Fashion Students Explore Research Possibilities and Take On International Exchange
HLOs: 
By: Avery Summers, Fashion Management Graduate Certificate student
As a part of Humber’s Fashion Management Graduate Certificate program, students can engage in a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project in partnership with fashion students at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) in Nottingham, United Kingdom. Students collaborated in small groups to plan a global event for a client (Commonwealth Fashion Council) from start to finish. This included thorough research on the client, venue selection, finding relevant keynote speakers, and planning various workshops and interactive activities all while keeping sustainability and the CFC’s values and brand image in mind. The mentors of the project, consisting of staff from both Humber and NTU, then chose a few distinguished students from each school who would take part in a placement involving research, event planning, and international exchange.
After being hosted by Nottingham Trent University, its staff and students, I was delighted to return the favour and welcome the NTU students to Toronto for a week-long research bootcamp hosted by Humber's Office of Research and Innovation as a part of Humber Global Summer School.
Throughout the week, students had the opportunity to network and interact with professors and students from around the world such as England, Taiwan, and Nigeria; learning about their educational and personal backgrounds and gaining insights into their ongoing and future research. Participants came from many different fields such as fashion, journalism, and engineering creating an interdisciplinary environment, ideal for research and learning.
The interactive sessions encouraged students to explore different facets of their personalities to develop meaningful research topics. We explored the many ways research can be conducted and diverse forms of dissemination beyond survey questions accompanied by a written research paper. The sessions challenged traditional beliefs about research and broadened attendees’ perspectives by introducing Humber's polytechnic approach. I learned that research can be more than theory, it can be a form of storytelling for yourself or others and it can solve a problem through human-centred design. It can be about any topic and take many creative forms but regardless of the approach, research creates value and social change. I see these ideas implemented in our research about the CFC and its audience as we plan their next conference. We aim to solve the problem of unsustainable fashion practices through human-centred design that targets an audience of changemakers and inspires them to take action for a more sustainable fashion future. We structured the event around creating value for its attendees so they can spark much-needed social change in the fashion industry.
In addition to the research bootcamp, NTU students had the opportunity to explore life in Toronto including the first sip of a Tim Horton’s coffee, visited the CN Tower, Niagara Falls, local parks and restaurants, and saw Canadian fashion on display at Mississauga’s Square One Mall. The NTU fashion students were delighted to shop at a number of brands that were newly available to them and enjoyed the hybrid of nature at Colonel Samuel Smith Park near the Lakeshore campus and the downtown urban lifestyle that Humber has to offer. They were particularly fascinated as they explored the vast differences between European and North American architecture as they rose above the skyscrapers in the CN Tower. These life experiences now contribute to their international perspective; to the way they see the world around them and thus to their research. The research bootcamp participants gained many valuable lessons and insights that will assist them in their research, but perhaps the most important lesson that attendees got to take with them is that there are no mistakes, only research.
I would like to thank Fashion Management graduate certificate Program Coordinator Rossie Kadiyska and Nottingham Trent University MA Fashion Marketing Course Leader Mary-Ann Ball for initiating the COIL project, coordinating the international exchange for Humber and NTU students, and supporting students throughout the academic year and placement term. Additionally, I extend my gratitude to the Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship
for supporting Humber students’ vision, optimizing their student experience, cultivating their careers, and providing opportunities for student success. I would also like to thank the hosts of the Global Summer School Research Bootcamp from Humber’s Office of Research and Innovation, as well as guest speakers Dr. Emma Smith, Anju Kakkar, David Weisz, and the panel of research assistants that provided their insights to students, as well as all of the amazing students from around the world who participated in this program.
Share this article: