Held at Hotel Berlin and co-hosted with LANGUAGECERT, the reception brought together English UK members and prospective members, study abroad agents and sector partners from around the world. It was a chance to catch up, make new connections and celebrate the UK as a welcoming, high-quality destination for international students. 

>> View photos from the UK Reception 

Guests heard from Alexander Harriss, His Majesty's Deputy Trade Commissioner Europe and Country Director for Germany with the Department for Business and Trade, Lucy Horsefield, Regional Director UK, Ireland and Malta at LANGUAGECERT, and English UK Chief Executive Jodie Gray. 

Strengthening UK-European connections 

Alexander Harriss spoke about how, in an uncertain world, people-to-people links matter more than ever, and about the importance the UK government places on strengthening relationships with Europe. His remarks came at an important time for UK ELT, following positive developments including the return of ID card travel for German school groups, confirmation that the UK will rejoin Erasmus+ in 2027, and ahead of the UK-EU summit in Brussels on 20 November. 

Protecting students and confidence in UK ELT 

Jodie Gray reflected on some of the challenges facing the sector and the importance of working collectively to protect students and maintain confidence in UK ELT. While in Berlin, English UK spoke directly with educators, agents and international partners about their concerns and shared information about our recently launched Student Protection Review and consultation. 

Connections that continue beyond Berlin 

Reflecting on the reception, Lucy Horsefield, Regional Director UK, Ireland and Malta at LANGUAGECERT, said:  

"Thank you to English UK and everyone who joined us to celebrate the UK international education community. It was a wonderful evening of new connections, familiar faces and conversations that we hope will continue long after Berlin. 

"LANGUAGECERT looks forward to supporting UK ELT providers with the new opportunities Erasmus+ funding will bring in 2027. Through collaboration and partnership, together we can help English language learners gain the skills and qualifications they need to succeed in academic study and employment." 

The reception rounded off three busy days for the English UK team at ICEF Berlin 2026. Meetings and conversations throughout the event provided valuable opportunities to strengthen partnerships, hear directly from agents and other international stakeholders about developments in their markets, and build support for UK ELT.  

What next for global ELT? 

Earlier in the ICEF Berlin 2026 programme, English UK's Huan Japes joined representatives from Languages Canada, English Education Ireland, English South Africa, English Australia and FELTOM for the session, 'What next for global ELT? Lessons from 2026, signals for 2027'. 

Chaired by Ivana Bartosik of English UK's insight partner, BONARD Education, the session combined the latest market intelligence with perspectives from ELT associations across several continents. The discussion explored how English language travel is responding to changing policies, shifting student demand and wider sector pressures, and what these trends could mean for 2027. 

The session reflected a recurring theme throughout English UK's time in Berlin: the value of international collaboration and sharing intelligence at a time of significant change for global ELT. 

A strong English UK presence in Berlin 

Across the three days, the team also met agents, prospective members, associations and other partners. These conversations provided valuable insights into current market sentiment and gave English UK the opportunity to hear directly about partners' priorities and concerns, while discussing the work underway to support students and strengthen confidence in UK ELT. 

With 75 English UK member organisations, eight corporate members and 36 partner agencies at ICEF Berlin 2026, the English UK network was strongly represented. We also spoke with UK English language centres with different forms of government-approved accreditation, which can now join English UK as associate members.

Thank you to everyone who met us in Berlin, attended our panel discussion or came along to the UK Reception. A special thank you to LANGUAGECERT for co-hosting the reception with us. 

Continuing the conversation in Glasgow 

We look forward to continuing these conversations and collaborations at StudyWorld Glasgow in January and hope to see many of you there. 

Further reading

• Find out more about the Student Protection Review and consultation