US for-profit educator unveils Asian expansion plans
One of America's largest for-profit education organisations plans a dramatic expansion of its operations by linking up with universities across Asia and Europe.
The announcement by Kaplan follows its purchase last week of the Singapore-based Asia Pacific Management Institute (APMI).
The institute was founded in 1988 as a higher education provider for undergraduate and postgraduate students, executives and managers in Asia.
It has 1,300 Hong Kong managers and executives enrolled in its programmes, with another 1,300 in Singapore, Australia and other parts of Asia while also running authorised learning centres in major mainland cities.
Higher education institutions involved with APMI include the University of South Australia, La Trobe and Monash universities in Melbourne, Tsinghua University in Beijing, National University of Ireland, Britain's University of Hull and Southern Illinois University.
The South Australian university is a major partner with APMI which distributes 14 of its degrees in Singapore, five in Hong Kong and two in Taiwan.
Kaplan is a US$1.1 billion a year education services provider offering higher education, professional training and test preparation, plus services for primary schools and after-school learning programmes.
The firm runs its own online university, along with test preparation services for students in Hong Kong, but also operates on the mainland and in Singapore through the Financial Training Company, a provider of education for accounting and financial services professionals.
Chief executive of Kaplan International, William Macpherson, said the company would provide APMI with its extensive student recruitment network in countries such as the mainland, India, Vietnam, Korea and Japan.
'APMI will enhance Kaplan's leading higher education and professional training programmes with its strong postgraduate offerings and established educational network in Singapore and Hong Kong,' Mr Macpherson said.
He said Singapore appealed to Kaplan because of the government's strong pro-educational policies, its reputation for transparency and good governance, and its attractive position as a hub for its Asia Pacific operations.
APMI managing director Andrew Chen said his company had experienced 15 years of solid growth and the Kaplan takeover provided the opportunity for continued expansion in the region.
'We will be offering a wider range of courses and establishing more partnerships with universities regionally,' Mr Chen said. 'In addition, we will now be able to leverage Kaplan's reputation.'
