Tag Archives: HED

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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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. 

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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.

 

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

China Distance Education Holdings Limited Reports Financial Results for Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2020

– Third Quarter 2020 Net Revenue was $50.7 Million, within Guidance Range –

– Third Quarter 2020 Gross Profit was $24.1 Million, with Gross Margin of 47.5% –

– Third Quarter 2020 Operating Income was $2.5 Million, with Operating Margin of 4.9% –

– Third Quarter 2020 Net Income Attributable to CDEL was $3.0 Million, with Net Income Margin of 5.9% –

BEIJING, Aug. 27, 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 unaudited financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2020 ended June 30, 2020.

Third Quarter Fiscal 2020 Financial and Operational Highlights

  • Net revenue decreased by 17.9% to $50.7 million from $61.7 million in the prior year period.
  • Total course enrollments were 738,300, an increase of 0.5% from the third quarter of fiscal 2019.
  • Cash receipts from online course registration were $34.6 million, a 31.3% decrease from the third quarter of fiscal 2019.
  • Gross profit decreased by 22.8% to $24.1 million from $31.2 million in the prior year period.
  • Non-GAAP[1] gross profit decreased by 22.7% to $24.1 million from $31.2 million in the prior year period.
  • Gross margin was 47.5%, compared with 50.5% in the prior year period. Non-GAAP[1] gross margin was 47.5%, compared with 50.5% in the prior year period.
  • Operating income decreased by 75.0% to $2.5 million from $9.9 million in the prior year period.
  • Non-GAAP[1] operating income decreased by 69.6% to $3.2 million from $10.4 million in the prior year period.
  • Net income attributable to CDEL was $3.0 million, compared with net income attributable to CDEL of $9.4 million in the prior year period.
  • Non-GAAP[1] net income attributable to CDEL was $3.7 million, compared with non- GAAP[1] net income attributable to CDEL of $10.0 million in the prior year period.
  • Basic and diluted net income per American Depositary Share ("ADS") attributable to CDEL were $0.089 and $0.088, respectively, compared with basic and diluted net income per ADS attributable to CDEL of $0.282 and $0.281, respectively, for the third quarter of fiscal 2019. Each ADS represents four ordinary shares.
  • Basic and diluted non-GAAP[1] net income per ADS attributable to CDEL were $0.111 and $0.109, respectively, compared with basic and diluted non-GAAP[1] net income per ADS attributable to CDEL of $0.299 and $0.296, respectively, for the third quarter of fiscal 2019.
  • Cash flow from operations decreased by 59.2% to $7.2 million from $17.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2019.

[1] For more information about the non-GAAP financial measures contained in this press release, please see "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below.

Mr. Zhengdong Zhu, Chairman and CEO of CDEL, said, "In the third quarter of fiscal 2020, we reported net revenue of $50.7 million, within our guidance range. During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to support our students across China with high-quality online professional education at a time when offline classes were suspended, we provided free online courses to students in Hubei province and significant discounts for certain online exam preparation courses to students outside Hubei. Our socially responsive actions resulted in a surge in enrollment in our second fiscal quarter as previously disclosed, effectively pulling forward the demand for our courses and thus dampening enrollment and cash receipts growth in our third fiscal quarter."

"We believe in the long-term growth prospects of online professional education in China, and expect online education will continue to transform how knowledge is delivered and how students learn. We remain committed to serving students with our high-quality courseware and compelling online educational solutions during this challenging time. We are confident that our comprehensive lifelong learning ecosystem will enable us to reach a broad and growing student audience, and extend convenience, flexibility and engagement to their learning experience," Mr. Zhu concluded.

Mr. Mark Marostica, Co-Chief Financial Officer of CDEL, added, "As anticipated, the decrease in cash receipts for our courses due to our socially responsive actions, together with the postponement of certain professional certification examinations, negatively impacted our revenue growth for the third fiscal quarter. In addition, a delay in the publication of certain legal exam preparation books further weakened our third quarter revenue growth. Despite these headwinds, we maintained a disciplined cost structure and achieved a non-GAAP operating margin of 6.2% for the quarter. With our fourth fiscal quarter well underway, we are further impacted by the postponement of a number of core professional certification examinations held in Beijing and several other cities. We remain focused on balancing growth with a keen focus on profitability."

Third Quarter Fiscal 2020 Financial Results

Net Revenue. Total net revenue decreased by 17.9% to $50.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020 from $61.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2019. Net revenue from online education services, books and reference materials, and other sources contributed 78.9%, 12.8% and 8.3%, respectively, of total net revenues for the third quarter of fiscal 2020.

Online education services. Net revenue from online education services decreased by 8.1% to $40.0 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020 from $43.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2019, primarily attributable to the decrease in revenue from the Company’s healthcare and accounting verticals due to the impact of COVID-19, stemming from the postponement of certain professional certification examinations across China and the aforementioned socially responsive actions the Company adopted, which resulted in a significant decline in cash receipts from online course registration in both the second and third fiscal quarters of 2020.

Books and reference materials. Net revenue from books and reference materials decreased by 33.8% to $6.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020 from $9.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2019, primarily attributable to the delay in the publication of certain Legal Professional Qualification Examination books, due to the promulgation of new laws.

Others. Net revenue from other sources decreased by 49.8% to $4.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020 from $8.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2019, primarily due to a significant decrease in revenue from the sale of college-related learning simulation software, and a significant decrease in the provision of offline training courses, resulting from the impact of COVID-19.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales decreased by 12.8% to $26.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, from $30.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2019. Non-GAAP[1] cost of sales decreased by 13.0% to $26.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, from $30.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2019. The decrease in cost of sales was primarily attributable to a decrease in cost of books and reference materials and lecture fees.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin. Gross profit was $24.1 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, down 22.8% from $31.2 million in the prior year period. Non-GAAP[1] gross profit was $24.1 million, decreasing by 22.7% from $31.2 million in the prior year period. Gross margin was 47.5% in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, compared with 50.5% in the third quarter of fiscal 2019. Non-GAAP[1] gross margin was 47.5% in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, compared with 50.5% in the third quarter of fiscal 2019.

