ENLIGHT is a European University alliance of ten leading research-intensive universities. Together, they aim to establish an open integrated space for learners, teachers and researchers.
Through ENLIGHT, Uppsala University and Region Gotland are for the first time ever co-hosting a “Regional Academy” event during Gotland Game Conference 2026. The Regional Academy takes the shape of a conference track within GGC with a series of talks, seminars and workshops on the subjects of Games and Societal Challenges.
The key objectives of the Regional Academy are:
- Practical knowledge-sharing on how game design education, as a shared innovation platform between academia and local authorities, can contribute to solving local challenges
- Strengthening cross-sector collaboration by bridging education, research, and practice
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Gotland Regional Academy Event
Exploring Together: Academia & Local Authorities in Dialogue
Gamification and societal challenges
8-10 June 2026
Venues:
Visby-Gotland, Uppsala University Campus, Room B51 (5th floor), Cramérgatan 3,
Room B24 (2nd floor), Cramérgatan 3,
Donners Eventhall (GGC showfloor), Mellangatan 9, Visby,
and S:t Nicolai Church ruin (GGC Ceremony and After Party), Smedjegatan 19
Day 1: 8 June
| 08:30-09:00 | WELCOME Session Olle Jansson, Head of Game Design Department Representative from Region Gotland |
| 09:00-10:15 | Collaborative learning Introduction, welcome & context of this workshop In group- build a model |
| 10:35-11:00 | Presentation – Example on a cross-sector collaboration Lina Emilsson- Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor at Department of Game Design |
| 11:00-12:00 | Part 1 of workshop with ENLIGHT Thematic Network, TOGETHER Integrating local and regional stakeholder perspectives into serious simulation games to revolutionize interdisciplinary challenge-based learning |
| 12:00-12:30 | Region Gotland provides a light meal |
| 12:30-13:30 | Part 2 of workshop- TOGETHER |
| 13:30-13:45 | COFFEE BREAK |
| 13:45-14:45 | Stakeholder Workshop – Designing Impact with Serious Games Exploring how serious games can drive regional development, using design-thinking group work to identify needs, opportunities, and actionable next steps |
| 14:45-15:00 | Wrap-up |
| 15:00-16:00 | Tour of the Department of Game Design |
Day 2: June 9
| 09:15-10:45 | Workshop – ROCKET– initiative co-funded by Erasmus+ and part of EU Cooperation Partnerships program Exploring the strengths and limitations of different approaches to conflict |
| 10:45-11:00 | Short Break |
| 11:00-12:00 | Beyond Homo Oeconomicus: Teaching Cooperation through Experiments Interactive session using a cooperation game to contrast classical economic assumptions with real human behavior and demonstrate how experiments can enrich the learning of cooperation and decision-making |
| 12:00-13:00 | Uppsala University- ENLIGHT provide Lunch |
| 13:00-14:00 | Change to B24 Gamifying Islamic Studies: addressing material gaps and cultural asymmetries Exploring how gamification can fill the pedagogical gap in Islamic Studies by fostering critical, collaborative, and complexity-aware learning through well-designed educational games |
| 14:00-15:00 | Back to B51 Creating and Managing a Video Games Study Lab Exploring a decade of Study Lab development, with insights on growth, education scaling, and learning space design |
| 15:00-15:15 | COFFEE BREAK |
| 15:15-15:35 | Developing Creativity and Critical Thinking through Narrative-Based, Game-informed Literature Education Transforming literature education through game-informed learning to promote creativity and cross-cultural engagement |
| 14:45-15:00 | Wrap-up |
| 15:00-16:00 | Gotland Game Conference |
Day 3: June 10: Venue: Donners Eventhall (GGC showfloor), Mellangatan 9, Visby
| 09:00-16:00 | Possibility to book meetings and further discussions |
| 10:00-12:00 | Join us to talk about ENLIGHT & Comon organisation in Gent |
| 09:00-19:00 | Gotland Game Conference |
| 19:00-22:00 | GGC Ceremony and After Party S:t Nicolai Church ruin, Smedjegatan 19, Visby |