EA invests USD 1 million in Canadian graduate scheme

Electronic Arts will make a USD 1 million grant to the Masters of Digital Media (MDM) programme at the Great Northern Way Campus in Vancouver, British Columbia - close to the headquarters of EA's own Canadian operation.

The contribution is designed to "help create an innovative educational environment that will lure talented people from across North America and around the world to the Great Northern Way Campus," said EA Worldwide Studios president Paul Lee, who envisages British Columbia becoming "the destination of choice for the next generation of creative leaders".

EA's grant includes an endowment and multiple scholarships, and the company will also offer paid internships at its development studios, along with student mentoring programmes, and teachers and lecturers from its executive ranks.

The MDM programme is a joint effort between The University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the British Columbia Institute of Technology and the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, lasts two years and will receive its first intake this September. Approximately 200 students are expected to graduate by 2010.

"This is an excellent opportunity for EA to invest in the future of the industry by providing today's students with the skills and knowledge they will need to push technology and entertainment forward," Lee continued.

"With this support for the MDM program, EA is demonstrating it's commitment to making British Columbia a global leader in digital entertainment," said Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia.

"With an economy as strong as British Columbia's, it's critical that we all work together to provide new training opportunities that will produce the creative leaders competitive companies like EA need. I commend EA for their commitment to the future of the videogame industry in British Columbia."