Tag Archives: EDU

Leading University Leverages Nintex Promapp® to Propel Process Excellence


University of Western Australia deploys the process mapping capabilities of the Nintex Process Platform to accelerate process improvement and underpin business continuity

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Sept. 14, 2020 — Nintex, the global standard for process management and automation, today announced that The University of Western Australia (UWA) has embarked on the deployment of Nintex Promapp®, the visual and easy-to-use process mapping and management capability of the Nintex Process Platform, to support long-term continuous process improvement across all its faculties and operations.

UWA is ranked in the top 100 of universities around the world, based on QS World University Rankings 2020, and provides world-class education, research and community engagement. It has nearly 24,000 students enrolled across three locations in Crawley, Claremont and Albany as well as in satellite educational facilities in Kalgoorlie.

The decision to leverage the process mapping capabilities of Nintex Promapp follows a requirement by the university for each faculty and operations area to document, understand and update their processes as well as support a culture of business continuity and improvement.

UWA needed to gain a best practice approach to all end-to-end processes from curriculum planning to timetabling and student enrolment, while achieving a more standardised approach and managing process variants effectively.

"We looked at several solutions but were impressed with Nintex’s ability to give us a whole-of-university approach for end-to-end document processes, as well as accountability and the tactical ability for all staff to  easily edit and update processes," says Emma Bailey, Continuous Improvement Manager, at UWA’s Office of Service Delivery.

The University of Western Australia chose Nintex Promapp because of the software’s central information repository where processes and all associated documentation can be maintained, and process owners and experts can own updates and improvements.

Processes and procedures are currently being documented in the university’s finance, HR and brand, marketing and recruitment teams and will roll out across campus management thereafter. Nintex Promapp is also supporting faculties with distinct requirements such as the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences , with service delivery in podiatry, dental clinics and rural medical placements, where the tool will help refine process hierarchies and associated documentation for coaching staff.

"Other benefits of using Nintex Promapp include the ability to easily move process hierarchies from a high-level process to a really detailed instruction," Bailey says. "The platform enables you to see links across processes and identify processes marked up for action. This will deliver a high-performance culture that is values-led, collaborative, open and ultimately supports all our centralised and remote staff."

The university predicts that long-term benefits from process management will include improved internal and external customer service by being able to provide transparency around specific processes.

"By having processes documented, we will reduce errors, gain efficiencies, and provide a standard service delivery," adds Bailey. "Process improvement will enable individuals to take responsibility for the processes they own and encourage them to provide feedback on processes they’re in, leading to greater staff satisfaction. We will create a working environment in which staff are inspired to give their best in process excellence every day and are motivated to be part of UWA’s success."

To experience the ease and power of the Nintex Process Platform for managing, automating and optimising processes request a personalised demo at https://www.nintex.com/request-demo/.

Media Contact
Laetitia Smith
Nintex
laetitia.smith@nintex.com
cell: +64 21 154 7114

About Nintex
Nintex is the global standard for process management and automation. Today more than 8,000 public and private sector clients across 90 countries turn to the Nintex Platform to accelerate progress on their digital transformation journeys by quickly and easily managing, automating and optimising business processes. Learn more by visiting www.nintex.com and experience how Nintex and its global partner network are shaping the future of Intelligent Process Automation (IPA).

Product or service names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

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China’s Largest K12 Online Education Platform Zuoyebang Showcased Its AI-Powered Education Solutions at 2020 CIFTIS

BEIJING, Sept. 12, 2020 — On September 4, Zuoyebang, China’s largest online education startup providing K12 tutoring, attended the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing. During CIFITS, Zuoyebang presented its cutting-edge suite of online education solutions including livestreaming courses, the latest Cocos-courseware for primary education, and Paperang P3 series miniature printer.

 "For Zuoyebang, 2020 has been a year of development and expansion," said Su Jing, Executive President of Zuoyebang. "Zuoyebang is committed to creating effective digital classrooms and tools for online learners. We are focused on providing quality alternatives to in-person teaching using cutting-edge AI and big data technology."

Showcased at CIFTIS 2020 was Zuoyebang’s Cocos-courseware, an AI-assisted learning platform that pairs students with teachers via livestreaming. Designed for primary school students that may struggle with concentrating and processing information, it uses gesture recognition, facial recognition, facial expression recognition and voice recognition to engage young learners. This software ensures students are paying attention by monitoring their levels of concentration and adapting to each individual, thus greatly enhancing results.

The company also unveiled its new Paperang P3 series printers equipped with cutting-edge OCR text recognition technology. By taking photos of mistakes, learners can easily print and categorize their mistakes and enhance their learning outcomes.

Zuoyebang took the opportunity to showcase its renowned Famous Teacher service. Led and designed by outstanding alumni from some of China’s most prestigious universities such as Peking and Tsinghua Universities, Zuoyebang’s Famous Teacher program requires exceptional teachers to analyze and recognize as well as overcome specific challenges in each student’s learning.

Zuoyebang takes its social responsibilities to next level by providing inclusive education to K12 students. Its Big Data Monitoring Platform Cungong can effectively learn and analyse user’s behaviour pattern so as to provide in-app personalized exercises and push messages to Zuoyebang’s users. It also filters offensive and negative language appeared on the platform to create healthy and safe learning environments for young learners.  

"We will always commite to boosting the development of educational innovations with technology in China," said Su.

About CIFTIS 2020
Under the theme of "Global Services, Shared Prosperity", CIFTIS 2020 is China’s largest offline service trade exhibition since the COVID-19 outbreak and attracted over 2,000 domestic and international brands.

About Zuoyebang
Established in 2015, Zuoyebang is the largest K12 online education platform in China. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services, including the Zuoyebang Super App, Zuoyebang Live Course App and the Zuoyebang Oral Arithmetic App. Zuoyebang currently has over 800 million registered users, of which 50 million are active daily and over 170 million are active monthly. With headquarters in Beijing, Zuoyebang has 11 branches across the country including Wuhan, Xi’an and Ji’nan. The Ed-tech startup currently employs over 22,000 staff nationwide and recruited an additional 10,000 staff to assist in job creation despite the pandemic in the first half of 2020. At the end of June 2020, Zuoyebang completed its Series E financing of US $750 million.

 

 

MoneyBrain, launched AI Tutor Service “SpeakNow” in China

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 11, 2020 — The world’s first artificial intelligence English conversation learning service, "SpeakNow," officially launched in China on September 1.

 

SpeakNow provides customized learning content to talk about simulations made up of real situations through 1:1 speaking with AI tutors. After the previous "SpeakNow App" achieved the top spot in the Google Play Store education field in just two months after its launch, "SpeakNow Kids," which added new technologies and various contents, has succeeded in succession, making its first step into the global market.

Based on the world’s best video synthesis technology researched and developed by domestic and foreign researchers, SpeakNow has been programmed to implement local native speakers in the video so that they can learn English as if they were talking to real people, unlike traditional 3D characters.

SpeakNow is based on a world’s first real-time video technology created by MoneyBrain that enables AI Tutors to create more than 80,000 sentences in real time in the order of the highest American usage, allowing them to have 1:1 conversations with users. Also, there are curriculum such as phonics and vocabulary books where you can listen to the sounds of the AI tutor and practice how to read the English language, and there are total of 2,000 English books read by the AI tutor, so users can listen to and read together.

