In an Australian-first, a local university will offer its MBA via an e-learning company to provide transnational educational opportunities for professionals in India.
Under an agreement announced in new Delhi in late February, India’s largest online higher-education company upGrad and Deakin University have unveiled a new online MBA (Global) program for working professionals.
Australian Trade Minister Senator Simon Birmingham launched the program in New Delhi in late February. The two-year MBA (Global) program will be available exclusively to Indian students with the first intake commencing in late March 2020.
Deakin University and upGrad will be jointly working towards creating online executive programs for mid-senior and senior professionals offering them learning opportunities to encourage professional growth.
upGrad, India’s largest online higher-education company and @Deakin, Australia have announced an online MBA (Global) program for working professionals. pic.twitter.com/MaPucb2qaH
— Deakin South Asia (@deakinsouthasia) February 25, 2020
Deakin University’s Deputy Vice President (Global Engagement) and CEO (South Asia) Ms Ravneet Pawha said new digital technologies were disrupting the business landscape and the type of skills required are changing as rapidly as the industry dynamics.
“Jobs today are highly specialised and require constant reskilling,” she said. “Our collaboration with upGrad is based on the need for education providers to come together with online learning platforms to create growth opportunities for working professionals by improving access to higher-quality skills.”
Deakin University’s Director of Global Courses Colin Higgins said the last decade had witnessed a massive change in the kind of courses that are being considered by students.
“Working professionals are increasingly looking to upskill themselves,” he said. “Deakin faculty has worked on the course content keeping in mind this need of the professionals. upGrad has ensured that the course remains relevant to Indian job scenario and have taken inputs from industry leaders and key influencers.”
The program is a blend of rigorous hands-on teaching along with case studies and projects. The digital learning experience will be accelerated by a 360-degree career support aimed at transforming learning into solid career outcomes for each of the students enrolled in the program.
Commenting on the association, Ronnie Screwvala, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, upGrad said, “Our vision has been to provide working professionals a platform where they can continuously upskill themselves in order to stay relevant. We are excited about the addition of Deakin University to our list of esteemed partners and with this collaboration we hope to bridge the gap between evolving workplace requirements and workforce skilling.”
