Hugh Gong graduated from Dong Hua University in Shanghai in 1984 with a degree in mechanical engineering, and gained his doctorate in textile technology from the University of Manchester in 1989. Between 1990 and 1993 he managed the Coats Viyella Marks & Spencer Centre of Excellence on Fabric Properties at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), and was responsible for initiating and managing industrial projects for fabric and clothing manufacturers in the UK. From 1992 until the present time he has been lecturing and researching in yarns and nonwovens technologies in the Department of Textiles at UMIST.