EF Education First
Logo originally designed by Paul Rand
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| Private | |
| Industry | Education |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Founder | Bertil Hult |
| Headquarters | Switzerland |
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Number of employees
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43,500 |
| Website | www.ef.edu |
EF Education First (abbreviated as EF) is an international education company that specializes in language training, educational travel, academic degree programs, and cultural exchange. The company was founded in 1965 by Bertil Hult in the Swedish university town of Lund. The company is privately held by the Hult family and is headquartered in Lucerne, Switzerland.
EF has approximately 43,500 staff and 500 offices and schools located in more than 50 countries. EF celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015.
Bertil Hult launched EF in 1965 from the basement of his university dormitory. Bertil’s childhood struggles with dyslexia served as his inspiration for EF. After dropping out of school, due in part to his inability to learn English, Bertil took a job as an errand boy for a Swedish bank. His supervisors quickly recognized his work ethic and sent him to London on work exchange as a reward. Only a few months after relocating, Bertil could speak English. His time in the U.K. taught Bertil that “learning by doing” could have an equal, if not greater, impact on educational outcomes as traditional classroom methods.
Philip Hult and Alex Hult are the company’s co-chairmen overseeing EF’s day-to-day operation as well as its language and academic businesses. Dr. Edward Hult is CEO, North America, overseeing EF’s educational travel and cultural exchange divisions.
EF Education First is organized in two separate divisions: EF Language and Schools and EF Educational Travel. Specific business units within these two main divisions include:
EF is also associated with an independent, not-for-profit business school, Hult International Business School, and two independent exchange programs, EF High School Exchange Year and Cultural Care Au Pair.
EF is the official supplier of language training services to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil. EF served in the same capacity for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. In the years leading up to the 2016 Olympics, EF worked to provide English language training to an estimated 1 million Brazilians, including Olympics volunteers and 550,000 school children across the country. EF will serve in similar roles for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
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Wikipedia