Operating Expenses. Total operating expenses increased by 5.6% to $23.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, from $22.0 million in the prior year period. Non-GAAP[1] total operating expenses increased by 5.0% to $22.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, from $21.5 million in the prior year period.

Selling expenses. Selling expenses increased by 4.6% to $17.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020 from $17.0 million in the prior year period. Non-GAAP[1] selling expenses increased by 4.5% to $17.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, from $17.0 million in the prior year period. The increase was primarily driven by higher advertising and promotional expenses, and the increase in commission to agents.

General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses increased by 8.8% to $5.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020 from $4.9 million in the prior year period. Non-GAAP[1] general and administrative expenses increased by 7.0% to $4.8 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, from $4.4 million in the prior year period. The increase was mainly due to the increase in share-based compensation expenses.

Income Tax Expenses. Income tax expense decreased by 77.1% to $0.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020 from $2.5 million in the prior year period, primarily due to the decrease in taxable income in the third quarter of fiscal 2020.

Net Income Attributable to CDEL. As a result of the foregoing, net income attributable to CDEL was $3.0 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, compared with net income attributable to CDEL of $9.4 million in the prior year period. Non-GAAP[1] net income attributable to CDEL was $3.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, compared with non-GAAP[1] net income attributable to CDEL of $10.0 million in the prior year period.

Operating Cash Flow. Net operating cash inflow decreased by 59.2% to $7.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2020 from $17.6 million in the prior year period. The operating cash inflow was mainly attributable to net income before non-cash items generated in the third quarter of fiscal 2020. The increase in accrued expenses and other liabilities also contributed to the operating cash inflow. The operating cash inflow was partially offset by the decrease in deferred revenue and the decrease/increase in amount due to/from related parties.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Term Deposits, Restricted Cash and Short-term Investments. Cash and cash equivalents, term deposits, restricted cash and short-term investments as of June 30, 2020 increased by 2.7% to $133.7 million from $130.2 million as of March 31, 2020, mainly due to the operating cash inflow generated in the third quarter of fiscal 2020 and the drawdown of an offshore loan of $20.0 million. The increase was partially offset by (i) the dividend distribution of $19.6 million, (ii) the repayment of an onshore loan of $2.8 million, (iii) the payment of an investment of $0.7 million and (iv) the capital expenditure of $0.6 million.

First Nine Months of Fiscal 2020 Financial Results

Net Revenue. Total net revenue increased by 0.6% to $144.0 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020 from $143.1 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2019. Net revenue from online education services, books and reference materials, and other sources contributed 75.0%, 10.9% and 14.1%, respectively, of total net revenues for the first nine months of fiscal 2020.

Online education services. Net revenue from online education services increased by 11.9% to $107.9 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020 from $96.5 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2019.

Books and reference materials. Net revenue from books and reference materials decreased by 27.2% to $15.8 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020 from $21.6 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2019.

Others. Net revenue from other sources decreased by 18.9% to $20.3 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020 from $25.0 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2019.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales decreased by 8.4% to $72.8 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020 from $79.5 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2019. Non-GAAP[1] cost of sales decreased by 8.5% to $72.7 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, from $79.4 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2019.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin. Gross profit was $71.2 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, up 11.9% from $63.7 million in the prior year period. Non-GAAP[1] gross profit was $71.3 million, increasing by 12.0% from $63.7 million in the prior year period. Gross margin was 49.5% in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, compared with 44.5% in the first nine months of fiscal 2019. Non-GAAP[1] gross margin was 49.5% in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, compared with 44.5% in the first nine months of fiscal 2019.

Operating Expenses. Total operating expenses increased by 9.7% to $69.3 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, from $63.2 million in the prior year period. Non-GAAP[1] total operating expenses increased by 9.4% to $67.5 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, from $61.7 million in the prior year period.

Selling expenses. Selling expenses increased by 15.3% to $52.3 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020 from $45.3 million in the prior year period. Non-GAAP[1] selling expenses increased by 15.3% to $52.2 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, from $45.3 million in the prior year period.

General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses decreased by 4.7% to $17.0 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020 from $17.9 million in the prior year period. Non-GAAP[1] general and administrative expenses decreased by 7.0% to $15.2 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, from $16.4 million in the prior year period.

Income Tax Expenses. Income tax expense was $1.3 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, compared with income tax expense of $2.1 million in the prior year period.

Net Income Attributable to CDEL. As a result of the foregoing, net income attributable to CDEL was $5.6 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, compared with net income attributable to CDEL of $7.5 million in the prior year period. Non-GAAP[1] net income attributable to CDEL was $7.5 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020, compared with non-GAAP[1] net income attributable to CDEL of $9.0 million in the prior year period.

Operating Cash Flow. Net operating cash inflow decreased by 33.8% to $41.0 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2020 from $61.9 million in the prior year period.

Recent Developments Regarding the Non-binding "Going Private" Proposal

On June 8, 2020, the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") received a preliminary non-binding proposal letter (the "Proposal Letter") from Mr. Zhengdong Zhu, co-founder, chairman of the Board and chief executive officer of the Company ("Mr. Zhu"), Ms. Baohong Yin, co-founder of the Company, deputy chairman of the Board and the spouse of Mr. Zhu and their affiliated entity (collectively, the "Buyer Group") to acquire all of the outstanding ordinary shares of the Company, including ordinary shares represented by American depositary shares (the "ADSs", each representing four ordinary shares), for $2.27 in cash per ordinary share, or $9.08 in cash per ADS (the "Proposal"). On June 22, 2020, the Company announced that the Board had formed a special committee of independent directors (the "Special Committee") consisting of Ms. Carol Yu and Ms. Annabelle Yu Long to review and evaluate the Proposal, and the Special Committee had retained Goulston & Storrs PC as its United States legal counsel in connection with its review and evaluation of the Proposal. On July 29, 2020, the Company announced that the Special Committee had retained Duff & Phelps, LLC as its financial advisor in connection with its review and evaluation of the Proposal.

