Business

ZOO Digital announced the appointment of Ambrish Acharya as Head of Education in a new role for the company. With over 10 years’ experience working in audiovisual education at the Hong Kong Design Institute, Acharya brings a wealth of expertise to the newly established ZOO Academy training and development program. Accomplished in audiovisual and educational roles in Hong Kong, Mumbai and Los Angeles, Acharya offers extensive international experience with multiple educational programs.

As a winner of the esteemed Teaching Excellence Award (TEA) and a dedicated academic and instructional designer, Ambrish will lead the continued development of the ZOO Academy program, informed by his history in media authoring, sound design, audio editing, mixing and mastering across the entertainment industry.

Launched in 2021, ZOO Academy is composed of academic teaching, practical training and access to real-world localization platforms. The not-for-profit initiative gives up-and-coming and experienced linguists, dubbing professionals and other disciplines the opportunity to further develop their creative skills and technical proficiency.

Stuart Green, CEO at ZOO Digital, said: “Ambrish has a strategic and practical understanding of the entertainment industry combined with a wealth of experience in education leadership. This combination will contribute valuable insight and development for ZOO Academy – supporting our localization community, internal teams and client collaboration.

“With ZOO Academy, we are using industry-leading, cloud-based technology to help equip, educate and elevate future generations of audiovisual localization talent. We are grateful to the clients that have already made content available to enable newly qualified translators to gain this invaluable practical experience. The appointment of Ambrish as Head of Education highlights our dedication to addressing the growing talent shortage our industry is currently facing.”

As Head of Education, Acharya will be responsible for proactively building long-term capacity in the localization talent pool – working with educational institutions, freelance localization professionals, researchers, content-owning clients and internal team members to develop the program.

Throughout his career, Acharya has been committed to improving educational experiences for diverse populations through the adoption of modern technology and teaching strategies.

On his ambitions as Head of Education, Acharya added: “ZOO Academy has been built for a worldwide spectrum of professionals and learners. We want to create a flow of knowledge that benefits those who are already part of, or wish to be a part of, this industry. This also means identifying the current industry needs and developing learning modules that empower newcomers and experienced professionals to succeed.

“ZOO is blessed to be working with some of the biggest names in entertainment. Due to these relationships, ZOO Academy is strongly positioned to push the boundaries of media localization. We understand the challenges our clients face, and through research and educational initiatives and partnerships, we are ideally placed to create solutions for the future.”

ZOO Academy has seen significant growth since its establishment in 2021. The initiative delivers academic courses, educational collaborations, and practical workshops
for the globalization industry – proactively building long-term capacity in the localization talent pool.

The company anticipates further announcements regarding ZOO Academy training initiatives in the coming weeks.