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International quality recognition comes alongside global student awards success
Abertay University has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first institution in Scotland to receive accreditation from The Rookies, a global authority on excellence in creative arts education.
The University’s School of Design and Informatics has earned the ‘Rookies Certified School’ designation, a mark of quality that recognises institutions dedicated to providing students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the creative industries.
Abertay will now feature in The Rookies listings alongside the world’s top schools offering courses such as design, gaming and digital art.
The achievement follows Abertay's debut in the Rookies' Global School Rankings last year, where the University was ranked among the best 50 creative education providers globally. The annual rankings, published every November, set the standard for excellence in creative education.
Finlay Pearston, a lecturer in the Division of Games and Arts, said:
We’re delighted to receive this accolade from The Rookies, a respected industry body known for its commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in the creative industries. What sets The Rookies apart is its focus on giving students and early career professionals a competitive edge in their chosen field, and we're proud to be part of this community that priorities their success. By achieving this certification, Abertay has demonstrated its ability to provide students with a world-class education that prepares them for successful careers in design, game development, digital art, and other creative fields. It’s a testament to the dedication and hard work of our staff, and the exceptional talent and creativity of our students.
In addition to the accreditation, 21 Abertay students submitted their work to this year’s Rookies Awards, an annual competition recognising the very best student talent in the creative arts sector. With a total of 6,797 submissions from 104 countries, this year’s competition was highly competitive.
Three Abertay students were shortlisted, including Joseph Bardolf, a BA (Hons) Computer Arts student, who received nominations in two categories: Career Opportunities Award sponsored by Electric Theatre Collective and Rookie of the Year – Excellence.
Joseph’s project, Lonely Working Regions, is an immersive, first-person open-world environment, heavily based on the real-life location of the Vercors region. The playable map is 16km2 and also relies heavily on his own reference photography and photogrammetry data, captured on location.
Denitsa-Yoana Velikova, also a BA (Hons) Computer Arts student, was shortlisted for two Career Opportunities awards, one sponsored by Ghost VFX and the other by beloFX. Her project, 'Kuker', is a hyperreal cinematic character inspired by Bulgarian Kukeri, a pagan practice known as 'masking', which involves rituals to ward off evil winter spirits.
Finally, Alex J Wood was nominated in the Rookie of the Year – Excellence category for his 3D reconstruction of the Norse harbour site "Loch na h-Airde" located on the Isle of Skye. The project showcases Alex’s attention to detail, as he carefully recreated structures informed by contemporaneous sites and populated the scene with period-accurate props.
The winners will be announced by The Rookies on Monday 29 July 2024.
Ryan Locke, Head of Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education at Abertay, said:
We’re delighted to see Abertay students making it to the finals of this year’s Rookies Awards, with an impressive three nominations from a global pool of over 6,000 submissions; this is an achievement itself and we wish them all the very best in the final stages.We’re also thrilled to see a surge in student participation, with a record-breaking 21 talented individuals submitting their work this year. Despite the demands of a busy semester, our students have demonstrated their willingness to get themselves out there, by showcasing their remarkable skills, innovative thinking, and a passion for their craft. These students are a testament to the talent and potential of the next generation of creative professionals emerging from Abertay.
Earlier this year Abertay was ranked the top International School to study video games design by the prestigious Princeton Review. In the same ranking, the University rose up both the undergraduate and postgraduate lists to be ranked 11th and 6th in the world respectively.
