Bengaluru is a city that is famous for creating national and international platforms for its youth. Special to Bengaluru is its clear focus on innovation and futuristic thinking. In today’s VUCA world of wicked problems and fluid boundaries, design disruptions are critical for crafting a promising future. For a city that harbours multiple regional, local and international identities, Pearl Academy will give an impetus to the young talent of Bengaluru.
Pearl Academy in its 27th year, has launched its fifth campus in “Namma Bengaluru“, taking its special magic ahead with city-specific research, multiple outreach initiatives, dialogues with Bengalureans and speculation of future trends.
All our courses are developed keeping in mind life-long learning helping students become more responsible and empathetic. At Pearl Academy, the youth of Bangalore will get a student experience that is not only out-of-the-box but sparks curiosity and encourages unconventional experiments. We have invested a lot of time in understanding the city’s culture and its youth. In keeping with our tradition of excellence, we have to ensure that we get everything right.
To this effect, earlier this year, we conducted a workshop on what Pearl Academy could do to make a Design School in Bengaluru “Special”. Around 70 people, who were invited from the industry, alumni body, and friends of Pearl, came together for an evening of discussion. It was led by our advisory board members Prasad Bidappa, Vikas Satwalekar, alumnus Nikhil Mehra, along with Bengaluru design leaders Poonam Bir and Abhijit Bansod.
Post the initial talks, there were table discussions, highlighting opportunities such as:
a. The need for cross-disciplinary/seamless learning across disciplines
b. An opportunity to accumulate wisdom/create and document knowledge
c. A focus on Indian traditional heritage and craft/textiles
d. An opportunity to engage with futuristic technology
e. Developing entrepreneurial skills in students is essential to success
f. Creating a more significant role of design, especially in the public sector and government
g. The local people of Bengaluru love purposeful design, making life better/public and community roles, inclusive industries
h. The need for a space for agility, experimentation
Everybody agreed that Pearl Academy was well-positioned to bridge these gaps. The discussions have continued at NASSCOM, Bangalore by Design, and through meetings with designers, researchers, retailers, and educators. This journey will carry on as we continue to engage and explore what best we can do for Bengaluru.
Bengaluru is already ahead of the rest of India in creating platforms to empower India’s young minds. In a transient world, no one single parameter like a high salary or a substantial degree can define success. Nor can it be brought by siloed colonial education or grading systems. Instead, as we have learned, success has multiple dimensions, which include innovation, collaboration, empathy, curiosity, social contribution, and responsibility to people and the planet.
Pearl Academy is going through a very exciting phase and I would like to thank everyone who has come together to support us wholeheartedly. Your warmth and welcome reaffirms the reason we are in Bengaluru. Together with our industry partners, faculty and students, I am confident that Pearl Academy will change the face and impact of design in Bengaluru. We proudly say “Namma Bengaluru”.
