FAISALABAD: Ten Ph.D. students of National Textile University Faisalabad have received extensive education in South Korea ahead of the setting up of a specialized research center on technical textiles in Pakistan by 2027.
The educational training was carried out from August 17 to 30, 2026. The training was funded by KOICA under the Official Development Assistance project entitled “Strengthening of PAK-KOREA Technical Textile Center.” The technical assistance was provided by Korea Institute of Industrial Technology popularly known as KITECH.
Hands-On Training at KITECH's Research Facilities
According to Prof Masood, the program exists to build NTU's next generation of researchers, scholars who will eventually drive R&D work at the Pak-Korea Technical Textile Center once it opens in 2027. The scholars didn't waste time getting started. An orientation session on August 18 kicked things off, and from there, training shifted into a blend of classroom instruction and practical work inside KITECH's pilot-production facilities.
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The curriculum covered major nonwoven manufacturing processes and gave participants direct experience in nonwoven filter performance testing and chemical analysis of textile materials. Scholars worked through the full production cycle from understanding manufacturing principles and operating equipment to conducting production runs, testing, and analysis.
On August 21, the group visited Preview in Seoul (PIS) 2026 at COEX, one of Asia's leading textile exhibitions, where they examined advanced textile materials and technologies from Korean and international companies.
Third and Final Phase of a Three-Year Capacity-Building Push
This year's program marks the final invitational training initiative under the KOICA project, following earlier training rounds for Pakistani policymakers in 2024 and NTU faculty members in 2025. Prof Masood said the project has steadily broadened its focus over three years moving from policy stakeholders to university faculty and now to graduate researchers.
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Earlier this year, the project produced a Pakistan Technical Textiles Policy Proposal, giving the sector strategic direction and policy support as it works to expand its technical textiles capacity.
The academic training concluded with a completion ceremony on August 28, and participants took part in a Korean cultural experience program on August 29 before returning to Pakistan.
NTU and KITECH to Push Into Joint Research Next
Prof Masood said NTU and KITECH will now shift focus toward joint R&D activities for the remainder of the project period, building on the policy and capacity-development work completed so far. He added that the project team is also planning training programs for industry professionals in Pakistan, along with technical seminars to share the project's findings more broadly across the sector.
With continued KOICA support, Prof Masood said the project is set to evolve from policy development and human-capacity building into practical research collaboration and wider technology dissemination a shift he said will further strengthen the Pakistan-Korea partnership in technical textiles as the new center's 2027 completion date approaches.