Kateryna Shushura, a student majoring in 182 Light Industry Technologies, the EPP “Design and Technology of Garments”, in June 2024 received a scholarship from the State Education Development Agency of the Republic of Latvia to study in Latvia. She is currently studying at Riga Technical University (RTU) majoring in “Clothing and Textile Technology”. The program at RTU is aimed at improving both professional and personal skills, and also covers modern nanotechnologies in the textile and fashion sector. Despite studying in English, challenging courses, group projects and innovative tasks, Kateryna finished the semester with high scores.

One of the most significant achievements of our student is a prize-winning place in the AUTEX competition. AUTEX is an association of textile universities with 50 members from 35 countries, including KNUTD. The competition was to design products that could serve as high-quality souvenirs or gifts for official AUTEX events. The participants’ works had to reflect the organization’s core values – synergy of education, cooperation and innovation in the textile industry.

Kateryna, together with RTU student Alina Sivak, took 2nd place in the “Bag Design” category. Their main idea was to create an ecological and durable product that meets modern fashion trends and at the same time reflects the symbolism of AUTEX. For production, they used denim fabric from recycled products and decorative material, which was provided free of charge by RTU. The design elements of the bag contain a weave that symbolizes the linen weave of fabric and sewing threads – this pattern is also depicted on the AUTEX logo. When evaluating the proposed ideas, the jury took into account functionality, durability, aesthetic appeal, inclusivity and respect for diversity.

Despite her busy study schedule, Kateryna is an active participant in the Erasmus Student Network Riga volunteer community. Together with other students, she travels to interesting cities in Latvia (Ogre, Kemeri, Valmiera, etc.), helps organize events for students who came to Latvia under the Erasmus program. Among them are a book club, a Latvian evening, and other events for student integration.

Thanks to her perseverance and active life position, Kateryna Shushura is a vivid example of how the combination of knowledge, creativity and initiative opens up new opportunities. It is thanks to her belief in herself, the support of her mentors and tireless work that Kateryna Shushura achieved high results in her studies and became the true pride of our University. Her successes not only glorify our University at the international level, but also inspire other students to achieve ambitious goals.

We are proud of Kateryna and are confident that her future achievements will bring even more recognition and new prospects in textile technologies and fashion!

14.03.2025