upGrad, one of Asia’s largest integrated skilling and forever learning majors, has successfully concluded its first global graduation ceremony in partnership with the UK’s leading Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and Liverpool Business School (LBS).
Held in Bengaluru and facilitated by upGrad, the ceremony celebrated the program completion of 2483 learners, with 250+ attending offline and the rest joining virtually through upGrad’s YouTube channel.
The graduating cohort included learners from the university-led Masters of Science (MSc.) in Data Science, MSc in Machine Learning & AI, MSc in Computer Science, and Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programs, representing 14 countries, including India, the USA, UAE, Canada, Singapore, among others. In India, the learners largely came from Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune. The split comprised approximately 32% MBA learners, 30% from the MSc. in Data Science program, 26% from MSc. in Machine Learning, and 12% from MSc. in Computer Science.
The event witnessed the esteemed presence of senior dignitaries from Liverpool John Moores University and upGrad, including Professor Timothy Nichol, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Society and Culture, LJMU; Mrs Jacqui Wright, Senior International Partnerships Manager, LJMU; Mr Ronnie Screwvala, Co-Founder & Chairperson, upGrad; and Mr Rohit Sharma, President – Consumer Business, upGrad, along with other senior leadership.
“LJMU’s partnership with upGrad reflects the University’s commitment to putting students at the heart, being inclusive and creating impact at scale, leveraging the power of technology. I commend the spirit of perseverance demonstrated by all those who are graduating today in successfully managing professional commitments and family life along with the demands of graduate study. We are committed to making world-class technical and business education accessible through our partnership with upGrad”, commented Professor Timothy Nichol, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Faculty of Society and Culture, LJMU.
“Our learning systems have evolved; today’s graduation is more than a ceremony, it’s a powerful reminder of how education can transcend borders and time zones”, said Rohit Sharma – President, Consumer Business, upGrad. “With learners joining from Vietnam to the USA, and India to Dubai, we’re proud to have built a robust tech-led ecosystem that’s democratising education and accelerating global career mobility. Upskilling is no longer episodic, it’s a global-first movement reshaping how individuals and universities scale across geographies. This ceremony hosts the next-gen leaders who believe in learning, unlearning, and relearning”.
The graduation ceremony witnessed multiple learners sharing their success journeys and highlighting how upGrad’s international academic partnerships have enabled impactful career transitions including role switches, promotions, or new job opportunities across sectors.
“I always dreamed of higher education but felt overwhelmed deciding. Enrolling in the MBA program from Liverpool Business School, powered by upGrad became the turning point I needed – balancing studies with a full-time job and self-doubt was tough but incredibly rewarding as I’ve now transitioned from being a Commercial Analyst into a more impactful role as Assistant Commercial Manager at a leading gaming tech services company in Hyderabad. As someone new to online learning, I was surprised by how personal and supportive the experience felt, thanks to constant guidance from all mentors and faculty at LJMU”, said an upGrad learner Neelam Rajpurohit, from the graduating cohort.
upGrad solidifies its position as a global category creator in outcome-driven higher-ed and skilling programs with a strong global alumni network in Data, Tech, and Management, enabling a powerful, cross-border peer-to-peer career ecosystem.
