THE INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE’S JOURNEY WITH ERASMUS+ BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMS
THE CONCEPT OF CIRCULARITY OF REGIONAL FASHION 1 2 3 4 5
VISIT TO TEXTRADE’S TEXTILE RECYCLING FACILITY IN SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR
STUDENTS’ FEEDBACKS
SHORT INTERVIEWS WITH THE PROFESSORS
EMBRACING NEW CHALLENGES
The International Coordination Office’s Journey with Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programs
Budapest Metropolitan University (METU) recently made a significant leap in international education by hosting its inaugural Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program (BIP) under the theme ‘Circularity of Regional Fashion.’ This pioneering event, organized in collaboration with Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania and Akademie Mode und Design (AMD) Berlin, marked a new chapter for the university and provided invaluable experiences for all involved, particularly for METU’s International Coordination Office.
“The innovative values and solutions represented by METU, as well as creativity, are mirrored in this program, which can form the basis for further valuable academic collaborations. Budapest Metropolitan University, as the first and only Hungarian partner of Arizona State University, one of the world’s most innovative higher education institutions, considers it an important mission to encourage creative learning forms like this BIP and to support projects that provide more opportunities for direct international higher education collaboration. We hope that the best practices learned from the collaboration between METU and ASU can also be shared with our Transylvanian and German partners in the future.”
György
Kocziszky, Rector of METU
SETTING THE STAGE
The Need for Innovation in International Mobility
As the landscape of higher education evolves in response to global challenges, programs like BIPs have emerged as a forward-thinking approach to international collaboration. By combining virtual and physical learning, these programs offer a unique opportunity to enrich the traditional Erasmus experience, making it more accessible and diverse. Recognizing the growing interest among students in such opportunities, METU’s Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries, with the support of the International Coordination Office, took on the challenge of organizing this BIP with the hope of establishing a lasting tradition.
BEHIND THE SCENES
The Role of the International Coordination Office
The success of this BIP hinged on meticulous planning and coordination, with the International Coordination Office at the helm of the technical and administrative aspects. From legal preparations to accommodation, catering, and financial oversight, the Office managed every detail, navigating the complexities of Erasmus inter-institutional relationships for the first time. It was a learning experience filled with challenges, but the Office embraced every moment, finding satisfaction in contributing to an event that promises to pave the way for future collaborations.
A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT
Building Professional Relationships
The BIP brought together a diverse group of educators and students, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and expertise. Led by Anna Kudron, Assistant Professor at METU’s Institute of Art and Design Theory, and supported by colleagues from AMD Berlin and Sapientia, the program focused on sustainable fashion and the European textile strategy. The curriculum was designed to prepare students for leadership roles in the growing field of sustainable fashion, emphasizing environmental awareness and social responsibility.
Throughout the program, participants engaged in workshops, presentations, and discussions on topics ranging from eco-design to the second-hand clothing industry. The physical phase, held in Budapest, included visits to local fashion industry representatives and cultural events, offering participants a memorable and immersive experience.
REFLECTIONS & FUTURE ASPIRATIONS
For the International Coordination Office,
The BIP was not just about managing logistics; it was about understanding the impact of direct, interpersonal interactions in fostering international collaboration. The smiles and enthusiasm of the students were the best feedback, reinforcing the Office’s commitment to supporting such initiatives in the future. Looking ahead, METU is already planning two new BIP programs, building on the successes and lessons learned from this experience. The university hopes to continue expanding its international collaborations, enriching both its academic community and the broader European education area. For those interested in collaborating on future BIPs, METU’s International Coordination Office welcomes inquiries and looks forward to exploring new opportunities for partnership and exchange.
Let’s see each other at the next BIP!
