A Dundee-China link up backed by the First Minister has been strengthened after a successful first two years.
Abertay University’s partnership with Perfect World — one of China’s largest creative enterprise companies — began in 2016 and offered degrees in videogames design in Bejing and Dundee.
The number of Chinese students coming to study at Abertay has more than trebled since 2016 and 100% of the first cohort of graduates secured employment within four months of graduation last year.
Now, a new work-based MProf degree is now being rolled out in Beijing, helping those already working in videogames to gain qualifications.
A delegation from Perfect World Education & Technology – a subsidiary of leading entertainment, gaming and creative enterprise Perfect World Investment & Holdings Group – visited Abertay for further discussions on expanding the partnership, and to see how the students are progressing with their studies.
Abertay director of recruitment Lesley Balfour said: “Our new work-based MProf opens up an opportunity for Chinese games developers to tap into Abertay’s internationally-renowned academic expertise.
“We are delighted that our partnership with Perfect World continues to grow and we look forward to collaborating on many more exciting opportunities as this relationship develops.”
Abertay’s undergraduate videogames degrees are ranked best in Europe by the prestigious Princeton Review, with postgraduate courses rated among the top dozen in the world.
The success of the courses led to the signing of a 10-year strategic partnership between the two organisations, witnessed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Beijing last year.
The deal, described at the time as “historic”, occurred as part of the Scotland Is Now event organised by Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International in Beijing.
Hu Kai, vice general manager of Perfect World Education: “Our partnership with Abertay University is going from strength to strength and that is very much reflected in the high quality and originality of the work that the students are producing.
“The fact that our first set of graduates have gone straight into games industry jobs indicates the high regard in which their skills and qualifications are held in China.”
