Two students from the Media Production study program, Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI), Nathaniel Ebenezer Pantun and Keisha Mayra Faiza Amaris Hermawan, had the opportunity to attend and participate in the 2023 Gamescom international event in Koelnmesse, Koln, Germany, at the invitation of Indonesian Game Association (AGI). Gamescom is an exhibition for the entire largest gaming industry ecosystem in the world and has succeeded in showcasing the latest gaming products consisting of 1,227 booths from 63 countries.
At this event, UI Vocational students had the opportunity to pitch to a number of game companies. They detailed their educational background in the vocational and Media Production fields, as well as explaining what they had learned and the work they had produced during their studies. The two students from the Media Production study program enthusiastically explained their experiences, highlighted their achievements, and described their competencies.
“We are working to convince these companies of the value we bring, as well as the potential for collaboration with Media Production that can provide mutual benefits. With our dedication to developing innovation and our ability to create interesting gaming content, we hope to establish productive partnerships and advance the gaming industry to the next level,” said Nathaniel.
Apart from that, through this opportunity the Media Production Study Program of UI Vocational Program strengthened collaboration with various gaming industries and became the first Indonesian educational institution to attend this prestigious event. Head of the UI Media Production Study Program, Ngurah Rangga Wiwesa, M.I.Kom., said that student participation in Gamescom 2023 shows UI’s Media Production Study Program and Vocational Program commitment to supporting the development of the games industry in Indonesia, as well as developing young talents who have great opportunities in the industry which is currently growing rapidly. “Gamescom will be an annual event attended by UI Vocational Media Production Study Program as a member of AGI. Furthermore, this is one of the implementations in developing game entities in Media Production,” said Rangga.
In the activity which took place on 23rd–25th August 2023, the two students were accompanied by the Vice Director for Education, Research and Student Affairs, Deni Danial Kesa, MBA., Ph.D; Research and Community Service Manager, Ari Nurfikri, S.K.M., M.M.R.; Chairman of the UI Professional Certification Institute, Dr. Rahmi Setiawati, S.Sos., M.Si.; and Coordinator for Student Affairs, Alumni & CDC, Deki Surahmat, S.Sos., MM
The students and accompanying teams also actively explored exhibitions organized by various leading gaming companies. They interacted directly with game developers and tried the newest games that will be released soon. The work of Roblox Game and other game products that are being developed by several UI Vocational Media Production students who are interning at the independent game studio, Extralife Entertainment, were also presented during the performance.
Director of the UI Vocational Education Program, Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D, stated that the participation of Media Production students in Gamescom 2023 is an inspiring example of Indonesia’s young generation because they can contribute to the global games industry which is currently developing rapidly. “Gamescom 2023 is a forum to connect Universitas Indonesia students with international industry players, help them build networks and broaden their horizons about the dynamic games industry. “I hope that this valuable experience can be a provision for students who are ready to compete on the international stage,” said Padang.
Through involvement in Gamescom 2023, representatives of UI Vocational Program would not only gain in-depth insight into the latest trends in the games industry, but also understand the game development process in more depth, and build relationships with experienced professionals in the industry. The UI Vocational Team also offered several cooperation and collaboration programs to various companies attending Gamescom 2023, including internships, student exchanges, laboratory development, and research and research collaborations. In this way, it is hoped that the Indonesian gaming industry can be filled with the younger generation and they can compete with various foreign companies that have already entered the gaming industry in Indonesia.
