eSports, the hottest activity sweeping the globe in recent years, does not only attract many young people taking part in but is also going through the process of industrialisation. To support the growth of this emerging industry, nurture of talents is utmost important. With the tremendous demand for professional practitioners, HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKU SPACE) has secured the support from three industry leaders including E-Sports Association Hong Kong, Cyber Games Arena and Emperor Esports Star, to launch the “Diploma in eSports Science” programme. The programme will offer a systematic training covering practical skills across different areas of the industry.

Today, HKU SPACE is glad to join hands with three leading organizations in the industry to promote the development of eSports by the signing the MOU, marking the new era of eSports development in Hong Kong.

First-ever eSports Science Diploma in Hong Kong

Since its establishment in 1957, HKU SPACE has launched various innovative and up-to-date programmes to equip students with professional skills under the ever-changing socio-economic environment. The first-ever “Diploma in eSports Science”  programme has an extensive coverage of the industry, which includes the eSports business ecosystems, history, streaming technology, event planning and management, as well as ethics, safety and law.

Apart from reaching satisfactory attendance rate and submitting all the necessary assignments, the students are required to compile a report after completing a placement with at least 45 hours in the industry. Meanwhile, HKU SPACE expresses its sincere gratitude to the partners, who offer valuable advice and internship opportunities to the students.

Prof. William Lee, Director of HKU SPACE, expressed, “We are glad to announce that HKU SPACE has secured three more partnerships in additional to Cyberport. In the future, we shall keep optimising our programme through collaboration with more industry partners in order to groom more talents for this emerging industry.”

Rapid development with diversified career prospects

According to “Newzoo Global Esports Market Report 2016” and “Newzoo Global Esports Market Report 2017”, eSports revenue reached US$696 million in 2017 with a growth of 41.3% compared to 2016, and it is expected to reach US$1.5 billion by 2020. In 2017, there were 191 million eSports enthusiasts and this number is expected to reach 286 million in 2020.

With rapid development in the eSports industry, graduates of the progromme would be offered to work in different roles, including event planning and management, marketing and sales, lighting, sound and screen control, as well as commentators. Meanwhile, HKU SPACE is planning to launch an advanced progromme in eSports within three years. This programme will teach advanced knowledge in eSports industry including video design, artificial intelligence, introduction to Algorithms, eSports game design.

The “Diploma in eSports Science” programme will be open for application from early June 2018 and will start in early July 2018. For further enquiries, please visit our website at https://hkuspace.hku.hk/cht/prog/dip-in-esports-science/ or contact our staff at 2587 3293.