The Company cautions its shareholders and others considering trading in its securities that neither the Board nor the Special Committee has made any decision with respect to the Company’s response to the Proposal. There can be no assurance that any definitive offer will be made, that any agreement will be executed or that this or any other transaction will be approved or consummated. The Company does not undertake any obligation to provide any updates with respect to this or any other transaction, except as required under applicable law.

Outlook

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company expects to generate total net revenue in the range of $58.4 million to $61.8 million, representing year-over-year decline of approximately 15% to 10%, respectively.

For fiscal year 2020, the Company expects to generate total net revenue in the range of $202.4 million to $205.8 million, representing year-over-year decline of approximately 4.4% to 2.8%, respectively.

The above guidance reflects the Company’s current and preliminary view, which is subject to change, particularly in consideration of uncertainties related to the impact of COVID-19, including the postponement of certain professional examinations, the schedule of reopening of schools, and the schedule of resumption of provision of offline training courses, among others.

Conference Call

Management will hold a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, August 27, 2020 (8:00 p.m. Beijing Time on Thursday, August 27, 2020) to discuss financial results and answer questions from investors and analysts. Details for the conference call are as follows:

Event Title:

China Distance Education Holdings Limited Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2020 Earnings Conference Call

Conference ID:

9952634

Registration Link:

http://apac.directeventreg.com/registration/event/9952634

All participants must use the link provided above to complete the online registration process at least 20 minutes in advance of the conference call. Upon registering, each participant will receive a participant dial-in number, Direct Event passcode, and a unique registrant ID, which will be used to join the conference call.

A telephone replay will be available two hours after the call until September 3, 2020 by dialing:

US Toll Free:

+1-855-452-5696

International:

+61-2-8199-0299

Mainland China:

400-632-2162

Hong Kong, China:

800-963-117

United Kingdom:

0808-234-0072

Replay Passcode:

9952634

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at http://ir.cdeledu.com.

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.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under 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," "may," "should," "potential," "continue," "expect," "predict," "anticipate," "future," "intend," "plan," "believe," "is/are likely to," "estimate" and similar statements. Among other things, the outlook for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2020 and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as the Company’s strategic and operational plans (in particular, the impact of COVID-19 on our businesses; the solutions we adopt to address such impact of COVID-19; balancing growth and profitability; the growth prospects of online professional education in China; as well as the anticipated benefits of our strategic growth initiatives, including the promotion of the Company’s life-long learning ecosystem) contain forward-looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic and annual reports to the SEC, 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 the Company’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: the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, the potential impact of the Proposal and any transaction in connection with the Proposal, our goals and growth strategies; future prospects and market acceptance of our courses and other products and services; our future business development and results of operations; projected revenues, profits, earnings and other estimated financial information; projected enrollment numbers; our plans to expand and enhance our courses and other products and services; anticipated benefits of acquisition or disposal of businesses, competition in the education and test preparation markets; and Chinese laws, regulations and policies, including those applicable to the Internet, Internet content providers, the education and telecommunications industries, mergers and acquisitions, taxation and foreign exchange. In addition, with respect to the "going private" Proposal, there can be no assurance that the Buyer Group will make any definitive offer to the Company, that any definitive agreement relating to the Proposal will be entered into between the Company and the Buyer Group or that a transaction based on the Proposal or any other similar transaction will be approved or consummated.

Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F and other documents filed or furnished with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Statement Regarding Unaudited Financial Information

The unaudited financial information set forth in this press release is preliminary and subject to adjustments. Adjustments to the financial statements may be identified when audit work is performed for the year-end audit, which could result in significant differences from this preliminary unaudited financial information.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement the Company’s consolidated financial results presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, the Company uses the following measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures: non-GAAP net income attributable to CDEL, operating income, gross profit, cost of sales, selling expenses, general and administrative expenses, net income margin attributable to CDEL, operating margin, gross profit margin, and basic and diluted earnings per ADS and per share attributable to CDEL. 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 comparable GAAP measures" set forth at the end of this release.

The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance by excluding share-based compensation expenses. However, non-GAAP financial measures may not be indicative of the Company’s operating performance from a cash perspective. The Company 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 the Company’s historical performance and liquidity. The Company computes its non-GAAP financial measures using the same consistent method from quarter to quarter. The Company 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 excluding share-based compensation expenses from the above-mentioned line items and presenting these non-GAAP measures is that such items may continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant recurring expense in our business. Management compensates for this limitation by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from each non-GAAP measure. The accompanying table at the end of this release provides more detail on the reconciliations between GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures.

