Message From The Group CEO

The world is in turmoil at the moment. War, inflation, the aftermath of the pandemic, and various other global-scale issues are affecting millions of lives every day. The myth of perpetual economic growth has collapsed, and the number of people who worry about what their lives will be like tomorrow continues to grow.

We will not be able to overcome these major issues using the mindset and experience we have relied upon in the past. In addition, the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic have propelled radical changes not only in the economic sphere but also on the education landscape. Universities and other institutions of learning have had to shift from physical classes to online lessons, from whiteboards to computer screens.

METEOR is well-equipped to manage these challenges as its birth and growth were rooted in the belief that if you want to progress, you need to shake things up. About 20 years ago, while almost every university in the country was continuing the age-old tradition of brick and mortar learning, METEOR set up OUM, which introduced open and distance learning. This approach leveraged on information technology to provide online, on-the-go higher education. And its focus wasn’t school-leavers, but those already in the workforce.

OUM normalised online learning and gave working adults the freedom to study wherever they were, without having to travel to classes. So when the pandemic began, our students were already adept at using computers to study.

While OUM focused on individuals, its sister subsidiary, IPD, catered to corporations. It brought on board experts and industry professionals from various fields to conduct professional development programmes for companies, enterprises, and agencies. In two decades, it has had a hand in the training of countless numbers of public and private sector officials and management personnel.

METEOR’s unique style of organisational ambidexterity, of staying loyal to our vision of becoming the leading provider of flexible learning while cleanly breaking with outdated ways of doing things, was entrusted to me in March this year upon my appointment as the CEO.

I felt very honoured as METEOR is a trendsetting pioneer in the field of higher education, although we also have a few other subsidiaries which do not focus on education per se. The Group challenges the notion that education belongs to the young and champions it for everyone, regardless of age and circumstance.

Taking on the reins of this Group has been a watershed moment for me. Previously, I was headlining responsibilities in purely corporate spheres but here, the no.1 priority is the democratisation of education. This noble goal is something that I feel honoured to help strive for and attain.

Over the years, METEOR has made great strides both within and beyond the country. We now look forward to spreading our wings even further across the globe. Towards this end, we are exploring partnerships with more foreign learning institutions.

It is my hope that we can continue having a positive impact on people’s lives by changing mindsets and challenging conventions, through flexible and lifelong education.