The Amity University of India intends to purchase the New England Institute of Art in Boston, as well as the Art Institute of New York, owned currently by Education Management Corp. which is based in Pittsburgh.
The move could have helped boost Amity's U.S. presence in the field of education in line with their continuous expansion worldwide. However, realizing their lack of experience in the American higher education, the plan did not push through, says Fox News.
Education Management Corp. spokeswoman Anne Dean did not confirm if the decision is final. Amity, which is based in New Delhi, is also not available for comment.
It is speculated that after officials from Massachusetts scrutinized the Indian chain's business plan, the cancellation followed. Their say is crucial because the venture will have to be approved by them on behalf of the federal government.
Doubts cast when Amity discloses their unfamiliarity with the educational system in America. Not unless they have installed means to make sure that quality education in line with the government's policies can be offered there, approval from the Massachusetts agency can't be obtained.
The Department of Higher Education inquired through New England Institute of Art regarding the methods imposed by Amity to be able to provide quality education despite their inexperience in the U.S. educational processes. New England Institute of Art was prompted to sell the school after its failure to increase the number of enrollees crucial to the establishment's financial survival.
It could have been a better option than to close it when only an average of 500 students enrolled from 2014 compared to 1600 students from 2009.
Maura Healey, seems to disagree with the sale. She is the state's attorney general. Selling the university to a foreigner with no background in American higher education is just a bad idea, she said, according to ABC News.