Yours sincerely,
The International Coordination Office Team
Dr. Péter Rada, Vice-Rector for International Affairs
Fatima Weininger, institutional Erasmus+ coordinator and project manager of the BIP
Dóra Gyarmati-Szijj, Erasmus+ staff mobility coordinator and project manager of the BIP
Anna Donáth and Kristóf Kovács, Erasmus+ outgoing student mobilities (outgoing.erasmus@metropolitan.hu)
Revolutionizing Erasmus Mobility in a Post-COVID World
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reshaped higher education, prompting new approaches to international mobility. Blended Intensive Programs (BIPs) have emerged as a key innovation within the Erasmus framework, combining virtual and in-person learning to offer a flexible and enriched educational experience. Originally conceived to address pandemic-related challenges, BIPs are now redefining the future of Erasmus mobility.
WHAT ARE BLENDED INTENSIVE PROGRAMS?
Blended Intensive Programs are designed to offer hybrid educational experiences by integrating short-term physical mobility with online learning. These programs involve collaboration between at least three higher education institutions (HEIs) from different Erasmus+ countries, fostering cross-border academic and cultural exchange. The hybrid model enhances accessibility and diversifies learning by bringing together varied perspectives and teaching methods.
BEST PRACTICES FOR EFFECTIVE BIPS
To maximize the value Offer Specialized Content: Focus on niche subjects and unique research areas not widely available.
Use Innovative Delivery Methods: Combine online and face-toface learning, leveraging advanced technologies.
Encourage Transdisciplinary and Multinational Collaboration: Integrate diverse academic and cultural perspectives.
Incorporate Challenge-Based Learning: Engage students in solving real-world problems through collaborative, active learning.
Ensure Active Participation: Maintain low student-to-staff ratios to foster engagement and support.
Eligibility and Structure: To qualify as a BIP, the program must involve three HEIs from different Erasmus+ countries, include a physical component, and award at least 3 ECTS credits. The physical part lasts 5 to 30 days, with a mandatory virtual component that can occur before or after the in-person sessions.
BIPS AIM: OBJECTIVES AND IMPACT
Enrich Cross-Cultural and Academic Experiences: Students engage with diverse viewpoints and teaching methods, broadening their understanding within a European and international context.
Develop Skills:
BIPs focus on communication, intercultural competence, critical thinking, and domain-specific skills such as digital literacy.
Promote Personal Growth: The programs help students build adaptability, confidence, and resilience.
KEY PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS
Credits: Students must earn a minimum of 3 ECTS credits.
Duration:
The physical component of the program ranges from 5 to 30 days, with an additional mandatory virtual component that can be conducted either before or after the physical part.
Financial Support:
Financial aid is available exclusively for the period of physical mobility.
Timing:
BIP is not confined to the academic semester and can be organized at various times, such as during a summer university.
Location: The physical aspect of the BIP can take place anywhere within the country of the hosting institution.
CONCLUSION
Blended Intensive Programs are transforming Erasmus mobility, offering a forward-thinking, adaptable approach that blends virtual and physical learning. These programs not only address current challenges, but also set the stage for a more interconnected and resilient European education system in the postCOVID era.
OF REGIONAL FASHION CIRCULARITY 2
The idea for this project originated within the Institute of Art and Design Theory in the spring of 2023, when we began planning our first BIP for METU’s Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries. It presented a collaboration with several European universities, both online and offline, focusing on a single theme. This initiative aimed to engage students from multiple faculties in an experience designed to broaden their worldview and strengthen their connection to the university.
WHAT IS OUR TOPIC?
The project focuses on sustainable fashion and circularity. It covers various aspects such as the fashion industry’s environmental impact, sustainable material sourcing, ethical production practices, and circular economy principles. The curriculum includes modules on sustainable design and sustainable fashion brand development, aiming to provide students with a deep understanding of sustainability in fashion and equip them with the knowledge and skills to address these challenges in their future careers. It emphasizes critical thinking and practical application through case studies, research projects, and collaboration with industry partners. Overall, the curriculum is designed to prepare students to become leaders, researchers, or designers in the growing field of sustainable fashion, fostering a mindset of environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
Our central reading is the EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles. (Brussels, 30.03.2022.)
WHAT WAS OUR LEARNING METHOD?
