Tue, May 21, 2013, 10:00 AM EDT - U.S. Markets close in 6 hrs.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSX: MBA and OTCQX: MBAIF) (“CIBT”) is
pleased to announce that its subsidiary, King George International
College (“KGIC”), one of the largest private English training schools in
Canada, has completed the construction of its Beijing Education Center
with plans to hold a grand opening ceremony in June 2013. The Beijing
Education Center (the “Center”) will be KGIC’s launch pad for a series
of education centers across China. The Center, whose study-abroad
language preparation courses are fully accredited, brings a strong
Canadian brand to students in China. KGIC’s preparation program creates
a pathway for students to enter into CIBT and KGIC’s articulation
schools and a bridge to support them with their transition into the
North American academic system.
KGIC sees great demand for its programs in China due to the rapidly
growing trend for English learning and studying abroad by Chinese
students. As more English training schools spring up, the Center will be
distinguished by its fully accredited, sizeable quality imported
programs and its strong Canadian brand. In addition, CIBT and KGIC have
numerous partner schools in Canada and the United States including
primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities. These partner
institutions will assist KGIC’s students in China to enter their schools
in North America.
The Center is located at the CBD (Central Business District), the
busiest and most well-known commercial area outside of the SOHO district
of Beijing, opposite of the China World Trade Center. The Center covers
500 square meters (5,000 square feet) in a class A office complex
featuring a modern interior, equipped with the latest learning
technology and CIBT’s distance learning platform, the Global Learning
Network.
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 student’s interactive skills
with Western teachers. CIBT Group has partnerships with elite primary
and secondary schools in North America with excellent academic ranking.
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 these elite
schools.
The EPE program (English for Post-Secondary Education) is an academic
English and learning skills training program for senior high school and
post-secondary students with an objective of advancing their study at
North American colleges or universities. KGIC has established pathway
programs with over 30 colleges and universities in North America. These
institutions fully recognize KGIC’s EPE program as a measurement of
English proficiency. Passing the EPE program would allow students to
apply directly with these well-regarded institutions without the
requirement of TOEFL and IELTS exams.
Programs to be offered at the Center were entirely developed by KGIC and
approved by Language Canada, a governing body for language schools in
Canada. KGIC students will gain the advantage of receiving western
accredited education with an increased likelihood of admission into a
North American college or university.
Pictures of KGIC Education Center can be viewed online at: http://cibt.net/kgic/
About King George International College:
King George International College (“KGIC”) is one of the largest private
English language training schools and business colleges in Canada and is
fully accredited by Language Canada and Private
Career Training Institutions Agency (of BC), with eight
campuses in British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia, Canada and
overseas recruitment agents all across the globe. KGIC provides a range
of education programs and training courses in the areas of university
pathway, business management, office management, and career training; a
wide array of English language training courses including ESL, TESOL,
power speaking and modern media, interpreting and translation, and
various forms of English language test preparation, among others. KGIC
enrolls about 8,000 international students a year from 42 countries.
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.
For more information contact:
Toby Chu
Vice-Chairman, President & CEO
CIBT Education Group Inc.
1-604-871-9909 Email: info@cibt.net
Investor Relations Contact:
Renmark Financial Communications Inc.
Barry Mire
Phone: (416) 644-2020
Email: bmire@renmarkfinancial.com
John Boidman
Phone: (514) 939-3989
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information
(the “forward-looking statements”) about CIBT Education Group Inc. 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 KGIC
Beijing Education Center, 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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