Global University Systems announces acquisition of Arden University
August 19, 2016
Global University Systems B.V. (“GUS”) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Arden University Limited (“Arden”), a specialist online distance and blended learning university with 6,500 students, from US-based Capella Education Company.
Aaron Etingen, Founder and CEO of GUS, said: “I am pleased to announce Arden University as the newest member of Global University Systems, with its strong position in the UK market for distance and blended learning. We look forward to working with Arden to build its offering of online and blended degree and masters programmes, to meet growing UK and international demand from employers and students for career-enhancing learning in the digital economy”.
Dr Philip Hallam, Vice Chancellor and CEO of Arden University, said: “I am very proud of our track record of pioneering new ways of learning in UK higher education. I am looking forward to working as part of GUS to realise our full potential to offer students in the UK and overseas a flexible and relevant university education. Although many things have changed over the past 25 years, our mission remains the same: to provide wider access to higher education, inspiring new ways to learn, and enriching people and their lives. GUS provides access to a global platform that will enable us to realise our ambitions.”
Global University Systems is a global education group made up of a number of prestigious institutions, offering a broad range of professional, vocational, graduate and post-graduate programmes to c.50,000 students each year from around 150 countries. It is based in some of the world’s biggest cities, with campuses in London, Birmingham and Manchester; across the Atlantic in Toronto and Vancouver; and across the globe in places such as Singapore and Hannover. GUS has a strong track-record in enhancing the performance and reputation of institutions; the University of Law, acquired in 2015, was recently ranked 1st in the UK for overall student satisfaction in the 2016 National Student Survey.
Arden University, previously Resource Development International (RDI), is a leading independent provider of UK university qualifications by distance learning. It offers more than 50 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to domestic and international students. RDI became Arden University in August 2015 having received confirmation from the UK government that it meets the criteria for University Title – the only specialist distance (online) learning university to launch in the UK in the last 50 years. RDI was granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers (TDAP) in April 2014.
Quayle Munro and Goldman Sachs acted as financial advisers to GUS.
