Several Shenandoah University esports students traveled from the top of Virginia to the heart of Belgium as part of a credit-bearing Global Experiential Learning (GEL) course in October.
The trip, which included visits to Hasselt, Brussels, and Bruges, allowed the students to learn more about youth, scholastic and professional esports in another country, as well as work at the largest esports event in the Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) region.
The students visited and toured PXL Esports’ Red Bull Gaming Hub, as well as Hogeschool PXL, which is the first institution of higher education in Belgium with academic esports offerings. (Shenandoah introduced some of the first academic esports offerings in the United States.)
They also met with KRC Genk, a football (soccer) club in Genk, Belgium, that has decided to invest in esports, and learned how professional esports teams can fit into a football club’s business structure.
Additionally, the students visited KTA Brugge, a high/middle school program to learn about esports opportunities at that level in Belgium. They heard about the partnerships and sponsorships that were necessary to create an esports space at the school, and gained insights into how esports skills are taught at different academic levels.
Shenandoah’s students then assisted with the setup of a top esports event, Gameforce, in collaboration with Made in Asia and Herocon. Specifically, they helped with testing and troubleshooting for the Escape from Tarkov game. They tested games and event PCs and helped with equipment storage management. On the event day, they worked in the Competition Zone, which featured the games Beatsaber, F1 Racing, Fortnite and Streetfighter. Through their participation, the students both connected with esports professionals and gained international event management experience.
