BABC
The British American Business Council is committed to promoting transatlantic trade and investment between the US and the UK
Contact: Lauren Hunt T: 0845 603 6650
BABC Patrons
A bridge between universities By Fred Bromwich
Two leading universities are “bridging” the Atlantic to recruit six top postdoctoral researchers who will undertake projects to investigate a number of “global challenges.” The University of Birmingham and the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are partners in a strategic agreement and operate a BRIDGE Fellowship programme, that brings teams together to research areas such as cognition and ageing; brain trauma; computational genomics; cultural heritage, tourism and economic development; diversity, race and education and international high speed rail.
‘The first and third years spent at Birmingham and the middle year at Illinois’
The three-year Fellowship begins in Autumn 2016 with the first and third years spent at Birmingham and the middle year at Illinois. Fellows will spend the time conducting high- quality research before assuming an academic lecturer post at Birmingham. Professor Tim Softley, University of Birmingham pro-vice-chancellor for Research and Knowledge Transfer, said: “In establishing the unique BRIDGE Fellowships, we will develop
Expert advice on
offer for exporters With business leaders being forced to re- examine their international trade strategies in view of Brexit and a general climate of economic uncertainty, an upcoming seminar in Birmingham will be of particular interest to those focused on the US market. The seminar, organised by BABC in
association with SelectUSA, the US government programme to promote and facilitate business investment, is being held on 13 September at the Snowhill offices of KPMG, where John Simmons, minister counselor for Commercial Affairs at the US Embassy in London will give an overview of the US business environment. Lauren Hunt, of BABC Midlands, said: “UKTI
and the Council of American States in Europe (CASE) will also be participating so there will be plenty of expert advice on offer. “There will also be opportunities for one-to-
one meetings with CASE officials but appointments have to be confirmed in advance. Anyone interested should contact SelectUSA on 0207 894 0419.”
26 CHAMBERLINK September 2016 Peter Schiffer of the University of Illinois
research collaborations that will both produce outstanding results and help to address the global challenges of our time. “These are research areas of world-wide importance where both universities have demonstrable excellence.” Peter Schiffer, vice chancellor for Research at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said: “Illinois has a long history of collaborative, interdisciplinary work, and this programme strongly supports those efforts. We are delighted
Tim Softley of the Univeristy of Birmingham
to partner with Birmingham to advance knowledge in these high impact research areas.” The two universities signed a strategic
agreement, known as the BRIDGE (BiRmingham- Illinois Partnership for Discovery, EnGagement and Education) Alliance, in March 2014. This builds on a four-year partnership and agreement to invest resources in strengthening research and teaching links. It enhances the city of Birmingham’s sister city relationship with Chicago, Illinois, of more than 20 years.
Thoughts from the president
Talking Brexit with Steve Allen, the Birmingham lawyer who is president of the British American Business Council.
Whatever our personal feelings on Brexit, there is no doubt that the decision brings opportunities with our largest trading partner. The US/UK trade relationship is worth
$1.1 trillion in combined foreign direct investment, $250 billion in trade and 1.2 million jobs are linked to US investment in the UK. At the time of writing, the pound has hit a 31
year low against the dollar as worries over the UK’s exit from the EU continue to cause uncertainty in the markets. With forecasters warning that the pound could fall as low as $1.16 by December a very real competitive advantage now exists for UK exporting manufacturers. I travel widely in the US and businesses continue to tell me that the UK remains a
favoured trading partner. This is not just about the emotional pull of the ‘special relationship’ - the
commonality of our language, the quality of our products and the reliability of our service are major
advantages we offer. And US businesses have confidence that if
things go wrong, there is an effective legal system that will ensure contracts are honoured and if they aren’t, adequate damages will be paid. This is not something every exporting nation can boast, and it has huge value to risk- aware businesses. In short, now is the time for businesses to get a
brand foothold in the US. We must look for new opportunities with confidence and determination.
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