A shift in the nature of the local garment industry has prompted the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) to re-organise its academic programmes, dispelling doubts about career opportunities and the health of the industry.
New programmes with a merchandising and retailing core have been introduced to meet the challenge of how a production-based industry can become marketing orientated.
Dr Chong Tak-fu, head of the Institute of Textiles and Clothing, said his department planned to incorporate the emphasis of product development in the full-time Bachelor degree programmes in Fashion and Textile Product Studies.
The current Bachelor degree programme in textile chemistry will also be brought up to date as the new Colour and Textile Studies programme in the next academic year.
A new award in Fashion Retailing has been added to the Modular Higher Diploma/Higher Certificate Scheme in Fashion and Textile Studies and a new award in Apparel Merchandising has been added to the distance learning Certificate in Fashion and Clothing Manufacture, forming the New Modular Certificate Scheme in Fashion and Clothing Studies in the academic year 1997/98.
'There has been a misconception about the SAR's textile and clothing industry. Some even claim it as a 'sunset industry',' Dr Chong said. He had not found a significant drop in applications for the programmes offered by the institute in the last few years but acknowledged some programmes on business and design were proving more popular.
