University of Southampton showcasing global impact in China
In October, a delegation of colleagues flew to China, visiting Beijing and Shanghai with the aim of highlighting both challenges and opportunities in the international student market. The importance of marketing, alumni engagement and employability was emphasised, alongside a renewed focus on showcasing the University’s strengths to international markets.
Staff Matters spoke to three attendees of the trip, here’s what they said about their experience:
Zoe Yao, Regional Head of International Recruitment and Partnerships, said:
There were over 60 engagement activities across Shanghai, Beijing and beyond – connecting with schools, agents, British Council, BritCham, Consulate General, sector partners, industry and alumni.
The Global Employability Festival in Beijing was a vibrant celebration of collaboration, intercultural exchange, and the powerful partnerships between alumni, industry, and education that are creating new career pathways for our returnee graduates.
I’m super proud of the University’s global reach, the meaningful impact of our engagement in China, and the incredible teamwork that made it all possible.
Bryony Whitmarsh, Associate Dean International, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, said:
Wherever we went in China, we were welcomed by our family of partners, alumni and friends.
In Shanghai, engagement with 30 industry partners through a Talent Exchange event with the British Chamber of Commerce and a Trade Mission run by the Department of Trade and Industry has led to the creation of some exciting student projects!
At our flagship events, we listened to performances from our talented UoS Music alumni and showcased the creative work of our talented Winchester School of Art students.
As these photographs evidence, collaboration, empathy and support across our community are at the heart of everything we do. Our students are supported by our fantastic alumni, who are in turn supported by our faculty and alumni and development team!
Thank you to everyone, both in China and back in Southampton for making our visit such a success.
Arts and Humanities
Katy Gordon, Director of Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise, said:
Our trip to China was brilliant for hearing first-hand from employers what skills they need from our students, and from agents about what would really shift the dial in terms of our careers and employability offer. All the questions from the Chinese media were on employability, which reinforces its importance to the University’s student recruitment strategy. The overwhelming response was the need to offer work experience to all, and to ensure our offer is really easy to understand and distinctive.
I feel very reassured that the skills employers cited are all contained within our Successful Futures Skills Model, but the trip has also given me so many ideas on how to simplify our offer (the elevator pitch if you like). This is more tricky than it sounds, when you have so much to offer, but given we are competing with universities in Hong Kong and Australia, we also need to ensure our offer truly shows we are a global university.
I’m so glad I went, even if I didn’t get to see any pandas!
UoS hosted two major events during the autumn visit:
University of Southampton Global Education Leadership Forum 2025
As the flagship event of the University’s autumn visit, the forum brought together representatives from the British Council, the China-Britain Business Council, and leading universities, including Peking University.
Leaders from academia and industry in both countries held in-depth discussions on international education, research collaboration, innovation partnerships and graduate employability.
At the forum, Southampton reaffirmed its commitment to advancing global education through strategic international partnerships and to strengthening its Triple Helix model that integrates education, research and knowledge transfer.
The Global Employability Festival
Held at the InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun, the festival featured interactive sessions and forums focused on academic programmes, career development pathways and student life for those keen to explore opportunities in the UK.
Attendees had the opportunity to meet Southampton faculty members and alumni in person, gaining first-hand insights into the University’s study options and its strong track-record for graduate employability.
