Recognition: PIFD awarded international association’s membership

Decision was taken at a Nottingham conference


Our Correspondent May 12, 2016
PIFD representatives address a press conference on Thursday. PHOTO: PR

LAHORE: The Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD) has become a full member of Cumulus—an international association of art, design and media varsities and colleges, PIFD vice chancellor Hina Khalil announced on Thursday.

Khalil made the announcement while speaking to journalists at a press conference. She said the institute had been awarded the membership during a recently concluded seven-day conference in Nottingham, the United Kingdom (UK). Khalil said this was a proud moment for the institute. She said it was a national honour. The PIFD had become the first institute from Pakistan to fulfil the requirements and become a member of the association.

The vice chancellor said Cumulus was an international association of art, design and media. She said it had been established in 1990 in Helsinki, Finland. Khalil said it was the sole international association engaged in promoting art and design education in addition to research and development in the disciplines. She said the association was essentially a forum for transfer of knowledge, synergy and the promotion of best practices among its members. Khalil said Cumulus currently had 229 members from 49 countries.

She said becoming a member of the association would benefit the PIFD in connection with research in art and design. Khalil said it would also strengthen industry-academia linkages and help develop latest techniques and products. She said membership benefits included faculty and student exchange programmes. Khalil said it would also help the institute have its research carried by noted international academic journals. Its focus on research and development and expert review, now available to the PIFD, was the greatest benefit associated with becoming a member of Cumulus, she said.

The vice chancellor said the institute had been invited to participate in May, 2015’s Cumulus Milan Conference. Khalil said links had been cultivated with members on the occasion. She said the PIFD had applied for the association’s membership in December, 2015. The vice chancellor said the association’s executive board had approved its bid in February, 2016.

Khalil said the association’s membership would allow it to influence policymaking in the art, design and media disciplines at the international level.

She said it would also promote higher education and research across the disciplines. Khalil said the institute’s Cumulus member status would help maintain quality standards and strive for complete recognition of professions associated with the aforementioned sectors. The vice chancellor said it would also facilitate cooperation among various stakeholders.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13th, 2016.

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