Kaplan Enters Strategic Partnership With Beijing New Channel Education

Thursday October 12, 8:30 am ET
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kaplan, Inc., a leading global education firm, has entered into a strategic partnership with Beijing New Channel Education and Cultural Development Co., Ltd. The deal includes an agreement to license Kaplan's state-of-the-art English language training products to New Channel, which has 80,000 students in China. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

New Channel provides English-language training and test preparation for students seeking to take required Chinese university language exams. The company has 10 learning centers located within or adjacent to universities.

"This agreement joins a world leader in test preparation and English language training with a growing Chinese education provider," said William Macpherson, CEO of Kaplan International. "We look forward to helping New Channel emerge as a market leader in this sector."

New Channel, based in Beijing, was founded in 2004 by Professor Hu Min, a recognized leader in the field of English language training in China.

"We are delighted that Kaplan has chosen to work with New Channel, and look forward to working together to bring language education in China to the next level," said Professor Hu.

Kaplan now offers English language training at 17 centers around the globe, including operations in the U.K., Canada and the U.S. Earlier this week Kaplan announced its acquisition of Aspect, a U.K.-based English language instruction firm with centers in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S.


About Kaplan, Inc.
Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO - News). In addition to test preparation, it provides higher education, professional training, primary and secondary school services and after-school learning programs. Its 2005 revenue was more than $1.4 billion.

Kaplan's holdings outside the United States include: FTC Kaplan (formerly the Financial Training Company), a leading provider of test preparation services for accounting and financial service professionals in the U.K., Hong Kong and Singapore; Asia Pacific Management Institute (APMI), one of Asia's largest private education providers based in Singapore; the Hong Kong Putonghua Vocational School, a Mandarin-language training school in Hong Kong; Dublin Business School, one of Ireland's largest private university-level institutions; Holborn College, a U.K. leader in international education; Tribeca Learning Limited, a leading provider of education to the Australian financial services sector; and Kidum, a leading provider of test preparation in Israel.

Contact:
Press:
Kaplan, Inc.
New York:
Dick Riley, 212-492-5854
or
Asia:
Mark Coggins, 852-2116-3171
or
New Channel
John Gordon, 86-133-113-81869
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Source: Kaplan, Inc.