APRU Brings Universities into the World of Esports with MetaGame Conference 2022

Academics and metaverse experts to explore how esports and new technologies such as web3 and AI can be deployed in higher education for next-gen learning

HONG KONG–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#HigherEducation–The 3rd APRU MetaGame Conference is set to be live-streamed on 27 August, 2022 HKT (26 August, 2022 PDT) in partnership with The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and hosted by Cyberport Hong Kong. During the annual conference, scholars and industry leaders will examine the ways that international esports leaders can further their scope within universities, shape digital skills development, and the career pathways for students.

As one of the biggest virtual education conferences and a spotlight event of Hong Kong Cyberport�s Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum (DELF), the APRU MetaGame Conference 2022 will incorporate the full ecosystem of esports, including high-level policy discussions, expert insights, next-generation learning, student competition, and gaming.

APRU has in recent years orchestrated the effort in bringing esports, a new form of edutainment and an integral part of the metaverse, to its university network. Top academics, esports policymakers, researchers, and students from North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region are expected to join this all-virtual conference, marking a new milestone for the event, which was first introduced in 2020.

Dr. Christopher Tremewan, Secretary General of APRU said, “We believe universities have much to gain by supporting esports as part of their education and research agenda. Together with our network’s 60 universities and industry experts, we aim to contribute to building the esports ecosystem around the Asia-Pacific region. We are committed to developing a sustainable industry with a strong career trajectory which connects students, researchers and administrators across international borders. We intend this innovative technology and its social impacts will empower researchers and students to work with each other on solutions to global challenges for the common good.”

Peter Yan, CEO of Hong Kong Cyberport, said, “As the flagship for Hong Kong’s digital innovation, Cyberport is excited to join hands with APRU for the third consecutive year to offer the perfect platform for co-creating digital entertainment and esports in the Web 3.0 era. Riding on the success of our previous collaborations, including two rounds of APRU Esports Fellowship Program, APRU Global Tournament and APRU Student Esports Paper Competition, the APRU MetaGame Conference will foster the application of new technologies, and the cultivation of talent in universities and the higher education sector, bringing continuous impetus to the digital entertainment ecosystem.”

Professor Yang Wang, APRU Senior International Leader and Vice-President for Institutional Advancement at HKUST said, “With the advent of the metaverse and blockchain technologies, the higher education landscape as we know it will be rewritten completely. This will bring new opportunities and challenges for scholars, students, creators and universities, unlocking the next level of interaction and engagement in universities.”

The event will kick off with a keynote address on edutainment and the metaverse by Professor Yang Wang, and feature three panel discussions among scholars on edutainment, collegiate esports, and the gamification of social well-being, in which challenges, opportunities, and future policies will be discussed.

Insightful findings will also be presented at the conference, followed by the announcement of a student showcase on digital art and original game ideas supported by Moon Lab, a blockchain-based startup that specializes in making mass adoption of blockchain technology possible. In addition, top Esports teams from the Asia Pacific region will face off in a Valorant tournament powered by PLANET9, the designated tournament platform.

Supporting Universities:

KAIST

Nanyang Technological University

Tecnológico de Monterrey

University of Hawai?i at M?noa

University of Southern California

Zhejiang University

Date and Time:

August 26 from 6PM (Los Angeles/Vancouver)

August 27 from 9AM (Hong Kong/Singapore)

For more information, please visit:

https://www.apru.org/event/apru-metagame-conference-2022/

Registration (free admission):

https://apru-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mCkWZyIGRzWZNOcBWpuAFw#/registration

Download Visuals:

https://cutt.ly/wXAgwcZ

Contacts

Jack Ng

Director, Communications, APRU

Email: jack.ng@apru.org