upGrad launches international expansion in Asia Pacific, sets up regional hub in Singapore to drive growth across the region

• upGrad makes its first foray into the diverse APAC region by launching its international portfolio of online degrees and courses in Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Australia.
• Multiple local offices are set to open throughout the region as the company executes on its mission to help accelerate careers through the development of job-relevant skills for the rapidly changing economy.
• More than 2 million learners globally use upGrad's online learning platform to earn degrees from leading universities and undertake various educational courses in order to acquire new skills on a range of in-demand topics.
• Dr. Arnoud De Meyer – a global academic leader, former president of Singapore Management University (SMU) and the founding Dean of INSEAD's Asia campus in Singapore – who has joined upGrad's board of directors, will support the company's business growth in the APAC region.

SINGAPORE, Nov. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- upGrad^[1], one of the fastest growing EdTech companies in the world offering higher education degrees and courses online, today announced its expansion plans for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region 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.

According to a report^[2] by Hays, 72 per cent 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).

upGrad's expansion in the region is led by Zubin Gandevia, APAC CEO, who is responsible for growing the business across the region. 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.

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.

Zubin Gandevia, CEO, Asia Pacific at upGrad said, "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. 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."

Arnoud De Meyer, member of upGrad's Board of Directors 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."

ABOUT UPGRAD

upGrad - started in 2015 - is a pioneer in the online education revolution, focused on powering career success for a global workforce of over 1.3 billion. It is one of the few Integrated Lifelong Learning Tech Companies in the world - spanning the college learner to the working professional from the age group of 18-60 years and across Undergrad courses, Campus & JobLinked Programs, Studying Abroad, short form to executive programs to Degrees, Masters and Doctoral - with a learner base of over 2 million across 50 countries and over 300 University partners & a robust enterprise business with a client base of 1000 companies worldwide.

upGrad's  Global Learning Engine rests on four pillars - (a) its large repository of original & owned content and IP - (b) its own best-in-class proprietary tech platform - (c) its high touch human led delivery service backed by coaches & mentors - and - (d) an 85% course completion track record, backed by a further 80% career outcomes guaranteed performance. 

Already termed Asia's higher EdTech leader, it has offices in the UK, US, Middle East, India, Singapore & Vietnam and presence in many more countries. 

For more information, visit: https://www.upgrad.com/^[3]

References

1. ^{^} upGrad (www.upgrad.com)
2. ^{^} report (image.email.hays.com)
3. ^{^} https://www.upgrad.com/ (www.upgrad.com)