Time's up! Students race the clock in these 'marathons'

X J T L U

GLOBAL GAME JAM SUZHOU: HUMANITIES SKILLS ARE VITAL

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University recently hosted the Global Game Jam site in Suzhou. Global Game Jam is the world’s largest offline 48-hour “hackathon” game development event, in which participants develop a game in 48 hours, from creative development and artwork to programming and interactive design.

Global Game Jam 2024 at XJTLU 

Dr Gejun Huang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Media and Communication at XJTLU, served as the organiser for the Suzhou site of this event. He says that while the gaming industry places great importance on technology, it is not an isolated realm. This is particularly evident in the independent gaming sector, he explains, where there is a significant demand for cultural, historical, and social knowledge.

“Many people may think humanities students cannot establish themselves in the gaming industry, or can only engage in peripheral roles. But there are actually a lot of things that humanities students can do. In the gaming industry and the realm of independent games, the lack of excellent planning and creative skills has always been a serious issue.

“Game planning involves aspects such as world building, copywriting, and character interactions, requiring people with a deep understanding of history, literature and other traditional humanities fields. Additionally, from a business perspective, a game’s international expansion, localisation and market analysis also require professionals with a background in humanities and social sciences.”

Ruimu Zheng, a Year One student in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, developed a 2D horizontal fighting game with his team at this year’s event. Zheng has played video games since kindergarten and started learning programming and game development in primary school.

Ruimu Zheng's team

This is the first time he has worked with a team to develop a game in such a short time with no prior planning. “It was a test of my ability to communicate and cooperate. Most of our team members are participating in such an event for the first time. They have different skill levels and different understandings of teamwork,” he says. “We did go through a period of frustration, but eventually, we worked together and managed to complete the development. Our team members all still keep in touch, which is my biggest gain from this event.” 

In his opinion, the structure of the Global Game Jam emphasises the process rather than the result, which helps developers meet new collaborators and enjoy the fun of game development with friends.

XJTLU’s Dr Gejun Huang (left) and DreamStep’s Shalu (right)

This event received support from independent game companies DreamStep and NEKCOM Games. At the event, Shalu, the founder of DreamStep, said: “I was a humanities student; various aspects of game creation require people with knowledge of that field. The independent gaming sector particularly values creativity and ideas. In this industry, technical skills are not the most crucial; instead, it’s the ability to learn and a passion for the field that matter the most.”

At the event, Dr Huang also offered advice to young people pursuing their dreams in the gaming industry: “It’s essential to be familiar with the representative works in each gaming category and to delve into classic games. At the same time, possessing an outstanding skill that captivates others, such as exceptional copywriting, strategic planning, or experience in internationalising and localising games can be a significant advantage for you.”

Participants at the Suzhou site of the Global Game Jam

Dr Huang’s research includes the Chinese gaming industry, game entrepreneurship, and cultural policies. He aspires to stimulate innovation within the gaming industry and improve its development by supporting creative incubation and talent cultivation in the Suzhou region.

“Suzhou is an excellent platform, with many students and young individuals passionate about game development. Events like the Global Game Jam provide great practical opportunities for participants to learn about the game development process, to communicate and collaborate with different people, and to experience what it means to make something fun,” he says.

CLIMATHON 2023: STUDENTS TAKE AIM AT SINGLE-USE PLASTICS

The Seventh Annual Climathon Suzhou held at XJTLU’s International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) recently challenged participants to “Tackle Climate Change from the Ground Up”, with special focus on the problem of single-use plastics.

The RCE Suzhou (Regional Centre of Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development), which held the event, rallied the approximately 60 participants from seven institutions to work together on creative ways to refuse, rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle these plastics.

Student teams presented proposals that were judged on criteria including connection to the challenge, local relevance, transformative potential, and development potential.

First prize went to a team that proposed using different parts of the bamboo plant, a sustainable material, to package products shipping in China. Jinrong Teng, a Year One student at XJTLU and member of XJTLU Oikos, a student organisation for sustainability in management and economics education, led the team. The other team members were Maya (Callista) Brusson and Anamika Prasad from UWC Changshu China.

“I really appreciate my teammates and the cross-cultural communication experience,” Teng says. “Winning the first prize is not only recognition but also encouragement for a sustainable lifestyle.”

From left, XJTLU student Jinrong Teng; UWC Changshu China students and Dr Ellen Touchstone, President of RCE Suzhou at IBSS

The second-prize winners conceived a more sustainable way to manage the large number of plastic yoghurt cups with straws discarded in institutional environments. The team, composed of students from UWC Changshu China and XJTLU’s IBSS, proposed discarding the yoghurt cups and straws separately, classifying the cups as reusable and straws as non-reusable. They then suggested ways to extend the life of yoghurt cups, such as using them for planting seedlings.

“By leveraging recycling technologies and engaging local communities such as farms and enterprises, we unlocked a pathway to not only reduce plastic waste but also to create valuable resources,” says team member Shiyu Shan, a Year Three student at XJTLU.

Shan was joined by Yuetong Yang and Yanning Qi, also Year Three XJTLU students, and three students from UWC Changshu China: Karolina Grigoryans, Leyan (Joseph) Zou, and Halle Sophia Efia Gyapomaa Ofosu. All the XJTLU students belong to the IBSS Sustainable Future Talents (SFT) group.

From left, IBSS academic staff Dr Mohamed Omran; Huan Ni, Green Light Year; UWC Changshu student Karolina Grigoryans; IBSS students Yanning Qi and Shiyu Shan; UWC Changshu students Leyan (Joseph) Zou and Halle Sophia Efia Gyapomaa Ofosu; and IBSS student Yuetong Yang

The third-prize winning team proposed an eco-friendly takeout system for schools, encouraging customers and suppliers to use reusable packaging. The team was composed of Marvelyne Margalena and Sator Proton Susanto, both Year Three students at XJTLU’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Liberata Chubwa and Maximilian Zane Alexandrov from UWC Changshu China.

From left: XJTLU Design School academic staff Dr Paola Pellegrini, UWC Changshu China students Maximilian Zane Alexandrov and Liberata Chubwa, and XJTLU students Marvelyne Margalena and Sator Proton Susanto

Dr Eunkyung Lee of IBSS hosted the competition and award sessions. Dr Ellen Touchstone, President of the RCE Suzhou at IBSS; Charlotte Penny from Dulwich College Suzhou; Huan Ni from Green Light Year, a member organisation of RCE Suzhou; and Dr Paola Pellegrini from XJTLU’s Design School gave talks.

Students say participating brought both greater awareness of issues related to climate change and ideas on how they can contribute to solutions.

“The Climathon brings together a group of like-minded people to solve environmental problems efficiently,” says Qi of the second-place team. “It not only deepens my understanding of the current situation but also enlightens us on how to make behaviour changes in the face of these problems.”

By Yiyi Gu and International Business School Suzhou

Edited by Precious Chibeze, Tamara Kaup and Patricia Pieterse

Photo by Zuofu Wang

Photos courtesy of International Business School Suzhou  

Translated by Deng Yu

Social Media Editor: Yuwen Bu and Yajun Ma

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