Cyberport is committed to facilitate the digital transformation of enterprises and to drive the development of Hong Kong’s new economy through digital technology, industry development and talents cultivation. With this mission in mind, Cyberport is delighted to join hands with HKU SPACE to roll out the “Diploma in eSports Science” programme in order to cultivate professional talents for our society and better equip the young generation to embrace career opportunities in e-sports. To further enhance its efforts towards talents development, Cyberport will continue its close collaboration with industry stakeholders and offer an array of programmes on entrepreneurship and innovation, technology enablement, leadership training, technology investment and more to groom talents for the digital technology sector under “Cyberport Academy”.

Diploma in eSports Science: a course that integrates theory and practice

E-sports has come under the global spotlight and is poised to be the driver of Hong Kong’s new economy. Not only does it facilitate the development of numerous industries but also various fields of technology. Comprising a total of six modules, the course outline of the “Diploma in eSports Science” resembles the industry value chain, allowing attendees to catch a glimpse of the sector’s landscape. In addition, the programme has an extensive coverage, including the e-sports business ecosystems, history, streaming technology, event planning and management, as well as ethics, safety and law. Meanwhile, the multifunctional e-sports facility at Cyberport that is under planning can be used for students to gain experience in organising e-sports events and tournaments to enrich their learning experience.  

The “Diploma in eSports Science” programme will be conducted through lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, laboratory sessions and placements. Given the extensive network of Cyberport, throughout the course and upon completion of the programme, attendees can exchange insights and explore collaboration opportunities with professionals and start-ups from the Cyberport community who act as guests speakers of workshops and seminars, as well as through placement opportunities to develop projects by applying technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and virtual reality.

Mr Peter Yan, CEO of Cyberport, said, “Since its establishment, Cyberport has been upholding the mission to nurture talents for Hong Kong’s digital technology advancement by engaging industry elites for exchange of knowledge and experience. E-sports is emerging quickly around the globe and has great development potential. Cyberport is fully supportive of the government’s e-sports initiative and will promote the development of this thriving sector. By rolling out this e-sports programme with HKU SPACE, Cyberport is glad to play a part in fostering talents for the e-sports industry.”

Prof. William Lee, Director of HKU SPACE, said, “HKU SPACE has pioneered life-long learning and continuing education in the city for 61 years. eSports as an emerging industry all around the world, in response to the current skills shortage in Hong Kong, we are glad to serve the community by providing the first eSports programme in Hong Kong which is registered under the HKQF.”

The “Diploma in eSports Science” programme will be open for application from early June 2018 and will start in early July 2018.

Talents are the key to success for every industry. Recognising this importance, Cyberport is stepping up its efforts to cultivate talents for the digital technology industry through “Cyberport Academy”. Working closely with strategic industry partners, “Cyberport Academy” will cater to the various needs derived from the digital transformation of enterprises, targeting not only students and youth but also start-ups, enterprises, investors and partners. It will focus on key areas including entrepreneurship and innovation, digital leadership, technology enablement, and technology investment. The initiative will cover a broad spectrum of technologies such as AI and big data, cloud computing, IoT, FinTech, e-sports and digital entertainment.