Cambridge International Land Institute - The Wilson Centre

Cambridge International Land Institute, the trading name adopted by The Wilson Centre, specialises in high quality training courses and study tours for professional groups on European real estate and business and related public policy. Founded in 1993 by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, with an initial focus on UK property professionals, the Institute has extended its reach with specialised courses in property investment and finance for the Investment Property Forum, and professional firms and by adding an international portfolio of courses, including many for American business schools, Asian universities, professional associations and senior government officers from overseas.

In the late 1980s, David Male, then President of the RICS, conceived the idea of a new centre for the training of graduates for the property profession. At that time Gordon Cameron was Professor of Land Economy, Master of Fitzwilliam College and a member of the RICS Education and Membership Committee. The outcome of various discussions was an agreement between Fitzwilliam College and the RICS over the building of premises on the College site for shared use with the College. Peter Wilson, former proprietor of The Estates Gazette, gave a most generous benefaction to the RICS Education Trust to fund the new buildings and launch the new venture in late 1993. In recognition of this, the College named the new buildings Wilson Court and the educational facility was established as The Wilson Centre.

The Wilson Centre, now trading as Cambridge International Land Institute, is a charitable independent registered company limited by guarantee, governed by its own Board under the chairmanship of Duncan Preston of JonesLangLasalle. The first Director, Wally Kumar, was succeeded by Dr. Derek Nicholls (former Head of Department of Land Economy and Lecturer at the University of Cambridge), who retired in 2004. The current Director is Dr. William Seabrooke. For further information http://www.cili.org.uk/cili/staff.htm.