Plymouth University and Nanjing University of the Arts launch dual award in game design

Talented game designers from China will be completing their studies at Plymouth University as part of a groundbreaking new partnership.

The University has signed an agreement with the Nanjing University of the Arts to jointly run an undergraduate award, officially endorsed by China’s Ministry of Education.

The dual award will recruit its first students to start in September 2017, and they will study for three years in the Far East before completing their fourth year in the UK.

It means 50 Chinese students per year will be coming to Plymouth from September 2020, adding to the existing international student population of 3,000 students from over 100 countries.

Gianni Corino, Associate Head of the School of Art and Media and Subject Leader for Digital Art and Technology at Plymouth University, said: “This is a first agreement of this kind for the University and for the arts here in Plymouth and emphasises the global success and influence of our teaching and research.

"Game design is an expanding industry in China, and coming here will give these students exposure to a market already well-established in the UK. They will benefit from our extensive expertise in this field, and experience new cultures and ways of thinking that will give them a headstart when they embark on their careers.”

The Digital Art and Technology programme has been running at Plymouth University for 25 years, and has spawned a number of award-winning graduates and spin-out companies.

The new partnership will see academics from Plymouth working with their counterparts in Nanjing to develop the full four-year course.

Over the first three years in China, students will study a number of core modules including five designed and led by academics from Plymouth, as well as taking courses to improve the standard of their English above normal entry requirements.

When they graduate, they will receive awards from both institutions, meaning they can progress into work or to further study in either country.

Professor Simon Payne, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Academic Partnerships at Plymouth University, added: “Nanjing University of the Arts is among the leading institutions of its kind in China so this agreement, endorsed by the Ministry of Education, is further evidence of our global reputation. Our international partnerships generate outstanding opportunities and life experiences for students and staff, and this one does that at the same time as contributing to the development of an expanding global industry.”

For more information about studying Digital Art and Technology at Plymouth University, visit https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools/artmedia/digital-art-and-technology.