Education meets Esports in pioneering new partnership between University and Veloce
- University of Chichester partners with celebrated gaming team Veloce Esports
- Agreement is first of its kind in higher education
- It builds on success of University’s BA (Hons) esports degree, which examines impact of gaming through scientific study
ESPORTS has started to look to a future beyond the coronavirus pandemic this week after world-leading gaming team Veloce announced a new partnership with the University of Chichester to develop its esports degree.
The agreement, the first of its kind in higher education, intends to build on the success of the course, that was launched in 2019 to produce more gamers and skilled graduates for an industry worth more than £1.4billion to the UK economy.
The partnership looks to increase awareness of the BA (Hons) degree, which examines the impact of gaming through scientific study. Students on the three-year course learn in an immersive gaming environment at the University’s £35million Tech Park, and cover the physical and psychological impact of esports, including nutrition, coaching, and strategy.
Mike Holley, Head of the University’s Creative and Digital Technologies department, said: “Esports is a fast-growing area within the UK, supporting 24,000 jobs. It’s a privilege to work with a world-leader in Veloce so that we can build on the success of our esports programme that offers students a pathway to gain sustainable employment in the modern world.”
The partnership will ensure the University and its esports course are promoted through branding across Veloce’s network. Veloce, meanwhile, will produce content across social media and YouTube to promote the relationship and create opportunities for students, including internships and work experience, while the University will benefit from the growing interest around esports.
Both University and Veloce will work on promoting the role of women in esports, who are under-represented in the industry despite making up 47 per cent of the gaming industry, according to research by not-for-profit organisation Women in Games. Veloce manages W-Series champion and ROKiT Williams Racing Development Driver Jamie Chadwick, a leading light for female drivers who recently competed in F1’s virtual #NotTheGP series.
The agreement was brought together by MPA Commercial, who lead on sports sponsorship, in a pioneering approach that combines the burgeoning gaming and esports sphere with the educational syllabus offered by the University.
“We are delighted with this partnership,” enthused Veloce Esports Co-Founder and CEO Rupert Svendsen-Cook. “Our world is all about innovation and youth, so to establish a relationship with a forward-thinking and exciting university is fantastic for us.
“We will work on internships, programming and events in association with the University of Chichester and hope to make it the ‘go-to’ course for a whole host of young people. Esports has never been stronger, and in this time of world turmoil it is wonderful to be able to announce such a ground-breaking and positive partnership.”
Veloce has become a prominent voice in the COVID-19 crisis, with its hugely popular and successful #NotTheGP series providing entertainment for sport-hungry fans, drivers and sponsors. Its online platform is powered by a digital network viewership of more than 60 million per month, in addition to a number of world-beating teams and competitors.
“We are working in a difficult environment at the moment with challenges all around us, so it has been uplifting to be able to broker this deal between education and youth culture,” echoed MPA Commercial Chief Commercial Officer Daniel Bailey, who brought the relationship to life.
“Each party will benefit in very tangible ways, and we are looking forward to following this through as the students graduate and become successful in the field. With real sport in such limbo, it is fantastic to see an alternative and a future.”
The University’s esports degree is led by Rams Singh, a former professional gamer and European champion who has spent more than 20 years in the esports industry as a player, coach, manager, and commentator.
He said: “Esports is a developing profession so we’ve ensured our degree remains grounded in traditional academia to help our students understand immersive gaming and its impact on mind and body. Our students have taken to the course well, with many competing in major university tournaments across the country. We are looking forward to teaming-up with Veloce so that we can build on the skills development and networking-side of our degree.”
More about the University of Chichester’s new BA (Hons) in esports can be found at www.chi.ac.uk/esports.
For more about Veloce Esports go to www.veloce-esports.com or MPA Commercial visit mpacreative.com/mpa-commercial.