Previous Communications

Communication #1: October 6, 2011

EDUCATION DELEGATION: BC PREMIER’S MISSION TO CHINA AND INDIA

Communications and Mission Web Page
In order to maximize efficiencies and maintain the integrity of the schedule, we will appreciate if henceforth all communications to and from Education Delegation participants on the Premier’s Mission be directed through BCCIE. We will ensure that Ministry colleagues from Jobs, Tourism and Innovation (JTI) and Advanced Education (AVED) are kept in the loop and we are establishing mechanisms for an orderly flow of details and information to primary institutional contacts. Please anticipate weekly email and web page updates each Wednesday until departure.

In terms of email contacts with BCCIE we identify the following:

Effective immediately you should also refer to the Education delegation Mission web site at
http://www.bccie.bc.ca/educators/premiers_mission

This site is a living document and will continue to evolve as events are confirmed and new details emerge. It will be updated regularly and should contain all information you need on travel planning, hotel bookings, visa applications as well as events to which the Education Delegation are expected. Within two weeks we will be issuing RSVP forms to be completed and returned requesting specifics as to who will be attending events that have moderated attendance. We will also be ascertaining to which events it will be possible to invite guests or partners.

Itinerary, Events and Updates
The event schedules on the web site are subject to change and modification but are here presented to allow participants to organize their own programs as not to conflict with formal Mission or Education Events. In addition to the formal events involving the Premier, we are organizing a small number of education roundtables, site visits and seminars in China and in India that are open to all education delegates. These events will provide opportunities for delegates to learn more about local issues and partnerships as well as interact with senior representatives of educational institutions, government and non-government organizations and with BC and Canadian overseas representatives. The Premier’s participation in any specific event cannot yet be guaranteed but we will do our best to accommodate all interests.

Additionally there are several events organized by JTI that will be open to delegates from all sectoral delegations and we will welcome your participation. That said, space in these events may also be limited and we will also be requesting RSVP’s in short order.

All delegates will be asked to manage their own transportation to and from event venues unless it is a formal event for the entire education delegation and we indicate that group transportation is available. All delegates are responsible for their own airport transfers.

MOU’s and Signings
We will be corroborating with institutions on an individual basis the MOU’s they plan to sign on the Mission and in the presence of the Premier; there will be one event in each city at which MOU’s will be signed.

For each MOU you plan to sign please complete and return the attached form no later than Monday, October 17 to rgarcha@bccie.bc.ca. We will confirm the signing schedule with each institution individually. If you plan to sign an MOU signing but have not heard from us by Friday, October 21, please contact us immediately thereafter.

We will need to collect electronic copies of all MOU’s to be witnessed by the Premier, for the government’s master briefing document, by Friday, October 21. Please note that the Premier will not be signatory to any MOU but will rather witness each signing from behind the table and will then be available for a group photograph. Each participating institution will be allocated approximately five minutes for the signing to take place, including photo time.

Note that institutions are responsible for supplying their own original MOU documents for signature at the events; it is recommended that you have two copies of each in English for agreements to be signed in India and two copies of each in Chinese and English for those to be signed in China.

We will continue to update you and the web site as the program evolves. We look forward to working with you and your colleagues on this Mission and anticipate a great event.

Communication #2: October 12, 2011

BC PREMIER’S MISSION TO CHINA AND INDIA

Communications and Mission Web Page
Please anticipate weekly email updates each Wednesday until departure. Continue to refer to the web site, which is a living document updated daily as details emerge or are confirmed. Note the addition to the web site of cultural/country briefings and pre-departure guides in the China and India sections.
http://www.bccie.bc.ca/educators/premiers_mission

With questions please contact the following:

In a separate email message tomorrow we will contact you about the major events for which indications of attendance are required and for which RSVPs will be required. We are ascertaining to which events it will be possible to invite guests; that said, given the size of the various delegations and room capacity at many events, delegates need to manage expectations as to the number of guests they might be able to invite. For some events, the only invited guests outside of the delegation will be those in attendance to sign an MOU witnessed by the Premier.

