PAU Textile and Fashion Design Department Organizes Education and Training Opening Ceremony

The Department of Textile and Fashion Design, which was opened last year within the Faculty of Architecture and Design of PAU and started accepting students this year, took its first step in education with 40 students. Pamukkale University Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kutluhan, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Necip Atar, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design Prof. Dr. Murat Zengin, Head of Textile and Fashion Design Department Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şöhret Aktepe Dal, Denizli Textile and Clothing Industrialists Association (DETGİS) President Mukaddes Başkaya, deans, academicians and students attended the promotion ceremony held at Pamukkale University Hierapolis Conference Hall.

Speaking first in the program, Head of Textile and Fashion Design Department Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şöhret Aktepe Dal stated the following: "We are witnessing a very beautiful, very exciting and, in my opinion, historical day. Because in a city like Denizli, there was no department in the field of textile and industry, despite the fact that textile is one of the leading fields in the economy throughout Turkey. There was no Department of Textile and Fashion Design. It had not been opened or could not be opened for years. Thanks to our Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kutluhan, I can say this with peace of mind as I have witnessed this first hand. As a result of his really intense efforts, he has brought the Department of Textile and Fashion Design to Denizli city and our University. This is of course historic because this is a milestone and from now on there will be a Textile and Fashion Design Department here. What does this mean, it will become a brand. A brand will come out of Denizli. They are the luckiest students not only in the Aegean Region, but all over Turkey. Because they have come into the industry and will receive this education in the industry. And I made my speech out of excitement. I am very, very excited. Welcome, dear students."

Prof. Dr. Murat Zengin, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design, made a brief presentation about PAU Faculty of Architecture and Design and the Department of Textile and Fashion Design: "As of today, the preparations for this process have been completed and we have started education and training as the Faculty of Architecture and Design, Department of Textile and Design on October 2, 2023. I would like to convey our endless thanks to our Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kutluhan, who made the effort for the establishment of the textile and design department or gave us this vision. Textile and Fashion Design was carried out as two-year Fashion Design at our university today. Denizli, one of the leading provinces of textile and industry, could not offer a 4-year education. It is not easy to establish a department in this arduous process. We received the first news from our Rector during the pandemic period, despite the difficulties, we had a graduation program in 2022. Just on the day of our graduation, the Rector shared the information with us at the graduation ceremony and expressed the approval from the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) to us, thank you very much. In this adventure, our DETGIS President Ms. Mukaddes, myself and our Vice Rector Necip Atar, who is not visible on a hidden screen, have great support. Among the students who won the Department of Textile and Fashion Design with the YKS exam, our student who entered with the lowest score seems to have preferred us with 263.37 points and joined us. Well, when we look at the lowest score, where are we among state universities? We are in 2nd place after Eskişehir Technical University. When we look at the program, the courses prepared in the 4-year curriculum; starting with the basic design course, basic art education, fashion design, fabric knowledge, modern technical drawing and pattern preparation. Within these, supporting the department; elective courses within the department, elective courses outside the department and the formation courses set by YÖK appear as a defined curriculum when choosing courses for our student friends. This process can be updated in the future for us, newer courses can be opened, it will not just stay like this. With the efforts and support of our esteemed professors, even taking into account the needs of the sector, or if it is said that it would be better if there are students taking courses in the demand in the sector or in the disruptive parts of the functioning, our 4-year curriculum can be updated by taking our notes on this subject. We thank our Rector very much. In this sense, it gives us a vision on many issues. As I conclude my remarks, I would like to thank you for your patience. On this occasion, I wish the 2023-2024 academic year to be auspicious for all our students."

Mukaddes Başkaya, President of DETGIS and Board Member of Denizli Exporters Association, stated the following in her speech: "I am very happy that this department is being opened in the 100th year of our Republic. I wish the best of luck to the sector, our university, our city and all of us. Although Denizli has regressed a little in exports in the textile sector, textile is a sector that creates the most employment. We have received demands from our customers in exports from the past to the present, and we have fulfilled them and made their shipments and exports. This has continued like this for years. This was very comfortable because all the design came from the customer. But the world is changing, transforming rapidly and it is necessary to keep up with this speed. In this process, it is important for us to brand ourselves and create value-added products. Because when we look at it, there is a lot of competition and we need to be at the forefront in order to cope with this competition. We have had university-industry cooperation on this issue for years, and we have a two-year fashion design department. Why don't we have a four-year faculty department? We have worked hard for this. As an association and as a sector, we tried to be in cooperation with the university. When my rector Ahmet Hocam came, when we went to him, he said, what do you want? What should we do for you? What should the sector do for the university? Thanks to him, he worked very hard for this. In the presence of all of you, I would like to thank him very much again. He fought for this department and our esteemed teacher Şöhret Hoca also worked very hard. As Denizli Exporters' Association, we are organizing a fashion design competition and a home and bathroom textile competition, which is the third one this year, together with Şöhret Hoca, we coached and served as jury members. We supported our students. We would like to work with our students on the backstage when we organize Denizli Fashion Week as an association. The textile sector is very strong in Denizli. Here, our door is always open to our students. Design is a must. In order for you to improve yourself, as a student in this department by being in Denizli, you are already at the forefront of this business. I and all my board members of our association will support you as much as we can. I wish good luck to all of us again."

Rector Kutluhan: "You have the responsibility to take it further by making a new start in this city, which has its roots in textile and design."

Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kutluhan said the following in his speech "Today we are experiencing one of our happiest days. Pamukkale University is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey with many events and we are experiencing very happy results in terms of our professors and students joining our education army in these days when face-to-face education has started. The opening of the Department of Textile and Fashion Design and its promotion today has been a source of happiness for all of us. May it be auspicious and auspicious. Our students who prefer this department and come here, you have come to the lands of an ancient country of 8 thousand years. You will see this in Hierapolis, Laodikeia and Tripolis. You will see that these works were done in this ancient country before you, and that design was done in these lands. I think that the opening of this department in our university is a tribute to Laodikeia, because there are textiles and design in the ruins of the civilization established there. You have the responsibility to take it further by making a new start in this city, which has its origins in textiles and design. We have established this department, from now on it is up to you, the young people, to develop this department and carry it forward.