A three-member faculty team from UK consisting of Carswell Elaine, Thomson Sandra and Wood Anne from Glasgow Kelvin College is on an exchange visit to Government Polytechnic College for Women, Gujjangundla, to share their knowledge and experience in fashion designing and also explore the Indian apparel and textile designs.

The five day visit has been made possible after the Government Polytechnic College for Women, Community College, here has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Glasgow Kelvin College, UK, as part of a community college project under the UK-India Education Research Initiatives (UKIERI).

The UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) was started in April 2006 with the aim of enhancing educational links between India and the UK. In the last five years, the UKIERI has played a pivotal role in establishing a change in the educational relations between the two countries.

Diploma and graduate Courses in garment designing and technology are being offered to students (girls) who pass Class 10 in the college since 2013. A six-month diploma course is also offered in the academic year 2015-2016.

The team from UK evinced a keen interest in learning about the textile techniques, styles of printing, various zardosi works and Indian traditional embroidery works. Head, Department of Garment Technology and Coordinator of Community College, B. Nagamani said that they have also taken them around a few apparel and textile units in and around Guntur.

The team began their visit by seeing an exhibition of various fashion designs organized by the students of community college. Appreciating the students and faculty members for coming up with innovative designs, the UK team said that traditional Indian designs were unique and were a blend of tradition and modernity.

Six polytechnic colleges in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been enrolled in the community college programmes in fashion designing, garment technology, construction and industry funded by the respective governments. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is the sponsor for colleges in India.