Itinerary, Events and Updates
The events schedule on the web site is subject to change and modification but what is live is the latest information. We are organizing education events in China and in India. These will provide opportunities for delegates to learn more about local issues and partnerships as well as interact with senior representatives of educational institutions, government and non-government organizations and with BC and Canadian overseas representatives. The Premier’s participation or that of a Minister in any specific event cannot yet be guaranteed but we will do our best to accommodate all interests.

View the updated India and China itineraries.

All delegates will be asked to manage their own transportation to and from event venues unless it is a formal event for the entire education delegation and we indicate that group transportation is available.

Airport Transfers
You may wish to pre-arrange airport transfers to your hotels from respective airports; kindly contact the hotels directly with these requests.

Hotels
The booking code for the Westin in Beijing has been extended and the site is again operational. All Mission hotels in China are offering preferred rates only until this Friday. As such, please book your China hotels by the end of this week.

We are still awaiting booking codes and procedures for the hotels in India. We will forward these as soon as they are available. Should you wish to attend the Premier’s function at the Consul General’s residence on the evening of November 16 in Chandigarh, which ends at 9:00 PM, you will be required to overnight in Chandigarh as you will have missed the last flight to Delhi. The Mission hotel in Chandigarh is the Marriot.

Visas
Please note that after a false start we have now finalized the process for the procurement of a visa from India. You must complete the online visa form with details from our web site, but you must also now provide VFS (the Visa Provider) with copies of two letters that you will find in PDF format at the end of the India Visa section of our web site.

FICCI
Please note that delegates must register for FICCI independently if they wish to participate; registration information is included in the India section of our Mission web site. We will arrange group bus transportation only from FICCI to the hotel for the Premier’s lunch as well as back to FICCI after the lunch on Friday November 11.

MOU’s and Signings
We are dealing directly with institutions regarding the MOU’s they plan to sign in the presence of the Premier; there will be one event in each city at which MOU’s will be signed. We hope to receive from you a completed MOU Briefing Template forms for each MOU no later than Monday, October 17. There is now a limit of two MOU signings per institution in any given city.

We need to collect electronic copies of all MOU’s to be witnessed by the Premier, for the government’s master briefing document, by Friday, October 21. Please note that the Premier will not be signatory to any MOU but will rather witness each signing from behind the table and will then be available for a group photograph. Each participating institution will be allocated approximately five minutes for the signing to take place, including photo time. In some cities this will be only three minutes. The volume of corporate and education signings is substantial in each city so please do manage expectations of the amount of time you and your partners will have with the Premier or a Minister.

Please note again that all institutions are responsible for supplying their own original MOU documents for signature at the events.

Gifts
Please confirm with your MOU signing partners if there will be a gift exchange as part of the MOU signing, to avoid embarrassment for one side or the other. Please note that no gifts should be given to the Premier from either side.

Communication #3: October 19, 2011

BC PREMIER’S MISSION TO CHINA AND INDIA

Communications and Mission Web Page
Please continue to expect weekly email updates each Wednesday until departure. Also please continue to refer to the Mission website, which is a living document updated daily as details emerge or are confirmed. The agenda for each city is firming up and we also now have further details of education specific events. In the Visas and Travel Section we have also now added notes on the November climactic conditions in each city the Mission will visit, which should assist in wardrobe and packing decisions.
http://www.bccie.bc.ca/educators/premiers_mission

Itinerary, Events and Updates
View the updated India and China itineraries.

Hotels
Hotel booking information for the Mission hotels in India became available today and you are encouraged to book as soon as possible.
http://www.bccie.bc.ca/educators/premiers_mission/hotels

RSVP’s and Guests
Please note that the Mission is heavily subscribed and many events will be open only to our delegates. For those events where we can invite guests, as below, we will need from you by Friday, October 21st, the name and email address of each guest for the formal invitation to be sent from the BC Government. All RSVPs are to be sent to Robin Garcha at rgarcha@bccie.bc.ca. If you have already RSVP-ed to Robin for the BC delegates kindly only RSVP for guests.

