The showcase of final year student work took place over five days in June and student projects are still available to view via a dedicated portal.
Throughout the week, over 450 students showcased their projects and more than 200 industry guests and judges visited the University’s main Stoke-on-Trent campus to view the work.
Employability Manager and GradEX organiser Cheryl Williams said: “The event received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both students and industry professionals, highlighting the value and impact of GradEX in bridging the gap between education and industry.
“We’re delighted to report that the event has resulted in numerous job offers, interview invitations, industry referrals and offers to review students’ creative portfolios; all of which significantly enhances their career prospects.
“This involved students from across our University including our Staffordshire University London campus and we thank them all for helping us put on such a fantastic event.”
Research projects carried out by Psychology students will now be used to inform the University’s Access and Participation Plan, Biomedical students’ work on antibiotic resistance will be considered by an established Laboratory and projects undertaken by Education students have already been shared with local Schools.
Cheryl added: “This helps demonstrate the real-world impact our students are having and we are exceptionally proud of their achievements. GradEX is a fabulous opportunity for our students to showcase their talents and connect with industry leaders. We look forward to continuing this tradition of excellence in the years to come.”
Staffordshire University’s Games Institute played a major part in the proceedings with two full days of activity to help mark the University’s 20 Years of Games anniversary.
A total of 256 students presented their projects to more than 100 industry guests and judges, providing invaluable networking opportunities and professional feedback for our students.
In addition, Game Republic held their biggest ever Student Showcase at the University which was attended by 170 students from 14 institutions and 30 judges from major games studios.
Staffordshire University dominated the awards, winning first place in Best Team and Best Technology categories, and Games Art student Elliott Crompton was awarded third prize in the Game Art and Animation category.
Professor Chris Headleand, Head of Staffordshire University Games Institute, said: “The Game Republic Student Showcase is a real highlight of the games education calendar and celebrates the best student work across the northern powerhouse. To come first in two of the seven awards categories, and third in another is a fantastic achievement for our students. It is brilliant to have our students’ talents recognised by industry professionals.”
Exceptional feedback from the Game Republic team highlighted the success and impact of the event. Jamie Sefton from Game Republic commented: “Staffordshire have set the bar unbelievably high, this is the gold standard”.