Howest Kortrijk, an absolute world leader in gaming
Think that computer games are for IT nerds? If so, then think again – it's actually where the professionals are. The Digital Arts and Entertainment programme at Howest in Kortrijk, a university of applied sciences known for its game design programmes, has been ranked as this year's number 1 in the Best Game Design and Development category. Absolutely world class!
Graduates of Howest are, without exaggeration, master wizards when it comes to designing computer games. Name one of the games most played worldwide and chances are that a former student of Howest has contributed to it. This expertise has also not escaped the attention of The Rookies, which has grown from a design competition in 2009 into an internationally renowned consultancy organisation of young, creative designers for the gaming industry and one of the world's largest studios. Each year, it ranks the schools that in its view are home to the best talent. This year, nine schools from Sweden, the US, the UK, France, Canada and Singapore had to concede victory to Howest.
As achievements go, this doesn't really come as any surprise, however. Just like in an authentic working environment, hard work, perfection, competition, a sense of responsibility, independence and an eye for detail are the key words and objectives at Howest and this is clearly bearing fruit in the items of work being produced. What is more, the school has a strong appeal to foreign students, partly due to the relatively low tuition costs and the fact that the programme is predominantly delivered in English.
Would you like to turn your fascination with gaming into your profession or would you like to work in a film or animation studio? If so, you should keep Howest in mind.