ACTiveWear:
Advancing Design Specialisations
in Higher Education

The Design Department at the Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås, aims not only to expand but also to renew the field of textile and fashion design education by re-creating the existing two-year Master's programme in textile and fashion design through the development of the specialisation of Performance wear design. The renewal targets the skills needed and to be needed within the industry and academia, as well as broadening the students' career opportunities and developing the active, performance and outdoor wear fields through the help of the industry. In a longer perspective, there is potential for this specialisation to turn into its own master's programme and also to lead to the development of our existing bachelor's programmes, in collaboration with relevant industry. This is in order to make sure the graduates will possess the skills and knowledge that are, and will be, in demand in both the national and international industries for the development of the field. Six industry partners, consisting of leading brands in performance wear and textile manufacturers, provide crucial insights via collaborative activities and continuous dialogues.

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The following strategic areas of action facilitate achieving the aim of the project.

   1. Expand, deepen and make practical use of collaboration between our university and the industry.

   2. Developing and organising courses and degree projects in close collaboration with participating companies.

   3. Identify and develop industry-relevant technical skills, competencies, and design method modules.

   4. Prepare the students with advanced investigation techniques and analytical design methods in design projects.

   5. Implement current research in the field, as well as flipped design classroom and case-based learning instructional

       approaches into the courses.

   6. Carry out development work of strategical student recruitment.