Industry Pulse about Financial Performance, Architecture and Education

KPMG 2020 CEO Outlook COVID-19 Special Edition

The KPMG 2020 CEO Outlook COVID-19 Special Edition offers a unique lens on evolving attitudes as the pandemic has unfolded. KPMG initially surveyed 1,300 CEOs in January and February, before many markets were beginning to feel the full impact of lockdowns. Then, in July and early August, we conducted a follow-up survey of 315 CEOs to understand how thinking has evolved. Key developments include:

• Talent and a new working reality: Businesses are looking to change their recruitment strategies as remote working has widened their potential talent pool and companies may be rethinking their office space in the short-term while also considering the future of work.

• Shifting risk agenda: Since the start of the pandemic, ‘Talent risk’ has risen to be named as the most significant threat to the growth of their businesses ahead of ‘Supply chain risk’ and a ‘Return to territorialism’.

• Digital acceleration: Business leaders are betting on major dimensions of digital transformation and the majority have seen this accelerate during the lockdown.

Overall, three key themes emerged from this year’s survey, which we characterize as Purpose, Prosperity and Priorities.

For more details about KPMG 2020 CEO Outlook COVID-19 Special Edition, please click here.

大湾区教育行业现状洞察及未来发展思路

Moving forward in Asia Pacific: 'future of work' survey

Addressing remote working challenges and opportunities, we surveyed 120 client organisations across 17 industries, collecting key insights on the major trends that will shape future office environments, and transform how people work.

Key highlights

While restrictions are loosening in many parts of Asia, with some companies having already re-entered the workplace either partially or entirely, an increasing number of organisations are left wondering what their future holds. 

Does remote working still make business sense moving forward? How can we, as individuals, remain on top of our health and productivity during such trying times? In what ways can companies support mental well-being while continuing to grow in the face of new challenges?

These are some of the questions we looked to address in our ‘Remote Working’ survey, which evaluates experiences from 120 clients in 15 major hubs across Asia Pacific. In this report, we uncover key trends and insights on companies’ remote vs. in-office policies, and the solutions organisations can adopt to create futureproofed, human-centric work environments for all.

For more details about Moving forward in Asia Pacific: 'future of work' survey, please click here.

Impact of COVID-19 on education technology in international schools

Technology has played a crucial role in supporting the continuation of student learning in schools during COVID-19. Understanding the use of technology during campus closures and its impact on international schools is the focus of a new report from ISC Research, the leading provider of international school market data and intelligence.

Research was conducted with 82 international schools from around the world during June, at a time when many schools had been delivering online or distance learning for several weeks. The results show that almost all schools in the survey (99%) had a learning platform in place and were able to support children with their continued learning. However, many challenges and opportunities were faced during this time which are now influencing decisions on teaching and learning into the future.

For the international schools that were surveyed, their main challenge was lack of teacher skills; both in adapting to teaching remotely, and in technology use. Internet limitations were also a problem for 37% of international schools.

A wide range of edtech platforms and resources were put to the test as schools progressed through the period of distance learning. 90% of the schools surveyed said their teachers considered synchronous communication platforms, such as Skype, Zoom and Google Meet, extremely valuable for delivering distance learning to children. Most international schools used a combination of platforms to ensure learning was accessible to every child. These tended to vary depending on the age of students. The popularity of the main brands are identified in the report. In addition to relying heavily on technology, 51% of the schools said that posting learning instructions to some of their students was also considered extremely valuable.

In the research, international schools were asked to select the resources their teachers found most valuable for guiding children through their distance learning. Live online lessons proved to be most popular, followed by instructions that were videoed by teachers. 98% of the international schools surveyed used live online lessons at some point during campus closures.

For more details about Impact of COVID-19 on education technology in international schools, please click

Edtech Report August 2020 - schools.pdf

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