Gerber Technology has donated 96 seats (licenses) of its world-leading CAD software to Hunan Normal University (HNNU) for use at the Engineering College. The donation consists of 45 seats of AccuMark PE for pattern design, grading and marker making; 45 seats of AccuMark MTM; 3 seats of Fashion Studio, a conceptual and textile design tool; 3 seats of V-Stitcher 3D garment design and visualization software, and includes free software maintenance and upgrades. Valued at RMB 7.188M ($898,500 USD), it is the largest one-time donation from Gerber to an education and research institution in China. “The donation from Gerber Technology provides substantial support to educating our students in computer-aided garment design and keeping them current with technology and industry trends,” noted Bai Jiehong, vice principal, HNNU. “It lays the groundwork for continuing growth in the garment industry by teaching our students on state-of-the-art, industry-specific technology."

For more than 20 years HNNU’s Engineering College has offered a major in garment design and processing. AccuMark software will be part of the curriculum in both its four-year undergraduate and three-year postgraduate programs. “One of the 106 universities and colleges involved in ‘Project 211’, HNNU has a good reputation at home and abroad for cultivating high level talents in the garment industry,” said James Arthurs, President-Asia Pacific, Gerber Scientific, Inc. “We are pleased to provide our CAD systems to HNNU as part of our continuous support of education in China and throughout the world.”

“As part of our educational alliance program, Gerber Technology will provide software upgrades and required service to HNNU free of charge. In addition, Gerber will arrange training courses to help instructors master the CAD systems to be able to teach effectively,” added Edmund Yip, general sales manager of Greater China, Gerber Technology. Gerber will assign its trainers to establish criteria for instructor qualification. Instructors will be required to complete a test lesson which will be evaluated by Gerber and the college. Instructors passing the evaluation will be awarded a certificate indicating their qualification for teaching the Gerber systems.

A world-leading software and hardware supplier of CAD/CAM and PDM/PLM solutions, Gerber believes it has a responsibility to continuously help expose students to the latest technology. Gerber provides access to software and hardware technology to more than 760 educational institutions in more than 60 countries around the globe. In China, Gerber has established strong relationships with over 50 colleges and research institutions. This kind of strategic action provides well-trained CAD professionals to the industry and stimulates its continued development.