UH Maui College holds first international esports tournament
10 December 2024
For most people, when you say “Hawaii”, they say “sun, beaches and palm trees”. If it’s up to the University of Hawai’i Maui College though, people will be thinking “esports” as well when thinking of Hawai’I in the future. The institute is convinced of the value of international esports and the added value of esports to other industries and disciplines, and has therefore decided to organize its first-ever international esports tournament. From Friday, December 13th 2024, to Wednesday, December 18th, 2024, student teams from seven countries from all over the world will be competing on Maui in a variety of popular esports titles, including League of Legends and VALORANT.
Academic approach to esports
International esports are becoming more and more popular, not just in the United States, but in many regions and countries around the world. As a result, in order to attract players and fans, international esports tournaments need to distinguish themselves more and more from the many competitive events in the space. That is why the upcoming international esports tournament at the University of Hawai’i Maui College has attracted considerable attention.
While the participating students will be facing each other in various esports hit titles, including Rocket League and the previously mentioned two games, the tournament will consist of more than just gaming. They will also need to perform a series of more academic challenges, including a problem-solving competition focused on technique, a business innovation challenge focused on entrepreneurship, and an academic debate focused on global gaming culture and sustainability. This combination of pure esports and esports-related topics and tasks makes Maui College’s international esports tournament unique.
Cultural experience
Furthermore, Maui College is also taking the opportunity to open its island’s culture to visiting schools and to learn from those visitors in a cultural sense as well. A total of six foreign schools will be sending an esports team to Maui (see list below), while University of Hawai’i Maui College will compete with both their own team and a team from Maui High School.
- Australia: University of New South Wales (Sydney)
- Austria: MCI, The Entrepreneurial School (Innsbruck)
- England: Staffordshire University (London)
- Germany: University of Applied Science (Mittweida)
- Norway: University of Agder (Kristiansand)
- South Korea: Yonsei University (Seoul)
“UH Maui College has always included international educational components in our students’ experiences”, explains Lui Hokoana, Chancellor at UH Maui College, “That is part of what makes hosting this event so significant for us. It’s also noteworthy that the international student players will be fully immersed in Hawaiian culture during their stay, experiencing traditional practices, learning about Maui’s rich heritage, and engaging in cultural exchange activities with the local community. While staying on campus, they’ll share their own diverse cultural perspectives, creating a unique blend of global gaming culture with Hawaiian traditions.”
The same goes for the UH Maui College students, who are clearly looking forward to the first edition of their school’s own international esports tournament.
“I’m thrilled that gamers from around the world will be joining us to compete”, says UH Mai College student Malia Mancianti, “I’m eager to meet new faces, to share the beauty of Hawai’i and the opportunities that are available here at UH Maui College.”