Sunday, 16 Oct 2022
The past two years have been extremely challenging for students with them being compelled to switch to remote learning methods and postpone plans of overseas migration for education purposes as countries had closed their borders for an extended time period due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, even during the difficult times, Cambridge University Press and Assessment ensured students of any age are still provided with opportunities to go for their dreams by providing guidance through its excellent service.
Now, as the pandemic-infused educational market volatility is gradually easing, Cambridge University Press and Assessment, South Asia (CUPA) is gearing to connect more students, particularly Sri Lankans, with their goals.
CUPA Managing Director Arjun Rajamani stated the entity holds many plans for its South Asian market and the plans mainly revolve around digital disruption considering the impact it has on learning.
“Digital is a big area that needs to be tapped in further. We certainly have many plans and mobility and employability are the two main areas of focus right now. We are investing more in the Sri Lankan market by way of adding more staff to our team, modernising and upgrading the current capabilities, and increasing partnerships of CUPA,” Rajamani explained.
According to Rajamani, the South Asian region is filled with strategies and in particular, Sri Lanka is a country where massive reforms in education are taking place, paving the way for CUPA to assist more students.
CUPA is also known as ‘Unified Cambridge’ as two different units – Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge Press – have been brought together to form this one entity. Cambridge Assessment is almost a household term in Sri Lanka due to its years of presence in the country providing English language qualification assessment. Through these tests, the English language proficiency of thousands of school children and adults was assessed over the years.
“We assess the capability of children and adults and help them build and expand their language abilities further. The second unit – Cambridge Press – is an independent unit that is also one of the oldest presses in the world with it having published many books that are widely used by students across the world. Both these units have a unified presence in South Asia as this region is a crucial market for CUPA,” Rajamani said.
The South Asian region is home to about one-third of the world’s population which helps CUPA to achieve its mission of impacting over 100 million learners in the next 3-5 years. Rajamani said that of their 100 million target, almost one-third is expected to be recorded from the South Asian region.
“Within the South Asian region, we see Sri Lanka as a good opportunity due to two reasons, one being the crystal clear aspirations students hold while the second reason being the students’ increasing wish to move overseas to pursue higher education. A large number of those who move to other countries for educational purposes come back and serve their mother country. I should highlight the fact that the South Asian region is also the top region that has recorded tremendous progress in creating a massive workforce,” he said.
CUPA is known for empowering children and adults alike. While it works with local international schools to enhance young children’s English language abilities, it also partners with universities across the country and integrates English language skills into their curricula to drive the compatibility of adults.
The brand Cambridge strives to provide higher quality education as it is not something that should ever be compromised and excellence in doing so is what sets Cambridge apart from the rest.
Rajamani said that CUPA does not stop with the English language assessments but also inspires students to tap into critical thinking skills, helping them to become lifelong learners. As a result, there has been a surge in the passing rate of students in universities because such students often find it easy to blend into university curricula.
Post-Covid19, more students are aspiring once again for overseas education and CUPA states that it witnesses a stark increase in the number of students who wanna explore globally.
CUPA is thriving to empower these students for better employability options in this competitive world through its capabilities of enhancing the English language. It is also working hard to double its footprint in Sri Lanka within the next 3-5 years.
However, Rajamani noted that affordability coupled with foreign exchange issues are a challenge for those who seek migration for higher education purposes. Yet, the rates of students moving abroad remain impressive.
CUPA is now looking at creating a blended approach through the integration of new resources and learning tools into its learning environment with flexible learning in its mind.
“Pandemic taught students digital-based, self-phased learning. The habit of digital learning has become a habit even after the pandemic and I believe it is here to stay. At CUPA, we are building on a hybrid, balanced learning culture that is aligned to school curricula,” he said.
Rajamani believes that the English language is a life skill and a crucial part to become successful in life, right from school and to the point of settling with a promising career.
“Higher education is an important step towards exploring employability options. For example, there is a shortage of nurses around the world and we enable local nurses to learn the English language and help move around the world and fill these shortages. We encourage and empower adults who are interested in overseas job opportunities as the salary scales are much more attractive there,” he said.
In the evolving modern educational sphere, Cambridge has not failed to keep up with the new areas of interest as it is increasingly working towards integrating computational and analytical thinking into its curricula, and their books on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Coding are testaments to that. Teachers are also being trained to use modern techniques and promote them among students and peer teachers.
The Sunday Observer is the oldest and most circulated weekly English-language newspaper in Sri Lanka since 1928.
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