On 11 April 2024, The Game-n-Science Institute and DiGRA-K hosted the “2024 Game-n-Science Symposium: Understanding Esports in the Post-digital Era” on-site at Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea. Among the entities that endorsed the academic event were the Yonsei University Esports Lab, the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA), Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and the Esports Research Network (ERN). ERN Board Member Yaewon Jin, Ph.D., (Yonsei University, The Game-n-Science Institute) facilitated in organizing the symposium, while ERN Board Chair Tobias Scholz, Ph.D., (University of Agder, Norway) gave the keynote presentation titled: “Esports for Transferable Skills Development in Post-digital World.” ERN member Miia Siutila (Aalto University, Finland) and Rune Andersen (University of Agder, Norway) were also in attendance. The conference was bi-lingual in Korean and English.
Note. ERN member Miia Siutila, Ph.D., at the 2024 Game-n-Science Symposium: Understanding Esports in the Post-digital Era.
The symposium attracted much media attention both before and after the event:
Before the Symposium (translated from Korean):
- Game Science Research Institute holds symposium on ‘E-Sports in the Post-digital Era’ (KH Games)
- The Game-n-Science Institute Announces ‘Esports in the Post-Digital Age’ Symposium (iNews24)
- ‘Esports in the Post-Digital Age’ Symposium, April 11th (Inven Esports)
- The Game-n-Science Institute to Host 2nd Game Science Symposium, ‘Esports in the Post-Digital Era’ on Thursday, November 11th (RuliWeb)
- Game Science Symposium (NewsPic)
After the Symposium (translated from Korean):
- [Talk] Times are changing, businesses want gamers (Inven Esports)
- Cultural, Physical, and Mental Research to Better Understand Esports – 2nd Game Science Symposium (RuliWeb)
- Chairman Scholz speaking at the symposium (YNA)
- “Esports plays key role in building the next generation of innovative workforce” (YNA)
- Taejin Yoon, President, Game Science Institute (YNA)
- “Esports players complain of same psychological difficulties as regular sports players” (Kookmin Ilbo)
- DiGRA-K’s inaugural esports symposium brings together esports researchers from around the world (TechM)
- Global eSports researchers come together to discuss “iconic techno-cultural phenomenon” (iNews24)
- DiGRA-KPresident Yoon Tae-Jin Yoon emphasizes the value of eSports in terms of technology and content (TechM)
Note. ERN Board Chair Tobias Scholz, giving the keynote presentation titled: “Esports for Transferable Skills Development in Post-digital World” at the 2024 Game-n-Science Symposium: Understanding Esports in the Post-digital Era at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.
Overall, the event offered great academic discourse surrounding esports research and expanded ERN’s exposure within Asia. The goal of ERN is to “connect researchers around the world and create a meeting point for researchers and practitioners. Thereby the Esports Research Network is open to anybody and is an interdisciplinary research group that examines the esports phenomenon.” Currently, there are nearly 600 ERN members hailing from all continents across the globe. Membership spans academia and esports industry professionals. If you would like to become a member, please apply via this form.
Note. Sign advertising the event on campus at Yonsei University