The Academy of Arts of the Faculty of Arts and Education of Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution (HEI) has strong, long-term cooperation ties with Istanbul Aydin University (Turkey). Using the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ exchange programme, the lecturers of the study programme of Fashion Design visit the university, and the students study and perform short-term internships. The students of Istanbul Aydin University do not miss the national fashion show “Gossip” organised by the team of the Fashion Design study programme, which has been held for more than two decades. The professors of the institution come to the Academy of Arts to give lectures to young fashion designers and hold creative workshops.

Taking advantage of short-term internships, final year students of the Fashion Design study programme went to Istanbul Aydin University to gain knowledge and new experiences. During the internship, they focused on the topic of sustainability by participating in the creative workshop of zero waste clothing design, as well as learning about the silk-screen printing technique and creating artwork. The students ended their visit to the university with a Turkish language lesson organised for them and a tour of the university.

We are very happy about the strong friendship between the institutions, which allows both lecturers and students to improve in the professional field.