College wins international award

Lincoln College Group is celebrating after being named winner of the British Council award for Excellence in International Work.

The Association of Colleges Beacon Awards 2025/26 recognises excellence across the Further Education sector and this award showcases colleges which have made outstanding contributions overseas while also benefitting their students on home soil.

James Foster, Managing Director (International and Commercial) at Lincoln College Group, said: “This award means so much to us as a College Group, for many years we have forged a strong partnership-led approach to international engagements that combines commercial delivery overseas with inward and outward student mobility. 

James (pictured centre) added: “Our international activity is a core part of our 2030 strategy rather than a standalone project, with partnerships deliberately designed to generate mutual benefit for learners, staff and the wider college."

The British Council is the UK’s international and education organisation and part of its remit is to encourage people from around the world to study here. To win the council’s award the college’s team had to host a day of presentations, which highlighted the various ways in which the international work has made an impact and what the future looks like for the college projects across the globe.  

David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges, said: “Every year I am blown away by the standard of the Beacon Award entries. They are tribute to the scale of innovation and expertise in further education colleges across the UK, and the impact they have in their regions. This year, it was harder than ever to decide on just one winner per category.

“I want to say a huge congratulations to everyone who met the Beacon standard, and of course, to our winners. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to the communities you serve…you should be proud of the work you do and the impact you make on people's lives.”