The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) in partnership with the Asian University for Women (AUW) has launched the HSBC-AUW School of Apparel and Retail Management.
- The initiative kicks off with a one-year Master of Science in Apparel and Retail Management programme.
- The programme will be guided by a global academic committee chaired by Dipak Jain, former dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
What's on: The Masters Programme aims to provide skills and knowledge to young female professionals on supply chain management, brand management, fashion, merchandising and managing occupational health and safety issues.
- It is intended to help Bangladesh's growing apparel industry to attract more female talent in management roles.
- The programme aims to create a pool of trained female management graduates to lead businesses in the apparel sector.
- It will ensure international standard education, and also build local management talent and enable enduring skill formation, while supporting women's empowerment.
- Academic excellence, industry relevance and social significance would be the defining features of the programme, which will provide students hands-on experience of collaborating with the global counterparts, acting as a bridge between the academia and the industry.
- Fifty students will be enrolled in the inaugural year, with 13 courses offered in the programme.
- Additionally, HSBC will set up 50 design (Mac) labs, provide support for curriculum and faculty, IT and class infrastructure and education materials.
- The Asian University for Women is an independent, international university based in Bangladesh.
What They Said:
Today, the apparel industry in Bangladesh needs a homegrown talent pool, which will serve the needs of the sector. Therefore, in order to prepare cohorts ready to take on the challenge of employability in Bangladesh, the AUW is happy to launch the School of Apparel and with HSBC Bangladesh.
— Rubana Huq
Vice-Chancellor
Asian University for Women
The global apparel industry is evolving rapidly alongside emerging technologies, changing consumption patterns and an increasing focus on sustainability... Importantly, this programme supports the professional and leadership development of women, providing better access to opportunities through inclusion and fostering the long-term growth for Bangladesh and its communities.
— Amanda Murphy
Head of Commercial Banking (South & Southeast Asia)
HSBC
