A GREAT showcase of Britain

10 Nov 2016 09:51 AM

The GREAT Britain Festival held in Kuala Lumpur over two weeks showcased the best of British education, tourism, culture, music and food.

KUALA LUMPUR, 5 November 2016: Britain is setting Kuala Lumpur abuzz once again following the Red Arrows’ visit to Malaysia last month. The British High Commission, in collaboration with the UK Department for International Trade, British Council and VisitBritain, is presenting the GREAT Britain Festival (1 – 14 November), consisting of events that showcase the best of British tourism, values and culture, literature, music and food.

The highlight from the Festival is a gathering of British Alumni at the rooftop of the Avenue K in Kuala Lumpur. Approximately 800 UK alumni members in Malaysia attended the gathering to network and reminisce the good old school days, making it the biggest UK alumni gathering in Malaysia. The evening featured the best of British food and entertainment by UK celebrity DJ Goldierocks. It ended with a surprise performance by Paul Roberts who is scheduled to perform as the legendary British musician David Bowie in a full show at the same venue on 6 November.

In addition to this, there is also a VisitBritain showcase, a poetry slam workshop, a masterclass by DJ Goldierocks, a Chevening Talk Series on the topic of culture and identity, a Successor Generation Initiative forum on the subject of youth empowerment; as well as a pop-up British bookshop and the British Council Storytime. The British Council Malaysia is also holding its education fair at KLCC Convention Centre this weekend. Later this month, The UK is bringing two international education conferences to Kuala Lumpur - BETT Asia and Wilton Park.

Her Excellency Vicki Treadell CMG MVO, the British High Commissioner to Malaysia, said yesterday, “While the GREAT Britain Festival celebrates the best of British icons and culture, the strong education theme underlining these events reflects our longstanding relationship particularly in education. There are currently over 17,000 Malaysians studying in the UK, and another 78,000 individuals in Malaysia studying for a UK qualification. Up to today, an estimated 500,000 Malaysians have undergone UK education of various levels from higher education, professional qualifications, vocational training, colleges and schools. We want to reconnect and engage with all our alumni”.

Events under the GREAT Britain Festival support the British High Commission’s three-year Education is GREAT campaign which was launched in Putrajaya in February this year to enhance the UK’s education engagement with Malaysia and help support the development of Malaysia’s ambition to become the education hub for ASEAN.