Ronnie Screwvala-led upGrad takes aggressive global expansion route

Partners with Clark University, US, to offer Master's degree in data analytics, IT and project management; appoints Jerry Czub as Vice President-University Partnership, North America

Ronnie Screwvala-led edtech unicorn upGrad has taken an aggressive route to further strengthen its Study Abroad vertical. The firm has partnered with the US’s Clark University to offer a Master’s degree in data analytics, information technology, and project management. Designed carefully, keeping in mind the evolving requirements of the professionals, the course provides Dual Certification from IIIT Bangalore and Clark University. Here the learners get to pursue the programme online from India’s leading university in the first year, followed by the on-campus learning in the US in the final year. The partnership comes soon after upGrad had made a consolidation announcement, thus solidifying its stature in the LifeLongLearning space.

To further solidify its position in the North American market and strengthen its leadership team, upGrad has appointed Jerry Czub as the Vice President - University Partnership, North America. Czub comes with almost 20 years of experience in international education and with a wealth of experience in international admissions, marketing and recruitment focused on the Asia region. upGrad looks forward to using his market and cultural understanding for scaling the business.

Ankur Dhawan, President, Study Abroad upGrad, said such partnerships are aligned with the firm’s aim of providing quality hybrid education to its learners, and also with an opportunity to build a meaningful career outside of India.

“This expansion will further strengthen our university network in the region and shall help a million of individuals create a rewarding career for themselves at a significantly lesser cost which otherwise would have been huge,” said Dhawan. “We look forward to using his (Czub’s) business expertise and experiences in setting up our business footprints across the globe.”

The hybrid learning arrangement gives learners up to 3 years of optional practical training (OPT) Post Study Work Visa, and high-earning opportunities. Clark University is top-ranked, coming 103rd in National Universities in the US, and 601 - 650 as per QS World Ranking 2022.

There have been tectonic shifts in the job market in the post-pandemic world, with a strong demand for niche skills and courses stacked with hands-on experience and advanced technology. As per World Economic Forum, in the next few years, half of the global workforce will need to upskill or reskill to be relevant in the technologically advanced world. Eighty-four per cent of employers are set to rapidly digitalise working processes. This indicates the potential and demand for tech-driven roles.