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

 

 

(Financial Tables on Following Pages)

 

 

China Distance Education Holdings Limited

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands of US Dollars, except number of shares and per share data)

September 30, 2019

June 30, 2020

Assets:

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

67,977

83,927

Term deposits

4,954

Restricted cash

38,358

20,241

Short-term investments

22,118

24,550

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of US$1,648 and
US$1,282 as of June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, respectively

7,330

6,182

Inventories

4,232

5,713

Prepayment and other current assets

26,732

30,143

Amounts due from related parties

515

908

Deferred cost

1,427

2,104

   Total current assets

168,689

178,722

Non-current assets:

Property, plant and equipment, net

37,935

40,732

Operating lease right of use asset

30,074

Goodwill, net

74,829

75,704

Long term investments

25,379

25,572

Other intangible assets, net

30,113

24,318

Deposit for purchase of non-current assets

4,448

1,552

Deferred tax assets

3,865

3,713

Other non-current assets

10,092

7,579

   Total non-current assets

186,661

209,244

   Total assets

355,350

387,966

Liabilities and equity:

Current liabilities:

Bank borrowings

38,502

7,199

Accrued expenses and other liabilities (including accrued expenses and other
liabilities of the consolidated VIE without recourse to China Distance Education
Holdings Limited of US$47,280 and US$35,491 as of June 30, 2020 and September
30, 2019, respectively)

38,267

49,950

Amount due to related parties

600

687

Income tax payable (including income tax payable of the consolidated VIE without
recourse to China Distance Education Holdings Limited of US$6,942 and US$8,188
as of June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, respectively)

10,899

8,579

Deferred revenue, current portion (including deferred revenue of the consolidated
VIE without recourse to China Distance Education Holdings Limited of US$71,477
and US$93,364 as of June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, respectively)

94,202

72,253

Refundable fees – current portion (including refundable fees of the consolidated VIE
without recourse to China Distance Education Holdings Limited of US$24 and
US$435 as of June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, respectively)

435

24

Operating lease liability – current portion (including operating lease liability of the
consolidated VIE without recourse to China Distance Education Holdings Limited
of US$3,614 and nil as of June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, respectively)

3,967

   Total current liabilities

182,905

142,659

Non-current liabilities:

Deferred revenue, non-current portion (including deferred revenue of the
consolidated VIE without recourse to China Distance Education Holdings Limited
of US$80,430 and US$33,564 as of June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019,
respectively)

33,564

80,430

Refundable fees – non-current portion (including refundable fees of the consolidated
VIE without recourse to China Distance Education Holdings Limited of US$3,944
and US$2,440 as of June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, respectively)

2,440

3,944

Long-term bank borrowing

16,000

Deferred tax liabilities

12,695

6,410

Operating lease liability – non-current portion (including operating lease liability of
the consolidated VIE without recourse to China Distance Education Holdings
Limited of US$24,536 and nil as of June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019,
respectively)

24,927

Total non-current liabilities

48,699

131,711

   Total liabilities

231,604

274,370

 

Equity:

Ordinary shares (par value of US$0.0001 per share; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 
135,320,433 and 134,210,745 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2020 and
September 30, 2019, respectively)

13

14

Additional paid-in capital

24,507

26,629

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(12,357)

(8,805)

Retained earnings

60,668

46,612

   Total China Distance Education Holdings Limited shareholder’s equity

72,831

64,450

Noncontrolling interests

50,915

49,146

   Total equity

123,746

113,596

   Total liabilities and equity

355,350

387,966

 

 

China Distance Education Holdings Limited

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements Of Operations

(in thousands of US dollars, except number of shares, per share and per ADS data)

Three Months Ended June 30,

2019

2020

Sales, net of business tax, value-added tax and related surcharges:

Online education services

43,529

39,996

Books and reference materials

9,826

6,507

Others

8,392

4,211

–  Sale of learning simulation software

2,665

833

–  Business start-up training services

886

175

–  Others

4,841

3,203

   Total net revenues

61,747

50,714

Cost of sales

Cost of services and others

(20,836)

(19,767)

Cost of tangible goods sold

(9,735)

(6,882)

   Total cost of sales

(30,571)

(26,649)

Gross profit

31,176

24,065

Operating expenses

Selling expenses

(17,043)

(17,828)

General and administrative expenses

(4,947)

(5,383)

   Total operating expenses

(21,990)

(23,211)

Other operating income

665

1,607

Operating income 

9,851

2,461

Interest income

526

582

Interest expense

(703)

(216)

Gain from disposal of an investment

318

Exchange gain/(loss)

1,996

(243)

Income before income taxes

11,988

2,584

Income tax expense

(2,460)

(564)

Loss from equity method investments

(656)

(570)

Net income

8,872

1,450

Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest

575

1,566

Net income attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited

9,447

3,016

 

Net income per share attributable to China Distance Education Holdings
Limited:

Net income attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited 
shareholders

Basic

0.070

0.022

Diluted

0.070

0.022

 

Net income per ADS attributable to China Distance Education Holdings
Limited:

Net income attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited 
shareholders

Basic

0.282

0.089

Diluted

0.281

0.088

Weighted average shares used in calculating net income per share
attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited:

Basic

133,037,866

134,005,063

Diluted

134,342,150

135,441,737

 

 

China Distance Education Holdings Limited

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements Of Operations

 (in thousands of US dollars, except number of shares, per share and per ADS data)

Nine Months Ended June 30,

2019

2020

Sales, net of business tax, value-added tax and related surcharges:

Online education services

96,450

107,939

Books and reference materials

21,632

15,751

Others

25,049

20,322

–  Sale of learning simulation software

9,630

7,295

–  Business start-up training services

2,258

1,826

–  Others

13,161

11,201

   Total net revenues

143,131

144,012

Cost of sales

Cost of services and others

(62,461)

(57,938)

Cost of tangible goods sold

(16,997)

(14,840)

   Total cost of sales

(79,458)

(72,778)

Gross profit

63,673

71,234

Operating expenses

Selling expenses

(45,327)

(52,273)

General and administrative expenses

(17,855)

(17,016)

Total operating expenses

(63,182)

(69,289)

Change in fair value of contingent consideration payable

695

Other operating income

2,434

3,932

Operating income 

3,620

5,877

Interest income

1,714

1,952

Interest expense

(2,294)

(901)

Gain from disposal of an investment

318

Gain from deconsolidation of a subsidiary

6,869

Exchange loss

(104)