SpeakNow will be able to have English conversation with tutors of various origins and genders depending on the learner’s taste, and models and public figures who have recently become a hot topic will soon be updated as AI tutors.

MoneyBrain recently announced that it wanted to provide a safe environment for anyone who has difficulty learning English due to limited face-to-face education with Covid-19, and developed SpeakNow to allow anyone from beginners of English to high-level learners to use the 365-day English conversation service.

Jang Se-young, CEO of MoneyBrain, said, "SpeakNow, launched by MoneyBrain, is an innovative AI service that can improve English conversation skills without time and place constraints, and we are determined to continue to make a big difference in English education."

About MoneyBrain

MoneyBrain is a startup that provides artificial intelligence services. MoneyBrain’s deep learning technology can analyze natural language and process voice and video, and it aims to provide interactive artificial intelligence services such as AI English conversation and AI virtual model.

Contacts
Jung Michael, Global Sales team leader of MoneyBrain
mj@Moneybrain.ai

 

World’s first graduate-level AI university set to welcome global cohort of students from more than 30 countries


ABU DHABI, UAE, Sept. 10, 2020 — Launched as an open invitation from Abu Dhabi to the world to unleash AI’s full potential, the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the world’s first graduate-level, research-based artificial intelligence (AI) university, will welcome an international inaugural cohort of students when the first semester begins on 10 January, 2021.

 

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence Campus in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence Campus in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

 

MBZUAI extended admission offers to 101 students from 31 countries for the first academic year commencing in January 2021. Initial plans were to accept 50 students, however due to the impressive number of applications received, the decision was made to extend admissions offers to more students. Of these students, 82 have been offered admissions in the University’s MSc programs in Computer Vision and in Machine Learning, while 19 have been selected for MBZUAI’s PhD programs in the same fields.

Students in the first cohort come from across the world; 34 per cent of admitted students come from the Middle East, 38 per cent from Asia, 21 per cent from Africa, and nearly 10 per cent from the Americas and Europe. 

There will also be a strong female representation in MBZUAI’s first academic year with women comprising 30 per cent of admitted students. 

Admitted students have received education at some of the world’s leading universities, including prestigious institutions such as the National University of Singapore, University of Melbourne, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Purdue University, University of York, University of Minnesota, Queen’s University of Belfast, Arizona State University, and Khalifa University in the UAE.

Professor Sir Michael Brady, Interim President, MBZUAI, said: "The University received applications from some exceptionally talented graduate students from nearly 100 countries, all of whom have compelling and unique stories. This incredibly diverse first cohort will truly bring the world to MBZUAI, creating a multicultural campus that celebrates diversity and international collaboration. Our hope from the very beginning was for MBZUAI to inspire the development of AI on a global scale. With students from around the world, all of whom come from different backgrounds and industries, this is a solid start to realizing the full potential of AI for positive progress around the world."  

Kevin Michael Toner, from Ireland, will join the University’s MSc Computer Vision program. "Today artificial intelligence is redefining the future of every industry and impacting human lives in an unprecedented way. As demand for specialized AI education increases globally, joining a world-class university like MBZUAI will help expand my horizons and connect me to an international network of AI industry experts. I am looking forward to both practical experiences and research opportunities, hopefully contributing to real-life applications of this fascinating technology."

With the first admissions cycle successfully completed, the University has recently started accepting applications for the Fall 2021 cohort  for the MSc and PhD programs in Computer Vision and Machine Learning. Full admissions requirements and deadlines can be found on MBZUAI’s website, mbzuai.ac.ae.

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China Online Education Group Announces Second Quarter 2020 Results

Second quarter net revenues increased by 40.0% year-over-year
Second quarter GAAP/non-GAAP net margin were 6.6%/8.0% respectively

BEIJING, Sept. 8, 2020 — China Online Education Group ("51Talk" or the "Company") (NYSE:COE), a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education, announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020.

Second Quarter 2020 Financial and Operating Highlights

  • Net revenues were RMB493.5 million (US$69.8 million), a 40.0% increase from RMB352.6 million for the second quarter of 2019.
  • Gross margin was 70.9%, compared with 69.5% for the second quarter of 2019.
  • GAAP net income was RMB32.8 million, representing GAAP net margin of 6.6%, compared with GAAP net loss RMB33.2 million and GAAP net margin of negative 9.4% for the second quarter of 2019.
  • Non-GAAP net income was RMB39.6million, representing non-GAAP net margin of 8.0% compared with non-GAAP net loss RMB27.6 million and non-GAAP net margin of negative 7.8% for the second quarter of 2019.
  • Operating cash inflow was RMB172.1 million (US$24.4 million), compared with RMB99.2 million operating cash inflow for the second quarter of 2019.
  • Cash, cash equivalents, time deposits and short-term investments balance reached RMB1,426.7 million (US$201.9 million) as of June 30, 2020.
  • Gross billings[1] were RMB676.4 million (US$95.7 million), a 35.7% increase from RMB498.5 million for the second quarter of 2019, the highest year-over-year growth rate since the first quarter of 2018.

Key Financial and Operating Data

For the three months ended

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Y-o-Y

2019

2020

Change

Net Revenues (in RMB millions)

352.6

493.5

40.0%

K-12 one-on-one mass market offering

259.6

417.9

61.0%

K-12 small class offering

33.1

28.5

(13.8%)

One-on-One others

59.9

47.0

(21.4%)

Gross billings (in RMB millions)

498.5

676.4

35.7%

K-12 one-on-one mass market offering

418.5

612.5

46.4%

        K-12 small class offering

33.0

42.4

28.5%

One-on-One others

47.0

21.5

(54.3%)

Active students[2] (in thousands)

233.4

298.2

27.8%

[1] Gross billings for a specific period, which is one of the Company’s key operating data, is defined as the total amount of cash received for the sale of course packages and services in such period, net of the total amount of refunds in such period.

[2] An "active student" for a specified period refers to a student who booked at least one paid lesson, excluding those students who only attended paid live broadcasting lessons or trial lessons.

"We extended our outstanding performance by delivering another quarter of robust across-the-board results in the second quarter," said Mr. Jack Jiajia Huang, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 51Talk.  "These results were fueled by the continued optimization of our K-12 one-on-one mass market strategy in non-tier-one cities[3] as well as the overall growing market awareness and acceptance of online education brought about by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial highlights of the second quarter include our net revenues increasing 40.0% year-over-year to reach RMB493.5 million, a figure 5.0% above the high end of our guidance. Net revenues from our core K-12 one-on-one mass market offerings increased 61.0% year-over-year to reach RMB417.9 million. Furthermore, our gross billings reached RMB676.4 million, growing 35.7% year-over-year and recording the highest growth rate since the first quarter of 2018. Our K-12 one-on-one mass market gross billings grew 46.4% year-over-year to RMB612.5 million, accounting for 90.6% of our total gross billings.