We planned to develop a workshop involving different schools. The main goal of this collaboration was to understand the upcoming changes within the EU regarding the textile and fashion industry. The EU Textile Strategy and its changes were intended to serve as a pilot and role model for all other sectors of the design industry. We observed local case studies, understood changes in law, communication, and fashion production, and aimed to map out ideal practices for the fashion/textile SME sector. We worked cooperatively, starting with a core idea and developing our project throughout the year with our partners via online meetings, workshops, brainstorming sessions, and two physical visits.
Altogether, nine teachers from universities and one Erasmus coordinator participated in this development process. During the workshop week, we involved seven additional partners.
KEYWORDS & COOPERATIVE METHOD
During the preparation, we shared all of our notes on a Canva board and as a backup within a shared folder. One of the most interesting aspects of this work was mapping our keywords within the context of circularity. You can imagine how challenging it was to conclude with nine professors, each with different experiences. Finally, we decided to focus on 16 keywords, which are the following:
circular design, circular economy, closed-loop systems, eco-friendly solutions, smart clothes, collaborative consumption, extended producer responsibility, distributed production, micro factoring, diversity, European textile heritage, new working structures, open design, co-creativity, local fashion ecosystems, agents for change, and transparency.
HOW DID WE FIND THE PARTNERS?
METU has previously collaborated on various projects with Sapientia (EMTE) University, making it an obvious choice to partner again for this initiative. The main question was how communication students, particularly those from Sapientia, could relate to fashion. We emphasized that while there is a focus on a specific theme, the goal is to deepen the understanding of circularity, and that any design or art discipline could participate, as our foundational approach is multidisciplinary. In this spirit, we organized the oneweek workshop in May (May 6-10, 2024), which will be described in more detail below.
We approached AMD Berlin (part of Fresenius University) with the idea of launching our partnership through this program, and they were open to it. Since then, a student mobility collaboration has also begun, with art and design management students set to study in Berlin for one semester in the fall of 2024. Faculty mobility will not be left out either, as their dean, Fredericke Winkler, will attend the ecology and art conference in Budapest in September 2024. Looking ahead, and as part of the BIP’s goals, we have already started discussing plans following the program’s conclusion and evaluation.
HOW DID WE INVOLVE THE STUDENTS?
We were able to involve almost 30 students. They applied with motivation letters and CVs, with backgrounds in fashion design, textile design, sustainability studies, (fashion) communication, (fashion) business, and fashion management, from both BA and MA studies. This was an innovative element to have such a mixed group. Students can obtain 3 credits by participating in the program.
OUR PROGRAM CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS
● Keywords of Circular Fashion: mind mapping and research
● Understanding European values of fashion
● Semiotics in Fashion
● Fashion Start-ups and Entrepreneurship
● Sustainable Fashion Communication
● Sustainable Films, Filmmaking, and Storytelling
● Sustainable Design and Research Methods
● Sustainable Brand Management and Entrepreneurship
● Textile Waste Management: field trip
● Creative Hacks and Feedback on Circular Fashion
● Evaluation of the Project
Students took part in preliminary online workshops and carried out individual research. They participated in the program with creative and active engagement, resulting in a collaborative creative process. In addition to individual research, students also participated in group work.
Key elements from our program
Online workshops in March: Introduction, Circularity Mind Map: group work with the keywords, Methodology + Circularity Case Studies
Putting into Reality: introduction of the methods and fashion research.
WORKSHOP WEEK IN MAY
Mentoring, Welcome by the Rector, Creative Mind-Mapping (Anna Kudron and Tibor Kiss, METU), Guest Lecturer Professional from the Local Textile and Fashion Field, Réka Szentesi.
MONDAY
Sapientia Program Day
Identity Construction through Sustainable Fashion: From Semiotics to the World of Fashion Start-ups: Signs of Fashion as Tools for Identity Construction (Otília Ármeán), Second-Hand Fashion
Consumption: The Pros and Cons (Laura Nistor), SMEs for Sustainable Fashion (Rozália Bakó).
METU Program Day
Sustainable Film, Documentary, and Storytelling: Film Screening, Drama Workshop, and Discussion (Bálint Révész).
AMD Program Day Sustainable Design and Fashion Businesses (Dorothea Barth and Fredericke Winkler), Methods of Fashion Research with Guest Lecturer Tibor Kiss.
