In the capital city of the Philippines, Manila, esports and education are uniting under the same roof.
Dark League Studios is advocating for this uniting message through its inaugural Estudyante Esports SummEEt, which took place at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, March 2.
The summit is a part of the broader Estudyante Esports Program, sponsored by Dark League Studios. The Program’s goal is to integrate esports into the educational environment and foster a sustainable future for both the industry and aspiring professional gamers.
“The objective of Estudyante Esports is to encourage all of us to lend support to the gaming passion of the younger generation and to be open to embracing the future. We all need to acknowledge that gaming is ubiquitous. The simple act of being a gamer can potentially translate into a professional career. Estudyante Esports aims to ensure sustainability and safeguard the future of students. It acts as a window into the esports world and shows how it can turn into a profession for students,” expressed AC Valdenor, Chief Executive Officer at Dark League Studios.
In addition to the bi-annual summit, the Estudyante Esports Program will organize school caravans featuring esports exhibits with brands and game publishers, game demos, and seminars focused on various esports career paths.
The program also plans to institute certificate courses and electives centered around the esports industry. The School of Professional and Continuing Education of the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde is already in the process of developing a certificate course on esports and digital gaming fundamentals.
Furthermore, the Estudyante Esports Program will include the University Clash by Smart Communications – a multi-title esports tournament for partner schools and student associations.
“Esports interest is far from being a passing trend; it is set to expand continuously. So education providers should look into how they can nurture student passion towards this domain. The idea of Estudyante Esports is to blend esports as both a recreational activity and a competitive arena, along with academic pursuits,” explained Deng Kibanoff, Director of the Estudyante Esports Program.
The summit saw participation from around 2000 students and 200 school representatives, including 25 faculty members and deans over the last weekend.