This research investigates to what extent integration of the topic sustainability in education at a fashion and textiles course at the undergraduate level is related to students’ choice for graduation topics related to sustainability. A mixed method approach was applied, analyzing a total of 463 graduation reports from the last four years; secondary data on course materials; and interviewing lecturers, course supervisors, and program managers. Furthermore, a questionnaire for students was administered. Data was gathered in order to determine integration of the topic of sustainability in education, the number of graduation topics related to sustainability, and the student views on and knowledge of the topic. Results show that the integration of the topic sustainability in the curriculum has steadily increased since 2015, when the program started actively working toward receiving a DHO (Sustainable Higher Education) certificate. The inclusion of sustainability in the curriculum has been paired with an increase in the amount of graduation assignments related to sustainability. Although causal relations cannot yet be drawn, results do indicate that we as educators can impact the fashion and textile industry in a meaningful way.

It is a pivotal time for fashion and textiles education. Concerns about ethical production and climate change, with the effect the industry has on the planet, is receiving intense media coverage. There are environmental consequences at each stage of a garment’s life cycle. These, combined with the rise of fast fashion over recent years, should make every citizen examine what positive changes they can make to reduce their environmental impact.

De Montfort University (DMU) is in the top 50 world universities for impact as assessed by the UN sustainable development goals (SDG). This paper presents initiatives taken by the School of Fashion and Textiles to consider how responsible design has been integrated into teaching. A baseline review of the current curricula compared to the 17 UN SDGs was undertaken. A funded innovation and sustainability project highlighted the different approaches students had taken to sustainable design. Joint initiatives with international partners consider the global perspective. This work continues with a review of key environmental activists and considers how the curriculum can be further co-created with students to address industry needs. Student engagement will be evaluated by reviewing the influence of sustainable development within final year major project proposals.

Sustainable development is an important issue in the global fashion industry. As the largest
clothing consumer and producer in the world, China has an unmistakable responsibility to
promote the sustainable development of fashion industry. Due to a shift in Chinese
consumers, the younger generation of consumers pays more attention to brand environmental protection and social responsibility, but the sustainable development process of the Chinese fashion industry is still relatively slow and there are some obstacles. The reason lies in the lack of sustainable fashion education, so for this study researchers conducted questionnaires and interviews with educators, students, and designers of some fashion universities in China. Taking colleges and universities as units, this paper probes the present situation of sustainable fashion education in China from cognition to existing problems and development trends and puts forward some measures and ideas for educators and students to practice sustainable fashion development. And this study combined with the regional development of China’s clothing industry imbalance, industrial clusters prominent characteristics of regional research, to explore the future of education to promote the sustainable development of a regional clothing industry.

Research predicts a growing demand for future skills that are difficult to automate. This paper argues that the situation is threatened by reduced emphasis on design and technology education, accentuated by the lack of inclusivity. To address this shortfall, UK educational institutions are recognizing the value of collaboration to enable innovation and creativity.

A case study methodology is used, with cases from two universities, where collaborative opportunities are embedded into the curriculum in recognition of the current industry requirement for cognitive diversity. However, the disruption to the curriculum poses a challenge and provocation to both staff and students through the mindset and culture shift to make a successful transition to new ways of thinking and working.

The paper explores the interdisciplinary educational experience at Nottingham Trent University, which involved collaboration between mobile app development students from the School of Science & Technology and fashion management students from the School of Art & Design to co-develop a mobile app proposal. The second case study involves students from the Manchester Fashion Institute investigating new initiatives within fashion and collaborating with industry professionals to develop sustainable products.

The shared findings were that students gained more strategic cross-industry knowledge, with an emphasis on self-critique and a greater understanding of inclusivity and cultural awareness. The conclusion discusses the positive impact of collaboration and cognitive diversity on the student learning experience and points to future directions for research and educational practice through the creation of a thinking space for participants to implement in their own discipline.

Refugees coming to the United States often find themselves isolated from their new community and struggle to feel at home. By overcoming language barriers and adjusting to a new culture, they slowly become accustomed to a new place. The purpose of this project was to help change the narrative for female refugees by welcoming them into a collaborative fashion workshop with undergraduate students. The project also aimed to build empathy in students and help them understand the women’s plight and circumstances. Once the students understood the refugees’ circumstances, they could become change agents in shifting public perception toward refugees. Students partnered with a nonprofit organization that offered support to refugee women to create sustainable fashion products in a workshop. The goal of the workshop was to provide them with community resources, increased self-confidence, and earning capacity. The qualitative research uses open-ended survey and focus group interviews for understanding the refugee and student participants’ experiences regarding the community-engaged learning project. Our research findings supported the community engagement objective with mutually beneficial exchanges of knowledge and resources, by providing refugee women hope for future livelihood and the students the opportunity to view and understand different perspectives.