Universit­y of Staffords­hire Wins ‘Best Education­al Instituti­on’

TIGA is a UK video games industry trade association, and its awards celebrate “excellence in games development, service providers and education.” This is the second year in a row that the university has won the TIGA award, competing with nine other institutions.

Meanwhile, The Rookies School and College Rankings recognise the top creative institutions worldwide across a range of categories from 3D Animation to Concept Art to Game Design & Development.

With campuses based in Staffordshire as well as London, the university houses the UK’s biggest games department, which is complete with state-of-the-art facilities and technologies, and is home to over 2000 students. University of Staffordshire London (UoS London), based at Here East, has a digital focus and offers “next generation learning spaces.”

These accolades are exceptional milestones that we couldn’t be prouder to celebrate and support as part of our Here East community and ecosystem – they are testament to the quality of the university’s games programmes and the high level of training its students receive.

Bringing this to life, earlier this year students and staff from university’s Games Institute – including UoS London students studying games courses Jack Dowds, Azrael Portmann, Oliver Scott, Annabel Humphreys, and Sun Watton – developed ‘StaffsVerse’: an ‘island’ in the popular Fortnite video game. A dynamic and immersive replica of the university in the virtual world, StaffsVerse invites players to explore all three of the university’s campuses (London, Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford) including Here East, while playing mini games.

Celebrating these achievements, Professor Chris Headleand, Head of Staffordshire Games Institute, said:

"I am incredibly proud of our students and staff. Ranking first in the UK with The Rookies, and winning the TIGA Best Education Institute again, reflects not only the quality of our work but the strength of this community. Everything we achieve is built on collaboration, creativity and a shared desire to push boundaries. This recognition belongs to everyone in the University of Staffordshire Games Institute, and I couldn't be prouder.”

Huge congratulations to the University of Staffordshire team and students. These achievements go beyond an award, title or ranking – they embody something bigger: “Next generation education,” just like the university states on the Here East website:

“At University of Staffordshire London, we are a gateway to the exciting tech careers of the future. Our students combine the spirit of creativity with real-world skills for success in the gamified digital industries.”

“By fusing Staffordshire’s longstanding tradition of innovation with London’s vibrant business landscape, we offer an inspiring environment for education, enterprise and research. A future full of possibilities.”

Head over to University of Staffordshire London’s website to learn more.