CIBT Subsidiary Establishes Education Center in Beijing
May 21 st , 2013: 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 wellregarded 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.
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.