On 21 January 2026, the Faculty of Art and Design – Fashion Design at International Balkan University hosted an academic visit from the Fashion Department of HELMo Mode, Belgium. The visit included 20 students, accompanied by Sylvia Verschelden, teacher and researcher at HELMo Mode, and Kilian Demey, Lecturer in Germanic Languages. The visiting group was welcomed by the Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design, Aleksandra Ristovska, together with members of the FAD and Fashion Design academic team.

The visit aimed to facilitate institutional exchange, share educational experiences, and explore opportunities for future academic and creative collaboration. As part of the program, a joint workshop titled From Canvas to Creation was organized at IBU, where students from both institutions engaged in collaborative, practice-based exploration of painting on canvas as a starting point for design development. The Faculty of Art and Design anticipates that this exchange will contribute to future joint initiatives and continued collaboration between the two institutions.