(1,154)

Income before income taxes

10,123

5,774

Income tax expense

(2,077)

(1,259)

Loss from equity method investments

(1,019)

(847)

Net income

7,027

3,668

Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest

457

1,897

Net income attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited

7,484

5,565

 

Net income per share attributable to China Distance Education Holdings
Limited:

Net income attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited 
shareholders

Basic

0.056

0.041

Diluted

0.056

0.041

 

Net income per ADS attributable to China Distance Education Holdings
Limited:

Net income attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited 
shareholders

Basic

0.224

0.165

Diluted

0.223

0.165

Weighted average shares used in calculating net income per share
attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited:

Basic

132,946,829

133,808,589

Diluted

134,072,148

135,124,141

 

 

China Distance Education Holdings Limited

Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to comparable GAAP measures

(In thousands of US Dollars, except number of shares, per share and per ADS data)

Three Months Ended June 30,

2019

2020

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Cost of sales

30,571

26,649

Share-based compensation expense in cost of sales

45

Non-GAAP cost of sales

30,571

26,604

Selling expenses

17,043

17,828

Share-based compensation expense in selling expenses

19

Non-GAAP selling expenses

17,043

17,809

General and administrative expenses

4,947

5,383

Share-based compensation expense in general and administrative expenses

503

626

Non-GAAP general and administrative expenses

4,444

4,757

Gross profit

31,176

24,065

Share-based compensation expenses

45

Non-GAAP gross profit

31,176

24,110

Gross profit margin

50.5%

47.5%

Non-GAAP gross profit margin

50.5%

47.5%

Operating income

9,851

2,461

Share-based compensation expenses

503

690

Non-GAAP operating income

10,354

3,151

Operating margin

16.0%

4.9%

Non-GAAP operating margin

16.8%

6.2%

Net income attributable to CDEL

9,447

3,016

Share-based compensation expense

503

690

Non-GAAP net income attributable to CDEL

9,950

3,706

Net income margin attributable to CDEL

15.3%

5.9%

Non-GAAP net income margin attributable to CDEL

16.1%

7.3%

Net income per share attributable to CDEL—basic

0.070

0.022

Net income per share attributable to CDEL—diluted

0.070

0.022

Non-GAAP net income per share attributable to CDEL—basic

0.075

0.028

Non-GAAP net income per share attributable to CDEL—diluted

0.074

0.027

Net income per ADS attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited
      shareholders—basic (note 1)

0.282

0.089

Net income per ADS attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited
      shareholders—diluted (note 1)

0.281

0.088

Non-GAAP net income per ADS attributable to China Distance Education Holdings
      Limited shareholders—basic (note 1)

 

0.299

0.111

Non-GAAP net income per ADS attributable to China Distance Education Holdings
      Limited shareholders—diluted (note 1)

 

0.296

0.109

Weighted average shares used in calculating basic net income per share attributable
      to China Distance Education Holdings Limited

133,037,866

134,005,063

Weighted average shares used in calculating diluted net income per share
      attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited

134,342,150

135,441,737

Weighted average shares used in calculating basic non-GAAP net income per share
      attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited

133,037,866

134,005,063

Weighted average shares used in calculating diluted non-GAAP net income per share
      attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited

134,342,150

135,441,737

Note 1: Each ADS represents four ordinary shares

 

 

China Distance Education Holdings Limited

Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to comparable GAAP measures

(In thousands of US Dollars, except number of shares, per share and per ADS data)

Nine Months Ended June 30,

2019

2020

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Cost of sales

79,458

72,778

Share-based compensation expense in cost of sales

23

95

Non-GAAP cost of sales

79,435

72,683

Selling expenses

45,327

52,273

Share-based compensation expense in selling expenses

10

39

Non-GAAP selling expenses

45,317

52,234

General and administrative expenses

17,855

17,016

Share-based compensation expense in general and administrative expenses

1,482

1,795

Non-GAAP general and administrative expenses

16,373

15,221

Gross profit

63,673

71,234

Share-based compensation expenses

23

95

Non-GAAP gross profit

63,696

71,329

Gross profit margin

44.5%

49.5%

Non-GAAP gross profit margin

44.5%

49.5%

Operating income

3,620

5,877

Share-based compensation expenses

1,515

1,929

Non-GAAP operating income

5,135

7,806

Operating margin

2.5%

4.1%

Non-GAAP operating margin

3.6%

5.4%

Net income attributable to CDEL

7,484

5,565

Share-based compensation expense

1,515

1,929

Non-GAAP net income attributable to CDEL

8,999

7,494

Net income margin attributable to CDEL

5.2%

3.9%

Non-GAAP net income margin attributable to CDEL

6.3%

5.2%

Net income per share attributable to CDEL—basic

0.056

0.041

Net income per share attributable to CDEL—diluted

0.056

0.041

Non-GAAP net income per share attributable to CDEL—basic

0.068

0.056

Non-GAAP net income per share attributable to CDEL—diluted

0.067

0.055

Net income per ADS attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited
      shareholders—basic (note 1)

0.224

0.165

Net income per ADS attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited
      shareholders—diluted (note 1)

0.223

0.165

Non-GAAP net income per ADS attributable to China Distance Education Holdings
      Limited shareholders—basic (note 1)

 

0.271

0.224

Non-GAAP net income per ADS attributable to China Distance Education Holdings
      Limited shareholders—diluted (note 1)

 

0.269

0.222

Weighted average shares used in calculating basic net income per share attributable
      to China Distance Education Holdings Limited

132,946,829

133,808,589

Weighted average shares used in calculating diluted net income per share
      attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited

134,072,148

135,124,141

Weighted average shares used in calculating basic non-GAAP net income per share
      attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited

132,946,829

133,808,589

Weighted average shares used in calculating diluted non-GAAP net income per
      share attributable to China Distance Education Holdings Limited

134,072,148

135,124,141

 Note 1: Each ADS represents four ordinary shares

 

Funding Societies and SMU collaborate to develop a case on P2P Lending for Small Businesses

SINGAPORE, Aug. 12, 2020 — Funding Societies, Southeast Asia’s largest digital financing platform, and Singapore Management University (SMU) have come together to develop and publish a case study explaining the role of FinTech and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending for small businesses. This is the first such case covering a P2P lender that SMU has developed, and involved in-depth research into the industry and the workings of the homegrown FinTech.  

