Dr. Arnoud De Meyer joins the upGrad board
Mumbai-headquartered upGrad, one of the fastest growing EdTech companies in the world offering higher education degrees and courses online, has announced Asia Pacific expansion plans as consumer demand and adoption of high-quality online learning continues to grow in the region.
As part of its expansion strategy, the company is setting up its regional headquarters in Singapore and establishing local offices in strategic markets such as Vietnam and Indonesia to fuel its local operations and business ambitions.
Dr. Arnoud De Meyer, the former president of Singapore Management University (SMU), has also joined upGrad’s board of directors to bring his deep expertise in higher education to the startup. Recognised internationally for his scholarly and professional achievements, Professor de Meyer is also credited with helping SMU forge strong relationships and partnerships with academia, industry, government, social organizations and the community.
“We’re very excited to launch our business in the dynamic Asia Pacific region and to bring upGrad’s entrepreneurial approach and laser-focused devotion to enabling an outcome-oriented and immersive learning experience in this part of the world,” Zubin Gandevia, CEO, Asia Pacific at upGrad, said in a release on 18 Nov 2021.
“We can’t wait to leverage our innovative online learning platform and the strength of our world-class degrees and courses to deliver high-quality, affordable higher education at scale and uplift the careers and lives of millions of people in the region.”
Dr. De Meyer said, “I am thrilled to be part of upGrad at an exciting time as the company goes through a rapid phase of growth and expansion in international markets. upGrad has already created an impressive online learning platform that helps learners accelerate their skills development and I look forward to helping the company drive forward its ambitious vision for the region.”
According to a report by Hays, 72% of respondents across Asia said that the opportunity to reskill had become more important to them following the pandemic. The accelerated adoption of online learning during this time has also created new opportunities for upskilling the region’s workforce, with working professionals and companies seeking innovative and flexible ways to develop job-relevant skills for today’s rapidly changing economy.
upGrad’s learner-centric approach to delivering high quality education and skills development at scale is focused on leveraging the power of its innovative online platform and the network of its university partners to create world-class degrees and courses that learners can access anytime, anywhere – helping them to develop high-demand skills for better career opportunities.
Learners in Singapore and other APAC markets can now access a wide range of online degrees and courses, obtaining certifications on popular topics such as Data Science, Machine Learning, Business Analytics, Business Management, Digital Marketing and Product Management from leading global universities. These include top-ranked degrees and courses from Duke Corporate Education (US), Deakin University (Australia), Liverpool John Moores University (UK), Michigan State University (US) and University of Arizona (US).
Gandevia leads upGrad’s regional expansion. The former President of FOX Networks Group for APAC and the Middle East wants upGrad to forge closer relationships with learners, local educational institutions, governments and corporations, and become a trusted lifelong learning partner for all working professionals across the region. #technology #investment /fiinews.com
