News & Media

15 July 2024, Guangzhou, China PR – The Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) has established a partnership with Guangzhou Sport University (GZSU), China PR, to develop cultural, educational, and academic exchanges. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two parties was signed at the university’s campus last Thursday by AESF Director General, Mr. Sebastian Lau, and GZSU Vice-Principal, Mr. LI Yuhe.

 ^{From left: Mr. LI Yuhe and Mr. Sebastian Lau during the MoU Signing Ceremony}

GZSU started esports education in 2019, being one of the first sports universities in China to develop and offer this course to its students. The collaboration areas between the two parties include GZSU's participation in future AESF University Championships and other university-related competitions. As part of the educational initiatives, academic and industrial research findings, knowledge sharing, and exchanges on esports will be conducted. Internship opportunities will also be provided to students to gain hands-on experience working in the esports industry after completing relevant esports courses at GZSU.

On the sidelines of the MoU signing, Mr. Lau was introduced to various esports activities offered by the university as modules and training for their students. These included racing simulators, where the equipment and parts were ordered and assembled by the students themselves, and Augmented Reality (AR), a technology that overlays digital information such as graphics and sounds onto the real world in real-time.

^{Mr. Lau testing the racing simulator}

 ^{A GZSU student assisting Mr. Lau with the AR simulator}

Mr. Sebastian Lau, AESF Director General, expressed, “We commend this partnership as it shows that GZSU, as one of the leading public sports universities in China, recognizes and values esports on par with traditional sports. For a university to have a course or module on esports highlights its importance and the potential esports have in the future of sports education and the creation of job markets in esports. We are grateful for such opportunities and hope that more universities in Asia will follow suit to create a competitive market in esports education.”

Mr. Lau further added that through the AESF platform, GZSU wishes to extend its esports academy to partners worldwide. AESF welcomes and will facilitate interested AESF members and partners to engage with GZSU for esports exchange and study programs, benefiting both members and partners.

 ^{GZSU and AESF representatives}

Alongside AESF’s continuous efforts to actively contribute to the development of esports education in Asia and globally, this collaboration marks a significant step toward establishing a comprehensive framework that supports the growth and professionalization of esports, fostering a new generation of skilled professionals and enthusiasts in the field.