On March 25–26, 2026, the IEC SUFE was invited to attend the British Council Examinations Division’s “Beyond 2026” Annual Partner Conference. The conference brought together over 300 guests from education authorities, universities, international schools, and industry organizations to engage in in-depth discussions on cutting-edge trends in English language teaching and assessment. The event explored new directions and initiatives to broaden global development pathways for Chinese students, promote the integrated development of international education in China, and deepen educational exchanges and cooperation between China and the UK.
In response to the globalizing and digitalizing trends in education, the British Council, grounded in the realities of China’s educational development and the needs of Sino-British educational exchange and cooperation, has established an integrated support system covering the entire “teaching–learning–assessment” process. Focusing on three core areas—enhancing teachers’ instructional capabilities, cultivating students’ language proficiency, and building academic quality—the Council is dedicated to creating a new ecosystem for English language education that is systematic, intelligent, and localized. This initiative aims to provide professional support for Sino-British educational exchange and cooperation, as well as for the high-quality development of Sino-foreign cooperative education programs.
The British Council has long been dedicated to the fields of cross-cultural exchange and language education. By leveraging technological innovation, it continuously upgrades its products and services to promote the deep integration of high-quality language learning resources between China and the UK. In line with the trend toward digital education, the British Council not only provides IELTS test-takers with free access to the BC IELTS Online Prep platform—valued at £50 per month—but also launched IELTS WriteUp earlier this year, the first AI-powered IELTS writing mock exam product developed specifically for the Chinese market, thereby pioneering a new path for digital and intelligent exam preparation. This product innovatively breaks down the four major scoring dimensions of IELTS Writing into sixteen specific assessment indicators, closely aligning with official scoring criteria. By integrating expert-annotated big data models, it enables efficient and precise scoring along with personalized skill diagnostics, making preparation more targeted. Building on this foundation, the Association plans to launch a full suite of AI mock exam products within the year, using an authoritative assessment system and intelligent technology to create an official mock exam experience.
Faculty members from our college engaged in in-depth discussions with British Council representatives regarding the product series and highly recognized their practical value in IELTS instruction and language proficiency development. Moving forward, the college looks forward to deepening its collaboration with the British Council to integrate relevant AI-powered mock exams and test preparation tools into daily teaching and practical applications. This initiative aims to further enrich teaching resources, optimize language teaching models, and help the college enhance the quality of talent development and the internationalization of its educational programs.
我院参会教师与英国文化教育协会英语及考试业务中国市场总负责人游卓然女士、全球B2B业务总监Daniel Entwistle进行了深入友好的交流。对方对上海财经大学国际教育学院的办学成果与教学质量给予高度肯定与赞赏，并正式授予学院“2026年度雅思示范高校” 称号。作为国内领先的国际教育学院之一，我院将以此为契机，持续深化与英国文化教育协会等国际权威机构的合作，不断引入优质国际化教育资源，提升办学水平与服务质量，全力培养具备全球竞争力的复合型人才，为国际化人才培养与中英教育交流贡献更多力量。
Faculty members from our college engaged in in-depth and cordial discussions with Ms. You Zhuoran, Head of English and Examinations for the Chinese Market at the British Council, and Daniel Entwistle, Global Director of B2B Operations. The British Council expressed high praise and recognition for the achievements and teaching quality of the IEC SUFE and officially awarded the college the title of “IELTS Model University 2026.” As one of the leading international education schools in China, our school will use this opportunity to further deepen cooperation with authoritative international organizations such as the British Council, continuously introduce high-quality international educational resources, enhance our educational standards and service quality, and fully commit to cultivating versatile talents with global competitiveness, thereby contributing more to the development of international talent and Sino-British educational exchange.
On March 26, two faculty members from our college’s Undergraduate Admissions Office and Graduate Admissions Office attended the International Education Resource Matching Conference organized by the British Council. The conference brought together peers and experts from numerous domestic and international universities and language education institutions, who engaged in in-depth exchanges and collaboration on topics such as international educational cooperation, the sharing of teaching resources, and joint talent development. Through this conference, our college has further expanded its international exchange channels, learned advanced educational philosophies and practical experiences, and strengthened communication and connections with educational peers both at home and abroad. In the future, our college will continue to actively participate in high-level international educational exchange activities, continuously deepen international cooperation, and contribute to the sustained improvement of educational quality and internationalization.