Matt will be teaching on Staffordshire University’s pioneering BA (Hons) Esports Degree when Digital Institute London (DIL) opens its doors to students in September.
A former Esports Manager with global esports company Gfinity UK, Matt’s main passion is in tournament operations having run tech, event and league operations for esports series such as ForzaRC, FIFA Global Series, F1 esports and more.
”My career highlight was working on the $1m Visa Vegas eRace, a Formula E race held as part of the Sports Business Innovation Summit at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show. This involved ten sim racers competing against the regular series drivers on a simulated course for a record-breaking total prize fund.”
Matt, 31, says the University’s investment in industry-standard facilities at Digital Institute London shows it is intent on equipping students for a career in the fast -paced industry.
He said: “I’m excited about the opportunities. I’ve been looking to get into teaching for a while and from my own time in the industry, I know there’s a massive skills gap – and no shortage of people who want to work in Esports.”
“Staffordshire University is really taking this seriously and Digital Institute London offers young people the opportunity to learn and study in London working with cutting-edge technology and that experience is invaluable.”
Last month the University announced details of Digital Institute London facilities Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which is currently recruiting students for degrees in Esports and Computer Games Design.
The bright, modern space features a gaming arena, studio, broadcast control room, and social hub. Kitted out with NewTek’s cutting edge broadcast equipment, the facilities will allow students to host and broadcast live esports events without the need of conventional video cabling. In addition to specialist cameras and vision mixers for panning and zooming around the event space, over £30k has also been invested in creative lighting to recreate the atmosphere of major gaming tournaments.
Rachel Gowers, Director of Digital Institute London, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Matt to the team. While it’s crucial for us to have the technologies in place, it’s equally important for us to have talented lecturers with first-hand knowledge of the industry so that this can be passed on to our students and we can remain at the forefront of Esports education.”
Matt added: “The industry is incredibly fast moving and because of this and growing demand for skilled workers, I expect most universities will follow suit and launch their own Esports degrees. However, there is an element of putting your money where your mouth is and many of them won’t have the facilities that really are stand-out at DIL.”