BALTIMORE, April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Laureate Education, Inc. has acquired Instituto Superior de Linguas e Administracao (ISLA), the third largest and oldest private institute of higher education in Portugal. ISLA joins Laureate International Universities, and is the first institution in the network located in Portugal.

Founded in 1962 in Lisbon, ISLA offers three-year Bologna compliant undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in health sciences, marketing, hospitality, tourism and business. ISLA's programs are designed to prepare students to enter the labor market, with many graduates working in some of Portugal's leading businesses and organizations. More than 2,600 students attend ISLA. For more information about ISLA, visit www.isla.pt.

"We are pleased to have this esteemed institution join the Laureate International Universities network," said Douglas L. Becker, chairman and chief executive officer of Laureate Education. "ISLA is widely recognized for academic excellence and for its focus on student outcomes. Students at ISLA are now part of a global network of leading institutions that shares this strong commitment to quality education tied to the needs of the global economy."

"As a member of the Laureate International Universities network, ISLA can now offer students the opportunity of an international education that no other institution of higher education in Portugal can provide," said Tawfiq Rkibi, academic director at ISLA. "We share a commitment to academic excellence, quality teaching and a student-centered approach to higher education. ISLA and Laureate will work together toward increasing the employability of our graduates in a wider range of meaningful careers."  

About Laureate International Universities

The Laureate International Universities network is a trusted global leader in providing access to high-quality, innovative institutions of higher education. The Laureate International Universities network includes more than 55 accredited campus-based and online universities. Our more than 600,000 students are part of an academic community that spans 28 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, North Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Laureate universities offer more than 130 undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs in fields including architecture, art, business, culinary arts, design, education, engineering, health sciences, hospitality management, information technology, law and medicine. President William J. Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, serves as honorary chancellor of the Laureate International Universities network, a role in which he offers advice on social responsibility, youth leadership and increasing access to higher education. For more information, visit www.laureate.net.

SOURCE Laureate Education