upGrad hosts a virtual Valedictory ceremony with MICA Ahmedabad

upGrad, South Asia’s largest online higher education company, in association with MICA Ahmedabad, hosted the second edition of its online Valedictory Ceremony over the weekend for 1,117 learners who received their degrees. Gracing the event with their presence were Swati Mohan - former Marketing Head for Netflix, MICA Ahmedabad Chairperson for Online Programs - Dr Anita Basalingappa, Professor Siddharth Deshmukh, Professor Dr. Falguni Vasavada-Oza, and upGrad Co-founder and MD of upGrad- Mayank Kumar.

MICA Ahmedabad, along with upGrad, celebrated the successful completion of PG in Digital Marketing and Communications, thus marking another successful event in a span of less than 8 months. Learners coming from various walks of life also included working professionals who wished to expand their skills. The learners who graduated were also addressed by Alumni speakers such as Yuvraj Gogia, Marketing Manager - Wildcraft India, Swati Mohan - ex-Marketing Head, Netflix, Dr. Anita Basalingappa, Chairperson - Online Programs, Professor Dr. Falguni Vasavada-Oza, and Professor Siddharth Deshmukh, along with upGrad Co-founder and MD, Mayank Kumar.

Addressing the learners, Dr Anita Basalingappa - MICA Chairperson for Online Programs, quoted to the learners, "Congratulations to each one of you and your loved ones for successful completion of the program in these challenging times! You are now equipped with the most relevant skills in Digital Marketing & Communication. Be the change you want to see. Every drop in the ocean matters. Dream! Be ambitious! Taste success & failure! Be a life-long learner! Wishing you the best in all your future endeavours! Stay strong & be yourself!"

The guest speaker at the event, Swati Mohan, former Head of Marketing at Netflix, gave the learners excellent insights on being digital marketers of the future. Starting her speech by talking about the pandemic and its sombre repercussions, Swati expressed how a mark of celebrating achievement brings a positive spin to people's lives. She placed two examples of leveraging the true strengths of digital marketing by talking about Netflix's show Sacred Games and National Geographic's initiative Mission Blue. In conclusion, Swati gave the learners three essential points to remember when journeying ahead in the digital marketing space as she quoted, "It truly has been great to be with you all here today. Congratulations once again, and also a big thank you to upGrad and MICA. And till we do meet again (and I hope we do), Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish, Stay Curious, Stay Safe."

upGrad Co-founder and Managing Director Mayank Kumar thanked the MICA Ahmedabad, upGrad community and the learners who made the Valedictorian Ceremony possible. In his speech, he addressed the learners saying, "No matter at what point you are in your journey, whether you are just starting your career or have already completed two decades of it, you are unique. You have the ability, the determination, the commitment, and the fire to do better every single day." Further, he also spoke about how upGrad has promised to be a LifeLongLearning partner to learners and make them industry-ready with unique skills. “India is witnessing a wave wherein such online Valedictory ceremonies are taking the centre-stage,” added Kumar.

The experience of the online graduation ceremony was further elevated with an entertaining performance by the musical group, Maati Baani. MICA online, in partnership with upGrad, have been offering the PG Certificate in Digital Marketing and Communications for the past eight years.