Australia’s University of Wollongong has continued its international expansion in a deal to acquire Malaysian-based private provider KDU University Colleges from investment firm Paramount Corporation Berhad.
“When we looked at where the opportunities were for continued growth and expansion, Malaysia met our criteria”
The deal will see UOW pick up a majority stake in KDU through subsidiary, UOW Global Enterprises, and create a physical presence in Malaysia for the first time. It previously delivering programs through a partnership with INTI International University & Colleges.
“As a pioneer in Malaysian education, KDU shares UOW’s spirit of innovation and focus on producing career-ready graduates to meet real-world needs. UOW also shares Paramount’s commitment to bringing education and communities together,” said UOW vice-chancellor Paul Wellings.
“We look forward to combining UOW’s internationally recognised teaching programs and personalised approach to students with KDU’s state-of-the-art campuses and vibrant, industry-focused programs.”
Formalised in mid-November, the deal still requires approval from Malaysia’s Ministry of Education to form the latest move by UOW to increase its offshore presence.
In 2015, the university acquired City University’s community college in Hong Kong and earlier established its campus in Dubai in 1993. Partnership arrangements have also been forged with providers in Singapore and China. It is also developing a new campus in Dubai, where UOW has had a presence for more than two decades.
“We see ourselves as becoming a truly global university,” UOW Global Enterprises chief executive Marisa Mastroianni told The PIE News.
“We saw the opportunity to have a footprint as a provider in country, and that’s our preferred way of operating. When we looked at where the opportunities were for continued growth and expansion, Malaysia met our criteria.”
According to figures from UOW, KDU’s annual turner over sits at AUD$80 million and has capacity to increase from 6,000 students per year to 13,000.
Mastroianni said UOW Global Enterprises’ goal was to further grow and expand over time.
In September 2018, UOW signed an agreement with English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur to train footballers on its campus from 2020.
