Our Ambassador Dr Shaoyi Zhang is the Director of Business Development at Emtec Colleges Ltd. (ECL) which is part of Central College Nottingham.

Dr Zhang received a PhD degree from the University of Leicester having achieved a MBA degree at Oxford Brookes University. As a qualified electrical engineer and a lead auditor for quality assurance, Dr Zhang has held some technical and management positions in a few well-established enterprises in both China and the UK. She has considerable industrial/engineering working experience and academic research experience in the field of education and training in the automotive sector, as well as the fields of electric power, aero-engine and international business with the well-known training provider Carter & Carter Group plc, Brush Transformers Ltd and with some world’s top 500 enterprises, such as Alstom, Rolls-Royce plc and Siemens.

Dr Zhang has held the membership of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET) and Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS).

As the Director of Business Development, I am working for Emtec Colleges Ltd (ECL), which is part of Central College Nottingham. I am an ECL Board member and in charge of the BD/International Division.

My job focuses on the vocational education sector. I think Nottingham is the perfect place to host an event in our sector due to the following reasons:

Nottingham is an education centre

–        Central College Nottingham which is the largest Further Education provider in the East Midlands region and actively involved in international market.

–        University of Nottingham which has overseas campuses in China and Malaysia.

–        Nottingham Trent University with considerable number of international students 

It has well-established international reputation

–        for heritage/history (such as the classic Robin Hood legend, George Gordon ‘Lord’ Byron, DH Lawrence etc)

–        for culture: the oldest Inn in England (i.e. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem)

–        for football

–        for textile industry

It has strategically important and convenient location

–        Commercial/business centre of East Midlands

–        Easy access: East Midlands Airport, train and motor way

–        A number of shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants available

–        Choices of cuisines from different countries

–        Offers wonderful leisure life 

I think that Nottingham is a great city and I am very pleased that I can join the team to promote it around the world. I travel a lot for overseas business trips which obviously provides opportunities for me to introduce Nottingham to the people I meet and the organisations I visit. I am very proud to become Nottinghamshire’s Ambassador and contribute to the city where I live.