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A state-of-the-art new learning space will prepare Chinese computer games students for one of the world’s top postgraduate courses at Abertay University.
Abertay Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Nigel Seaton attended the unveiling of the new Pixseed Institute of Digital Art in Beijing, where students will train for five months before coming to Dundee to join the University’s MProf Games Development programme.
The visit on Thursday April 27 followed the signing of a cooperation agreement between Abertay and school owner Perfect World Education in December, with a view to furthering collaboration and cultural exchange between the two countries’ games sectors.
Pixseed opens as Abertay celebrates 20 years since becoming the first University in the world to offer computer games degrees, with a programme of events running on campus in Dundee throughout the year.
And just last month, Abertay’s MProf course was ranked inside the world’s top ten games courses by the prestigious Princeton Review, while undergraduate courses were rated best in Europe.
Prof Seaton said the five-month Master of Professional Practice in Games Development Orientation Programme (MPPOP) in Beijing would provide Chinese students with the ideal preparation for entering Abertay.
He added: “Pixseed is a fantastic resource and acts as a tangible marker of the growing collaboration between Abertay University and Perfect World, as well as reflecting the strength of collaboration between the UK and China in Higher Education.
“Abertay’s MProf programme was recently ranked in the global top ten for postgraduate computer games courses, indicating the outstanding quality of teaching and support that students joining us from Beijing can expect to receive.
“I am confident that the creative industries of both countries are well placed for further success as we continue to share our talent and expertise, and to grow together.
” Pixseed is a talent incubator that focuses on digital art fields such as games, comics and animation, TV and movies to cultivate talent in design, research and development and management.
All courses will use classic games as case studies in teaching and practicing and students will get internship opportunities in Perfect World Education and its affiliated companies, as well as other enterprises.
Pixseed was unveiled during a ceremony attended by President of Perfect World Education Investment Co. Ltd Wang Yuyun and representatives from the Chinese games and animation industry.
Wang Yuyun said: “We have experience in judging the job market and we know how to train a suitable talent.
"And more importantly, we are able to integrate top-class digital innovation education resources from across the world, and that is why we are fully confident in the future of Pixseed."
To a warm reception from the crowd, Prof Seaton presented Wang Yuyun with a toy Highland Cow as a gesture of friendship and a play on the similarity between the Mandarin words for 'good' and 'cow'.
The MPPOP is Perfect World’s first education programme and the company is focusing on developing talent with an international outlook for the Chinese market.