"Operationally, our teams continued to execute well and capture market opportunities. We grew our number of second quarter active students by 27.8% year-over-year. To augment our K-12 offerings, we recently launched brand new Level-K courses for kindergarten students aged 3 to 5, aiming to broaden our student base and build good study habits from a young age through our platform. We also held tournaments for our flagship China Youth Talk speech contest between April and August. This high-profile event attracted more than 500,000 K-12 aged contestants from across the country and showcased the achievements among some of the most talented youth. In the second quarter we embarked on a brand uplift effort in the Philippines to further burnish our already strong appeal among existing and potential instructors. A highlight of this campaign is the appointment of Ms. Pia Wurtzbach, a former Miss Universe with strong popularity among our target instructor demographic, as our brand ambassador in the Philippines. With her appointment and our continuous promotion efforts, we further strengthened our leadership position in online education and effectively promoted teaching careers at 51Talk for Filipinos with high English proficiency, passion for teaching, and familiarity with the Chinese culture.

"Additionally, I am pleased to announce that on September 2, at the K-12 Online Education Service and Evaluation Standard conference, we presented the first-ever enterprise standards. The standards were also recently published through the Standard Platform of the Standardization Administration of China. During the conference, we signed the K-12 Online Education Industry Self-discipline Convention, together with representatives from six other companies. Through strengthened self-disciplinary actions, these companies strive to lead by example in areas such as curriculum creation, class duration, foreign teacher selection, and tuition prepayment, amongst several others. Furthermore, we, along with other business representatives, experts and scholars kicked off a process to establish an evolving and formal K-12 Online Education Service and Evaluation Standard.  This would be an important step forward in the maturity of our industry and the standardization of the service scope and requirements for K-12 online education enterprises.

"In summary, we are proud of our second quarter achievements both financially and operationally. The firm’s organizational foundation built over the years, coupled with our sharp strategic focus in the K-12 one-on-one mass market in non-tier-one cities, has helped us emerge today in a stronger, better position.  As we move into the second half of 2020, I look forward to continuing to execute on our mission, bringing our strong value proposition to the market and delivering long-term benefit to all our stakeholders," concluded Mr. Huang.  

"I’m pleased to report another strong quarter marked by both continued top-line growth and robust profitability driven by our strategy to pursue healthy growth while keeping a close eye on operational efficiencies," said Mr. Min Xu, Chief Financial Officer of 51Talk. "During the second quarter, we achieved Non-GAAP net income of RMB39.6 million, as our net revenues and gross billings continued to expand. Excluding the RMB17.9 million favorable impact of government-related COVID-19 relief benefits received in the second quarter, our non-GAAP net profit margin would have been 4.4%, compared with a non-GAAP net margin of negative 7.8% for the second quarter of 2019. We are pleased to record operating cash inflow, a key metric of our financial health, of RMB172.1 million. Another highlight of the quarter was our successful follow-on public offering, which further strengthened our balance sheet and stimulated investor interest. I am confident that the Company is on the right track for continued growth and profitability."

[3] Tier-one cities include Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Tianjin.

Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results

Net Revenues

Net revenues for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB493.5 million (US$69.8 million), a 40.0% increase from RMB352.6 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily attributed to the increases in the number of active students and the average revenue per active student. The number of active students in the second quarter of 2020 was 298,200, a 27.8% increase from 233,400 for the same quarter last year. The average revenue per active student in the second quarter of 2020 increased by 9.5% year-over-year.

Net revenues from one-on-one offerings for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB464.9 million (US$65.8 million), a 45.5% increase from RMB319.5 million for the same quarter last year. Net revenues from small class offerings for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB28.5 million (US$4.0 million), a 13.8% decrease from RMB33.1 million for the same quarter last year.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB143.6 million (US$20.3 million), a 33.5% increase from RMB107.6 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in total service fees paid to teachers, mainly due to an increased number of paid lessons.

As part of Chinese government’s effort to ease the burden of businesses affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration temporarily reduced and exempted employer obligation on social security contributions from February 2020. The impact of coronavirus policies on cost of revenues was RMB0.4 million in the second quarter. Excluding the impact, total cost of revenues for the second quarter would have been RMB144.0 million (US$20.4 million), representing a 33.8% year-over-year increase.

Cost of revenues of one-on-one offerings for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB131.8 million (US$18.7 million), a 42.5% increase from RMB92.5 million for the same quarter last year. Cost of revenues of small class offering for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB11.7 million (US$1.7 million), a 22.1% decrease from RMB15.1 million for the same quarter last year.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin

Gross profit for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB349.9 million (US$49.5 million), a 42.8% increase from RMB245.0 million for the same quarter last year. Gross margin for the second quarter of 2020 was 70.9%, compared with 69.5% for the same quarter last year.

Excluding the positive impact of the coronavirus related exemption of employer obligation on social security contributions, gross profit and gross margin for the second quarter would have been RMB349.5 million (US$49.5 million) and 70.8% respectively.

Gross margin for one-on-one offerings in the second quarter of 2020 was 71.6%, compared with 71.1% for the same quarter last year. The increase was mainly attributable to a favorable mix of higher margin products. 51Talk’s small class offering gross margin for the second quarter of 2020 was 58.9%, compared with 54.5% for the second quarter of 2019. The increase was mainly due to a favorable mix of higher margin products.

Operating Expenses

Total operating expenses for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB332.4 million (US$47.1 million), an 18.7% increase from RMB280.1 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was the result of an increase in sales and marketing expenses and general and administrative expenses, partially offset by decreases of product development expenses.

Sales and marketing expenses for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB239.9 million (US$34.0 million), a 27.4% increase from RMB188.4 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was mainly due to higher marketing expenses and higher sales personnel costs related to increases in the number of sales and marketing personnel. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB237.4 million (US$33.6 million), a 26.8% increase from RMB187.3 million for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses, excluding branding expenses, were 30.7% of the gross billings for the second quarter of 2020, compared with 32.6 % for the same quarter last year. The impact of coronavirus policy related exemption of employer obligation on social security contributions on sales and marketing expense was RMB6.7 million in the second quarter. Excluding the impact, sales and marketing expenses for the second quarter would have been RMB246.6 million (US$34.9 million), representing a 30.9% year-over-year increase.

Product development expenses for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB38.6 million (US$5.5 million), a 6.6% decrease from RMB41.4 million for the same quarter last year. The decrease was primarily due to favorable COVID-19 policy related impact. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP product development expenses for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB37.0 million (US$5.2 million), a 7.0% decrease from RMB39.7 million for the same quarter last year. The impact of COVID-19 policy related exemption of employer obligation on social security contributions on product development expenses was RMB2.2 million in the second quarter. Excluding the impact, product development expenses for the second quarter would have been RMB40.8 million (US$5.8 million), representing a 1.4% year-over-year decrease.

General and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB53.9 million (US$7.6 million), a 7.0% increase from RMB50.4 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily due to the higher professional services fees in connection with the follow-on public offering. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP general and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2020 were RMB51.1 million (US$7.2 million), a 7.7% increase from RMB47.5 million for the same quarter last year. The impact of coronavirus policy related exemption of employer obligation on social security contributions on general and administrative expenses was RMB1.6 million in the second quarter. Excluding the impact, general and administrative expenses for the second quarter would have been RMB55.5 million (US$7.9 million), representing a 10.1% year-over-year increase.

Other income

As part of Chinese government’s effort to ease the burden of businesses affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the State Taxation Administration exempted a wide range of consumer services from value added tax (VAT) from January 2020. The income obtained by taxpayers from providing essential services shall be exempt from VAT. The favorable impact of coronavirus relief policies was RMB7.0 million in the second quarter.

