University of Nicosia Partners with the Next Top Metaverse Build Competition

The partnership will provide design students with cutting edge experience and mentorship, as they compete in a ground-breaking NFT buildathon

Nicosia, Cyprus, Jan. 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- University of Nicosia (UNIC), a world leader in crypto and blockchain education and research, will be joining forces with the team behind Next Top Metaverse Build - a ground-breaking NFT architecture competition.

Referred to as a ‘buildathon,’ the competition will be open to architects, 3D designers,

and developers from all backgrounds who will compete in creating buildings, architecture, in-game assets, virtual designs and configurations of other types that are optimized for the metaverse.

As part of the collaboration, the Department of Architecture, ARC, of the University of Nicosia will dedicate and host an intensive 1-week educational workshop during which students will have the opportunity to research, develop and design for the metaverse competition.

The competition and the workshop will provide access to industry-leading mentorship and guidance for NFT architecture.

The competition is hosted by GDA Capital, a leading digital asset firm, as well as Renovi, the premier marketplace for infrastructure-related metaverse design, development, and architecture.

Other competition partners include Decentraland, the largest open-source 3D virtual world platform, and the Metaverse Group, a leading metaverse investment company that focuses on virtual real estate. Mentors and sponsors from these organizations will actively participate in the competition.

Students will have the chance to compete for a wide range of prizes, such as software subscriptions, parcels of land in Decentraland (currently valued at a minimum of about $11,000), and up to $50,000 in Renovi (RNVI) tokens.

Dr. George Giaglis, Professor at the School of Business, Department of Digital Innovation, and Director of the Institute For the Future (IFF) at UNIC, shared the following comments about the competition: “The Open Metaverse Initiative builds on our eight-year track record as the leading university in the fields of cryptocurrency and blockchain, and the Next Top Metaverse Build will help our students learn about and participate in a hands-on fashion with leaders, pioneers, and active developers in metaverse design, building, and integration.

“From the perspectives of research, policy, innovation, and entrepreneurship to NFTs on campus to cohort meetups and engaging in metaverse discussions, Next Top Metaverse Build is the perfect opportunity for our students to jump into the deep end and learn about – and contribute – to the metaverses of the future.”

Michail Georgiou, Architect/Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture and Coordinator of the MSc in Computational Design and Digital Fabrication at UNIC, shared the following: “The Next Top Metaverse Build competition is among the first UNIC projects aligned with the recent launch of the Open Metaverse Initiative. The event presents a unique opportunity for faculty and students to explore an emerging field in architectural practice and academia.”

Andy Charalambous, the Co-Founder of Renovi, added: “We are excited to invite talented architecture students, 3D designers, game developers, and metaverse enthusiasts to join us for this unique Metaverse Build competition on the RENOVI platform.

“We have allocated $50,000 in RNVI tokens and will be giving software subscriptions to talented students participating in the competition since the competition is all about giving back and empowering both upcoming and established designers. We are truly thrilled to have such premier partners such as Decentraland, the Metaverse group, and UNIC join us in this pursuit.”

For more info on the Next Top Metaverse Build competition, visit topmetaversebuild.com.

About Next Top Metaverse Build

Next Top Metaverse Build is a first-of-its-kind ‘buildathon’ that brings together architects, designers, and developers to compete in creating buildings, NFT galleries, festival grounds, in-game assets, and more that are optimized for the metaverse. The competition is aimed at university students and the growing body of budding metaverse design and development professionals who want to take the metaverse to the next level.

The Next Top Metaverse Build competition opens for entries on January 30. Entry applications will be accepted until March 31. Prizes to be won include software subscriptions, parcels of land in Decnetraland, and up to $50,000 in Renovi (RNVI) tokens.

About UNIC

UNIC currently ranks among the top 601-800 universities in the world, according to the 2022 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, which also recognizes the University as #47 for International Outlook.

Most recently, the University launched the UNIC Open Metaverse Initiative, which focuses on academic, research, and policy issues relating to the metaverse. Today, UNIC hosts more than 14,000 students from over 100 countries across its 6 Schools and 18 Departments, offering more than 100 on-campus and online programmes of study at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degree level.