Guangzhou lunch reception, November 6th
BC delegates + no guests invited, RSVP needed for BC delegates

Shanghai evening reception, November 7th
BC delegates + two persons from each partner signatory to an MOU at the event + one guest per institution, RSVP needed for all

Beijing evening reception, November 9th
BC delegates + two persons from each partner signatory to an MOU at the event + no other guests, RSVP needed for all

Delhi lunch reception, November 11th
BC delegates + two persons from each partner signatory to an MOU at the event + no other guests, RSVP needed for all

Delhi evening reception, November 11th
BC delegates + one guest per institution, RSVP needed for all

Bangalore lunch reception, November 15th
BC delegates + two persons from each partner signatory to an MOU at the event + one guest per institution, RSVP needed for all

Chandigarh evening reception, November 16th
BC delegates + two persons from each partner signatory to an MOU at the event + no other guests, RSVP needed for all

MOU’s and Signings
We have added to the itinerary the list of BC institutions signing MOUs at each specific event. These events are now closed.

We are dealing directly with institutions regarding the MOU’s they plan to sign in the presence of the Premier or Minister. There is a limit of two MOU signings per institution in any given city. We are in need of electronic copies of all MOU’s to be witnessed by the Premier or Minister, for the government’s master briefing document, by this Friday, October 21. Kindly forward to Robin at rgarcha@bccie.bc.ca

Please note again that the Premier will not be signatory to any MOU but will rather witness each signing from behind the table and will then be available for a group photograph. At some events the Premier’s participation can no longer be guaranteed and instead we will be joined by a Minister of the Crown and in some cases Canada’s Ambassador or High Commissioner. Each participating institution will be allocated approximately five minutes for the signing to take place, including photo time. In some cities this will be only three minutes. The volume of corporate and education signings is substantial in each city so please do manage expectations of the amount of time you and your partners will have with the Premier or a Minister.

Please note again that all institutions are responsible for supplying their own original MOU documents for signature at the events. We will supply binders for the formal signing ceremony.

Colleagues from AVED have been in touch with your institutional Public Relations people in order to ascertain the financial value or numerical significance of each MOU to be signed, for messaging of the Mission. If they have not yet prepared or submitted this information, please have them contact Mr Marc Black at marc.black@gov.bc.ca

Communication #4: October 26, 2011

BC PREMIER’S MISSION TO CHINA AND INDIA

Communications and Mission Web Page
Today’s missive is the penultimate communication from BCCIE before the Premier’s Mission departs to China on or before the weekend of November 5/6.

In next week’s communication we will send to you the final and as-complete-as-it-can-be daily/hourly Education Mission agenda for China and India.

Please continue to refer to the Mission web site, which is a living document updated daily as details emerge or are confirmed.

The agenda for each city is now almost fully formed and we have further details of education specific events. We are very excited as these events have come together, and we have top-notch speakers and presentations throughout: in Guangzhou (Ministry of Education and top institutions), Shanghai (Shanghai Jai Tong University World University Rankings), Beijing (primary national education agencies CEAIE, CSC, CSCSE), Delhi (FICCI, DPS), Mumbai (The University of Bombay), Bangalore (INFOSYS), and Chandigarh (Presidents’ Forum).

We have also added a new section on the web site of relevant economic and education background readings on Asia, China and India:
http://www.bccie.bc.ca/educators/premiers_mission/background

Itinerary, Events and Updates
View the updated itineraries for India http://www.bccie.bc.ca/educators/premiers_mission/india and China http://www.bccie.bc.ca/educators/premiers_mission/china

There are now additional seats available for the November 6 Premier’s lunch at the Westin Hotel in Guangzhou, co-sponsored by the BC – Guangdong Business Council. If you can now attend or would like to invite one or two additional guests, please contact as soon as possible Ms Colleen McGuinness at bcgbc@shaw.ca

MOU’s and Signings
On the itinerary is the list of BC institutions signing MOU’s at each specific event. These events are now closed.

