PEARL ACADEMY

Pearl Academy, formerly known as Pearl Academy of Fashion, is an Indian higher education institution established in 1993 by Little People Education Society, the education arm of House of Pearl Fashion. From 1995, it offered degrees validated by the United Kingdom's Nottingham Trent University, though in July 2012 the University Grants Commission (India) instructed it to stop awarding these joint degrees due to complaints against private institutes. In 2015, concerns arose over the recognition of its degrees after the Association of Indian Universities reportedly refused to recognize a graduate's degree. In terms of ownership, Pearl became part of the US-based Laureate International Universities network in 2011. In July 2019, Laureate sold Pearl Academy to the Netherlands-based Global University Systems as part of a larger deal that also included the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies. Since then, Global University Systems has partnered with Pearl Academy through its subsidiary, GUS Global Services. As of January 2021, Pearl Academy operates campuses in four Indian cities: Mumbai, Jaipur, Bangalore, and two locations in New Delhi (south and west). Notable alumni include model Alisshaa Ohri and actress and model Keerthy Suresh.