A Dual Degree (UG Programmes) has been finalized between National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), New York. This implies that selected meritorious students from NIFT would avail the unique opportunity to obtain a joint Degree awarded both by NIFT & FIT. The association of two premier fashion institutes would reap benefits which would be multifold in nature. This agreement will be implemented at the earliest for the benefit of NIFT students. In fact this year as NIFT celebrates 25 years of its existence, the renewed alliance with the original partner institutes is being seen as significant and mutually beneficial. Shri Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce, Industry & Textiles has conveyed his best wishes for this initiative stating that it will usher in new paradigmatic changes in the vision and activities of NIFT. Mrs. Rita Menon, Secretary Textiles has also lauded the commendable effort and the increased ambit of international and domestic linkages of NIFT.
FIT, New York is an internationally acclaimed institute under the aegis of State University of New York (SUNY) with an enviable reputation in the field of fashion education for 67 years. In fact NIFT was established in 1986 in collaboration with FIT, with the assistance of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). At the initial stage, NIFT entered into a decade long agreement for academic and infrastructural support. In fact NIFT faculty benefited from short-term training at FIT. Since then, NIFT has seen tremendous growth with 15 centres and the expansion of international and domestic linkages. Today NIFT has emerged as a most reputed and largest institute in fashion education in India. With the objective of forging a strong global connect and to offer NIFT students and facilitating an opportunity of international academic exposure and re-establishing academic linkages.
Mrs. Monica S. Garg, Director General of NIFT has elaborated that the visit of a NIFT delegation to FIT for one-on-one deliberations was undertaken to encompass the common areas of collaboration in design education. This involved a detailed study of different undergraduate courses of both institutes. Course Mapping of prospective areas of study was undertaken. Since FIT has stringent standards for the intake of both national and international students, the compatibility of the curriculum of NIFT bachelor™s degree 3rd year programmes and with the one year Associate Degree program of FIT was scrutinized in detail. This exhaustive exercise revealed that the compatible departments could be Fashion Design, Textile Design and Fashion Communication.