On September 30, 2019, Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration announced that from October 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021, the taxpayers engaging in the provision of essential services are allowed to deduct an extra 15% of the deductible input tax for the current period from the payable tax. The impact of the policy of additional value-added tax credit for the income generated by the essential services provided by enterprises was RMB2.6 million in the second quarter.

Income/(loss) from Operations

Operating income for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB27.1 million (US$3.8 million), compared with loss from operations of RMB35.1 million for the same quarter last year. Operating income margin for the second quarter was 5.5%, compared with operating margin of negative 9.9% for the same quarter last year.

Non-GAAP operating income for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB34.0 million (US$4.8 million), compared with non-GAAP loss from operations of RMB29.4 million for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP operating income margin for the second quarter was 6.9%, compared with non-GAAP operating margin of negative 8.3% for the same quarter last year.

The total favorable impact of coronavirus relief policies was RMB17.9 million in the second quarter, including impact of coronavirus policy related exemption of employer obligation on social security contributions on income from operations of RMB10.9 million, in addition to coronavirus policy related VAT exemption of RMB7.0 million. Excluding the favorable impact, operating income and non-GAAP operating income for the second quarter would have been RMB9.2 million (US$1.3 million) and RMB16.1 million (US$2.3 million) respectively, representing 1.9% GAAP operating margin and 3.3% non-GAAP operating margin.

Net income/(loss)

Net income for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB32.8 million (US$4.6 million), compared with net loss of RMB33.2 million for the same quarter last year.  Net margin for the second quarter was 6.6%, compared with net margin of negative 9.4% for the same quarter last year.

Non-GAAP net income for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB39.6 million (US$5.6 million), compared with non-GAAP loss of RMB27.6 million for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP net margin for the second quarter was 8.0%, compared with non-GAAP net margin of negative 7.8% for the same quarter last year.

The favorable impact of coronavirus relief policies was RMB17.9 million in the second quarter. Excluding the favorable impact, net income and non-GAAP net income for the second quarter would have been RMB14.9 million (US$2.1 million) and RMB21.7 million (US$3.1 million), representing net margin of 3.0% and 4.4% respectively.

Basic net income per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB1.55 (US$0.22), compared with basic net loss per ADS of RMB1.62 for the same quarter last year. Diluted net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB1.44 (US$0.20), compared with diluted net loss per ADS of RMB1.62 for the same quarter last year. Each ADS represents 15 Class A ordinary shares.

Non-GAAP basic net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB1.87 (US$0.26), compared with non-GAAP basic net loss per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders of RMB1.34 for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP diluted net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB1.75 (US$0.25), compared with non-GAAP diluted net loss per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders of RMB1.34 for the same quarter last year.

The favorable impact of coronavirus relief policies was RMB17.9 million in the second quarter. Excluding the favorable impact, basic net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB0.70 (US$0.10) and non-GAAP basic net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB1.03 (US$0.15).

Excluding the favorable impact, diluted net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB0.65 (US$0.09) and non-GAAP diluted net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2020 was RMB0.96 (US$0.14).

Balance Sheet

As of June 30, 2020, the Company had total cash, cash equivalents, time deposits and short-term investments of RMB1,426.7 million (US$201.9 million), compared with RMB1,053.4 million as of December 31, 2019.

The Company had advances from students[4] (current and non-current) of RMB2,411.8 million (US$341.4 million) as of June 30, 2020, compared with RMB2,186.6 million as of December 31, 2019.

[4] "Advances from students", which is defined as the amount of obligation to transfer good or service to students or business partners for which consideration has been received from students in advance. The deposits from students are also presented in the total amount of "advances from students".

Outlook

We cannot predict whether the incremental revenue boost from students spending more time at home amidst the COVID-19 outbreak will continue during the remainder of 2020.  However, based on latest information available at the time of this release, for the third quarter of 2020, the Company currently expects net revenues to be between RMB525 million to RMB532 million, which would represent an increase of approximately 28.5% to 30.2% from RMB408.7 million for the same quarter last year;

The above outlook is based on the current market conditions and reflects the Company’s current and preliminary estimates of market and operating conditions and customer demand, which are all subject to change.

Conference Call

The Company’s management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on September 8, 2020 (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong time on September 8, 2020).

Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

United States (toll free):

1-866-264-5888

International:

1-412-317-5226

Mainland China:

400-120-1203

Hong Kong (toll free):

800-905-945

Hong Kong:

852-3018-4992

Participants should dial-in at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time and ask to be connected to the call for "China Online Education Group."

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.51talk.com.   

A replay of the conference call will be accessible until September 15, 2020, by dialing the following telephone numbers:

United States (toll free):

1-877-344-7529

International:

1-412-317-0088

Replay Access Code:

10147343

About China Online Education Group

China Online Education Group (NYSE: COE) is a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education. The Company’s mission is to make quality education accessible and affordable. The Company’s online and mobile education platforms enable students across China to take live interactive English lessons with overseas foreign teachers, on demand. The Company connects its students with a large pool of highly qualified foreign teachers that it assembled using a shared economy approach, and employs student and teacher feedback and data analytics to deliver a personalized learning experience to its students.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In evaluating its business, 51Talk considers and uses the following measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the SEC as supplemental metrics to review and assess its operating performance: non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses, non-GAAP product development expenses, non-GAAP general and administrative expenses, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income/(loss), non-GAAP net income/(loss), non-GAAP net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders, and non-GAAP net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders per share and per ADS. To present each of these non-GAAP measures, the Company excludes share-based compensation expenses. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP measures" set forth at the end of this press release.

51Talk believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance by excluding share-based compensation expenses that may not be indicative of its operating performance from a cash perspective. 51Talk believes that both management and investors benefit from these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning and forecasting future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management’s internal comparisons to 51Talk’s historical performance. 51Talk computes its non-GAAP financial measures using the same consistent method from quarter to quarter and from period to period. 51Talk believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision-making. A limitation of using non-GAAP measures is that these non-GAAP measures exclude share-based compensation expenses that have been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant recurring expense in the 51Talk’s business. Management compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from each non-GAAP measure. The accompanying table at the end of this press release provides more details on the reconciliations between GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures.

