Sylvan Learning Systems Acquires International Business and Management School in France.

Business Editors/Education Writers

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 13, 2001

Ecole Superieure du Commerce Exterieur Becomes a "Center of

Excellence" in the Growing Sylvan International Universities Network

Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:SLVN) today announced it has acquired ecole Superieure du Commerce Exterieur (ESCE), a Paris-based business and management school that prepares students for careers in international trade and commerce through an intensive four-year degree program.

Sylvan invested approximately $8.1 million in cash, including the transaction and all related costs, to acquire a 98.8 percent interest in ESCE, with ESCE management retaining the balance of the equity. Established in 1968 as the first higher education school in France specializing in international trade, ESCE today has more than 1,000 students enrolled at its Paris and Lyon campuses. ESCE becomes a "center of excellence" in the expanding Sylvan International Universities (SIU) network, joining four other private institutions in Spain, Mexico, Chile and Switzerland in which Sylvan has a controlling interest.

"The addition of ESCE significantly strengthens the Sylvan International Universities network, and increases its appeal to the growing community of students worldwide eager to access the highest-quality post-secondary education," said SIU President and CEO Raph Appadoo. "We know ESCE attracts and enrolls the most-qualified students - for the academic year 2000/2001, more than 3,000 applicants applied to ESCE for 270 open slots. And ESCE graduates are highly regarded by multinational employers, with practically all of its graduates finding employment within six months of graduating."

SIU Chief Financial Officer and COO Bill Dennis added, "ESCE offers a practical, career-oriented curriculum covering a range of international business issues, which we plan to replicate throughout the SIU network. At the same time, ESCE gives us a base for expansion of SIU programs throughout France."

Accredited by the French Ministry of Education, and ranked by French employers 13th among 53 in-country business schools, according to a survey published by Le Nouvel Economiste (Jan. 13, 2000), ESCE offers an applied program of study featuring courses in such topics as international trade, quantitative management, and international law and policy. ESCE also offers internships with multinational organizations, and emphasizes student mastery of two to three languages.

With its primary location in the center of the Paris business district, "La Defense," ESCE opened a satellite campus in Lyon in 1999, associated with Universite Jean Moulin Lyon 3. The Lyon campus serves a portion of ESCE first- and second-year students, and acts as a feeder to the main ESCE campus for completion of studies in years three and four. As a nationally accredited higher education school, ESCE has the right to open additional campus locations throughout France. ESCE also has a student exchange program with a worldwide network of 65 universities in 22 countries, and students are encouraged to spend at least part of their four-year programs abroad.

About ecole Superieure du Commerce Exterieur

ESCE (www.devinci.fr/esce) was created in 1968 as the first school in France specializing in international trade. ESCE is accredited by the French Ministry of Education, and is a member school of the Pole Universitaire Leonard de Vinci (PULV) at Paris-La Defense, the location of the headquarters of many French and international companies. PULV is a consortium of nearly 20 schools that have partnerships with more than 50 French and foreign companies. With more than 1,000 full-time students enrolled at its campuses in Paris and Lyon, ESCE emphasizes practical courses and internship experience in areas such as export management, international economics, quantitative management, commercial policy, and logistics.

About Sylvan International Universities

Sylvan International Universities ("SIU") (www.sylvanu.com) is pioneering the largest and most ambitious network of post-secondary education institutions worldwide. SIU operates a network of five post-secondary institutions serving more than 49,000 full-time and 8,000 continuing education students. In addition to ESCE, the SIU network of universities includes Universidad Europea (UEM) based in Madrid, Spain; Universidad del Valle de Mexico (UVM) based in Mexico City, Mexico; Universidad de las Americas (UDLA), based in Santiago, Chile; and Les Roches Hotel Management School (Les Roches), based in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Aside from the significant supply-demand imbalance in most post-secondary education markets outside the United States, SIU expects to benefit from worldwide trends in education deregulation and the growing need for career-oriented education in an increasingly knowledge-based, global economy.

About Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc.

Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. (www.sylvan.net) is the leading provider of education services to families and schools worldwide. The Sylvan Learning Centers and Sylvan Education Solutions businesses provide personalized instruction services to K-12 students through direct consumer relationships and under contract to school systems. Sylvan provides courses to adult students throughout the world in the areas of teacher training, accredited university offerings, and English language, through the Online Higher Education, Sylvan International Universities and Wall Street Institute businesses. Sylvan Ventures, Sylvan's research and investment vehicle, focuses on bringing emerging technology solutions to the education and training marketplace.

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