Group Visit to the Textrade Textile Recycling Facility in Székesfehérvár.
Creative Collage and Mood Board Making (Tibor Kiss)
Feedback and Future Plans and Visions Farewell.
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Each day included extra museum and studio visits related to our topics, including Mono Studio, Paloma Art Courtyard, Pinkponilo, Printa, Ludwig Museum, and the National Museum.
WHAT IS OUR FUTURE PLAN?
We would like to continue working on the core ideas based on our mutual understanding. This knowledge and these methods can be further developed through upcoming meetings and implemented in local fashion business cases or academic courses. Project ideas may qualify for start-up funds. The outcome could be a fashion/textile toolbox for SMEs, including case studies, methodology, industry networks, ideas for circular fashion grants, and a joint paper or article.
PROFESSIONALS FROM THE UNIVERSITIES
Main Coordinator from METU:
Dr. Zsuzsanna Pörczi associate professor, Head of Department, Art and Design Theory Institute, Vice Dean of International Affairs and Research, Budapest Metropolitan University
Fatima Weininger institutional Erasmus+ coordinator and project manager of this BIP
Dóra Gyarmati-Szijj Erasmus+ staff mobility coordinator and project manager of this BIP
OUR VISIT TO
TEXTRADE’S TEXTILE RECYCLING FACILITY
Székesfehérvár
Textrade Ltd. is one of the most important stakeholders in the circular transformation of the textile industry in our country, so we have been following their activities for quite some time and wanted to encourage cooperation with students. In the spring of 2024, lecturer Anna Kudron first met Bence Hunyadi, the Chief Operating Officer of Textrade Kft., in person at a Sustainable Fashion Day event in Budapest, where both were invited as speakers. The company gave us the opportunity to visit their entire factory in Székesfehérvár with a group of students during the workshop week, and also made their senior staff available for all our questions to be answered.
The company’s management talked to the students for more than an hour, after which we went through the different textile recycling areas to learn about the process. What happens to our textiles after we throw them into the collection containers? We already know from the company that they are aiming to have 6,000 containers nationwide by 2027 (currently 1,500), but Bence told us that the quality of the clothes collected tends to drop significantly, making recycling and resale more and more difficult. What none of us knew,is that clothes from the collection bins all over Europe might be sent directly to the sorting staff, meaning the sorting is done manually. He also told us about their relationship with their partners in Africa and Pakistan. This information can be essential for any young designer to understand the importance of their decisions. During the visit, the company also interviewed us, as they consider it very important to have an education programme with several universities.
Bence Hunyadi: Hi, guys! Today we had a visit from the students from the BIP program of Budapest Metropolitan University. During a factory visit, we showed them how Textrade Ltd. operates.
Isabel James Gonzales: I think sustainable fashion will exist in the future, but as it stands right now, it doesn’t. Most brands are turning to more polyester and increasing production, which makes the market unsustainable. Even brands that claim to be sustainable are not always a hundred percent perfect. However, I believe there is enough knowledge and many positive steps being taken.
Anna Kudron: At the moment, I would honestly say no to the question of whether there is such a thing as sustainable fashion. However, if I didn’t believe that it could exist and that it would exist in the future, I certainly wouldn’t be involved in promoting or designing it. So, I am confident that it can exist with a lot of companies like the ones we have now, and with the help of everyone from universities to designers to manufacturers.
Anna Kudron: On the one hand, at school and university, we encourage students to collect or reuse materials and transform old clothes. In addition to that, I am also actively involved in fashion design and production, where we exclusively recycle materials. We collaborate with larger companies and institutions in this regard, and we only purchase organic materials.
Isabel James Gonzales: I consume a lot of secondhand fashion, and currently, 99 percent of my wardrobe is secondhand. Yes, I definitely plan on working with recycled materials.
Bence Hunyadi: We think it is very important that future professionals in the textile industry are properly informed about what goes on in such a textile recycling plant.
