Submitted By: Donald Pang
Choosing a country as a fashion design student is like choosing the perfect backdrop for your portfolio. Surrounding yourself in a country’s heritage and culture will not only influence your educational and well-being; it also has the potential to determine the quality of your design portfolio. Studying in the right country for you can build a strong portfolio that will increase your chances of getting a job as a fashion designer.
If you want to soak in high street fashion and learn Asian languages, go to:
South Korea (Seoul)
Go to Seoul if you want South Korea’s popular, stylish influence in your portfolio. Tuning into Korean TV programs on a weekend will be enough to give you inspiration. Their fashionable entertainment scene has earned the country millions of fans world-wide. With most of their fashion design schools carrying out their programs in Korean, you will need to prove your proficiency with your KLPT results (a Korean Language Proficiency Test which evaluates Korean language proficiency delivered by the Korean Language Society).
Japan (Tokyo)
Tokyo is recognized for setting global trends; it paved the way for world-famous designers like Kenzo and Issey Miyake, graduates from Bunka Fashion College. It is also the second most expensive country to live in according to Mercer’s 2010 survey. Studying here will cost more than studying in UK or America. Most fashion schools carry out their courses in Japanese, so be prepared to sit for a proficiency test like JLPT (a standardized criterion-referenced test to evaluate and certify the Japanese language proficiency of non-native speakers).
If you prefer to practice Fashion in English, go to:
Australia (Sydney)
To experience being a part of Australia’s fashion scene, you can sign up for internships in fashion like in ACP magazines during your study breaks. It is a company that publishes popular women’s lifestyle, fashion and beauty magazines. Titles you might be familiar with include: CLEO, Cosmopolitan and Harper’s BAZAAR.
Singapore
Picking and polishing your English skills while you are in Singapore is highly possible. As a world class commercial city, Singapore is a cultural melting pot where you can meet Asians of other races and improve on your English as you speak with them. Fashion in Singapore is imported mainly from neighboring Asian countries and also carries multiple luxury labels from the west.
If you are looking for adventure, go to:
Thailand (Bangkok)
Bangkok is a budding fashion city that has yet to reach global acclaim. But the talents of local designers shine through their street stores, usually managed by young entrepreneurs. Craft materials are affordable – which is great news for budding designers. If you are willing to learn Thai, you can pick up a lot of pointers from the locals.
China
While studying here, you can consider sourcing for tailors and suppliers for your future boutique. Production here is one of the cheapest in the world, which will give you a lot of room for affordable practice on choice fabrics. Despite public distrust on China-made goods and designer fakes, the country is still capable of producing quality material.
At the end of the day, the best country for you to further your studies in depends on how you want to develop your portfolio.
Submitted By: Dr Bob Sandor
Method validation studies help estimate the level of uncertainty associated with weighing experiments that are conducted, in an analytical balance for example. These methods are based either on data obtained after following protocols for validation in labs and medical establishments or during various development methods. The practices and procedure that lab personnel use while handling analytical weighing equipment can contribute significantly to weighing errors and weighing uncertainty. Method validation studies help not only correct but also remove these significant factors that influence the overall precision of the weighing balance.
The combined data contains measurements that have significant effects, overall performance figures and scores that provide supportive evidence of insignificance. Validation studies that are carried out for the qualitative analysis of analytical weighing determine the parameters of precision, bias, linearity, detection limit, selectivity or specificity, ruggedness or robustness, etc. Precision studies can be done using data from either a single lab or can be based on the data collected from inter laboratory studies. The data is obtained by measuring the reproducible standard deviation, intermediate precision and repeatability.
Individual variances are obtained on weighing a test sample and these precision studies help determine the overall level of uncertainty associated with the balance. Bias is another important component of uncertainty; it should either be negligible in the lab or absent using corrective techniques. When an overall bias from an appropriate value is known, the traceability can be determined. Relevant materials for reference must be used for calculating the bias. Linearity of the analytical balance is calculated through the process of non-linearity and inspection. The balance’s linearity response to both standard reference values and test samples are determined. It helps establish whether the balance is suitable enough to weigh test samples across a wide range of weights.
The detection limit is an important concept that is central to validation studies. It is primarily employed to determine the lower extreme of the weighing range during the operation of the balance. Though this component of the study is not directly applicable to determine the level of uncertainty, it requires special consideration and careful treatment. Selectivity and specificity studies mainly address the potential interferences that contribute to the uncertainty of the balance and are also used to demonstrate the insignificance of practical effects on the weighing system. These interferences are added to the blank test samples and fortified samples to test the balance’s response to them. Ruggedness and robustness studies are an example of detailed multi-factorial studies where one or more parameters are altered to investigate the weighing precision of analytical balances. Ruggedness tests are performed to understand which particular parameter has the maximum and most significant influence on the performance of the balance and the levels of uncertainty associated with the weighing process.
Method validation studies for determining analytical balance precision need to be representative. Only realistic studies that clearly list out the exact number of factors and the range of effects along with the types of samples used during the weighing procedure using the technique of random selection prove useful.
