Media Release
For immediate release
15 February 2001
Multinational invests in New Zealand education
International language school organisation, Hawthorn English Language Centres, has invested in established Auckland
language school Active English. The new Centre will be formally opened at 5.30 by The Hon Phil Goff, Minister for
Foreign Affairs and Trade, in a ceremony which will feature the Minister painting the eye of a Daruma Doll„oa fun and
colourful Japanese tradition.
Hawthorn Auckland is the first overseas investment for MEI, the University of Melbourne¡¦s commercial arm, says group
managing director, New Zealander David Lloyd.
¡§Auckland is the first of a planned international chain of 30 language centres. We will be focussing on teaching
English for Academic Purposes (EAP) to overseas students, most of whom will go on to study as full fee paying students
at Auckland University and other local tertiary institutions.
¡§We also believe it is important for as many staff as possible to be Kiwis. New Zealand is internationally recognised
as having top quality teachers. Students coming to New Zealand do so because of the reputation this country has
academically, environmentally and culturally. The strategy is one of going global by acting local, and that will pay
dividends for New Zealanders as well as the Australian parent company.¡¨
David Lloyd says MEI¡¦s investment in New Zealand will mean more full fee paying students in local tertiary
institutions, more jobs for teachers, and the opportunity for New Zealanders to work in Hawthorn English Language
Centres in other countries.
¡§New Zealanders are sought after as English as a Second Language (ESL) and EAP teachers because they are well trained,
excellent workers, and are able to deal with a mix of cultures and customs and still get good learning outcomes.
¡§We believe that our involvement in the New Zealand market will help stimulate growth in both student numbers and the
development of other language schools and training institutions. Already worth $198 million to the Auckland economy
alone, we believe there is significant potential for growth in this sector.
¡§Hawthorn Auckland will also be branching out into other areas of its Melbourne parent¡¦s business competence,
including international project management.¡¨
MEI has a turnover of about A$50 million per annum with interests primarily in intellectual property management,
international project management, consultancy services and English language centres. In 1999 the organisation floated a
successful dot com company, and has been using the funds to build other businesses. The acquisition of the Auckland
language centre is one of these.
More information:
David Lloyd Niki McCartney
phone 0061-3-9810 3301 09-373 4489
d.lloyd@mei.unimelb.edu.au n.mccartney@hawthornenglish.co.nz
Journalists, photographers and news crews are welcome to attend the launch event. The Hon Phil Goff will paint the eye
of a Japanese Daruma Doll, and Hawthorn CEO Niki McCartney, MEI group manager David Lloyd and MEI chairman Geoff Rees
will be available for interview.
The function is at Hawthorn English Language Centre, Level 4, 345 Queen Street, Auckland, at 5.30 pm Friday 16 February.
Drinks and refreshments will be served. If you wish to attend, please indicate your interest to Niki McCartney, phone
(09) 373 4489.
David Lloyd will be in Auckland at the Centre from mid-afternoon 15 February.
Media Background
15 February 2001
MEI and Hawthorn English Language Centres
Introduction
Melbourne Enterprises International Ltd is the University of Melbourne¡¦s commercial arm. The company exists to develop
markets for University products and services and to handle aspects of the University¡¦s operations, which are most
appropriately run within a commercial environment. MEI has 220 staff worldwide and maintains offices in Hawthorn and
Carlton in Melbourne as well as Tokyo, Taipei, Jakarta, Auckland and Edinburgh.
MEI has four core businesses:
Intellectual property management and the commercialisation of research, largely handled through UniSeed Pty Ltd, a
seed-stage venture capital fund jointly owned with UniQuest, the commercial arm of the University of Queensland. This
involves the early identification and capture of bench-level research activities and the provision of support and advice
to render them into investible commercialisation propositions.
International Project Management, largely on contract to AusAID, the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations and the
World Bank. This involves the company in identification, tracking and bidding for aid management contracts. MEI¡¦s main
areas of expertise are technical and vocational education, legal/governance review, and environmental impact work.
Regionally the International Projects Division is largely Asia-Pacific focussed, with its largest involvements in
Indonesia and Vietnam. During 2000, MEI managed 13 large aid projects around the Asia-Pacific region and maintained its
position as one of Australia¡¦s largest providers of project management services to the Asian Development Bank and
AusAID.
