đź“ť Summary
The Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) NEXT’26 delegation visited CerebralFix, a leading video game and interactive entertainment studio in Christchurch, to gain insights into professional studio workflows and international game development practices. The visit provided students with firsthand exposure to the application of emerging technologies, such as XR and creative technologies, in a real-world setting. The industry engagements reinforced the value of industry-based learning and advanced UTM’s strategic goals under the UTM ASCEND 2030 vision.
CHRISTCHURCH, Sep 8 – Continuing their series of industry engagements, the New Zealand XR Trip 2026 (NEXT’26) delegation from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) visited CerebralFix, a leading video game and interactive entertainment studio in Christchurch. The visit provided Bachelor of Computer Science (Graphics and Multimedia Software) with Honours students from the Faculty of Computing with firsthand insights into professional studio workflows, hardware-software integration, and international game development practices.
The session was led by Julieanne Eason, who detailed CerebralFix’s extensive experience in developing interactive projects for diverse international audiences and major global clients.
Eason highlighted several key studio development pipelines and interactive projects. Among these, a featured project involving hardware-software integration particularly captured the students’ interest, demonstrating how physical equipment and interactive digital systems converge to engineer immersive, real-world user experiences.
The sharing session also gave students an opportunity to understand how technical knowledge, creative development and practical studio processes are brought together in the professional game and interactive entertainment industry. This exposure allowed them to relate their academic learning to current industry practices and understand the range of skills required in a global creative technology environment.
Following the sharing session, the delegation toured the studio floor, gaining direct perspective on daily operations, cross-disciplinary teamwork, studio culture, and career pathways within the global creative technology sector.
The session at CerebralFix served as a continuation of the delegation’s industry immersion, which began on 3 September 2026 with a visit to JIX Reality, an award-winning creative studio renowned for its immersive digital customer experiences.
During the JIX Reality visit session, students explored commercial applications of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Extended Reality (XR), haptics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Hands-on demonstrations illustrated how emerging technologies transform brand engagement and digital environments by fusing culture, storytelling, and hardware.
The industry engagements provided students with broader exposure to the application of emerging technologies beyond the classroom, while strengthening their understanding of how XR and creative technologies are applied in professional settings. By connecting classroom theory in graphics and multimedia with the real-world practices of international technology firms, the NEXT’26 delegation reinforced their technical readiness and industry adaptability.
Together, the visits reinforce the value of industry-based learning by exposing students to international workflows, professional practices and emerging technology applications in real-world environments. These engagements directly advance UTM’s strategic goals under the UTM ASCEND 2030 vision, equipping Faculty of Computing undergraduates with the global perspective and professional competencies required to thrive in the international digital economy.
