International Game Development Education

Kajaani University of Applied Science’s (KAMK) Game education has been operating since 2006
and is one of the pioneers in Finland in Game education. In terms of visibility, the games sector
has been one of the topics that has attracted the most media attention. The Kainuu region,
especially Kajaani, has seen the emergence of a cluster of companies in the games sector,
bringing jobs and tax revenue to the region. Less than 10% of students in the games education
sector come from the Kainuu region and a large proportion of those who have moved from other
parts of Finland would be willing to stay in Kainuu if jobs were available.

The aim of the project is to keep Kainuu’s games education as a top product and to develop
it further in cooperation with companies, students and partner schools. The project aims to
increase the number of applicants and provide high-quality training that meets the needs of
businesses. To this end, the new games education will be delivered in English, expanding the
potential pool of applicants worldwide. This English-language training will complement the
existing Finnish-language training and will supplement the training opportunities in the games
sector. A Master of Game Business Management at Master (YAMK) level will also be developed
to support the business and management needs of the games industry. In addition, the project
will seek to increase internationalisation and develop content to meet the needs of continuous
learning, with particular attention to e-learning opportunities. The aim is also to enable pathway
studies in a wider area and to design and pilot a Diploma in Game Studies.

As a result of the project, new BBA and MBA courses in English are underway. A model for
employment pathways for students in games companies has been created.