Entrepreneur and video game supremo inspires Inverness College UHI students
One of Scotland’s leading entrepreneurs and founder of one of the world’s most successful video games took time out of his busy schedule to speak to students at Inverness College, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, today.
Videogame entrepreneur Chris van der Kuyl, co-founder of Dundee-based 4J Studios, the Scottish firm that brought Minecraft to the world’s consoles, met business and computing students to discuss his career, the opportunities in the computing industry and new technology emerging.
Chris, who is chairman of Entrepreneurial Scotland, with expertise spanning technology, media and entertainment, also took part in a question and answer session with students.
The talk was organised by Entrepreneurial Scotland and Inverness College UHI computing and digital technology lecturer Graeme Martindale as part of the university’s InspireFridays talks, aimed at highlighting the exciting opportunities for digital careers in Scotland.
“Chris is a complete inspiration and I can’t thank him enough for taking time out to come and speak to our students,” said Mr Martindale, who teaches Computing from NC through to Degree level. “He talked about what made him to go into the computing industry and the opportunities that exist. It was just fantastic to have someone of his expertise in to speak to our students and he’s given them some real food for thought on the exciting paths that lie ahead when they leave Inverness College UHI. Our InspireFridays have been a big hit with the students and are really showcasing the amazing things going on in the computing industry in Scotland and also the wide range of opportunities in the future.”
Chris said: “It was fantastic to spend time with the staff and students of UHI today and great to see such a wide variety of talented people engaged in technology related studies.”
The entrepreneur visited Inverness College UHI ahead of a Scotland’s Futures Forum discussion at An Lòchran, Inverness Campus, into the big changes on their way in technology and how society should respond. The discussion was led by Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer, the RT Hon Ken Macintosh, as part of a series of events led by the Forum to investigate the changes to Scotland’s culture and society in the future.
Inverness College UHI actively engages with employers and regularly invites business leaders in to speak to students. All courses are designed with industry in mind to ensure they are relevant and meet the current demand from employers. CREATE, Inverness College UHI’s Centre for Enterprise and Innovation, also works to inspire students, staff and the business community to become bold, confident people with entrepreneurial know-how. Business and computing courses at Inverness College UHI range from Level 5 (the equivalent of a National 5) right through to Level 11 (Master’s Degree).