GALA members visit BSU
News
BSU welcomes international visitors from global network of creativity
Wednesday, 23 April, 2025This month, BSU is proud to have welcomed visitors from across the globe as part of the University’s long-running Global Academy of Liberal Arts (GALA) network. April saw visits from three of the 16 current GALA partners.
The first of its kind when it was launched by BSU in 2014, GALA is a community of creativity spanning national and cultural boundaries to broaden the experience of students and staff alike. It is a network of diverse, innovative, and socially responsible universities and colleges, whose aims are to transform lives and to enhance global understanding through interdisciplinary collaboration in teaching and research.
Teaming up to host a two-day workshop for the visitors were BSU’s Bath School of Design, Bath Business School and National Centre for Fashion and Sustainability. The workshop served as an invaluable opportunity to share good practice and to find possibilities for collaboration between students and staff across the three different universities.
Amongst the visiting cohort, two academics from a founding member of the network, Columbia College Chicago, USA, Professor Steve Corey, Dean of Academic Operations and Programming, and Dr Lauren Peters, Associate Professor of Fashion Studies and Director of the Fashion Study Collection. They joined visitors from National Institute of Design in India, who joined the network in 2016, Dr Shilpa Das, Principal Faculty, Interdisciplinary Design Studies, alongside Dr Sonal Chauhan, Associate Senior Professor and Discipline Lead, Apparel Design who joined online.
Speaking about the workshop, Kristin Doern, Head of Bath School of Design said:
“It was an inspiring and thought provoking two days spent together exploring what each university is currently doing in creating and delivering responsible, regenerative design education in fashion and textiles; what the key challenges are for sustainable and ethical fashion and textile design in our local communities, regions and countries; and what our plans are for the future, and where there are opportunities for us work together moving forward.”
With a combined focus on design, business and fashion, while soaking up everything that this gathering of GALA members had to offer, the group took a trip to BSU’s soon-to-be-opened Somer store on Bartlett Street in Bath. Recently announced, Somer will be a fashion retail store and community space focused on sustainable design. The innovative store will showcase products designed and made by BSU students and alumni and support them to grow their businesses in an authentic high-street environment.
Another member of the GALA family was visiting BSU at the same time. Hosted by the University’s School of Art, Film, and Media, as part of VC Wits Bursary Scheme, Dr Nontobeko Ntombela Akoi-Jackson, from the Department of Curatorial, Public and Visual Cultures at University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa joined the group and workshop during her visit.
Professor Ian Gadd, Academic Director of GALA, said:
"One of GALA's key strengths is its ability to gather colleagues from different universities in different countries to focus on a single issue or challenge so we can learn from each other's experiences and perspectives, share good practice, and discuss ways of working more closely together."