Hanyang Women’s University is strengthening its position as South Korea’s leading centre for knit fashion education through an expanded integration of Shima Seiki technologies across its curriculum.

Founded in 1974, the university specialises in higher vocational education for women, combining theory, practice and industry collaboration to prepare graduates for immediate entry into the workforce. Its Seoul campus hosts more than 30 majors supported by advanced learning environments, including an AI Convergence Innovation Center and an in-house Knit Research Lab.

The university is home to the country’s only dedicated knit fashion programme, taught across the Knit Fashion Design Department and the Knit Fashion DX Department. Together they offer an end-to-end education in knitwear development, covering yarn selection, structures, pattern making, design, digital programming and product planning. The curriculum also incorporates digital fashion, virtual sampling and marketing to build globally competitive creative talent.

To deliver industry-ready training, both departments employ Shima Seiki’s standard production tools: the SDS-ONE APEX design system and a full range of the company’s computerized flat knitting machines, including WHOLEGARMENT models. These technologies allow students to work through complete workflows, from design and simulation to knitting on machines used by leading apparel manufacturers. The ability to embed the entire digital and physical process into classroom instruction was a decisive factor for the university.

The facilities include 55 SDS-ONE APEX units for planning, design and 3D virtual sampling, 22 computerised flat knitting machines from 3G to 16G - including the latest N.SVR model - and eight WHOLEGARMENT machines such as MACH2XS and SWG061N2. This comprehensive equipment line-up enables students to experience real-world production conditions and to develop expertise in advanced knit programming, fabric development and seamless garment creation.

Design thinking modules and a capstone project further support the programme, allowing students to consolidate technical training with creative project work. Graduates enter the industry as knit designers, programmers and production specialists, while an increasing number have gone on to establish their own knitwear brands, contributing to a visible global presence for the university’s alumni.

One such graduate, Ms Ko, completed the Knit Fashion Design Department in 1999 and used her Shima Seiki training to build a long career at apparel company Handsome. In 2023 she founded Lym’s Stitch, a knitwear brand for pets, which also uses Shima Seiki systems from sample development through to production. Her trajectory reflects the lasting industry relevance of the university’s practical training model.

Hanyang Women’s University plans to continue deepening its partnership with Shima Seiki to cultivate the next generation of knitwear professionals and contribute to the evolution of the global knit fashion sector.

www.hywoman.ac.kr

www.shimaseiki.com