Hi everyone,
I'm happy to share the Call for Abstracts for the UiA Academic Esports Seminar 2026, taking place at the University of Agder (UiA), Grimstad campus, Norway, on May 11–13, 2026:
Grounding the Future: Grassroots, Belonging, and Human-Centered Esports in a Changing Digital Society
Over the last decade, esports has grown into a global cultural force and is now facing what many call an "esports winter." In this moment of contraction, it becomes clearer than ever that the long-term value of esports is not found only in commercial peaks, but in its grassroots foundations: communities, learning cultures, collaborative practices, and the digital identities formed around competitive play.
At FLARE (Future Lab for Academic Research in Esports), we approach esports as a human-centered arena where people learn to collaborate, communicate, negotiate identity, build belonging, and navigate digital complexity. This seminar highlights esports as a "future lab" not because of the technologies involved, but because of how humans shape digital environments through shared practice and meaning-making.
Keynote Speakers
We are excited to host three keynote speakers whose work bridges esports, education, and digital society:
- Brett Abarbanel (Executive Director, International Gaming Institute, University of Nevada)
- Benjamin Bays (Associate Professor of Instruction, University of Texas at Austin)
- Nyle Sky Kauweloa (Director, UH Esports, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa)
Themes & Topics
We invite contributions from researchers, educators, practitioners, and community organizers. Submissions can be empirical, theoretical, design-oriented, practice-based, or exploratory. Themes include (but are not limited to):
1) Grassroots Esports & the Human Foundations of Digital Culture
How do communities sustain esports beyond professionalized structures? We especially welcome work on:
- community-driven esports ecosystems (schools, clubs, universities, informal groups)
- belonging, identity, and participation in competitive gaming spaces
- social dynamics, norms, and "learning cultures" within teams and communities
- local esports initiatives and the conditions that make them thrive long-term
- how grassroots esports shapes wider digital culture and youth culture
2) Learning, Competence Development & Academic Esports Practices
Academic esports is an intentional use of competitive game environments for learning, research, and inclusion. We invite perspectives on:
- esports as a structured learning environment (reflection, feedback, collaboration)
- competence development in and through esports (digital competence, teamwork, leadership)
- innovative teaching formats and curriculum integration
- assessment approaches and educational design for esports-based learning
- academic esports as a bridge between formal education and informal learning pathways
3) Inclusion, Wellbeing & Human-Centered Digital Environments
Esports can open doors-but also reproduce barriers. We welcome research and practice around:
- inclusion and accessibility in esports (gender, culture, disability, neurodiversity, etc.)
- wellbeing, healthy participation, and sustainable engagement
- safe environments, community care, moderation, and governance
- toxicity, exclusion, harassment, and how to build better cultures
- designing esports programs with agency, support, and long-term participation in mind
4) Future Work, Digital Society & Esports-Inspired Practices
Esports teams and communities often operate as high-intensity collaboration labs. Topics include:
- esports-inspired teamwork, coordination, leadership, and shared meaning-making
- collaboration under pressure, adaptability, and performance cultures
- esportification strategies in organizations and working life
- how competitive digital environments inform future digital work practices
- ethical questions about data, performance optimization, and digital participation
Submission Guidelines
Important Dates
- Abstract submission deadline: 27 February 2026
- Acceptance notification: 13 March 2026
- Seminar dates: 11–13 May 2026
Doctoral Course (4-8 May 2026)
One week before the seminar, UiA hosts the doctoral course:
"Esportification: Esports as a Future Lab for the Digital Society and Working World"
This is an intensive PhD-level course (5 ECTS) exploring how esports principles and practices can be applied in education, digital society, and modern working life. The course covers:
- theoretical foundations and the evolution of esportification
- esports in digital culture, communities, and education
- organizational applications (team dynamics, workplace design, leadership)
- research approaches (qualitative + quantitative) for studying esportification
- ethical considerations and future directions
The course is highly interactive and includes workshops, group projects, and poster/project development. Participants will develop early project ideas and present them at the seminar, strengthening the connection between doctoral training and the broader academic esports community.
External participants are welcome (limited capacity).
No course fee for external participants (only travel + accommodation needed).
If you're interested, please contact me directly: tobias.scholz@uia.no
If you're working with esports in education, research, communities, inclusion, or digital work practices, we would love to hear from you, either through an abstract submission or participation in Grimstad.
Best regards,
Tobias Scholz
University of Agder (UiA)
tobias.scholz@uia.no
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Tobias Scholz
University of Siegen
Siegen
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