Exchange Rate Information

This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB7.0651 to US$1.00, the rate in effect as of June 30, 2020 as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "aims", "future", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "likely to" and similar statements. Among other things, 51Talk’s business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as 51Talk’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. 51Talk may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about 51Talk’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: 51Talk’s goals and strategies; 51Talk’s expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its brand and platform; 51Talk’s ability to retain and increase its student enrollment; 51Talk’s ability to offer new courses; 51Talk’s ability to engage, train and retain new teachers; 51Talk’s future business development, results of operations and financial condition; 51Talk’s ability to maintain and improve infrastructure necessary to operate its education platform; competition in the online education industry in China; the expected growth of, and trends in, the markets for 51Talk’s course offerings in China; relevant government policies and regulations relating to 51Talk’s corporate structure, business and industry; general economic and business condition in China, the Philippines and elsewhere and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in 51Talk’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and 51Talk does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

China Online Education Group
Investor Relations
+86 (10) 8342-6262
ir@51talk.com

The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
+86 (10) 6508-0677
+1 (212) 481-2050
51talk@tpg-ir.com

 

 

 

CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

 As of

Dec. 31,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

US$

ASSETS

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

342,951

317,385

44,923

Time deposits

144,093

220,334

31,186

Short-term investments

452,936

441,911

62,548

Inventory

308

962

136

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

250,215

268,246

37,968

Total current assets

1,190,503

1,248,838

176,761

Non-current assets

Property and equipment, net

20,336

19,651

2,781

Intangible assets, net

9,918

8,413

1,191

Goodwill

4,223

4,223

598

Right-of-use assets

56,638

62,075

8,786

Time deposits

113,415

447,095

63,282

Other non-current assets

6,784

10,362

1,467

Total non-current assets

211,314

551,819

78,105

Total assets

1,401,817

1,800,657

254,866

LIABILITIES

AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

Current liabilities

Short-term loan

16,578

Advances from students

2,181,808

2,408,570

340,911

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

166,955

197,760

27,991

Lease liability

31,550

34,287

4,853

Taxes payable

21,661

23,990

3,396

Total current liabilities

2,418,552

2,664,607

377,151

Non-current liabilities

Advances from students

4,783

3,220

456

Lease liability

23,545

27,059

3,830

Other non-current liabilities

1,595

1,775

251

Total non-current liabilities

29,923

32,054

4,537

Total liabilities

2,448,475

2,696,661

381,688

Total shareholders’ deficit

(1,046,658)

(896,004)

(126,822)

Total liabilities and shareholders’ deficit

1,401,817

1,800,657

254,866

 

 

 


CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS)/ INCOME

(In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended

For the six months ended

Jun. 30,

Mar. 31,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

2019

2020

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Net revenues[5]

352,603

487,084

493,471

69,846

672,677

980,555

138,789

Cost of revenues

(107,559)

(144,031)

(143,560)

(20,320)

(213,287)

(287,591)

(40,706)

Gross profit

245,044

343,053

349,911

49,526

459,390

692,964

98,083

Operating expenses

Sales and marketing expenses

(188,369)

(228,387)

(239,894)

(33,955)

(374,656)

(468,281)

(66,281)

Product development expenses

(41,362)

(35,867)

(38,616)

(5,466)

(82,063)

(74,483)

(10,542)

General and administrative expenses

(50,389)

(50,689)

(53,902)

(7,629)

(101,548)

(104,591)

(14,804)

Total operating expenses

(280,120)

(314,943)

(332,412)

(47,050)

(558,267)

(647,355)

(91,627)

Other income

16,761

9,628

1,363

26,389

3,735

(Loss)/income from operations

(35,076)

44,871

27,127

3,839

(98,877)

71,998

10,191

Interest income

3,556

7,577

8,735

1,236

6,607

16,312

2,309

Interest expenses and other expenses, net

(503)

(209)

(1,337)

(189)

(4,841)

(1,546)

(219)

(Loss)/income before income tax expenses

(32,023)

52,239

34,525

4,886

(97,111)

86,764

12,281

Income tax expenses

(1,182)

(1,447)

(1,759)

(249)

(2,330)

(3,206)

(454)

Net (loss)/income, all attributable to the Company’s
ordinary shareholders

(33,205)

50,792

32,766

4,637

(99,441)

83,558

11,827

Weighted average number of ordinary shares used
in computing basic (loss)/earnings per share

307,458,227

313,197,499

317,793,905

317,793,905

306,754,257

315,495,702

315,495,702

Weighted average number of ordinary shares used
in computing diluted (loss)/earnings per share

307,458,227

336,903,081

340,457,526

340,457,526

306,754,257

338,680,304

338,680,304

 

[5] By performing our last year-end financial closing procedures, we discovered an oversight in our process for evaluating the status of lessons that caused us to overstate net revenues during 2018 and in interim periods of 2019. The amounts were reflecting RMB2.9 million (including RMB 2.5 million out-of-period adjustment attributed to the year of 2018) and RMB0.8 million decreases to net revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and June 30, 2019, respectively.  Based on our quantitative and qualitative analysis, we do not consider the out of period impact to be material to our financial position or results of operations for any prior periods or for the quarter or year ended December 31, 2019.

 

 

 

  CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS)/ INCOME

(In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended

For the six months ended

Jun. 30,

Mar. 31,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

2019

2020

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Net  (loss)/earnings per share attributable to ordinary shareholders

     Basic

(0.11)

0.16

0.10

0.01

(0.32)

0.26

0.04

     diluted

(0.11)

0.15

0.10

0.01

(0.32)

0.25

0.03

Net (loss)/earnings per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders

     basic

(1.62)

2.43

1.55

0.22

(4.86)

3.97

0.56

     diluted

(1.62)

2.26

1.44

0.20

(4.86)

3.70

0.52

Comprehensive (loss)/income:

Net (loss)/income

(33,205)

50,792

32,766

4,637

(99,441)

83,558

11,827

Other comprehensive
(loss)/income

     Foreign currency translation
     adjustments

6,681

4,544

917

130

965

5,461

773

Total comprehensive
(loss)/income

(26,524)

55,336

33,683

4,767

(98,476)

89,019

12,600

Share-based compensation expenses are included in the operating expenses as follows:

Sales and marketing expenses

(1,119)

(2,302)

(2,447)

(346)

(1,403)

(4,749)

(672)

Product development expenses

(1,617)

101

(1,637)

(232)

(2,191)

(1,536)

(217)

General and administrative
expenses

(2,915)

(4,000)

(2,785)

(394)

(5,927)

(6,785)

(960)

 

 

 

 CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP 

 Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Comparable GAAP Measures 

  (In thousands except for number of shares and per share data) 

For the three months ended

 For the six months ended 

 Jun 30, 

 Mar. 31, 

 Jun 30, 

 Jun 30, 

 Jun 30, 

 Jun 30, 

 Jun 30, 

2019

2020

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020

 RMB 

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

 RMB 

 RMB 

 US$ 

Sales and marketing expenses 

(188,369)

(228,387)

(239,894)

(33,955)

(374,656)

(468,281)

(66,281)

Less: Share-based compensation
expenses 

(1,119)

(2,302)

(2,447)

(346)

(1,403)

(4,749)

(672)

Non-GAAP sales and marketing
expenses 

(187,250)

(226,085)

(237,447)

(33,609)

(373,253)

(463,532)

(65,609)

Product development expenses 

(41,362)

(35,867)

(38,616)

(5,466)

(82,063)

(74,483)

(10,542)

Less: Share-based compensation
expenses 

(1,617)

101

(1,637)

(232)

(2,191)

(1,536)

(217)

Non-GAAP product development
expenses 

(39,745)

(35,968)

(36,979)

(5,234)

(79,872)

(72,947)

(10,325)

General and administrative expenses 

(50,389)

(50,689)

(53,902)

(7,629)

(101,548)

(104,591)

(14,804)

Less: Share-based compensation
expenses 

(2,915)

(4,000)

(2,785)

(394)

(5,927)

(6,785)

(960)

Non-GAAP general and administrative
expenses 

(47,474)

(46,689)

(51,117)

(7,235)

(95,621)

(97,806)

(13,844)

