UA92 to join the metaverse Prolific North

University Academy 92 (UA92) has announced it will be joining the metaverse in 2023, complete with NFT achievement awards for students.

The Greater Manchester campus has worked with international agency, DigiSomni and its Vircadia open source metaverse platform to build the virtual world as it seeks to open its campus to global audiences and better serve international and remote students.

UA92 says that the launch and subsequent awarding of NFTs for graduates is a global first in the education sector and sets it apart as it transforms and modernises higher education provision.

With a vision for autonomous learning, UA92 will provide lectures, presentations, character and personal development advice zones, well-being activities, campus tours and events in the virtual campus, with each student given access through an individual avatar, allowing them to virtually meet, learn, chat and socialise.

The open source platform will also allow students to help build and contribute to the ongoing development of the metaverse environment, a skill which will be taught directly through UA92 bootcamp courses.

Aaron Saxton, director of disruptive learning at UA92, said: “We are extremely proud to be launching our metaverse world in January 2023. This is a huge step forward for education. It enables us not only to serve our students here in Manchester with the next big thing in digital learning, but also bring our sense of community to students who cannot physically join us on campus here in Manchester and collaborate with them in growing our virtual facility.”

UA92 aims to make higher education accessible to all, through its founding principles of accessibility, social mobility and inclusivity. It offers a portfolio of degree and higher education courses across business, sport, media and digital disciplines, preparing students for the world of work by offering industry-led courses.

The announcement of the metaverse campus follows the unveiling of its Digital Academy space at its Old Trafford campus in September, which created an extra 380 places for students taking digitally-led courses.

Facilities include a fully immersive 360-degree Igloo learning space, AR capabilities in classrooms, flex-tech spaces, and digital media labs, which will be utilised by a range of students including those completing undergraduate computer science degrees, digital bootcamps and apprenticeships.

UA92’s metaverse campus will launch in January 2023 and will be open to the public on selected Digital Open Days to be announced soon.