Joining us today to talk about education, esports, and gaming is Nick Turner, Consultant and Lecturer of Esports at Queen Mary’s College in Basingstoke, UK.

In this episode, co-hosted by Brandon Brunhammer, our conversation revolves around the benefits of adding esports to formal education curriculums, staying grounded, and keeping things real as members of the esports and gaming industry and how to base the industry’s growth on connection.

We also talk about Nick’s journey in the industry, what motivates him to keep creating and working tirelessly for the industry’s growth, and the exact moment when Nick spotted the gap between esports and education and decided to fill it. 

Resources:

Visit Queen’s Mary College website: https://www.qmc.ac.uk/.

or connect with Nick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nik-turner/?originalSubdomain=uk

Full Episode Breakdown: 

4:14 – Nick talks about his journey in the industry and his experience working with esports teams.

8:49 – Nick talks about the eye-opener moment when he realized there was a space for him in the industry, right between esports and education.

13:03 – Nick shares some wonderful experiences with students who travel hours to study at Queen’s Mary College, who created an esports team and won several tournaments.

17:12 – Megan and Nick talk about the importance of sharing a passion with students, incentivizing them, and giving them tools to follow that path.

23:16 – Nick talks about the importance of connection and using people-to-people connections as the foundational stone of the industry’s growth.

28:19 – Brandon and Nick talk about the importance of “keeping things real” in the industry, stray grounded and focused, and avoiding letting ourselves be carried by the industry’s massive potential.

32:07 – Nick talks about the future of education and esports and the need to provide knowledge and opportunities for students to join the gaming and esports industry.

37:33 – Megan and Nick talk about the need to go back to the basics in the industry.