Tue, May 28, 2013, 10:00 PM EDT - U.S. Markets closed
VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSX: MBA and OTCQX: MBAIF) (“CIBT
Group”) is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, King George
International College (“KGIC”), one of the largest private English
training schools in Canada, has launched the 2nd and 3rd
KGIC Education Centers (the “Centers”) in Hangzhou, China, following the
launch of its Beijing KGIC Education Center. Hangzhou is located 180
kilometers southwest of Shanghai with population of 8.7 million and
considered one of the wealthiest cities in China.
The Centers were created from KGIC’s acquisition of Linkman
International Language Institute in March, 2013. These two Centers will
serve as KGIC’s English training brand in China and their opening
represents an important milestone in KGIC’s expansion plan within the
central China region. Unlike the growing number of KGIC franchisees
under development, these two Centers are wholly-owned subsidiaries of
KGIC. Programs offered at these locations are Canadian English
curriculums, with western instructors assisting students to adapt to the
North American school system, starting from kindergarten and primary
school through to university.
The two Centers in Wenyi and Xiaoshan (district of Hangzhou) cover 800
square meters (8,600 square feet) of campus space and are equipped with
the latest multimedia learning technology and CIBT Group’s interactive
learning platform, the Global Learning Network. The Centers currently
enroll over 500 students and KGIC expects to see a large increase in
registration due to its competitive advantage of offering western
curriculum leveraging a strong Canadian brand, and focusing on improving
students’ interactive skills in English for the real world.
The Center will offer two major programs aimed at the specific market
niches, “Youth Bridging” and “English for Post-Secondary Education”. The
Youth Bridging Program (“YBP”) is targeted at Kindergarten to grade 12
students that have a desire to learn English and to study at North
American primary or secondary schools. The Centers will help these
students with entrance exam and interview (listening and speaking)
preparations, with a focus on improving the student’s interactive skills
with Western teachers. The YBP program conducted in China creates a
steady pipeline of high academic achievers possessing the level of
English proficiency required to pass the vigorous interview and entrance
exam imposed by CIBT Group’s top-ranking elite school partners.
The EPE program (English for Post-Secondary Education) is an academic
English and university preparation program for senior high school and
post-secondary students with an objective of advancing their studies at
North American colleges or universities. KGIC has established pathway
programs with over 25 colleges and universities in North America. Many
of KGICs pathway partners recognize the EPE program as a measurement of
English proficiency, allowing students to begin their post-secondary
education without presenting a TOEFL or IELTS score.
Pictures of KGIC Education Center can be viewed online at: http://cibt.net/kgic/hz
About King George International College:
King George International College (“KGIC”) is one of the largest private
English language training schools in Canada, and is approved by
Languages Canada, with eight campuses in British Columbia, Ontario and
Nova Scotia, and overseas recruitment agents across the globe. KGIC
provides a range of English language training courses and education
programs in the areas of English as a second language (ages 6+),
university pathway, business English, powerspeaking and modern media,
and test preparation. KGIC also offers summer camps, winter camps and an
outdoor leadership program. KGIC enrolls about 8,000 students a year
with in-take throughout the year and program length ranging from 4 weeks
to 18 months. King George International Business College-Canada TESOL
Center (KGIBC-CTC”) is a business college registered with Private Career
Training Institutions Agency (of BC). It offers TESOL training, business
management, office management, interpreting and translation, and career
training.
About CIBT Education Group:
CIBT Education Group Inc. (“CIBT Group”) is an education management
company focused on the global education market since 1994. Listed in
Canada on the Toronto Stock Exchange and in the U.S. on the OTCQX
International, CIBT Group owns and operates a network of business,
technical and language colleges in North America and Asia. CIBT Group
offers cooperative joint programmes in 18 countries with over 50
campuses, recruitment offices and training centers enrolling over 13,000
students annually. Its subsidiaries include Sprott Shaw College
(established in 1903), Acsenda School of Management, CIBT School of
Business China, and King George International College. Through these
subsidiaries, CIBT Group offers Western and Chinese accredited business
and management degrees, programmes in college preparation, healthcare,
hotel management and tourism, English language training, English teacher
certification, junior and high school preparation programmes for
overseas study, and other career/vocational training. CIBT Group also
owns Irix Design Group, a leading design and advertising company based
in Vancouver, Canada, Global Career Center (“GCC”), and Global Education
Alliance (“GEA”). GCC is a job placement call center located in the
Philippines dedicated to providing employment services to CIBT Group
graduates for free throughout their careers. GEA is the premier solution
for international students wishing to enter elite kindergarten, primary,
secondary schools and universities in North America. Visit us online at www.cibt.net.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information
(the “forward-looking statements”) about CIBT Education Group Inc.
(“CIBT Group”) and its future plans. Forward-looking statements are
statements that are not historical facts. The forward-looking statements
in this news release are subject to various risks, uncertainties and
other factors that could cause the company's actual results or
achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by
forward-looking statements. With respect to statements in this news
release as to expectations for the KGIC Hangzhou Education Centers,
these risks, uncertainties and other factors include, without
limitation, uncertainty as to the company's ability to achieve the goals
and satisfy the assumptions of management; and general economic factors
and other factors that may be beyond the control of the company.
Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions and
expectations of the company's management at the time they are made, and
CIBT Group does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking
statements if those beliefs, opinions or expectations, or other
circumstances, should change.
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