Anna Kudron: One of the biggest problems in the fashion industry today is the fast fashion business model. The European Union’s strategy for the textile industry aims to reduce or change this model. It is very difficult for a small brand or those with different approaches to remain competitive and address this issue effectively. We hope that ongoing amendments, legislative changes, and market trends will contribute to driving this change.
FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPATING STUDENTS
OLGA VICTORIA SOLOVATOVA
Sustainability in Fashion student at AMD
“As an MA student at AMD Berlin with over ten years of experience in textile production and sourcing, I joined the program to explore European approaches to circularity and sustainability. The most valuable aspect for me was the knowledge sharing between universities and the diverse perspectives offered by international students and teachers. A highlight was visiting a second-hand clothing sorting plant, which reshaped my views on second-hand processes and their future in supply chains. The value discussion on Day 4 also stood out, showing how education can unite us on complex issues like sustainability. I hope this program becomes a regular event, and I’m eager to contribute in the future.”
“The BIP program was incredibly inspiring. It opened my eyes to sustainability and fashion, topics that were foreign to me before. I now understand why buying from fast fashion brands isn’t wise. The program was all about relationships and collective problem-solving. Every discussion, even during coffee breaks, was filled with enthusiasm and deep thinking. It felt like a wellplayed handball game, where we tackled the problem together as a team.”
“Participating in the Erasmus BIP program was a transformative experience, especially as an international student. My favorite moments included the collaborative workshop on sustainable fashion and the visit to Textrade, which provided real-world insights into our studies. The program’s interdisciplinary approach brought together students from diverse backgrounds, fostering a creative and collaborative environment. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in fashion, sustainability, or international collaboration. The supportive teachers made each day fun and exciting.”
MAHAM ZAHID
Design and Art Management student at METU
EDINA HORVÁTH
Graphic Design student at METU
5 SHORT INTERVIEWS WITH THE PROFESSORS
ZSUZSANNA PORCZI, PHD
Vice Dean Of International Affairs and Research
Metropolitan University Budapest
Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries
“The BIP program is a fantastic possibility offered by Erasmus. BIP stands for the Blended Intensive Program. This new program allows European universities to have common educational workshops and training sessions with several partner universities. So that means that for an online and an offline phase of the educational program, students from different universities can work together and it also involves the faculties from the different universities. We never had anything like this before, which means that the Budapest Metropolitan University Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries had its first BIP program in May 2024. We invited Sapientia University and AMD Berlin together with five lecturers from these universities and altogether we were working with 30 students. The students worked on the topic of sustainability in the fashion and textile industry, shared their ideas on these topics, and built their common plans for the future, discussing from morning until night what perspectives they can imagine for our world, which I think is the most important part of the BIP. It offers a chance for us, communities to think about the challenges that are ahead of us and try to work out even if not solutions but at least possibilities of how to go further, how to answer those challenges, or how to live with them.” to “It offers a chance for us, communities, to think about the challenges that are ahead of us and try to work out, even if not solutions, but at least possibilities of how to go further, how to answer those challenges, or how to live with them..
We are hoping that this is going to be the very beginning of future cooperation. Now that the students and the faculty have gotten to know each other, we can start developing possible common research and workshops together. We would be very glad to have lecturers and professors from these universities as guest lecturers at our institute and we would be very glad to participate in their programs. The possibilities are innumerable: I can imagine organizing all the different types of academic events - conferences, summer camps, etc. This is all about how we can get together: it is not isolated work within your own country, but a chance to learn from other countries, about their experiences, and solutions while sharing what we have. So yes, this is just the beginning of something.”
TIBOR KISS
Fashion Designer
Metropolitan University Budapest
Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries
Fashion and Textile Department
ROLE IN THE PROJECT “As a practicing fashion designer, I wanted to present how I develop a collection and research fabrics in alternative ways. We can develop mood boards with fabrics and interpret these mood boards with the given tasks of the project.”
KEY VALUE “I think the key value is meeting with everyone. I really like these kinds of projects where different fields can merge and discuss how they feel and what they know about these topics. Discussion is very important, I think.”
FAVOURITE MOMENTS “My favorite moment was when the students started to ask questions and started communication. I always like when it is no silence after a presentation, but a successful conversation instead.”
