{"id":24900,"date":"2017-05-03T16:33:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-03T20:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=22597"},"modified":"2017-05-03T16:33:00","modified_gmt":"2017-05-03T20:33:00","slug":"cot-doctoral-strives-build-safe-sustainable-apparel-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2017\/05\/cot-doctoral-strives-build-safe-sustainable-apparel-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Ph.D. Student Strives To Build Safe, Sustainable Apparel Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sometimes tragedy strikes so close that it changes the trajectory of a life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For NC State student Rejaul Hasan, 2013 had been a good year. After studying textiles at University of Manchester in England, he was back home in Bangladesh working for a global sports apparel company. He traveled extensively to local factories to source apparel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But on April 24 that year, the global apparel industry shook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a few miles from the capital of Bangladesh, the eight-story Rana Plaza factory collapsed, killing more than 1,100 workers and injuring thousands more. It remains the deadliest garment factory accident in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBefore [Rana Plaza], I thought I am doing a perfect job,\u201d Hasan said. \u201cIt was an eye opener. What is happening? Are we doing everything right? Do we really have enough knowledge about supply chain, sustainability and labor rights to build a sustainable apparel supply chain in Bangladesh? I felt in my heart I must have a much better understanding of sustainability in the context of global supply chain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The global reputation of Poole College of Management<\/a> and the College of Textiles<\/a> drew Hasan to NC State, where he began Ph.D. study in College of Textiles in 2015. With a focus on sustainability and supply chain, his dissertation research aims to uncover the price point at which garments made in Bangladesh must be purchased to ensure sustainability, safety and fair labor rights for factory workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As one of the world\u2019s leading garment exporters, Bangladesh offers low manufacturing prices to apparel brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAccording to local manufacturers, the price is too low. When they are underpaid, they cannot ensure better safety or sustainability,\u201d Hasan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His research will take him back to Bangladesh, where he will use his existing professional network to compile data from locally-owned factories and subcontractors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no study like this. You need a lot of solid data from the factory, and that\u2019s hard to get,\u201d Hasan said. \u201cThe data needs to be really, really precise. Five cents per garment is a big issue; business moves from Bangladesh to other countries for as little as 1 cent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recipient of NC State\u2019s Wilkinson Graduate Ethics Fellowship<\/a>, Hasan has involved Cotton Inc., Poole College\u2019s Supply Chain Resource Cooperative and faculty from College of Textiles and Pennsylvania State University in this project. His research could ultimately become a framework that helps determine responsible garment sourcing prices in other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I can help save one person dying from a factory fire, that\u2019s a meaningful mission. I hope my study will help Bangladesh build a safer apparel supply chain. I\u2019m doing something meaningful to help my country and create a better life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to his studies, Hasan has served as a Student Associate in Poole College\u2019s Business Sustainability Collaborative<\/a>. By helping educate students about sustainability, he hopes more consumers will demand sustainability from brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re going to buy something, try to learn how it\u2019s made. When consumers do that, brands and retailers will do better sourcing to ensure a safe, sustainable and fair supply chain,\u201d Hasan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduating from NC State, Hasan hopes to work for a major apparel brand or return to Bangladesh, where he has already started a company to support sustainable practices among apparel brands, retailers and local manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m passionate about the global apparel industry. Global apparel business has brought many positive changes in my country, and I want to make sure the manufacturers and brands are doing it the right way,\u201d Hasan said. \u201cI want to be a part of the business to change business.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n

Sometimes tragedy strikes so close that it changes the trajectory of a life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For NC State student Rejaul Hasan, 2013 had been a good year. After studying textiles at University of Manchester in England, he was back home in Bangladesh working for a global sports apparel company. He traveled extensively to local factories to source apparel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But on April 24 that year, the global apparel industry shook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a few miles from the capital of Bangladesh, the eight-story Rana Plaza factory collapsed, killing more than 1,100 workers and injuring thousands more. It remains the deadliest garment factory accident in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBefore [Rana Plaza], I thought I am doing a perfect job,\u201d Hasan said. \u201cIt was an eye opener. What is happening? Are we doing everything right? Do we really have enough knowledge about supply chain, sustainability and labor rights to build a sustainable apparel supply chain in Bangladesh? I felt in my heart I must have a much better understanding of sustainability in the context of global supply chain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The global reputation of Poole College of Management<\/a> and the College of Textiles<\/a> drew Hasan to NC State, where he began Ph.D. study in College of Textiles in 2015. With a focus on sustainability and supply chain, his dissertation research aims to uncover the price point at which garments made in Bangladesh must be purchased to ensure sustainability, safety and fair labor rights for factory workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As one of the world\u2019s leading garment exporters, Bangladesh offers low manufacturing prices to apparel brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAccording to local manufacturers, the price is too low. When they are underpaid, they cannot ensure better safety or sustainability,\u201d Hasan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His research will take him back to Bangladesh, where he will use his existing professional network to compile data from locally-owned factories and subcontractors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no study like this. You need a lot of solid data from the factory, and that\u2019s hard to get,\u201d Hasan said. \u201cThe data needs to be really, really precise. Five cents per garment is a big issue; business moves from Bangladesh to other countries for as little as 1 cent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recipient of NC State\u2019s Wilkinson Graduate Ethics Fellowship<\/a>, Hasan has involved Cotton Inc., Poole College\u2019s Supply Chain Resource Cooperative and faculty from College of Textiles and Pennsylvania State University in this project. His research could ultimately become a framework that helps determine responsible garment sourcing prices in other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I can help save one person dying from a factory fire, that\u2019s a meaningful mission. I hope my study will help Bangladesh build a safer apparel supply chain. I\u2019m doing something meaningful to help my country and create a better life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to his studies, Hasan has served as a Student Associate in Poole College\u2019s Business Sustainability Collaborative<\/a>. By helping educate students about sustainability, he hopes more consumers will demand sustainability from brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re going to buy something, try to learn how it\u2019s made. When consumers do that, brands and retailers will do better sourcing to ensure a safe, sustainable and fair supply chain,\u201d Hasan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduating from NC State, Hasan hopes to work for a major apparel brand or return to Bangladesh, where he has already started a company to support sustainable practices among apparel brands, retailers and local manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m passionate about the global apparel industry. Global apparel business has brought many positive changes in my country, and I want to make sure the manufacturers and brands are doing it the right way,\u201d Hasan said. \u201cI want to be a part of the business to change business.\u201d<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rejaul Hasan, a doctoral student in the College of Textiles, hopes his focused research in sustainability and supply chain will ensure the safety, sustainability and fair labor practices for garment workers in his native Bangladesh.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":23127,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"caption\":\"\",\"displayCategoryID\":2131}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[490,512],"tags":[703,505],"displayCategory":null,"acf":[],"yoast_head":"Ph.D. Student Strives To Build Safe, Sustainable Apparel Industry - Wilson College of Textiles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/textiles.ncsu.edu\/news\/2017\/05\/cot-doctoral-strives-build-safe-sustainable-apparel-industry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ph.D. Student Strives To Build Safe, Sustainable Apparel Industry - 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