Kaplan Inc., the for-profit U.S.-based education provider, announced yesterday a joint venture with the University of Adelaide in Australia that will create the company’s first international campus.
A subsidiary of the Washington Post Company that started off in the test preparation business, Kaplan has expanded its operations in recent years and now provides an array of higher education programs, English language courses, professional training, and tutoring services. It has operations in more than 30 countries and annual revenues of $US 2.3 billion.
Kaplan already boasts that it’s one of the largest providers of real estate and financial services training in Australia, which in some eyes I suppose qualifies it for an easy leap into the country’s university market. As part of their business deal, Adelaide and Kaplan are planning to offer on-line courses in “high quality career-oriented educational programs” – that is to say, finance and business.
Incredibly, officials from Kaplan and Adelaide are proudly claiming their business partnership is meant to “break down barriers to education.” Now, would that be the barriers between public and private?
Interestingly, financial details of the joint venture have not been released.
