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The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiative ‘Design Culture and Identity’, which took place in March 2023, marked a successful partnership between Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York.

Leading the COIL project were Juliana Sissons, Senior Lecturer in Fashion Knitwear Design and Knitted Textiles and Global Education Champion at NTU, and Robin Baxter, Professor of Fashion Business Management and International Coordinator at FIT Active.

This collaboration brought together a total of 16 NTU students, comprising 13 students from the BA (Hons) Fashion Knitwear Design and Knitted Textiles, and 3 from the BA (Hons) Costume Design, and 28 students from FIT's Fashion Business Management programme.

Running in its third year now, this project has consistently offered an invaluable opportunity to enrich the teaching experience and enhance student learning. The COIL project is structured around a series of six online workshops, featuring lectures that delve into themes such as counterculture, personal identity, fashion branding identity, and sustainable identity. Each lecture session was conducted on a weekly basis, with each session lasting for an hour and a half.

One of the key highlights of this initiative is the platform it provides for students from both universities to connect with peers globally. It fosters the sharing of like-minded ideas and encourages collaborative discussions, creating a vibrant and engaging global learning environment.

As a tangible outcome of this collaborative learning is the online magazine that you can view here. It offers insights into the journey and accomplishments of the participating students as well as a deeper understanding of the themes explored.