successful support of Pearson to secure a 2018 MoU with the Thai Ministry of Education to recognise its BTEC qualifications in the Southeast Asian country.

他补充说，DIT正与英国教育机构合作，发展其在亚洲的业务，并指出培生公司成功支持与泰国教育部签订2018年谅解备忘录，承认其在该东南亚国家的BTEC资格。

Currently just one in 10 British businesses export, according to UK government statistics.

根据英国政府的统计数据，目前只有十分之一的英国企业走出国门提供服务。

“I would like to invite more UK providers to follow Pearson’s example and use our support to enter this dynamic market… and harness the many other opportunities for growth emerging here in Thailand and across Asia for those with the ambition and determination to embrace them,” Fysh concluded.

费什总结道：“我想邀请更多的英国供应商效仿培生公司，把握我们的支持进入这个充满活力的市场……并抓住泰国和整个亚洲地区的许多其他增长机会，为那些有雄心和决心拥抱它们的人服务。”