RICS & CBRE Exchange Program

Two Real Estate students have just returned to the UK after the successful completion of the UK/China Exchange Program, launched earlier this year, jointly offered by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and CB Richard Ellis (CBRE). The program's objective is to offer a unique opportunity for selected second and final year UK students of relevant RICS-accredited courses to gain work experience in the offices of CBRE in China.

Clive Nichol and Ben Ridgway were the two undergraduate students of Estate Management at Northumbria University being chosen, after an intense selection process involved 23 UK universities offering 41 RICS-accredited courses, to take part in this innovative scheme to boost knowledge transfer.

The 10-week placement in China saw Ben working just a stones throw away from the Olympic village in Beijing on a project which included a proposed 7* hotel, while Clive helped identify retail banking sites for the multinational banking sector in Shanghai.

Ben says, "Beijing is an amazing city in the midst of a constructional revolution. Everywhere you look old is being replaced by new and with the ominous deadline of the Olympics looming it was a brilliant opportunity for me as a would-be surveyor."

"I spent time working on the Beijing 7 Star Morgan Plaza, a high-end mixed-use development including a luxury hotel, an international high-end fashion mall, grade A office block and development of 180 high end apartments."

Final year student Clive Nichol believes the experience he gained as part of his one-year work placement gave him the business acumen needed, to get directly involved in site visits and preparation work for sale and leasing transactions in the Industrial & Logistics Services business line.

Ong See Lian, Chairman, RICS Asia Pacific says, "Programmes such as this is a crucial way to promote the surveying profession, as well as forge greater links between the market in China and the UK. Congratulations to Clive and Ben, for seizing this opportunity and getting their careers off to a great start on the world stage."

Media enquiry, please contact:

RICS Asia Pacific Public Relations Representative
Ms Belinda Chan / Ms Katherine Chow
Tel: +852-2372-0090
Fax: +852-2372-0490
Mobile: +852-9379-3045 / +852-9256-3223