Competitive video gaming (known as “eSports,” or “computer sports” in Russian) has gained significant traction in Russia over the past few years, with billionaire Alisher Usmanov announcing a $100 million investment in the industry and the government fully recognizing this sports discipline.
A new initiative came earlier this month from Skoltech, a private graduate research university hosted by the Skolkovo tech hub on the outskirts of Moscow.
In partnership with London-based eSports training firm Game Enders and New York-based consulting firm Power Play, Skoltech has announced the creation of the Skoltech Esports Academy (SEA).
The SEA is designed as an eSports university training program “with no parallel in Russia or Eastern Europe.” It is set to launch before the end of this year.
“The Skoltech Esports Academy will facilitate the development of various gaming technologies, such as team interactions in virtual reality (VR), visualizations in VR, novel approaches to coding and efficient cloud computing technologies,” said Skoltech Endowment Foundation Director Ivan Khlebnikov.
“The Skoltech Esports Academy will facilitate the development of various gaming technologies, such as team interactions in virtual reality (VR), visualizations in VR, novel approaches to coding and efficient cloud computing technologies,” said Skoltech Endowment Foundation Director Ivan Khlebnikov.
The academy will provide Skoltech students and researchers with opportunities to put theories into practice in fields ranging from information technology (IT) to applied mathematics to education, Khlebnikov added.
Source: Skoltech