Operating expenses 

(280,120)

(314,943)

(332,412)

(47,050)

(558,267)

(647,355)

(91,627)

Less: Share-based compensation
expenses  

(5,651)

(6,201)

(6,869)

(972)

(9,521)

(13,070)

(1,849)

Non-GAAP operating expenses 

(274,469)

(308,742)

(325,543)

(46,078)

(548,746)

(634,285)

(89,778)

(Loss)/income from operations

(35,076)

44,871

27,127

3,839

(98,877)

71,998

10,191

Less: Share-based compensation
expenses 

(5,651)

(6,201)

(6,869)

(972)

(9,521)

(13,070)

(1,849)

Non-GAAP (loss)/income from
operations

(29,425)

51,072

33,996

4,811

(89,356)

85,068

12,040

Income tax expenses 

(1,182)

(1,447)

(1,759)

(249)

(2,330)

(3,206)

(454)

Less: Tax impact of Share-based
compensation expenses 

Non-GAAP income tax expenses 

(1,182)

(1,447)

(1,759)

(249)

(2,330)

(3,206)

(454)

Net (loss)/income, all attributable to the
Company’s ordinary shareholders

(33,205)

50,792

32,766

4,637

(99,441)

83,558

11,827

Less: Share-based compensation
expenses 

(5,651)

(6,201)

(6,869)

(972)

(9,521)

(13,070)

(1,849)

Non-GAAP net (loss)/income, all
attributable to the Company’s ordinary
shareholders

(27,554)

56,993

39,635

5,609

(89,920)

96,628

13,676

Weighted average number of ordinary
shares used in computing basic
(loss)/earnings per share

307,458,227

313,197,499

317,793,905

317,793,905

306,754,257

315,495,702

315,495,702

Weighted average number of ordinary
shares used in computing diluted
(loss)/earnings per share

307,458,227

336,903,081

340,457,526

340,457,526

306,754,257

338,680,304

338,680,304

Non-GAAP net (loss)/earnings per share attributable to
ordinary shareholders 

  basic 

(0.09)

0.18

0.12

0.02

(0.29)

0.31

0.04

  diluted 

(0.09)

0.17

0.12

0.02

(0.29)

0.29

0.04

Non-GAAP net (loss)/earnings per ADS attributable to
ordinary shareholders

  basic

(1.34)

2.73

1.87

0.26

(4.40)

4.59

0.65

  diluted 

(1.34)

2.54

1.75

0.25

(4.40)

4.28

0.61

 

 

 

  CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP

UNAUDITED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

(In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended

For the six months ended

Jun. 30,

Mar. 31,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

2019

2020

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Net revenues

     One-on-one offerings

319,489

464,424

464,926

65,806

612,047

929,350

131,541

     Small class offerings

33,114

22,660

28,545

4,040

60,630

51,205

7,248

Total net revenues

352,603

487,084

493,471

69,846

672,677

980,555

138,789

Cost of revenues

     One-on-one offerings

(92,477)

(133,607)

(131,818)

(18,658)

(183,268)

(265,425)

(37,569)

     Small class offerings

(15,082)

(10,424)

(11,742)

(1,662)

(30,019)

(22,166)

(3,137)

Total cost of revenues

(107,559)

(144,031)

(143,560)

(20,320)

(213,287)

(287,591)

(40,706)

Gross profit

     One-on-one offerings

227,012

330,817

333,108

47,148

428,779

663,925

93,972

     Small class offerings

18,032

12,236

16,803

2,378

30,611

29,039

4,111

Total gross profit

245,044

343,053

349,911

49,526

459,390

692,964

98,083

Gross margin

     One-on-one offerings

71.1%

71.2%

71.6%

71.6%

70.1%

71.4%

71.4%

     Small class offerings

54.5%

54.0%

58.9%

58.9%

50.5%

56.7%

56.7%

Total gross margin

69.5%

70.4%

70.9%

70.9%

68.3%

70.7%

70.7%

 

 

 

CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP
UNAUDITED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
(In thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

For the three months ended

For the six months ended

Jun. 30,

Mar. 31,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

Jun. 30,

2019

2020

2020

2020

2019

2020

2020

RMB

RMB

RMB

US$

RMB

RMB

US$

Sales and marketing expenses

     One-on-one offerings

(173,811)

(215,510)

(225,226)

(31,879)

(344,660)

(440,736)

(62,382)

     Small class offerings

(14,558)

(12,877)

(14,668)

(2,076)

(29,996)

(27,545)

(3,899)

Total sales and marketing expenses[6]

(188,369)

(228,387)

(239,894)

(33,955)

(374,656)

(468,281)

(66,281)

Product development expenses

     One-on-one offerings

(36,234)

(31,982)

(35,102)

(4,969)

(71,403)

(67,084)

(9,495)

     Small class offerings

(5,128)

(3,885)

(3,514)

(497)

(10,660)

(7,399)

(1,047)

Total product development expenses[7]

(41,362)

(35,867)

(38,616)

(5,466)

(82,063)

(74,483)

(10,542)

General and administrative expenses

     One-on-one offerings

(45,845)

(47,297)

(50,509)

(7,149)

(90,779)

(97,806)

(13,844)

     Small class offerings

(4,544)

(3,392)

(3,393)

(480)

(10,769)

(6,785)

(960)

Total general and administrative expenses[8]

(50,389)

(50,689)

(53,902)

(7,629)

(101,548)

(104,591)

(14,804)

Operating expenses

     One-on-one offerings

(255,890)

(294,789)

(310,837)

(43,997)

(506,842)

(605,626)

(85,721)

     Small class offerings

(24,230)

(20,154)

(21,575)

(3,053)

(51,425)

(41,729)

(5,906)

Total operating expenses

(280,120)

(314,943)

(332,412)

(47,050)

(558,267)

(647,355)

(91,627)

Other income

     One-on-one offerings

15,536

7,884

1,116

23,420

3,315

     Small class offerings

1,225

1,744

247

2,969

420

Total other income

16,761

9,628

1,363

26,389

3,735

(Loss)/income from operations

     One-on-one offerings

(28,878)

51,564

30,155

4,267

(78,063)

81,719

11,566

     Small class offerings

(6,198)

(6,693)

(3,028)

(428)

(20,814)

(9,721)

(1,375)

Total (loss)/income from operations

(35,076)

44,871

27,127

3,839

(98,877)

71,998

10,191

 

[6]Share-based compensation expenses included in the sales and marketing expenses for one-on-one offerings and small class offerings were RMB2,308 and RMB139 respectively for the second quarter of 2020, and RMB1,075 and RMB44 respectively for the second quarter of 2019.

[7]Share-based compensation expenses, included in the product development expenses for one-on-one offerings and small class offerings were RMB1,056 and RMB581 respectively for the second quarter of 2020, and RMB1,223 and RMB394 respectively for the second quarter of 2019.

[8]Share-based compensation expenses, included in the general and administrative expenses for one-on-one offerings and small class offerings were RMB2,743 and RMB42 respectively for the second quarter of 2020, and RMB2,888 and RMB27 respectively for the second quarter of 2019.

