An Academic Esports Seminar at UiA's Department of ICT has led to discussions about cooperation with international actors. UiA is now in the final stages of completing these cooperation agreements.
"This goes to show that our work is noticed internationally. The goal of international partnerships is to be active and visible, both globally and locally. By sharing ideas about academic esports, UiA garners more attention in the research community within the field," says Associate Professor Tobias Scholz, who does academic esports research at the University of Agder (UiA).
Together with Associate Professor Rune Andersen, he has been involved in securing new cooperation agreements that can help strengthen academic esports at the university.
Cooperation on research and student exchange
Moving forward, there will be research collaboration with researcher Seth Jenny from Slippery Rock University in the US, and Volker Stein from the University of Siegen in Germany.
There will also be cooperation in student exchange programmes with Staffordshire University in the UK, the University of Mississippi, and the University of Texas in the US.
In addition, an esports training collaboration has been established with the University of Mittweida in Germany, and a student project with the Norwegian esports organisation Apeks has been planned.
More than just a game
In recent years, esports has surged in popularity and become a global phenomenon. For many individuals, it has become more than just a game.
It is a livelihood for some, and more businesses are recognising the value of having employees with skills in esports.
According to Scholz, collaborating with international partners is crucial for shaping business, industry and society for esports in the future.
"The new agreements offer opportunities to collaborate with universities and students all over the world, including student exchanges with other universities. It also provides opportunities for a wide range of hybrid lectures and collaborations with esports teams from other universities for training and competition," he says.
Scholz also stresses that new international partners will contribute to expanding research opportunities, comprising funding, resource sharing, and the establishment of a doctoral network.