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For government and university leaders

Sister centres and long-term partnerships

This is for you if…

…you lead a ministry or an agency, and want a long-term partnership with CBIT;

…or you lead an overseas university or a science park, and want a sister centre with CBIT.

A framework memorandum of understanding and a sister centre that hosts repeat programmes, reciprocal soft landing for ventures and joint bids.

World map marking CBIT's three sites: Nottingham in the UK, Chiang Mai in Thailand, and Shanghai in China.
  • Nottingham, UK — CBIT, Nottingham Business School
  • Chiang Mai, Thailand — CMU STeP, a founding sister centre
  • Shanghai, China — Fudan University School of Management, a sister centre
  • CBIT, NTU and CMU STeP colleagues at the opening of the Sister Center: AI Talent and Innovation Hub, Chiang Mai

    Chiang Mai, Thailand

    CMU STeP

    The MHESI-funded national AI and entrepreneurship programme, delivered by CBIT and CMU STeP: founding sister centres under a five-year memorandum of understanding.

  • Nottingham Business School and Fudan University School of Management sign a sister-centre agreement

    Shanghai, China

    Fudan SoM

    CBIT’s sister centre in China, for leadership and venture building.

Next step

Tell us about your institution and the partnership you have in mind.

Email us to arrange a call

If your email app does not open, write to cbit@ntu.ac.uk

What you get

  • A framework memorandum of understanding (MoU).
  • A sister centre that hosts repeat programmes.
  • Reciprocal soft landing for ventures, through the Global VB Partnership.
  • Joint bids.

Format

  • MoUs of three to five years, with each activity under its own agreement.

The AI edition

A long-term home for joint work on AI, entrepreneurship and venture building, in your country and in Nottingham.

What AI adds

  • Agreement: the MHESI memorandum of understanding lists artificial intelligence first among the sister centres’ priority areas; the founding sister centre, CBIT with STeP, may host policy sandboxes to support responsible AI adoption, workforce transformation and evidence-based policymaking. CBIT era
  • Public: NTU says the sister centre “will provide an operational base for joint programme delivery, AI-enabled education, applied research and industry engagement”.

AI-native outcome: a partner institution with a standing base for AI programmes, AI policy sandboxes and joint bids, not a one-off project.

Track record

Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) funded a national AI and entrepreneurship programme, delivered by CBIT and Chiang Mai University’s Science and Technology Park (CMU STeP). In April 2026 MHESI and Nottingham Trent University signed a five-year memorandum of understanding on AI-enabled education, venture building and innovation ecosystems, which forms CBIT and CMU STeP as founding sister centres.

Memorandum of understanding
Dual-level, signed on 21 April 2026: MHESI and Nottingham Trent University; Chiang Mai University and Nottingham Trent University
Delivered with
Chiang Mai University, an MHESI-designated National Training Centre

Source: CBIT figures registry v1.8 (1 October 2026). Figures and sources

Where we are

  • United Kingdom

    CBIT, Nottingham and London

    Part of Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University. CBIT hosts in Nottingham and London.

  • Thailand

    CMU STeP sister centre, Chiang Mai

    Chiang Mai University Science and Technology Park, opened on 12 June 2026; CBIT and CMU STeP deliver the national programmes together.

  • China

    Fudan University School of Management sister centre, Shanghai

    A sister centre for leadership and venture building. Memorandum of understanding signed on 15 July 2026.

The partnership so far, in Thailand

  1. 2024 Experiential Learning Programme
  2. 2025 British Council ISPF funding
  3. 2026 MHESI’s national AI programme

Impact story

Sister centres and long-term partnerships

From one founder cohort to a national agreement and a sister centre in Thailand

Read the story

Who: Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) and Chiang Mai University’s Science and Technology Park (STeP).

The challenge
Chiang Mai University is one of Thailand’s National Training Centres, with a mandate to lead international collaboration in AI, entrepreneurship education and venture building.
What CBIT did
CBIT built the relationship one step at a time: a founder cohort in the UK in 2024, a joint British Council grant in 2025, train-the-trainer in Thailand that December, then a national AI skills programme in 2026.
What happened
In April 2026 NTU’s Vice-Chancellor signed a five-year memorandum of understanding with MHESI in Bangkok, and a sister-centre agreement with STeP.
Track record
See the track record on this page
Where it can lead
The sister centre hosts repeat programmes, soft landing for ventures and joint bids.

This story on the Programme impact page

Where this can lead

Most partnerships start smaller, with one cohort or one programme, and grow from there.

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