 

 

Related Links :

http://ir.51talk.com

China’s Largest K12 Online Education Platform Zuoyebang Sees 390% Surge in Paid Users This Summer

BEIJING, Sept. 7, 2020 — On August 31, Zuoyebang, China’s largest online education startup providing tutoring to primary and secondary students, released its performance for summer 2020 season. Zuoyebang continues to lead China in paying course students, growth rate and scale of users, while its student acquisition costs are the lowest in China’s online education industry.

Over the summer, Zuoyebang’s total paid live streaming course enrollments grew 390% year-on-year to 7.8 million total enrollments. More than 1.71 million students opted for courses with no discounts, which was an increase of 350% year-on-year. Of these students, over 67% were converted from Zuoyebang’s Super APP, an online learning assistance platform – significantly reducing the cost of new student sign-ups and allowing the company to keep its recruitment costs at less than half the industry average.

To date, Zuoyebang has reached over 50 million total daily active users and 170 million monthly active users across its suite of mobile education apps. In addition, more than 60% of all users live outside China’s first- and second-tier cities – furthering the provider’s commitment to an inclusive education.

"Zuoyebang’s continued success comes as a result of our innovative use of new technologies and ongoing traffic acquired from the Zuoyebang Super APP. Our unique strategy enables us to achieve both scale and efficiency and sets us up with strong foundations for future growth," said Chen Gongming, Co-founder of Zuoyebang.

"The more functional and comprehensive Zuoyebang is, the better the user experience. As students use the Zuoyebang Super APP, we gather valuable data that allows us to deliver tailored course recommendations specific to their educational needs," added Luo Liang, Zuoyebang’s Vice President.

Online education has boomed in China in recent years, and this upward trend is set to continue. Throughout the first half of 2020, over 194 million Chinese K12 students have made the switch from offline to online learning on the wake of the pandemic.

"Looking ahead, Zuoyebang will explore opportunities to develop new courses and expand with new business models. We remain agile and fully committed to developing education for our students. The possibilities are truly endless," said Gongming.

About Zuoyebang

Zuoyebang was established in 2015. As the largest K12 online education platform in China, Zuoyebang offers a comprehensive suite of services including the Zuoyebang Super App, Zuoyebang Live Courses App, Zuoyebang Oral Arithmetic App. Zuoyebang currently has over 800 million users registered in total, with over 50 million daily active users and over 170 million monthly active users. Headquartered in Beijing, Zuoyebang has 11 branches across the country including Wuhan, Xian and Jinan. The edtech startup currently employs over 22,000 staff nationwide and plans to recruit an additional 10,000 staff to assist in job creation in the first half of 2020. At the end of June, Zuoyebang completed its Series E financing of US $750 million.

ESCP study reveals: New Digital Risers challenge incumbents

France top Digital Riser, China gains significantly, USA loses

BERLIN, Sept. 7, 2020 — Digital incumbents increasingly face new and dynamic competitors from around the world. While countries such as USA, Sweden and Singapore are often perceived as digital champions, a new study indicates that they are not necessarily dynamic Digital Risers. Only Singapore has managed to improve its relative position slightly over the last three years. In contrast, the USA and Sweden have actually lost ground over the same period. "We are in the middle of a digital revolution that is very likely being accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic," says Professor Philip Meissner of the European Center for Digital Competitiveness by ESCP Business School Berlin campus.

ESCP Graph 1: Digital Riser Ranking: Group of 7 (G7)
ESCP Graph 1: Digital Riser Ranking: Group of 7 (G7)

Within the G7, France was able to advance most in its relative digital competitiveness between 2017 and 2019, which makes the country the top "Digital Riser" in this group; conversely, Italy and Germany decreased most within the G7. This is the result of the Digital Riser Report 2020, devised by the European Center for Digital Competitiveness by ESCP Business School in Berlin. The report analyses and ranks the changes that countries around the globe have seen in their digital competitiveness over the last three years based on data from the Global Competitiveness Report issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The ranking also reveals clear dynamics regarding the two global digital superpowers. It shows that China has gained significantly in digital competitiveness, while the USA has lost out over the same time period.  

The top Digital Risers all had one thing in common: they have followed comprehensive, swiftly implemented plans along a long-term vision around digitisation and entrepreneurship. France’s example shows that governments that invest heavily in start-ups and employ lighthouse projects such as La French Tech can greatly increase their country’s digital competitiveness in a short timeframe.

More information: www.digital-competitiveness.eu/digitalriser

ESCP Business School

ESCP Business School was founded in 1819. The School has chosen to teach responsible leadership, open to the world and based on European multiculturalism. The School has campuses in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin and Warsaw. 

Photo – https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/escp-study-reveals-new-digital-risers-challenge-incumbents-2.jpg  
Photo – https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/escp-study-reveals-new-digital-risers-challenge-incumbents.jpg

Press Contact
Markus Foederl 
Markus.Foederl@glh-online.com 
+49 (0)172 9051869

(c) ESCP. Graph 2: Digital Riser Ranking: Group of 20 (G20). 1) Turkey is not included due to a lack of data in three out of the five mindset dimensions. 2) EU is not included since it is a collection of countries.
(c) ESCP. Graph 2: Digital Riser Ranking: Group of 20 (G20). 1) Turkey is not included due to a lack of data in three out of the five mindset dimensions. 2) EU is not included since it is a collection of countries.

 

Adecco Group Announces Jordan Topoleski, 20, from the United States as 2020 “CEO for One Month”


Preparing the Next Generation to Lead in Uncertain Times

Program Builds Next Gen Leaders with Focus on a "New Leadership Profile"

ZURICH, Sept. 4, 2020

  • Jordan Topoleski, 20, from the United States has been named as the Global CEO for One Month to work alongside Alain Dehaze, CEO, the Adecco Group
  • Adecco Group CEO for One Month program builds next generation leaders, with a focus on the new profile of leadership required in a post-pandemic world of work
  • The pandemic has demanded a new set of required leadership competencies and these expectations will accelerate the reinvention of the modern-day leader.

Jordan Topoleski, 20, from the United States was today named the Adecco Group’s 2020 Global CEO for One Month. For the first time, the program was performed fully online. The CEO for One Month program is designed to build the next generation of leaders, informed by Adecco Group research that shows the emergence of a new profile of skills and qualities needed for future leaders to succeed in an increasingly uncertain world.

 

 

Following an eight-month selection process involving more than 200,000 applications from 34 countries, Jordan was chosen to spend one month serving alongside the Adecco Group CEO, Alain Dehaze. He will contribute to the day-to-day running of the world’s leading HR solutions company and help shape the future world of work.

Beginning in February, this year’s CEO for One Month selection process adapted quickly to COVID-19 requirements and used the situation to help young people to think about what it means to lead in challenging times. The process began when 34 talented young leaders of tomorrow were chosen to shadow the Adecco Group’s respective country CEOs. Ten finalists were then chosen to take part in the ‘virtual global bootcamp’ this week, which took them through a series of assessments and exercises to test their abilities and develop their leadership potential. At the close of the bootcamp, Jordan was selected as the Global CEO for One Month.

This year’s program comes at a time when sweeping workplace changes are coming in a post-pandemic world of work – especially around the expectations of leaders and what it takes to succeed.

