International Skills and Innovation at UWS

The University of the West of Scotland (UWS) is dedicated to equipping learners and professionals across the globe with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in an ever-changing world. Our International Skills and Innovation programmes are designed to foster cross-cultural collaboration, support lifelong learning, and drive economic growth in diverse international contexts.

We aim to deliver impactful training and innovative solutions to meet the needs of individuals, industries, and communities worldwide. By combining our academic excellence with practical experience, we enable participants to address local and global challenges effectively and sustainably.

Our international activities are firmly aligned with the UWS Strategy 2030. Our international work, including skills development, knowledge exchange, and partnerships, contributes directly to our strategic goals by expanding our reach beyond Scotland to have a global impact. Our approach is guided by a commitment to working collaboratively with our partners to develop international best practice and practical solutions to achieving the UN SDGs, particularly SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals.

International Skills-Training Collaboration

Through its international training programme, UWS convenes senior policymakers and vocational-college leaders from partner countries for intensive, comparative study of the UK skills system. The programme is deliberately comparative and collaborative. Rather than exporting a single model, it reviews how different national systems address the same challenges: widening access to quality technical and vocational education (SDG 4), building a skilled workforce for decent work and inclusive economic growth (SDG 8), and doing so through durable cross-border partnership (SDG 17). It is a working mechanism for developing and sharing international best practice on the Goals.

In 2025 UWS designed and delivered a 21-day programme in London and Glasgow for a 21-member delegation led by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国人力资源和社会保障部), drawing participants from technician colleges and provincial human-resources and skills authorities across China. Structured teaching was paired with study visits to UK sector awarding bodies, further-education colleges, employers and the national qualifications-framework partnership.

Participants systematically compared UK and Chinese approaches to qualifications frameworks, competence-based assessment, modern apprenticeships, quality assurance and industry–education integration, identifying which elements were transferable and under what conditions. This comparative, two-way review — rather than one-directional instruction — is the means through which shared best practice is developed.

The collaboration surfaced a set of transferable practices — outcome-based credit and qualifications frameworks, employer-led apprenticeship standards, work-integrated learning and independent quality assurance — and tested them against China's own vocational-education reform priorities. Delegates left with concrete implementation intentions rather than general impressions, and UWS sustained the relationship as an ongoing partnership rather than a one-off event.

Within twelve months of delivery, the collaboration produced attributable, institution-level change. Shenzhen Pengcheng Technician College (深圳鹏城技师学院), one of the participating institutions, established a joint certification centre in Shenzhen with the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) — a UK automotive-sector awarding body that the delegation had visited on the programme. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) has since cited the college to the wider Chinese skills system as a replicable model for what such international collaborations should achieve, and the college invited UWS to its campus to verify progress and confirm the collaboration in person.

This is documented, timely, institution-level impact traceable directly to the programme — capacity built through partnership, practice co-developed rather than imposed, and outcomes that a national system is now moving to replicate.

The programme reaches decision-makers with system-level authority — a national ministry and the leaders of colleges and provincial skills bodies — so that best practice developed through the collaboration can be adopted at scale rather than in a single classroom. The traced example of Shenzhen Pengcheng Technician College and IMI demonstrates that reach converting into replicable, national-level change.

International Training Framework

We work closely with partners across the globe, including government agencies, educational institutions, and businesses, to ensure our training programmes are tailored to the specific needs of each region.

SAFEA Partnership in China

UWS became the first organisation in Scotland to be accredited by China’s State Administration for Foreign Expert Affairs (SAFEA). This accreditation enabled UWS to deliver high-quality training to Chinese professionals, providing expertise in various sectors such as urban planning, construction, public administration, finance, human resources, artificial intelligence, and digital engineering.

The partnership began with a pilot course for Hainan University in 2016. It expanded rapidly in 2019, resulting in over 23 courses being delivered to nearly 500 delegates, including representatives from the Ministry of Development, the World Bank in China, and several provincial authorities.

This collaboration was recognised for its quality and impact, with a satisfaction score of 100% for the first training session and an average evaluation score of 96% across all courses. It also brought 1.2 million GBP to the economy. The initiative demonstrates our commitment to working in partnership with our research and education partners to help them develop international approaches to the various challenges they face. The SAFEA Partnership has enhanced our contribution towards achieving SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals, by strengthening global partnerships supporting sustainable development.

Check out this newspaper article for more information on our SAFEA partnership achievement. 

International Innovation Collaboration

We also engage in numerous international innovation initiatives that drive collaborative research, knowledge exchange, and development. Our recent innovation-focused collaborations have included:

Zhejiang Innovation Base (ZIB)

The Zhejiang Innovation Base (ZIB) is a key part of UWS's ongoing collaboration with China, focusing on driving Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) innovation and fostering international partnerships.

Established in partnership with the Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Cooperation Centre, ZIB serves as a hub for supporting Scottish and Chinese SMEs through joint innovation initiatives and knowledge exchange.

One of the primary goals of ZIB is to create opportunities for business matchmaking and support international business development through UWS's Innovation Creation Approach. The focus on SME growth mirrors Scotland's economic development priorities and helps build a bridge between the two regions, ensuring mutual growth and benefit.

ZIB also emphasises the importance of research collaboration, connecting Scottish companies with local Chinese partners to foster innovation and knowledge sharing. The base not only supports economic development but also enhances cultural understanding and cooperation, further positioning UWS as a pioneer in international business and educational partnerships. Our work on the ZIB project aligns with SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals, by fostering international cooperation that promotes sustainable economic development and growth. In 2024, our innovative approach was recognised when we were shortlisted for the Dragon Award for Pioneering Spirit.

Recognised achievements

  • Showcased in the Scottish Funding Council's Outcome Agreement Achievement Report (PDF), College and University Case Studies 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024, highlighting our impactful work, including collaborations like the SAFEA partnership.

  • Shortlisted for the CBBC China-Scotland Business Awards 2021 under Award for Educational Partnership of the Year, recognising our educational partnerships and international collaboration, particularly through the SAFEA partnership.

  • Won the CBBC China-Scotland Business Award for Climate Action in 2023, recognising our leadership in sustainability initiatives.

  • Shortlisted for the Dragon Award for Pioneering Spirit in 2024, celebrating our Sino-Scottish collaboration and innovation through established four key innovation bases in China (Zhejiang, Shandong, Phoenix, and Hainan), focusing on areas such as SME growth, elder care, digital media, and cultural exchange.

Get involved

Whether you are an individual looking to advance your skills, an organisation seeking customised training, or a partner interested in collaboration, UWS is ready to support your journey. Together, we can build a future that is innovative, inclusive, and globally connected.

For more information, please get in touch with our International Skills and Innovation team: 

Last updated: 04/11/2026