University of California, Irvine and Riot Games Launch Official College Scholarships for eSports
Last Wednesday, UC Irvine announced that they will be launching an official eSports scholarship initiative this coming fall, the first of its kind for a public research university. As many as 10 academic scholarships will be launched for eSports and gaming this fall.
“UCI eSports will be built on four pillars: competition, academics, entertainment and community,” said Thomas Parham, vice chancellor for student affairs. “We hope to attract the best gamers from around the world, and our academic programs in computer gaming science, digital arts, computer science, engineering, anthropology, law, medicine, neuroscience and behavior create a strong foundation for research and inquiry related to gaming.”
In addition, UCI’s Institute for Virtual Environments & Computer Games facilitates multidisciplinary research projects in the fields of anthropology, art, computer science, engineering, history, medicine, psychology, science and technology.
According to a press release by the California-based university, Los Angeles-based Riot Games – the studio behind League of Legends – will be the first company to support their new eSports programs. The company will offer support to UCI’s 300 student-led gaming clubs, that includes harware, training and academic research opportunities.
State-of-the-Art
A state-of-the-art arena equipped with high-end gaming PCs from iBuyPower, a live webcasting studio and a League of Legends stage will be constructed at the UCI Student Center.
Custom gaming computer maker iBuyPower is equipping the 3,500-square-foot eSports arena with 80 of its high-end gaming PCs loaded with the most popular video game titles. Also available for classes and research projects, the Student Center space will be a major hub for social and competitive gaming in Southern California. UCI’s League of Legends team will compete in next year’s collegiate tournaments.
In the same press release, IBuyPower vice president Darren Su said: “UCI has one of the top competitive gaming clubs in the nation and deserves top-of-the-line equipment.”
“Through this partnership, we can not only ensure that players have the tools necessary to play their best, but also allow students to be their best through scholarship and research opportunities. Our dream is that one day e-sports will be a tool for students across the country to achieve their professional, academic and personal success. Partnering with UCI is a huge step toward making that dream a reality.”
The gaming center will also give students not on eSports teams a chance to participate in fun leisure activities on campus. The new facility will also be available for research purposes.
UCI is home to a dedicated gaming community. A recent survey of students found that 72 percent identify as gamers and 89 percent support the creation of an e-sports team. College Magazine ranked UCI the No. 1 school for gamers in 2015. The Association of Gamers boasts the highest membership of any student club on campus, and the computer game science major in the Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences is the largest in the country.
Warning: Undefined array key "test" in /var/www/esports/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 787
EDITORS' PICK
Warning: Undefined variable $MR_data_for_obj in /var/www/esports/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 835
Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, null given in /var/www/esports/single2017/body-gitlab.php on line 835
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
