CIBT Education Group

Demand from Asia for High Quality Western Education


With a student population of over 700 million across Asia, the demand for higher education is growing rapidly and yet governments have done little to increase their seats for post-secondary studies. The increased demand with lagged supply presents a significant growth opportunity for CIBT in China.

Higher income households in China are the target market for western education providers, this market has the ability to pay for premium education and they have the desire give their family a better future. According to the National Bureau of Statistics in China, in 2015 6% of China’s quarter Billion+ urban households is expected to be higher income. The percentage is forecasted to be 10 times larger than it was in 2005, representing an astounding growth rate of 30% per annum over the 10 year period.

The global education market continues to see strong growth and western education in Asia remains a popular choice for Asian students because western-educated graduates are able to earn higher wages working for multinational companies in Asia or higher paying jobs in developed western countries. There are therefore significant opportunities in delivering western education in Asia and attracting affluent Asian students to study abroad in North America or Europe. Government-funded university and college systems are not meeting this burgeoning demand due to budget reductions and political pressure to prioritize local students' needs. CIBT Education Group (NYSE Amex and TSX symbol: MBA) has targeted the massive Asian education market of over 700 million students since 1994.


Business Model & Value Proposition


For centuries, western education has been greatly valued by the Asian culture due to better employment opportunities and career advancement. Multinational companies in Asia prefer candidates with a western education because they tend to understand their company’s western corporate culture and policies. Therefore, these companies are willing to pay higher wages to retain local Asian employees with western education supplemented by localized business network and relationships.

CIBT Education Group’s mission is export western education to Asia via traditional face-to-face delivery and live interactive technology. To complement that mission, CIBT created many pathway programs to attract international students to study at our North American campuses and earn a western degree or diploma, and ultimately provide our graduates with working experience in North America.

CIBT's Global Learning Network (“GLN”) offers international students western programs taught by North American instructors while the students remain in their home country. Upon completing our program with the GLN in Asia, students can choose to continue their studies in Canada at CIBT’s wholly owned colleges such as Sprott-Shaw Community College, Sprott-Shaw Degree College, or King George International College. Students also have the option to transfer to a public university within CIBT’s global network of public university partners. Most of CIBT’s students from abroad are eligible for a work permit in Canada and assistance in finding work will be provided by CIBT’s Global Career Center.

CIBT’s Global Career Center specializes in job search assistance for our graduates, which leads the graduating students to employment, permanent residence and immigration in Canada.