Tsinghua SIGS, Tencent Games and USC Games have recently reached a consultation agreement, officially signed at the Tsinghua SIGS-Tencent Interactive Media Design and Technology Center (IMDT Center).
Collaboration between Tsinghua SIGS, Tencent Games, and University of Southern California’s (USC) top interactive media major will focus on the field of interactive media design and technology, where the three parties will work on areas including but not limited to teaching, research, student training and field practices to promote both academic and industrial innovation.
Prof. Tracy Fullerton of USC Games will act as the program consulting director and lead faculty in developing a professional master’s program. Prof. Fullerton is an experimental game designer, professor and founding director (Emeritus) of the USC Games program. She is the author of “Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games,” a design textbook used at game programs worldwide, and holder of the Electronic Arts Endowed Chair in Interactive Entertainment.
Combining Tencent Games' rich experience in the gaming industry and USC Games' international influence in interactive media games, Tsinghua SIGS will leverage its advantages and influence to create a world-wide interactive media and technology program, and promote the innovation of the cultural industry.
Tsinghua SIGS, Tencent Games and USC Games have had in-depth exchanges before officially signing the agreement. In September 2019, faculty members of the IMDT Center participated in a Narrative Project organized by USC Games and Tencent, and also participated in a seminar on program development.
In September 2019, the three parties held a seminar on program development
In October 2019, Elizabeth Daley, Dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, visited Shenzhen and met with Gao Hong, Executive Dean of Tsinghua SIGS, Tom Tang, Vice President of Tencent, and Duola Ning, General Manager of Tencent Interactive Entertainment Group Office, as well as the IMDT team.
In October 2019, Dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts Elizabeth Daley visited Tencent and met with the IMDT team
This January, core faculty teams from the three parties discussed the potential of collaborating on the IMDT program. Recently, the agreement was officially signed.
In January 2020, the three parties met to discuss on a potential collaboration
In May 2019, Tsinghua SIGS and Tencent co-established the IMDT Center to boost the development of information technology and cultural creative industries in Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area. The Center not only explores the integration of science and technology, design, art, and management, but also aims to provide support for other fields, creating an open platform for talent training and research.
USC Games is ranked the #1 game design program in North America by the Princeton Review, and has held this distinction for the past seven consecutive years. The program has world-class game design courses with a long history of student success.
The signing between Tsinghua SIGS, Tencent Games and USC Games will encourage the three parties to explore a new model of "enterprise-university-government" cooperation and a new paradigm of professional degree education. It will bring new changes to the cultural industry, and will be enrolling its first batch of students in 2020.
Article by Jessie Shen/Angelina Hong
Photos by Jessie Shen
Cover Design by Wu Bingyu, supervised by Wen Xueyuan
Edited by Karen Lee