The command and control approach of the past is quickly shifting toward more distributed leadership models. Being a ‘high EQ leader’ is crucial, with empathy, trust and a focus on wellbeing and culture-building critical. Research from the Adecco Group shows that the pandemic has demanded a new set of leadership competencies and that these expectations will accelerate a reinvention of the modern-day leader:

  • 74% of employees want their managers to demonstrate a leadership style focussed on empathy and a supportive attitude
  • 70% of employees say that support for their mental wellbeing will be important to them after the pandemic.

A further study commissioned by the Adecco Group which assessed ‘Gen Z’ leaders of tomorrow, found that many young people already possess many of the attributes needed to succeed. The report found that in many areas, including deductive reasoning and how world views are processed and applied to a strategic problem, the ‘Gen Z’ group showed stronger leadership traits than many current business leaders.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Adecco Group CEO, Alain Dehaze, said:

"It gives me great pleasure to welcome Jordan to the Adecco Group and I am looking forward to working alongside him and learning from his insights on the future of work and leadership. This year’s CEO for One Month announcement comes at a pivotal time, with the world of work likely to never return to the "normal" we knew before the pandemic. In particular, the sudden and dramatic change in the workplace landscape has accelerated the demand for a new leadership profile. Modern day leaders will need to reinvent themselves with a focus on emotional intelligence, and soft skills development will be critical. Now in its tenth year, the CEO for One Month program is an excellent opportunity to identify, develop, and learn from, the leaders of tomorrow, as they prepare to lead in an uncertain future."

The Global CEO for One Month 2020, Jordan Topoleski said:

"I am beyond happy to be the next CEO for One Month, especially in a company that is at the forefront of the current shifts taking place across the world of work. It is a historic and deeply challenging time to be a leader and I really look forward to further honing my own skills and helping shape the future of work."

About CEO for One Month
The ‘CEO for One Month’ program began as a local initiative in Norway in 2011 and went global in 2014, since growing to become a flagship initiative for the Adecco Group. It supports high potential young people increase their employability and career prospects through highly effective work-based learning. It operates under the Adecco Group Foundation which aims to improve work readiness of young people and other underserved populations. Applications for the 2020 programme exceeded 200,000.

Website: www.ceofor1month.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ceofor1month

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CEOfor1Month

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceofor1month/

About the Adecco Group
The Adecco Group is the world’s leading HR solutions company. We believe in making the future work for everyone, and every day enable more than 3.5 million careers. We skill, develop, and hire talent in 60 countries, enabling organisations to embrace the future of work. As a Fortune Global 500 company, we lead by example, creating shared value that fuels economies and builds better societies. Our culture of inclusivity, entrepreneurship and teamwork empowers our 35,000 employees. We are proud to have been consistently ranked one of the ‘World’s Best Workplaces’ by Great Place to Work®.

The Adecco Group AG is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland (ISIN: CH0012138605) and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ADEN) and powered by nine global brands: Adecco, Adia, Badenoch + Clark, General Assembly, Lee Hecht Harrison, Modis, Pontoon, Spring Professional and Vettery.

For further information please contact:

The Adecco Group Press Office: media@adeccogroup.com or +41 (0) 44 878 87 87
Website: www.adeccogroup.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theadeccogroup
Twitter
: @AdeccoGroup

Logo: https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/adecco-group-announces-jordan-topoleski-20-from-the-united-states-as-2020-ceo-for-one-month.jpg

 

ASTRI welcomes Graduate Programme 2020 participants, giving talented students a unique opportunity to launch career in an R&D environment

HONG KONG, Sept. 1, 2020 — The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) welcomes our new recruits for the Graduate Programme 2020, a unique opportunity for university graduates to launch their careers in a research and development environment, in particular one with a mission to deliver impactful solution to our industry and our society.

ASTRI Chairman Ir Sunny Lee Wai-kwong says: "Creating a bridge of talent is vital to a vibrant innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem and, through its collaboration with various stakeholders in society, ASTRI has proven its commitment to nurturing the great young minds of applied research of the future."

Hugh Chow, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI, adds: "We are delighted to welcome our new recruits and believe the perseverance and application they have already shown in their studies will help us to continue our mission to bring lasting impact to society through award-winning technology."

The Graduate Programme 2020 has given one-time, two-year full-time job positions to students leaving universities and higher education institutes in Hong Kong in 2020. They will support our award-winning scientists working on cutting-edge innovations in a multicultural environment with more than 500 talented R&D engineers and specialists.

The programme is among ASTRI’s many commitments to developing talent in the I&T sector. Working with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, we launched the FinTech Career Accelerator Scheme in 2016, aiming to cultivate the future talent necessary to sustain Hong Kong’s banking, finance and business services, as well as preserving our city’s competitiveness as an international finance hub. Students receive an internship at financial institutions or technology companies and in the past four years, more than 500 have taken part. This year, the HKMA received more than 1,400 applications, nearly twice as many as last year.

ASTRI also offers a three-month blockchain accelerator programme, in partnership with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park and Molecular Hub, as well as summer internships, which took in 42 students at universities across the world in 2020.

About ASTRI

The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research. ASTRI’s core R&D competence in various areas is grouped under five Technology Divisions, namely Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics, Communications, Cybersecurity, Cryptography and Trusted Technologies, Integrated Circuits and Systems, and IoT and Sensors. Five areas of applications including Smart City, Financial Technologies, Intelligent Manufacturing, Health Technologies, and Application Specific Integrated Circuits.

Over the years, ASTRI has nurtured a pool of research, I&T talents and received numerous international awards for its pioneering innovations as well as outstanding business and community contributions. To date, ASTRI has transferred more than 750 technologies to the industries and owns nearly 850 patents in the Mainland, the US and other countries.

For further information, please visit www.astri.org.

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China Distance Education Holdings Limited Announces Results of Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

BEIJING, Aug. 28, 2020 — China Distance Education Holdings Limited (NYSE: DL) ("CDEL", or the "Company"), a leading provider of online education and value-added services for professionals and corporate clients in China, today announced that it held its 2020 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders ("2020 AGM") on August 28, 2020. Each of the proposals submitted for shareholder approval at the 2020 AGM has been approved. Specifically, the shareholders have passed resolutions approving:

  1. Re-election of Carol Yu and Liankui Hu as class C directors of the Company.
  2. Approval and ratification of (i) re-appointment of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP as the Company’s independent auditor for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020; and (ii) authorization to the board of directors and its audit committee to determine the remuneration of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP.

About China Distance Education Holdings Limited

China Distance Education Holdings Limited is a leading provider of online education and value-added services for professionals and corporate clients in China. The courses offered by the Company through its websites are designed to help professionals seeking to obtain and maintain professional licenses and to enhance their job skills through our professional development courses in China in the areas of accounting, healthcare, engineering & construction, legal and other industries. The Company also offers online test preparation courses for self-taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees, and practical accounting training courses for college students and working professionals. In addition, the Company provides business services to corporate clients, including but not limited to tax advisory and accounting outsourcing services. For further information, please visit http://ir.cdeledu.com.

Contacts:

In China:

China Distance Education Holdings Limited
Jiao Jiao
Tel: +86-10-8231-9999 ext. 1826
Email: IR@cdeledu.com

The Piacente Group, Inc.
Xi Zhang
Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
E-mail: dl@tpg-ir.com

In the United States:

The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1 212-481-2050
Email: dl@tpg-ir.com