Funding Societies and Singapore Management University collaboration
Funding Societies and Singapore Management University collaboration

The case is authored by faculty members of SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB), which has been enhancing its course offerings and teaching material in Digital Business, as part of its aim to better equip students for the digital transformations that are occurring in the business world. It comes at a timely juncture as the P2P industry is expanding steadily, making competition fiercer than ever before. In recent years, several platforms similar to Funding Societies have entered the market while others are now being acquired by larger companies.

Authored by Associate Professors of Marketing Hannah Chang and Michelle Lee, and produced by the University’s Centre for Management Practice, the published case titled Using Fintech to Support Small Businesses in Singapore examines how FinTech companies can stand out in the trade with an innovative service, and how they can, through careful market segmentation and targeting, gain a competitive edge in acquiring and retaining customers. It focuses on Funding Societies’ innovative use of technology to reduce customer pain points, and also analyses the FinTech’s outreach efforts employed to educate the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) segment on how its products can close financing gaps unserved by traditional financial institutions.

An excerpt from the case hints at the added value that FinTech platforms like Funding Societies bring to this overlooked segment through the use of technology:

Debt crowdfunding, also referred to as peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, represents an alternative source of loans for businesses to borrow money. P2P companies are different from banks in that they operate through online platforms, utilise data analytics and algorithms for credit risk assessment, and have much shorter turnaround times for loan approvals than the banks. Moreover, while banks lend money to companies using customer deposits, P2P companies play the part of a matchmaker by enabling individual investors to put money directly towards funding a particular loan.

In just five years, Funding Societies has disbursed over S$1.5 billion in funding across more than 2.6 million business loans across Southeast Asia. Back in the day as one of the industry’s pioneers and offering only one product out of Singapore, Funding Societies has today flourished into the only homegrown P2P lender with multiple SME financing products and licensed in three countries – Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The company has also been shortlisted for the Singapore digital wholesale banking license in a consortium with AMTD, Xiaomi, and SP Group.

"While relatively young in Singapore, P2P lending has become a major form of alternative financing for SMEs and alternative investment for the public, because of its accessibility and convenience. As it continuously evolves, we believe it will become mainstream finance, attracting and nurturing more local talent, and further contributing to the local FinTech space as a whole," said Kelvin Teo, Co-founder and Group CEO of Funding Societies.

Associate Professor Michelle Lee, who is also Associate Dean (Undergraduate Matters) at SMU LKCSB, said, "P2P lending is a burgeoning area within FinTech and every business student ought to have some understanding of the industry. This case provides them with that understanding and prompts them to think deeply about how a company in that space can compete effectively. It sharpens their thinking about a firm’s value proposition vis-à-vis direct and indirect competition, as well as how a competitive advantage can be sustained."

"Since its inception, SMU has held to the principle of preparing students well for industry and this has meant ensuring the currency of its curriculum and teaching material. This case is one example of how that is brought about," she added.

The case is available here: https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/case/4406*. Other financial institutions which SMU has published cases on include Ant Financial, Nium, and DBS.

*Note: A complimentary copy of the published case is available to the press upon request. Kindly note that the copy is strictly for internal use only and not for further dissemination.

About Funding Societies

Funding Societies | Modalku is the largest SME digital financing platform in Southeast Asia. It is licensed in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, and backed by Sequoia India and Softbank Ventures Asia Corp amongst many others. It provides business financing to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which is crowdfunded by individual and institutional investors. In 5 years, it has helped finance over 2.6 million business loans with over S$1.5 billion in funding. It was given the MAS FinTech Award in 2016, the Global SME Excellence Award at the United Nations’ ITU Telecom World in 2017, Brands for Good in 2019, recognised by IDC as amongst the 5 fastest growing FinTechs in Singapore, and the Stevie® Award in 2020.

Read our company story here: https://blog.fundingsocieties.com/our-story/

About Singapore Management University

A premier university in Asia, the Singapore Management University (SMU) is internationally recognised for its world-class research and distinguished teaching. Established in 2000, SMU’s mission is to generate leading-edge research with global impact and to produce broad-based, creative and entrepreneurial leaders for the knowledge-based economy. SMU’s education is known for its highly interactive, collaborative and project-based approach to learning.

Home to over 10,000 students across undergraduate, postgraduate professional and postgraduate research programmes, SMU is comprised of six schools: School of Accountancy, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, School of Economics, School of Information Systems, School of Law, and School of Social Sciences. SMU offers a wide range of bachelors’, masters’ and PhD degree programmes in the disciplinary areas associated with the six schools, as well as in multi-disciplinary combinations of these areas.

SMU emphasises rigorous, high-impact, multi- and inter-disciplinary research that addresses Asian issues of global relevance.  SMU faculty members collaborate with leading international researchers and universities around the world, as well as with partners in the business community and public sector.  SMU’s city campus is a modern facility located in the heart of downtown Singapore, fostering strategic linkages with business, government and the wider community.  www.smu.edu.sg

About SMU Centre for Management Practice

The Centre for Management Practice (CMP) was established to position SMU as a university that collaborates closely with industry, to inform and learn from the world of management and practice. This is accomplished by furthering the case methodology to enrich education at SMU and other organisations across the globe, and translating selected academic outputs to practice-oriented knowledge that can be consumed by a non-academic audience.

