Queensland-based English language and vocational college, Browns, has opened its fifth campus to help it meet further growth estimates after experiencing a 30% increase in its student population last year, pushing it to become the state’s largest English language provider.
The new Brisbane campus, which joins two others also in the city as well as two Gold Coast locations, was opened by managing director Richard Brown and Queensland Government treasurer Curtis Pitt this week.
The campus is expected to generate A$7m in revenue per year.
“International students in Brisbane are demanding higher quality, faster access and more autonomy in the way they live and learn”
“International students in Brisbane are demanding higher quality, faster access and more autonomy in the way they live and learn,” Brown said.
To meet those demands, Brown said the new campus chose to remove traditional learning tools such as whiteboards, blackboards and projectors from its classrooms in favour of using 65-inch touchscreens, which he described as “a first of its kind in Queensland”.
Brown said the Queensland Government, which last year launched its International Education and Training Strategy to Advance Queensland 2016-2026 aiming to double the number of international students in the state to over 190,000 by 2026, had helped pave the way for the provider’s success.
A member of the advisory group during the consultation process of the strategy, Brown told The PIE News the government had taken a significant role in the promotion of international education and that he believed “there’s never been a better time for our industry.”
The fifth campus sees Browns continue to expand upon its 2003 beginnings when Brown and his sister Neisha launched the organisation, now hosting 4,000 international students each year across its campuses.
