Last December, Xinhua Education Investment Corp. purchased more than 130 acres and 30 buildings belonging to the former historically black Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Va.
Today, Inside Higher Ed reports on how that sale may have been the early signals of Chinese companies taking advantage of America’s declining higher education industry for property acquisition and academic business development in the states.
…more broadly there appears to be substantial interest on the part of Chinese companies in purchasing U.S. campuses or other educational properties. Chinese students make up the largest group of international students in the U.S., both at the university and K-12 levels.
Douglas Halliday, the president and founder of Halliday Acquisition Group, a company that consults on mergers and acquisitions involving K-12 schools and postsecondary colleges in the U.S. and Canada, said the majority of interest he sees from buyers in mainland China or Hong Kong is in either acquiring K-12 boarding schools or career-focused colleges that focus on higher-trained, technician-type programs such as in health care or information technology.
Several HBCU campuses, including Barber-Scotia College, Knoxville College and Morris Brown College face an uncertain future with sales as a very real possibility to satisfy debts.
With other black colleges facing similar issues but not yet approaching bankruptcy or accreditation loss, more schools could be targeted for sale or auction, with Chinese companies at the front of the line seeking acquisition opportunities in areas where HBCUs hold industrial specialty.
I’m glad you’re looking into this. I was recently on the website of Saint Paul’s College, was surprised it was still up, but even more surprised that there was Chinese writing on the page. If would be great if the college could reopen, with exchange programs for African-American students and Chinese students.
Interesting, I just wonder what the nexus is for purchasing closed HBCU properties. On the surface it appears these investors are up to something.
Hmmm…I don’t know.. * snapping and thinking like Randy Jackson from AI. *
I’m uneasy about this idea. We’ll see.
Black folks didn’t try to buy it, so why not the Chinese?
Coming from the West Coast…no deal with the Chinese involved will ever be in the best interest of blacks and HBCU!