Case Writing Initiative

The Case Writing Initiative (CWI) was set up in August 2011 with the ambitious goal of filling a critical need to develop business case studies based on an Asian setting for use in international curriculums. Business cases provide both research and learning opportunities to faculty members, students and those in industry. The process of working collaboratively with businesses on case studies enables faculty members to be grounded in both theory and practice. They develop a richer understanding of the business context in their subject matter and its application to real world situations. The cases developed by faculty members are used in class to illustrate key theoretical concepts and frameworks. From the students’ perspective, they provide an opportunity to make decisions that require critical thinking and debate. From the corporate perspective, they present a contribution to management education and allow for a different perspective on existing business issues.

To date, CWI has published over 285 cases, with another 50 in the pipeline. These cases have won several prestigious international awards, and been adopted by leading universities and corporates schools worldwide. The cases are distributed by the Case Centre and Harvard Business Publishing. 

Media Contacts

Funding Societies

Glennice Yong

Senior PR & Communications Executive

glennice.yong@fundingsocieties.com

+65 9155 4662

SMU

Huang Peiling

Snr Associate Director, Corporate Communications

plhuang@smu.edu.sg

+65 6828 0964 / +65 9845 3361

Photo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200811/2882095-1?lang=0  

KIIT Deemed to be University Announces Free Education for Children of COVID Deceased in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR, India, July 27, 2020 — The COVID-19 pandemic has infected millions and caused much panic across the globe, including India and Odisha. The number of new coronavirus infections is increasing by day in Odisha. Many have also lost their lives. KIIT has always reached out to the distressed people at the time of natural calamities in the state. It has become the pride of Odisha as it has always stood by the people of the state at the time of their need. 

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and devastated normal life and livelihoods of the people of Odisha. Now, KIIT Deemed to be University has extended a helping hand to the families of the COVID deceased. Acting on a proposal by the Founder of KIIT & KISS, Dr. Achyuta Samanta, KIIT-DU has decided to provide technical and professional education absolutely free of cost to the children of the COVID deceased in Odisha.

Sons and daughters of the COVID deceased in Odisha, who are interested, can apply to different technical and professional courses of KIIT-DU, including ITI and Diploma Engineering, as per their eligibility for admission. This facility will be available for two academic years, 2020-21 and 2021-22 only, informed KIIT authorities. Preference will be given to the children of COVID deceased from BPL, SC, ST and SEBC categories. The move will provide relief to the people of Odisha who have been made helpless by the pandemic.

KIIT is the only university in India and abroad to extend such humanitarian gesture to the families of the COVID deceased.

Besides this benign initiative, KIIT Deemed to be University has been running four standalone COVID Hospitals in Odisha with 1200 bed capacity and over 200 critical care units for the last five months. KIIT is also at the frontline of the state’s war against coronavirus by contributing in the fields of food and medical supplies provision to the needy, reaching the unreached, creating awareness and animal care since the beginning of the lockdown.

Media Contact:
Dr. Shradhanjali Nayak
shradhanjali@kiit.ac.in
+91-674-2725636
Director, PR
KIIT Deemed to be University 

Photo: https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/kiit-deemed-to-be-university-announces-free-education-for-children-of-covid-deceased-in-odisha.jpg

 

NetDragon Launched International Summer Intern Program

FUZHOU, China, July 22, 2020 On July 21, 2020, NetDragon’s International Summer Intern Program opened, 17 college graduates from different countries and regions, such as the United States, Italy, and Serbia, began to formally take up their posts. It is reported that they have been screened out among more than 200 candidates. Affected by the global epidemic situation, they will spend this wonderful international internship online in the next six weeks. It will become the most special one among the seven consecutive sessions held by NetDragon.

The International Summer Intern Program is a normalized platform for international college graduates, which was created by NetDragon in 2014. It mainly recruits international students graduate from game planning, industrial design, experience design, interface design, product design and other majors, aiming to stimulate the spark of innovation when collision happens between domestic and overseas design concepts. At the same time, candidates with high potential will be employed finally.

This time, NetDragon has received more than 200 resumes, including high-quality students recommended by institutions that have established friendly cooperation with NetDragon, as well as international students who have signed up by themselves from other colleges and universities. Finally, a total of 17 students entered the internship, including 11 masters and 6 undergraduate students from more than 10 universities, such as the University of North Texas (UNT), University of Novi Sad, Milan Polytechnic University, Waseda University and London University of Arts.

At the live video streaming of the opening ceremony, Lin Chen, senior vice president of NetDragon, delivered a welcome speech. He said, “Design is the focus of our work, which is not a simple thing, it creates value for our users. The significance of the internship program is to share experience accumulated by NetDragon in design methodology and design tools, and help to create a better life and better world together with new designers and who wants to be a designer from all over the world.”

During the 6-week internship, NetDragon will organize a series of activities such as design workshop, methodology exchange meeting, project practice, etc., according to the interns’ specialty. Interns can also participate in the design of NetDragon’s key products, or involve themselves in the project implementation, especially during the internationalization process of Edmodo, Promethean and other products. In addition, NetDragon will also provide interns with the innovative course of Design Methodology independently developed by Liu Dejian, founder and chairman of NetDragon. This is the summary and refinement of design experience that has been proved successful by practice in the process of long-term product development. This course has won high attention in Harvard University, and also in the Design and Learning course of Beijing Normal University. Interns will be improved in the combination of methodology and practice.

According to the reports, NetDragon will provide job quotas to outstanding interns after the internship period, and part of the international graduates have chosen to stay in NetDragon through this program in these years. To strengthen the cooperation with overseas colleges and universities, attract overseas high-quality students and accelerate the integration with overseas market are important ideas for the rapid development abroad. At present, NetDragon has set foot in more than 190 countries and regions such as Russia, Egypt, Nigeria, and Serbia, covering more than 2 million classrooms and benefiting more than 100 million users.

