About EF

EF Education First is the world's largest private educational company that specializes in English language training, educational tours and cultural exchange.

: HOW WE BEGAN; EF Education was founded in 1965 by a young Swedish entrepreneur named Bertil Hult. Our first office was modest and our concept was straightforward: take Swedish high school students to England to learn English. It was a simple enough business idea on-site language and cultural studies but one with an enormous future.; Read more about EF Founder, Bertil Hult.

: WHO WE ARE; Four decades later, EF Education is the world's largest private education company, with a group of fifteen subsidiaries and non-profit organizations centered around language learning, educational travel and degree programs. Today, EF has more than 35,000 employees, teachers and volunteers worldwide. With more than 500 schools and offices in 53 countries, EF has turned the world into a global classroom.

: WHERE WE ARE GOING; EF's mission is more timely than ever. Never before has it been so important to understand diverse ways of life and other modes of expression. EF remains committed to breaking down barriers of language, culture, and geography that divide us, by providing the highest quality educational experiences - whether that's in another country, around the corner or online English study.

EF FAMILY OF COMPANIES

EF ENGLISH FIRST EF LANGUAGE TRAVEL EF INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE CENTRES

EF EDUCATIONAL TOURS EF UNIVERSITY PREPARATION PROGRAMS EF INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY

EF HIGH SCHOOL YEAR ENGLISHTOWN GO AHEAD TOURS HULT INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL

CULTURAL CARE AU PAIR SMITHSONIAN STUDENT TRAVEL EF CORPORATE LANGUAGE LEARNING SOLUTIONS

Other EF websites

EF English First's History of Excellence

English First is part of EF Education First, the world's largest private education company. Since 1965, EF has helped millions of students study and travel abroad in its mission to break down barriers of language, cultural, and geography that divide us. With more than 500 schools and offices in 53 countries, EF has a global network of teachers and professionals. Here we take a look back on EF's history of excellence:

1988

EF is appointed the Official Language School of the Seoul Olympics.

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2008
2009

Bertil Hult carries the Olympic Torch, China, 2008

About Bertil Hult

Bertil Hult, Founder of EF Education First

Bertil Hult founded EF Education First at the age of 23, in the basement of his university dormitory in Lund, Sweden. He started EF as a language study and travel abroad organization, initially for Swedish high school students going to England to learn English. This was a simple, yet radical idea- onsite language learning studies- which had an enormous future. His childhood struggles with dyslexia convinced him that cultural immersion was a superior way to study a language. In 1971, he moved from Sweden to Germany, and in 1977, he established EF's head office in Lucerne, Switzerland, where he now lives. Today, Bertil is semi-retired but the spirit and mission of the company he founded nearly fifty years ago remains strong, "to break down barriers of language, culture, and geography."

Bertil has been recognized for his entrepreneurial and business success. In 2012, he was awarded the Lucia Trade Award by the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce for his contribution to fostering free trade between Sweden and the United States. In 2006, Bertil was elected "International Swede of the Year."

Charity Work

Apart from EF, Bertil Hult has been involved in charities fighting drug abuse and promoting dyslexia education. In 1993, he was a founding member of the Geneva based Mentor Foundation, “an independent, non-governmental, not for profit, apolitical organization” focused on supporting research and initiatives in drug prevention. He has since served as Chairman and currently as trustee for the foundation. Bertil Hult also supports the Bertil Hult Prize. Starting in 2003, the Bertil Hult Prize has been given to a Swedish school once every year, based on their support for dyslexia education.

Bertil Hult and his family also sponsor the Hult Prize, a USD 1 million award for a global business school case competition run by Hult International Business School and the Clinton Global Initiative. Lately, the Hult family has founded EF's Global Classroom Foundation, whose goal it is to help rebuild elementary schools in troubled areas.