Navitas in JV with Edith Cowan University

Education provider Navitas has entered into a joint venture agreement with Edith Cowan University for its pathway college, PIBT.

Under the agreement, the PIBT college will be renamed Edith Cowan College, and will be equally owned and operated by the two parties.

The college will continue providing English language, pre-university, international study tours and university pathway programs to international and domestic students at ECU’s Joondalup and Mt Lawley campuses.

“As ECC is an existing profitable operation, no additional funding is required from either party,” Perth-based Navitas said in a statement.

“ECC will continue to deliver all of its existing programs with the joint venture model also expected to provide further opportunity for program and product expansion in the coming years.”

The college will be governed by a board of directors with equal representation from Navitas and ECU, as well as an independent chair.

Navitas chief executive Rod Jones said the joint venture model would allow the company to broaden its relationship with ECU.

“(It will also) provide more opportunities for international and domestic students to enter higher education at a leading Western Australian university recently ranked one of the world’s best young universities,” he said.

ECU vice-chancellor Steve Chapman said the launch of ECC was a pivotal development for the university in its 25^th anniversary.

“ECU is developing a new strategic plan with ambitious goals in research, internationalisation, and learning and teaching,” Professor Chapman said.

“The launch of ECC will re-establish ECU’s international growth strategy, ensure an excellent student experience for students joining the university from around the world, and set in place a modern, internationally competitive business model for pathway program delivery.”

Navitas shares were 1 per cent lower to $4.99 each at 10:40am.