Surrey University has been named a finalist in the ‘Best Educational Institution’ category of the TIGA Games Industry awards for 2025. The nomination recognises the University’s success in forging new collaborations between academia, top games developers, indie studios, and gamers.
Guildford, home of the university, is widely recognised as the UK’s ‘Hollywood of Video Games’, and the University plays a pivotal role in maintaining this legacy and status. The nomination primarily centres on the achievements of the university’s work as part of the Games and Innovation Nexus (GAIN), which has delivered a pioneering programme of support for Guildford’s game sector. Backed by £2.3m in funding, GAIN connects academic research with games developers to explore new technologies, support innovation and accelerate commercial impact.
A key milestone of the programme was the opening of the new Games and Innovation Zone at the University of Surrey’s Stag Hill Campus, in partnership with Surrey County Council and Research England. Since opening in summer 2024, the space has welcomed academics, student developers, local game creators, and creative tech leaders. Alongside skills workshops, seminars, and networking sessions, it has offered vital game testing opportunities for MSc Psychology in Game Design and Digital Innovation students, while also serving as the ideal venue for industry engagement across other games-related courses.
The programme has also connected more than a hundred independent and AAA title developers and supported dozens of students from local colleges and schools to discover career opportunities in the games sector and ensured the university’s new Bsc Hons Games Design course is aligned to the skills the industry requires.
Support from the GAIN programme also paved the way for ConnectPlayWise Ltd to spin out from the University of Surrey and launch its pioneering game, designed to tackle social skills gaps in children and loneliness in older people.
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