Last night saw the launch of the new Achievers International programme as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. Parallel receptions were held at the British Embassy in Berlin, and the German Embassy in London, to mark the beginning of this new and exciting programme. And what better week to launch than Global Entrepreneurship Week, which helped bring together students from over 70 countries in enterprise activities.

Sir Michael Arthur, the British Ambassador to Germany, helped to launch Achievers and spoke of the needs to develop further links between the UK and Germany. And in London, Herr Cord Meier-Klodt, the Head of Culture and Education at the German Embassy, provided the opening for the evening and spoke of the progress that has been made in forging new partnerships between the two countries.

The SCOTYS students in Berlin discussing their products

The SKAIT students in london during their presentation

B2BFS with a selection of their products

The SCOTYS students in London discussing their products

Guests were also able to see presentations from the student companies of Skinners' Company's School for Girls (SKAIT) and Sophie-Charlotte Oberschule (SCOTYS) about their businesses. They are new partner schools this year, and half of each company traded places so they could meet their partners and attend the parallel events. The guests were amazed at the confidence of the students, who all provided extremely professional presentations about what they do.

And in Berlin, B2BFS from Berufliche Schule Hangelsberg, who have been involved in Achievers for several years, also presented their work and had a stand where guests could purchase the products they trade with their partners in Northern Ireland. Vita from Gymnasium Wandlitz also had a stand to display their work.

The launch was an opportunity for guests to hear about the exciting work of Achievers International, and our partners UK-German Connection , who helped provide funding towards the visit between the participating British and German pupils.

UK-German Connection, and the Enterprise Education Trust who run the Achievers International programme, have joined forces to celebrate Achievers as a unique way of involving young people actively. The partnership between Achievers International and UK-German Connection is a natural union: joint enterprise and trade projects will not only develop participants' business skills, but also their intercultural awareness, and can lead to further involvement in the development of UK-German youth relations.

Thank you to all of the schools involved in the launch.

The Achievers International Team

Sir Michael Arthur, the British Ambassador to Germany with some of the students in Berlin

Cord Meier-Klodt, Sir Paul Judge and Judith Hemery with the students in London

All Berlin photos by Mike Minehan - All London photos by THP Photo Imaging