Consultancy Services, essentially involving the promotion and management of University of Melbourne academic staff as
consultants and advisors to government and industry. This involves technical advice, expert witness and project
consultancies, mostly within Australia.
Hawthorn English Language Centres. MEI¡¦s first language centre in Hawthorn, Melbourne, exists primarily to prepare
international students for tertiary study at the University of Melbourne and elsewhere in Australia. The division now
also runs centres in Ho Chi Minh City, Auckland and Edinburgh and will establish centres in Vancouver and Dublin in
2001. It is intended that ¡§Hawthorn¡¨ will become a high quality network of around 30 owned and franchised centres
worldwide by 2004.
MEI New Zealand
MEI (New Zealand) Ltd is a New Zealand company owned by MEI in Australia. The CEO is Ms Niki McCartney, the previous
owner of language school Active English. All staff bar one secondment from Australia (the Director of Studies) are New
Zealanders.
MEI will branch out into the other areas of business competence in Australia, most importantly international project
management. This will most likely occur in 2002.
Hawthorn Auckland
The first four branch centres are being established by acquisition of existing businesses, and the first one in MEI¡¦s
business plan was Auckland. This involved an acquisition search resulting in the purchase of Auckland company, Active
English, which already had a significant reputation as a small, high quality, student centred school.
The Hawthorn language schools outside Melbourne do not exist to recruit students for the University of Melbourne, rather
to play an active role in the local tertiary recruitment market. The main product in Auckland is an English for Academic
Purposes (EAP) programme co-branded for the University of Auckland. This aims to convert students to tertiary enrolment
at the University and other tertiary institutions. MEI, through it¡¦s Hawthorn branded language centre, intends to
become a significant contributor to the New Zealand drive to attract international full fee paying students.
Hawthorn English Language Centres in 2001
In 2001 the Hawthorn English Language Centres Division will continue its expansion with new schools in Vancouver and
Dublin. By the end of 2001, the foundations for the intended global network will have been laid with six key schools
(Melbourne, Auckland, Edinburgh, Ho Chi Minh City, Vancouver and Dublin) in place and integrated quality control and
marketing systems implemented. Each school will also continue to pursue growth in its own traditional markets. In 2001,
however, the emphasis will be on inter-school relations and development, including working across the network on
curriculum development, quality assurance mechanisms, staff development and student services. In particular, this will
involve:
„h Consolidation of management information systems, including student administration, financial management and market
information
„h Developing consolidated educational program quality control mechanisms, including reporting, feedback and progress
monitoring
„h Developing a database of teaching and learning resources to enable information and resources to be exchanged across
the global network
„h Developing staffing and employment policies across the network which reflect local condition, but which provide
consistency in employment relations across all Hawthorn schools, and facilitate the transfer of staff between centres
„h Encouraging student transfer between Hawthorn centres
„h Developing pilot programs as opportunities arise, in order to trial Hawthorn programs in new markets, to test new
markets for English language training, or to assist in recruiting international students to study overseas at Hawthorn
centres.
Global Marketing Division
The Global Marketing Division exists to support the Hawthorn English Language Centres with coherent marketing for all
schools, and also to act in its own right as a service provider of marketing advice and support to key strategic
clients, such as the University of Melbourne, the University of Auckland and Trinity College, Melbourne. While the
Division¡¦s base is in Melbourne its responsibilities are global, and regional offices in Tokyo, Taipei, Jakarta and
Budapest handle much of its work. An additional office in Shanghai is planned for 2001.
The Division also acts as coordinator of the marketing activities of the individual Hawthorn schools, providing the
marketing staff of each with information and research support with the aim of ensuring that Hawthorn schools work
consistently and productively with student recruitment sources and networks around the world. This is a key element in
the quality assurance role of the Melbourne office.
More information:
David Lloyd Caleb Wright Niki McCartney
Group Managing Director GM Global Marketing CEO
MEI MEI Hawthorn Auckland
phone 0061-3-9810 3301 0061-3-9810 3274 09-373 4489
d.lloyd@mei.unimelb.edu.au c.wright@mei.unimelb.edu.au n.mccartney@hawthornenglish.co.nz