University of Chichester teams up with Veloce Esports in exciting initiative
As the worlds of sport and education shift significantly in the COVID-19 climate, a new partnership has been announced that symbolises the future of sport, entertainment and career opportunities. Veloce Esports – the world-leading professional gaming team and agency – has joined forces with the University of Chichester to increase awareness of the Esports course in its Creative & Digital Technologies Department.
This unique partnership will ensure that the University in general and its Esports course in particular are promoted through branding across Veloce’s far-reaching network.
Veloce will produce content across social media and YouTube to promote the relationship and create opportunities for students, while the University will benefit from the extraordinary – and ever-growing – interest around esports.
Both the University and Veloce will work on promoting the role played in esports by women, 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.
Veloce has become a prominent voice in the current 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 over 60 million per month, in addition to a number of world-beating teams and competitors.
The partners have been brought together by MPA Commercial – a front-runner in the world of sports sponsorship – in an agreement that represents a ‘first’ in the sector and a pioneering approach to combine 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 groundbreaking and positive partnership.”
“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 of Chichester’s BA (Hons) Esports degree examines the impact of gaming through scientific study. Students on the three-year course learn in an immersive gaming environment at the University’s new £35 million 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 and contributing £1.4 billion to the economy. It is 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 help them gain sustainable employment in a modern world.”
The University’s degree is led by Ram 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 added: “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, visit www.veloce-esports.com