GGU Brings Silicon Valley to Remote Learners in India

Why is Silicon Valley the epicenter of innovation? And what comprises Silicon Valley’s ecosystem? 

After attending one of GGU’s live bootcamps, international students—enrolled at GGU through a partnership with upGrad—will learn the answers to those questions, promises GGU Professor Jay Gonzalez. 

Currently, more than 500 students living across the globe are enrolled at the GGU Worldwide campus through a partnership with upGrad, Asia’s largest edtech platform. The partnership enables students to earn a GGU degree without ever needing to leave their home countries. 

In addition to their asynchronous coursework, GGU Worldwide students benefit from live Zoom events and in-person bootcamps that provide a synchronous learning experience and the opportunity for students to meet the GGU and upGrad teams as well as their fellow students. The first bootcamps were held in Mumbai and Noida, India on Nov. 12 and Nov. 19. 

“India has one of the world’s highest youth populations who are determined to contribute toward the global economy,” commented Professor Jay Gonzalez, Vice Provost for Global Affairs. “With GGU and upGrad’s commitment to affordable education, we are delivering, at no cost, GGU’s signature practice-based experiences to learners here through these bootcamps.” 

Bootcamps are offered to prospective and current students in the five degree programs available through GGU Worldwide: Doctor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Project Management with Information Technology Management concentration, Master of Science in Business Analytics, and Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Business and Finance Law. 

Prof Jay, as students call him, teaches participants how to work in teams and leverage technical knowledge and human skills to solve complex problems—important training for global business careers. Using high-intensity Lego exercises, Prof Jay introduces students to key elements that have made Silicon Valley the birthplace of business innovation. Jay also teaches participants what he calls the Three Cs of Silicon Valley: Collaborate, Construct, and Care. 

“I use Legos to give them an experience of what it is like to practice design thinking in Silicon Valley in an abbreviated format,” explained Jay. “In the India bootcamps, they successfully applied the design thinking and Three Cs in all the exercises, a gratifying experience from the instructor’s perspective.” 

Thirty participants attended each bootcamp in India. Following the all-day workshops, some participants took to LinkedIn to share posts, comments, photos, and videos about their experience using the hashtag #GGUbootcamp. 

“Invigorating, thought-provoking and a gargantuan energy felt throughout the sessions at the bootcamp!  It was an absolute delight to connect with my peers and Prof Jay,” commented DBA student Selina Dias on LinkedIn. 

Participant Haseef Muhammed described the event as a “highly energetic and engaging session that concluded with a design thinking workshop.”  

DBA student Harish Chowdhary described his experience in a blog post. He explained that the workshop involved powerful learning exercises and also afforded students the opportunity to meet one another and the team at GGU and upGrad.  

Added Prof Jay, “The bootcamps held in Mumbai and Noida attracted students from all over India who came by car, bus, train, and plane. These students had never been together as a group, and that was valuable for them to see each other face-to-face.” 

All the participants are working professionals and represent a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. 

“We have a 72-year-old DBA student who said I’m looking forward to being called doctor when I’m 75,” said Prof Jay. “He’s already served his country as a government official. There was an India Department of Defense officer who is based in a submarine who will be our student in the DBA program. He said I am a working professional, but I work in a submarine and I’m going to be taking classes at GGU.” 

Future bootcamps are planned for India, Singapore, and Vietnam.