Please note again the formality of the MOU signings at which the Premier will be witness. The Premier will not be signatory to any MOU but will rather witness each signing standing alone from behind the table and time permitting will then be available for a group photograph. At some events the Premier’s participation can no longer be guaranteed and instead we will be joined by a Minister of the Crown and in some cases Canada’s Ambassador or High Commissioner. Each participating institution will be allocated approximately three to five minutes for the signing to take place, including photo time.

It is your responsibility to advise your signing partners of the time and place of the event and of the appropriate protocol. The volume of corporate and education signings is substantial in each city so please do manage expectations of the amount of time you and your partners will have with the Premier or a Minister. 

Please note again that all institutions are responsible for supplying their own original MOU documents for signature at the events; bring them with you from BC and if you have your own binders for the formal signing ceremony, please feel free to bring those as well; otherwise we will supply binders for the formal signing ceremony.

Please note again that the Premier will be neither receiving nor giving gifts at these events. Please also confirm with your signing partners your mutual intent to give or not to give gifts at these events.

Communication #5: November 2, 2011

BC PREMIER’S MISSION TO CHINA AND INDIA

Note that the message today is being sent to all participants of the mission, in addition to the primary contacts.

Communications and Mission Web Page
This is the final communication from BCCIE before the Premier’s Mission departs to China this coming weekend. Today’s and previous communications on this mission can be found archived on our Mission web site: http://www.bccie.bc.ca/educators/premiers_mission/communications

We will also be forwarding to all participants tomorrow the most recent version of the full mission itinerary, as an attachment.  This document will be as-complete-as-it-can-be but will no doubt suffer minor modifications and cosmetic surgery in the field.  Please both here and abroad also continue to refer to the Mission web site, which is a living document updated daily as details emerge or are confirmed:

We have created a new Meeting Agendas page where we have placed in PDF format the detailed agendas for the meetings to which you have RSVPed in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Mumbai and Chandigarh.  We are still awaiting final details of the Education tour of INFOYSYS in Bangalore and will put those on the web site as confirmed.  Please note that these events are now fully subscribed and we cannot accept drop-in participants.
http://www.bccie.bc.ca/educators/premiers_mission/meetings

We have also added new articles to the background readings:
http://www.bccie.bc.ca/educators/premiers_mission/background

You may also want to share with your colleagues the official government ‘landing’ or web pages for this mission, on China and India respectively:

Mandarin / China    http://cn.britishcolumbia.ca/study-abroad-british-columbia/Pages/Home.aspx
English / India     http://in.britishcolumbia.ca/study-abroad-british-columbia/Pages/Home.aspx

RSVPs

 If you have not yet received formal invitations to events at the Canadian Consul-General’s residence in Chandigarh, for example, or for the High Commissioner’s reception in Delhi, please be patient as these will be arriving shortly   It will be best for you to print thee off at home in order to present them at the entrance of the event.  You should also have printed off your invitations for the events in China.

If you plan to attend the November 6th evening Tourism and Cultural Festival in Guangzhou, you will need to pick up a ticket for the event at the Concierge Desk of the Westin Hotel.

MOU’s and Signings
Please note that it remains your responsibility to advise your signing partners of the time and place of the event and of the appropriate protocol.  
Please ensure that all participants are in the MOU signing room at least 15 minutes prior to the actual signing ceremony. 

Please also note again that all institutions are responsible for supplying their own original MOU documents for signature at the events; bring them with you from BC and if you have your own binders for the formal signing ceremony, please feel free to bring those as well; otherwise we will supply binders for the formal signing ceremony.

Please also note again the formality of the MOU signings at which the Premier will be witness.  The Premier will not be signatory to any MOU but will rather witness each signing standing alone from behind the table and time permitting will then be available for a group photograph.   At some events the Premier’s participation can no longer be guaranteed.  Each participating institution will be allocated approximately three to five minutes for the signing to take place, including photo time.  The volume of corporate and education signings is substantial in each city so please do manage expectations of the amount of time you and your partners will have with the Premier or a Minister.