From Istanbul to New York: Bi-Cultural Learning Experience in Fashion Design

The dual-diploma programs between the State University of New York (SUNY) and Turkish Universities is an example of collaborative international education or dual diploma education between two institutions in two different countries as a new approach of bi-cultural learning. This study explores the dual-diploma Fashion Design Program between Istanbul Technical University (Istanbul, Turkey) and Fashion Institute of Technology-SUNY (New York, U.S.A.). The paper investigates the experiences of the graduates with the aim of understating the motivation behind studying in such programs, opportunities and challenges faced by students and the impact of the bi-cultural learning experience after graduation.