Planned launch of International School in Yangon

RNS Number : 5095J

Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd

05 December 2018

 

 5 December 2018

Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd.

("MSH" or the "Company" or the "Group)

Planned launch of Yangon American International School

Myanmar Strategic Holdings (LSE: SHWE), an independent developer and manager of consumer businesses located in Myanmar, is delighted to announce that a US$1 million development project is underway at its first international school, the Yangon American International School ("Yangon American") located in Yangon, and is due to be completed in Q2 2019 with the school targeted to launch in August 2019.  

The first Yangon American campus, with planned capacity of up to 400 students, will be positioned as a leading educational institution. The school is centrally located and only 4 km from MSH's educational hub of Wall Street English and Auston Institute of Management in Junction Square. It will have up to 17 classrooms spread over 2,000 m², plus a multi-use playground of more than 1,000 m². Yangon American will operate classes from pre-kindergarten through to the third grade, serving students from the age of three to eight with revenues for MSH being generated from student fees, admission fees and ancillary services. The project will be entirely funded by MSH.

Yangon American will follow the Common Core State Standards, a set of high-quality academic standards adopted across the United States, which integrate (i) explicit, (ii) interactive and (iii) implicit instruction. From its first classes, Yangon American will align its curriculum with internationally recognised programmes, such as the International Baccalaureate ("IB") and Western Association of Schools and Colleges ("WASC"). In the future, Yangon American will look to implement the Advanced Placement ("AP") program in order to provide students with the best opportunity for academic success.

The core founding team at the school will comprise of educators and leaders with significant experience across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Yangon American will continue to recruit teachers for the school over the next few years as it grows.

In relation to the Yangon American project, the Group is also in the process of submitting an application to the Myanmar Investment Commission ("MIC") for an investment permit under the 2016 Investment Law following the issue of MIC Notification No. 7 of 2018 for carrying out investment activities in education services. 

Commenting on the opening, Jonathan Kolb, Partner of Myanmar Strategic Holdings, said: 

"We are delighted to announce the planned launch of the Yangon American International School, one of the first international schools to follow Common Core State Standards in Myanmar.

"The launch of the school further consolidates the Group's position as one of the leading integrated education players in Myanmar. Upon opening, Myanmar Strategic Holdings will provide high quality education to students from pre-kindergarten all the way through graduate studies.

"As Myanmar's economy continues to grow, demand for premium education and better professional opportunities will increase. We are excited to lead this trend through the provision of education at internationally recognised standards, helping to develop a better future for the people of Myanmar. As the first campus reaches capacity, we will evaluate the opportunity to open additional locations in Yangon and/or other major cities in Myanmar such as Mandalay or Naypyidaw.

"While the Group continues to deepen its coverage of sectors that serve consumers' primary needs, we remain committed to being a responsible investor and a force for enrichment in Myanmar."

For more information please visit www.ms-holdings.com or contact:

Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd. Enrico Cesenni, Founder and CEO	[e-mail]
Allenby Capital Limited (Broker) Nick Athanas Nick Naylor Nicholas Chambers	[phone]
Yellow Jersey PR (Financial PR) Felicity Winkles Henry Wilkinson	[phone]

Notes to editors

Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd.

Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd. is an independent developer and manager of consumer businesses located in Myanmar, one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The Company's portfolio currently focuses on Hospitality, Education and Services with the view to expand within the broader consumer sector in Myanmar.

Hospitality sector: through its portfolio, the Company currently manages over 470 beds across four boutique hotels in three core tourist locations across Myanmar, operating under the award winning Ostello Bello budget hospitality brand. MSH operates an asset light strategy, entering into long-term operating and management agreements with local hotel owners.

Education sector: the Company currently has exclusive development and franchising agreements with Wall Street English for ten English language centres across Myanmar over the course of the ten-year agreement. Two centres were opened in 2017 and a third was opened in August 2018. As of July 2018, Wall Street English Myanmar served over 1,500 students. Through the franchise, MSH also partnered with the Directorate of Company Administration in Myanmar to provide English language courses to its civil servants.   

The Company also operates a joint venture with Auston Institute of Management to develop and operate the Auston College Myanmar. The private school opened in May 2018 offering diplomas in Engineering Technology, Construction Project Management and Networking, Information Systems, and Security. English language learning is also provided by the Company's nearby Wall Street English centre.

Services sector: through its recent acquisition of EXERA, the Company now offers security, risk management and secure logistics services, including cash-in-transit. Founded in 2013, EXERA employs approximately 1,100 guards making it one of the largest security services providers in Myanmar.

Myanmar was one of the fastest growing economies in Asia in 2017 (Source: Asian Development Bank). In 2018, its annual GDP growth is expected to be about 7% (Source: Asian Development Bank), making it one of the fastest growing economies in the world.  

MSH is well positioned to provide investors early exposure to Myanmar's strong economic fundamentals enhanced by ASEAN's wider growth prospects. 

 

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