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Since August you can choose the minor ‘Esports event and Media Management‘ at the Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas ). It is the first higher esportmanagement education in the Netherlands, but BUas already has a long-term vision in mind.
BUas?
You probably aren’t familiar with the name ‘Breda University of Applied Sciences’. Previously, the institution was known as NHTV . Nowadays they also offer a number of academic studies, so it was time for a new name.
Together with the industry
This first year is the pilot for the minor. BUas will work closely with esportorganisations in order to stay informed of the latest developments and demands from within the industry. Ruben Been, co-owner of mCon esports and former student of the BUas, for example, is involved in the development of the minor.
Guest lectures
Regularly guest lectures are given by esport veterans. Floris Buurman, the driving force behind esportteam New Dynasty, for example, paid a visit. Buurman used to be the co-owner of Manatee, one of the largest custom design esport clothing producers. Now, in addition to New Dynasty, he also provides live streaming services with GamersHub . Buurman and Paul van der Knaap of GamersHub gave the students a guest lecture on game streaming. Very welcome, because every week the students organized, broadcasted and evaluated the msi Minor League. Big names from the benelux like Stijn Hapers and Toldersma visited the campus to cast.
Into the field
Students also visited virtual reality game developer Pillow’s Willow to experience full body vr for themselves in the game Exodus Burned . Given the recent collaboration between Pillow’s Willow and one of the largest football clubs of the Netherlands, PSV, visits to the stadium are to be expected. Thanks to the connections of Ruben Been students could gain experience in events like Game Force , First Look , DreamHack Rotterdam and Dutch Comic Con last weekend.
The minor can give you homework like playing a game, but as you can see there is a lot more to it. For anyone who wants to build a career in esports, this is a good place to start. If you are looking for a fun Mickey Mouse course where you can play games for credits, you are in the wrong place.
For whom?
Esports Event and Media Management offers a lot of fun, but the expectations of the students are also high. The minor is available for students pursuing ‘Media & Entertainment‘ or ‘Leisure & Events‘ at the BUas. In the future also students from other courses could choose this minor. Furthermore, the entire curriculum in English; classes, presentations as well as literature. At the moment there are already international students in the program the minor, so English is logical. The minor will teach you a great deal about the background of the esportbranche. What revenue models are there; how to set up a marketing campaign; how to involve the community in projects; which laws are important to you; how to market your esport brand and many other topics are reviewed.
BEECON
BUas esport wants to create a learning community for all parties of this industry. That’s why they will hold the BUas Esports and Education Conference (BEECON) on December 3rd. Esportprofessionals of various disciplines have discussions on the latest trends and developments. Companies and students can speeddate to get to know eachother a bit better. Of course there is also plenty of opportunity to challenge someone to a game, as long as you take into account you can be mercilessly butchered. You can register here for BEECON.
