GEMS Education appoints Chester King as esports ambassador
Dubai-headquartered GEMS Education has appointed British Esports Federation founder and president Chester King as its Esports Ambassador as it develops a network-wide approach to esports across its schools.
King will work with GEMS to connect existing esports initiatives across the education group through a shared framework covering learning, teacher development, industry engagement, competition and career pathways.
GEMS School of Research and Innovation (SRI) in Dubai will serve as a central hub for the initiative, supporting research, industry engagement and the sharing of best practice across the network.
Schools will have access to age-appropriate learning materials, professional development for teachers, webinars and sessions led by industry experts, alongside esports competitions and opportunities for students to engage with professionals working across gaming and esports.
The initiative will extend beyond competitive gaming, with GEMS highlighting potential learning and career opportunities in game design and development, production, broadcasting, coaching, data and analytics, events and entrepreneurship.
Dino Varkey, Group CEO of GEMS Education, said the initiative would build on esports activity already taking place across individual schools.
“Education has to keep pace with the interests, opportunities and industries that are shaping young people's lives,” Varkey said.
“We have the scale, diversity and educational expertise to connect what individual schools are already doing in esports and create opportunities for students to learn from experts, develop transferable skills and understand the many pathways that exist beyond playing.”
King said esports could provide a platform for developing skills across competition, creativity, strategy, teamwork and technology.
“GEMS has already developed meaningful experience across its schools, and I am excited to help connect that experience across the network,” he said.
“The opportunity is to create an environment where students can participate safely, teachers are supported, and young people can learn directly from people working across the global esports and gaming industry.”
GEMS said safeguarding, digital citizenship, healthy habits, inclusion and wellbeing will form part of the programme.
The education group will also explore recognised qualifications and pathways into the gaming and esports industry as the initiative develops.
King founded the British Esports Federation in 2016 and remains its president. He is also a vice president of the Global Esports Federation and European Esports Federation and was a founding member of the International Olympic Committee’s Esports and Gaming Liaison Group.
SRI already incorporates esports and game design within its curriculum alongside areas including computer science, artificial intelligence and robotics, providing an existing base for GEMS to expand its esports education activities.
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