These days, whenever one hears ‘new reality’, one naturally thinks about the COVID-19 health crisis currently wreaking havoc the world over. But in truth, the discussion on ‘New Reality’ has been building up for a while. The exponential acceleration in technology growth and sophistication has paved the way for greater agility in the way we learn to the way we work. Interestingly, this surge in technological advancement coincides with a growing need for humanity to adopt the philosophy of sustainability. The result? A New Reality.
The question that follows without a blink of the brain is how we will navigate this new reality. How can we build a better, more sustainable tomorrow with the tools at our disposal? We need a whole new set of guidelines – maybe because rules and principles are no good in a time so dynamic that they are obsolete by the time anyone gets used to them.
To get some perspective, we asked our CEO, President and Deans of Schools for their views. Their answers highlight the creativity, imagination, innovation and experimentation needed to light the way forward. Here’s what they have to say:
“We are at an interesting stage requiring a totally new approach to education driven by technology and unbound innovation. Learning in New Reality is to take the current uncertainty and turn it into future defining creativity.”
Sharad Mehra, President, Creative Arts Society
“Futuristic yet compassionate. Technologically ahead yet sustainable. Learning in New Reality is the ability to own both the old and the new, and to be agile enough to address what is ahead of us.”
Nandita Abraham, President, Pearl Academy
“Learning in New Reality is a time for experimentation with the limited resources at our disposal, understand their construction and reassemble them to create incredible new innovations for a sustainable future.”
Antonio Maurizio Grioli, Dean, School of Fashion, Pearl Academy
“Learning in New Reality means constant adaptation and innovation, and the ability to stay one step ahead of the change. But how do you adapt? The answer lies in design thinking.”
Alex Velasco, Dean, School of Design , Pearl Academy
“Learning in New Reality is not a static template, it is a dynamic process. It is an organic evolution that flow from the meetings of the minds of the mentors and the students without textbooks coming in the way!”
Viveck Vaswani
Dean, School of Contemporary Media, Pearl Academy
“Continuous upskilling and reinvention is the order of the day. LINR is learning in a dynamically changing environment breaking past the current ideas on how education should be.”
Emanuel Maia, Dean, School of Creative Practice, Pearl Academy
At Pearl Academy, we are engaged in this discussion, experimenting and constantly re-calibrating our approach – the most recent example being our administration’s agile response in helping our students continue their education from home. All our modules have made a seamless transition to the web – live lab demos, virtual project development, guest and international modules, and more. Even for Pearl aspirants, we stand ready with our all-new online avatar – open day style campus counseling online and the upcoming AI-assisted entrance examination.
This however was only the beginning. We are moving towards a time that is bringing uncertainty at every step. What we do have right now is the support of leaders with the foresight needed to navigate these uncertain times, which will help us take to the frontlines of these future-defining times.
