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Abertay University graduates secure top jobs in Chinese games industry
A pair of international students from Abertay University have secured jobs with two of China’s leading video games developers.
Tiyanu Ma and Nathan Zeng (pictured above) studied Abertay’s Professional Masters in Games Development with a view to breaking into China’s huge video games design sector.
Following graduation from the course, Tiyanu Ma has secured a role as a Technical Artist at MiHoYo, working on the firm’s smash hit title Genshin Impact, released on mobile, PC and the Playstation platform in 2020. The mobile version grossed over $100 million in its first two weeks of release and went on to become the largest launch of a mobile role-playing game in US history.
Nathan Zheng also went straight into a paid role as a Game Designer with multimedia giant Tencent, who is the world's second largest games publisher with titles such as PUBG Mobile and Arena of Valor under their belt. The Professional Masters in Games Development offered by Abertay University places students in development teams providing them the opportunity to develop industry-required skills in a professional setting.
Chinese students who join the course do particularly well, with 100% going on to employment within six months of graduating.
Course leader Dr Kenneth Fee said: “We’re thrilled to hear that Tiyanu and Nathan have secured roles with MiHoYo and Tencent.
“We’ve designed the course to ensure our students are ready for industry and it’s great to see them progress onto such high-profile companies so quickly.”
Tiyanu Ma
Tiyanu added: “The Chinese games market is currently dominated by mobile games, and I wanted to broaden my skills to ensure I could develop games across the whole spectrum of gaming platforms.”
“Completing my MProf at Abertay University has allowed me to acquire the skills I need to be attractive to employers who are looking to expand their offering inside and outside of China.
“I’d recommend Abertay to anyone who is looking to gain a professional level qualification in the gaming sector.”
Nathan said: “I have the skills I need to produce artwork and 3D models as part of the games creation process and I wanted to ensure I was able to code my games, too.
“Abertay has helped me enhance my skills while giving me a chance to gain hands-on experience working with UK industry professionals.”
The success of the courses led to a strategic partnership between Abertay and Perfect World Education, a subsidiary of China's leading entertainment and creative enterprise Perfect World Investment & Holding Group. The partnership was the basis for a Master of Professional Practice in Games Development Orientation Programme (MPPOP) which now operates in in Beijing and boasts a 100% of graduate employment rate after graduation.