ANNA KUDRON
Metropolitan University Budapest Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries Institute of Art and Design Theory
“ROLE IN THE PROJECT “I was the one who had the original idea, went to the head of the Institute of Art and Design Theory (Zsuzsanna Pörczi), and had her full support. After that, with the participation of the Erasmus office, we created our very first Erasmus BIP program here, at METU Faculty of Art and Creative Industries. I was very happy that we were able to find these two beautiful partners, Sapientia and AMD from Berlin. We developed the idea of circularity of regional fashion together. From that moment, I was more like a project manager. I tried to - for the whole year - keep the teachers and the whole management group together, and then we had this wonderful week together with the students. Our project is a very collaborative one - we created the whole frame, but we did not define what will be the key outcome of the project. So it can be either art research, it can be a start-up, it can be a whole new project, it can be maybe a magazine. It will also depend on what the students want to do with their future, but now we have a really strong group, they have the motivation to work together, they know each other, and they have a better understanding of European sustainable fashion, or maybe the future of sustainable fashion.”
KEY VALUES “In that case, I think the values are empathy, communication, strong belief, and trust in each other. It is interesting to work here in Budapest, where I normally live, teach, and work, and show this to people who admire and see it from a different perspective. So, the same stores, the same facilities, the same offices that I use and work in every day become admired places that our guests like to enter and use. This gave me a very new belief and motive.”
FAVOURITE MOMENTS “My favorite moments were when I realized that we teachers created the framework: workshops and different kinds of programs for each day, and we could not even stop the students from working on some tasks. Sometimes we stepped back and we did not do all the programs because they were just so much into the work and that was great to see.“
FREDERICKE WINKLER
Dean of Student Affairs for Sustainability in Fashion and Creative Industries (M.A.), AMD Akademie Mode & Design Berlin
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
“My role in the project was together with the other university partners to create a concept that combines our initial idea of talking about the role of Europe for sustainability in the textile industry with our students. However, then I realized that the most important thing for us from the very beginning was to bring together students from the three countries who normally would not meet and discuss their identities, being Europeans or working in the European textile industry and understanding how they can build a community. So, in that sense, I would say I am somehow the facilitator of bringing in our sustainable textile knowledge from Germany and creating a great essence of European identity for my students.”
KEY VALUES
“I think the key outcome of this project depends on who we have in mind: for the students for example, I would say it was a great experience to come here, because otherwise they possibly would not have ever visited Budapest and met the other students. So, I guess it is a great experience on a very personal level. But also, I think one key outcome for them is that they understand the complexity of sustainability in a very cultural way. What happens here is some sort of cultural clash, because students from three different countries are coming and they have different ideas of what sustainability could mean for them and also different levels of comprehension. So, I guess that was an important outcome. When we talk about us teachers coming here, bringing our students, talking, and developing strategies together, I would say a very important outcome is that in order to tackle our role and our responsibility as teachers for future fashion designers and experts, it is really important that we join forces and that we work together much more.”
FAVOURITE MOMENTS “I had a very favorite moment yesterday when we were working on the task to share our values, and we had to define five values as a group. When we were sitting together and trying to convince each other of our values, there was this moment when you could feel the relevance of this discussion in the room by people fighting for their thoughts, but still listening to the others and being able to compromise for the sake of the group’s value, the community’s value. I think that was a very precious moment.“
DOROTHEA BARTH
Head of Academic Studies, Mode- und Design Management (B.A.), Fashion & Design Management (B.A.), Fashion Management (M.A.), AMD Akademie Mode & Design Berlin
ROLE IN THE PROJECT
“I am production: I am the one who is transporting the design into development in production. I am in charge of quality, I am in charge of production placement, so I do have quite a lot to do in international projects, so I am the one who is doing these things.”
“The key value is really hard to put in a few words, but I think the most important thing for me personally is respect for difference, different values, and gaining an understanding of Europe, and of internationality from different points of view including design, sustainability, management, and communication.”
