The board will offer insights to help accelerate Upgrad’s focus on building a learning institute that will empower the global workforce with an industry-ready experiential curriculum, the company said in a statement.
“Joining the advisory board as chairman, Arnoud De Meyer, ex-president of Singapore Management University… Along with him, Sadagopan, chairman, BoG, IIITDM-Kancheepuram, and founder director, IIIT-Bangalore, brings extensive experience in academia and education,” the company said.
With a sharp focus on skilling and job outcomes, Upgrad Institute has also on-boarded accomplished industry leaders from diverse backgrounds, it said.
They include Magdalene Ew, head of content, entertainment, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, Warner Bros. Discovery; Jeremy Williams, managing director of PropertyGuru Marketplaces; Laura Parsons, vice-president, human resources, BBC Studios.
Other members are Larry Bradley, chief executive officer of SolasAI, and Mohit Nayyar, vice-president, human resources, global skin and personal care, P&G.
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“Together, this diverse and accomplished board will play a crucial role in Upgrad’s endeavours to shape and grow Asia’s higher education and skilling landscape,” the release added. The company has invested $5 million to establish and scale Upgrad Institute and is inviting enrollments for its debut doctorate programmes, along with select skilling courses in data science and management, with top global universities.
The first batch is expected to commence in the next 60 days.
“These latest appointments not just reassure our commitment but also power our ambition of rewriting the global skilling landscape,” Ronnie Screwvala, cofounder and chairperson of Upgrad, said.