Scottish, Chinese Game Students See Exchange Agreement

The University of Abertay Dundee has signed an agreement with Shanghai University pledging to jointly explore the potential for academic collaboration in a number of areas, including exchange visits by students and staff. Abertay is best known in the world of game development for its research in computer games technology and computer arts. The school created the Dare to be Digital competition, in which student teams from around the world (including Chinese students in the last two years) compete to design and build prototype video games. Shanghai University is considered a “Project 211” institution in China, meaning it the Chinese government has noted its ability to contribute to the country’s economic and social development agenda. Later this year, Shanghai University’s Digital Arts College will host a Digital Art Exhibition as part of the Beijing Olympics; the school has invited Abertay students to contribute artwork for display. Abertay’s principal and vice-chancellor, Professor Bernard King, signed the agreement with Shanghai University’s Executive Vice-President Professor Zhewei Zhou. Earlier this year, the Digital Arts College and Abertay’s School of Computing and Creative Technologies signed a faculty-level agreement under which students from the Chinese institution’s digital arts course will be able to articulate (enter at second or third year) into Abertay’s computer games courses. Shown in Image, l-r: Professor Zhewei Zhou of Shanghai University, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Fiona Hyslop and Professor Bernard King, Principal of the University of Abertay Dundee.