FAVOURITE MOMENTS
“It is so hard, there were so many great moments! I think one great moment was just getting to know each other. We were all experiencing how great it was to be here. One big moment was on the third day when everybody was talking with everybody, so then I saw that the three universities which came together did not separate - it was one group. At the end of each day I was just standing here, asking myself, so what is next, what are we going to do now? So it is like getting together, networking, being one group, not three groups. That was the key moment for me in this project. “
LAURA NISTOR
associate professor, Sapientia Hungarian University Of Transylvania (EMTE)
ROLE IN THE PROJECT “I am a sociologist from Sapientia University, the partner university of this program. I am a fashion sociologist, and specialist in consumer society and consumer sociology. I wanted to bring my perspectives on fashion consumption and share this perspective with other students who are specializing in design, fashion management, etc.”
KEY VALUES “I think collaboration: it is very important for people from different countries, cultures, and specializations to collaborate. I think this is the key value of this week. “
FAVOURITE MOMENTS “I always like when we have some practical application, or field work in a project. We had a fantastic trip when we visited several designer concept stores in Budapest, and we could get an insight into Hungarian design. That was my favorite moment out of very many.”
OTÍLIA FÜLÖP
associate professor, media researcher, Sapientia Hungarian University Of Transylvania (EMTE)
ROLE IN THE PROJECT “I teach semiotics and visual communication, so I am here both as a teacher and a mentor. We had many discussions this week, so I do not think that I am here only to share my knowledge, but also to learn, to gain interesting ideas, and put them in the collective knowledge of our group.”
KEY VALUES “We learned a lot this week. Now we know a lot more about the fashion industry, circularity, sustainability, and also about society, the key values that can help us effect change, to change something in our society and in our mindsets. We learned cooperative techniques for teaching and engaging students back home, and how to build projects cooperatively with other universities and other cultural regions of Europe.”
FAVOURITE MOMENTS “I liked watching ‘Uprooted,’ the film directed by Bálint Révész, but also the discussion after that. I really enjoyed that students came to me and asked questions, not only during sessions, but also during the breaks. We had a lot of examples that somehow kind of opened my mind to these kinds of processes, about what is happening, and what is behind what we know and see. We tried to somehow make the invisible visible and to have some reference points around the whole problem, as we cannot solve the problem, but we can discuss it and raise awareness. I guess that is the main value. I also liked the dynamic of the group very much because everyone was so involved and motivated and for me, that is very good to see. So, thank you to everyone.“
GUEST LECTURER ARTICLE
RÉKA SZENTESI
Sustainable Fashion in the Age of Capitalism and Consumer Society
By Réka Szentesi, fashion researcher
“Fashion today is a highly competitive industry characterised by regular and exceptionally rapid product range renewal, thus extremely elevated rates of overproduction and overconsumption. The production model of fast fashion has been proven to be economically prosperous; however, detrimental to the environment, and its effects on social equity are questionable.
The long-term effects of fast fashion as a business model are not limited to environmental and social issues. It has also had a significant impact on changing consumer habits. In my opinion, understanding the main characteristics of today’s fashion industry, as well as typical consumer behaviour is essential and the first step in mastering the topic of sustainable fashion. All the professionals who work or study in this industry need to understand what makes fast fashion’s products so marketable. Additionally, we need a deep understanding of fashion as a system, since the problems we are facing within the industry is systemic and complex.
For the reasons mentioned above, in my lecture, I focused on the fashion industry as a global and complex system, the working mechanisms of the fast fashion model, the consumer behaviour and the life cycle of a typical fashion product on today’s market. I found it important to discuss the dead-ends we have faced while looking for solutions for sustainable fashion. The linear product life cycle that defines the market today has already been proven detrimental to our environment, and we have faced challenges with recycling technologies. The ideas of circular economy offer new perspectives and compel us to take a step back. Instead of focusing solely on waste recycling, a new approach to design thinking is necessary: the circular life cycle of the product should be the initial step when designing new products. The second half of my lecture therefore focused on the main steps of circular product design and on specific practical examples of how a small designer brand can survive, and have a positive impact in today’s difficult market situation.”
