NU Laguna, Moonton ties up for esports, gaming programs in PH

Coeducational tertiary school National University Laguna and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) maker Moonton Games have partnered to establish a framework of cooperation and collaboration to implement esports (electronic sports) and gaming programs for its students.

The official signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) took place in the Inspire Academy Lounge at National University - Laguna. This event marked the beginning of an unprecedented partnership between the educational institution and the publisher, which aims to enhance collaboration in organizing community events, developing curricula, and providing each other access to relevant information for university activities like immersion programs, internships, and researcher-student opportunities.

The MOU was written by Dr. Narro Navarro, Vice President and Assistant Director for Academe - Industry Linkage at NU Laguna, and Ken Ryan Lee, Community Manager for MOONTON Games.

Theon Hsu, MOONTON Cares Director, said:

We are grateful to NU Laguna for this momentous partnership that will create a pathway for cooperation to reach new heights of academic and research excellence. This collaboration sets forth our intention to help hone our students and bridge the gap between the industry and the academe. We are thrilled for NU Laguna scholars and faculty members to be part of the efforts to further push esports and gaming education in the Philippines.

Dr. Narro Navarro said:

National University Laguna's core is sports, wellness, and sustainability; esports has been part of the university's DNA and has been dubbed as a great equalizer in the sports community. NU Laguna's collaboration with MOONTON Games will pave the way for great opportunities and strategic advancement for the students and the university. We are thrilled about the projects and other opportunities this collaboration will bring. National University Laguna and MOONTON Games will work together in bringing esports in the forefront.

NU Laguna Managing Director Benjamin Uichico, Senior Academic Director Dr. Josefina San Miguel, and Senior Director for Administration Jose Ricardo Ocampo were also in attendance at the signing ceremony.

NU Laguna's first few programs will be esports and gaming journalism workshops, which will be put on in collaboration with well-known esports and gaming journalists from the Philippines. These journalists will teach the participants about Media Ethics, Mobile Journalism, Basic Sportswriting, Making Sense of Journalism in the TikTok Age, and the Pros and Cons of using AI tools in Journalism. It's going to start in May 2024.

MOONTON Cares, the philanthropic division of the organization, implements corporate social responsibility initiatives such as educational workshops and partnerships. These programs aim to foster constructive societal, environmental, and humanitarian transformations in order to ensure that future generations inherit a more sustainable planet.