ASTRI introduces Graduate Program 2020, one of our talent nurturing initiatives

HONG KONG, July 21, 2020 — The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has launched its first Graduate Program 2020 (the Program). It offers university graduates (2019-20) a unique opportunity to begin a career in technology research environment. The initiative serves as a timely response to the city’s soaring unemployment.

The Program offers one-time, two-year full-time job positions with potential job rotation. It opens doors for Hong Kong’s new graduates from universities and higher education institutes. ASTRI is Hong Kong’s largest applied technology R&D Centre and nearly one in four of our technologists and engineers has a PhD. Successful candidates of the Program will work across a wide range of disciplines in technology research and corporate developments. They will work with world-class professionals in a multi-cultural environment.

“At ASTRI, we seek to address pain points in society, and we want to support the Hong Kong community at this challenging time which has left many out of work, including young people who are the most vulnerable to rising unemployment,” said Mr Hugh Chow, ASTRI Chief Executive Officer. “Offering the new graduates an opportunity to kickstart their careers in the prevailing difficult climate, is a way we make positive impact on our society,” he added.

ASTRI Chief Operating Officer, Dr Martin Szeto said: “Talent is key to a thriving innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem, and over the years ASTRI has nurtured a quality pool of talents in applied research and I&T. It is through collaborative partnerships with government, academia, financial and industry institutions.”

ASTRI Chief Technology Officer, Dr Lucas Hui said, “Young adults are the backbone of every society contributing to the success of our future economy. ASTRI not only makes an impact on society through applied research, we can also add value to our economy by nurturing the next generation. Over the years ASTRI has had many talent exchanges and internships.”

This Program adds to ASTRI’s numerous talent development initiatives. Since 2016, ASTRI and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) have jointly provided the FinTech Career Accelerator Scheme. It cultivates future leaders necessary to sustain Hong Kong’s banking, finance and business services. It adds to preserve Hong Kong’s competitiveness as an international finance hub. Over 500 interns have participated in the last four years. In 2020 the HKMA received more than 1,400 applications, nearly double the joiners a year before.

ASTRI also offers a three-month blockchain accelerator program, in partnership with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park and Molecular Hub. In 2020, ASTRI Summer Internships received 43 university students from Hong Kong and abroad.

Interested applicants for the Graduate Program 2020 can visit the ASTRI website (https://www.astri.org/career/astri-graduate-program-2020-2-years-contract/) and submit their CV to careers@astri.org (quoting Ref: ASTRI/GP2020) between Monday 13 July and Friday 31 July 2020, indicating their academic background, work experience and the top five functions they are interested in joining.

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 research and development strategic focus covers five areas of applications: Smart City; Financial Technologies; Intelligent Manufacturing; Health Technologies; and Application Specific Integrated Circuits through its mandate as the Hong Kong branch of the Chinese National Engineering Research Centre. Our core competence in various areas is grouped under five technology divisions, namely Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics; Communications Technologies; Cybersecurity, Cryptography and Trusted Technologies; Integrated Circuits and Systems, and IoT and Sensors.

ASTRI seeks to develop technologies that address the needs of industries, institutions and communities in Hong Kong; as well as nurture talents to create economic value and societal impact. To date, ASTRI has transferred more than 750 technologies to the industry and owns nearly 850 patents in the Mainland, the US and other countries. For further information, please visit www.astri.org.

New Oriental to Report Fourth Quarter 2020 Financial Results on July 28, 2020

BEIJING, July 3, 2020 — New Oriental Education and Technology Group Inc. (the “Company” or “New Oriental”) (NYSE: EDU), the largest provider of private educational services in China, today announced that it will report its financial results for the fourth quarter ended May 31, 2020, before the U.S. market opens on July 28, 2020. New Oriental’s management will host an earnings conference call at 8 AM on July 28, 2020, U.S. Eastern Time (8 PM on July 28, 2020, Beijing/Hong Kong Time). Participants can join the conference using the below options:

Dialling-in to the conference call:

Please register in advance of the conference, using the link provided below. Upon registering, you will be provided with participant dial-in numbers, passcode and unique registrant ID.

Conference call registration link: http://apac.directeventreg.com/registration/event/2169323.  It will automatically direct you to the registration page of “New Oriental Fourth Fiscal Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call” where you may fill in your details for RSVP. If it requires you to enter a participant conference ID, please enter “2169323”.

In the 10 minutes prior to the call start time, you may use the conference access information (including dial in number(s), direct event passcode and registrant ID) provided in the confirmation email received at the point of registering.

Joining the conference call via a live webcast:

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at http://investor.neworiental.org.

Listening to the conference call replay:

A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following number until July 28, 2021:

International:

+61 2 8199 0299

Passcode: 

2169323

About New Oriental

New Oriental is the largest provider of private educational services in China based on the number of program offerings, total student enrollments and geographic presence. New Oriental offers a wide range of educational programs, services and products consisting primarily of language training and test preparation, primary and secondary school education, online education, content development and distribution, overseas study consulting services, pre-school education and study tour. New Oriental’s ADSs, each of which represents one common share, currently trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “EDU.”

For more information about New Oriental, please visit http://www.neworiental.org/english/index.html.

Contacts

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

In China:

Ms. Rita Fong                                                    Ms. Sisi Zhao
FTI Consulting                                                   New Oriental Education and Technology Group Inc.
Tel: +852 3768 4548                                         Tel: +86-10-6260-5568
Email:  rita.fong@fticonsulting.com                   Email: zhaosisi@xdf.cn

Related Links :

http://www.neworiental.org/english/index.html