CDU expands language, hospitality offerings via FNQ

Charles Darwin University has taken over one of the oldest language training centres in the country as part of its acquisition of two education businesses in Cairns in Far North Queensland.

The university has acquired both the Cairns Language Centre (CLC) and the Cairns Business College (CBC) in an arrangement that will see the businesses move from private ownership for the first time in 50 years.

Founder and former owner Mrs Robyn White said she was delighted with the development, which would ensure strong futures for both educational enterprises. 

“While it has been wonderful to have founded the CLC just over 50 years ago and to steer its growth, both businesses will benefit enormously from the input of the university’s widely recognised expertise as an education and training provider,” she said.

“The CLC provides a wide range of classes including general English, English for academic purposes, examination preparation and high school preparation. It is particularly popular with Japanese and, increasingly, Chinese students.

“The CLC is one of only three Eurocentres language schools operating in Australia and is a Cambridge Examination Centre for the Cairns region. 

“It also operates as the Centre Manager for the Cambridge Examinations in Papua New Guinea,” Mrs White said. 

The Eurocentres network spans Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan, and provides high-quality language teaching. The CBC specialises in qualifications for the business, tourism and hospitality industries.

The Vice-Chancellor of CDU, Professor Simon Maddocks, said he welcomed the addition of the CLC and the CBC to the university, which comprised 11 campuses and centres located across the NT and in Sydney and Melbourne. 

“We are delighted that these businesses have joined our operations,” Professor Maddocks said.

“The CLC has an outstanding reputation and it has obvious synergies with the CBC and with CDU. Language education and tourism and hospitality training are sectors that are important not only in the Northern Territory, but also in the greater Australian region that the university serves,” he said.

CDU, which has its headquarters in Darwin in the Northern Territory, retained its position among the world’s top 300 universities in Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings in 2016. 

Times Higher Education also placed CDU in joint 34th position in its 2017 rankings of the best 150 universities in the world aged less than 50 years.