Churchlands-based education provider IBT Education Ltd will develop a pathway program provider for the Cambridge campus of Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, the company has announced.
Churchlands-based education provider IBT Education Ltd will develop a pathway program provider for the Cambridge campus of Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, the company has announced.
The full text of a company announcement is pasted below
IBT Education Limited (ASX: IBT) today expanded its presence in the United Kingdom with the signing of an agreement with Anglia Ruskin University (the "University") to establish Cambridge Ruskin International College ("CRIC").
IBT Chief Executive Officer Rod Jones said that the partnership entered into with Anglia Ruskin University is a significant step towards the next phase of IBT's growth plans in the UK.
"Anglia Ruskin University is an excellent institution with a proud history of providing education programmes that meet the needs of the community across a wide range of disciplines including the arts, business, science, education and healthcare," Mr Jones said.
"They are an ideal partner for IBT due to their large and growing international student base from all over the world."
"Based at the University's Cambridge campus, and building on almost 150 years of excellence in teaching, CRIC will offer pathway programmes to the University's undergraduate and graduate courses covering a wide range of subjects."
"We believe CRIC will offer a strong complement to the existing international student base at the University and provide long-term benefits for all the University's stakeholders, including students, professors, the campus community and the Cambridge community."
CRIC will be IBT's second new college in the UK since the opening of LIBT in 2003.
"The establishment of CRIC demonstrates our firm belief that our business model has huge growth potential in the UK building on our wealth of experience developed over the last 7 years," Mr Jones said.
"This agreement also steps up the organic growth plans of our University Programmes division, with numerous growth opportunities opening up for us in Australia and, increasingly, in select international markets."
"With the signing of this agreement, IBT now looks forward to a long and mutually-successful relationship with Anglia Ruskin University."
Anglia Ruskin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Michael Thorne said that Anglia Ruskin University was delighted to attract IBT as its strategic partner for the development of Cambridge Ruskin International College.
"Anglia Ruskin University is immensely proud of its service to its local community as well as its openness to a large community of international students attracted by our wide range of world leading undergraduate and graduate programmes," Professor Thorne said.
"IBT has developed significant experience in delivering pathway programmes in the United Kingdom since opening its first college here in 2000, and we believe they are the ideal partner to assist us with our plans to open the University to a far wider potential student cohort by smoothing the transition into the University's courses."
"Importantly, CRIC will also provide new opportunities for our teaching staff, the campus community and the wider local community by expanding the range of courses available and adding a new dimension to the education available at our Cambridge campus."
"As has been demonstrated in the past, pathway colleges such as CRIC offer a true win-win scenario for the University and IBT."
"I am excited by the prospect of working with the IBT team to make CRIC an outstanding Associate College of Anglia Ruskin University."
CRIC will be the fourth college opened by IBT in the UK. IBT established Hertfordshire International College of Business and Technology in 2000 and London International College of Business and Technology in 2003.
The long-term agreement signed between the University and IBT to establish CRIC provides similar terms to IBT's existing University Programme colleges.
The college is expected to commence teaching in September 2008 and offer a select range of pathway courses to international students seeking entry to the University's programmes. The initial courses offered by CRIC will be determined in consultation with the University in coming months.
