upGrad forays into Pacific region with medical institute in Vanuatu

Educational technology company upGrad announced on Tuesday that it has entered the Pacific region with the first fully offline medical institute in the Republic of Vanuatu with an initial investment of US$10 million.

The company plans to establish three medical institutes in the region.

upGrad Co-Founder and Chairman Ronnie Screwvala said Vanuatu is at the heart of the educational revolution which also makes it a business-ready geography for us.

Vanuatu, a country in Oceania, is a country located in the South Pacific Ocean that consists of about 80 islands.

“We have a strong presence in Australia, and this move into Vanuatu, which shares proximity with Australia and New Zealand, will be an important part of strengthening our footprints in the South Pacific,” Screwvala said.

The upGrad Institute of Medical Sciences (UIMS), a fully offline campus in Vanuatu, aims to attract and train global talent with up-to-date clinical competencies and build the next pool of skilled medical practitioners, the company said in a statement.

The company said that UIMS is expected to invite registration from the second half of June this year.

“This initiative is part of our multi-campus strategy where we aim to establish at least 3 medical schools in the Pacific region along with a few more in specific geographies,” said head of corporate development at upGrad and M&As Gaurav Kumar in a statement. .

UIMS will also encourage talent mobility in the region.

The development follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12-point development agenda for the Pacific Island nations with healthcare, renewable energy and cybersecurity being the focus areas for development, the statement said.