The IGGI Talks: An introduction to the University of York’s EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in gaming
The Department of Computer Science at the University of York recently hosted an event to showcase its EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence (IGGI).
The EPSRC CDT in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence (IGGI), based at the University of York, Queen Mary University of London, the University of Essex and Goldsmiths, is the world’s largest PhD research programme focused exclusively on gaming. The four-year PhD programme trains the next generation of researchers, developers, designers, leaders and entrepreneurs of gaming. It spans a variety of disciplines and industries, and is collaborating with more than 80 industry and academic partners.
A spotlight on success
The University of York recently held an event to highlight the success of the IGGI CDT. Current IGGI students and staff held a series of short talks to demonstrate current research and benefits of the programme, highlighting how the programme prepares students for careers in the gaming industry.
IGGI includes an expansive range of research, offering students the opportunity to explore multiple domains such as artificial intelligence, applied games, game audio, creative computing and much more. Students acquire a comprehensive skill set across a variety of areas, with the opportunity to work alongside the programme’s partners to carry out meaningful gaming research.
Societal impact
Student talks covered examples of current research, including the psychology of decision-making in open world gaming, the use of sound layers as training data for synthetic sounds, and how failure in gaming affects player experience. Research also relates to relevant societal issues, such as the environment and healthcare, by investigating how affective and behavioural effects can be applied in gaming.
The IGGI students also outlined the benefits of IGGI and why they chose to study at the University of York. The four-year structure of the programme means that students have more time to carry out their research and training, so they feel less of the time-constraints common to PhD programmes. Students also highlighted that the programme is fully funded, as well as industry-based, so there are plenty of knowledge-transfer opportunities.
Building a community
The community aspect of the programme was continually emphasised: students explained that they never feel isolated as the programme is cohort-based and consists of people with similar passions and interests.
As a whole, IGGI is a research-intensive programme centred around gaming, gathering a range of people with different backgrounds but united through their appreciation for games. Ultimately, this CDT PhD programme offers exciting and inspiring opportunities that will impact the future of gaming.