RIT Croatia faculty at the Game Changer – the First Gaming and Metaverse Business Conference

By Antonia Kurtović, RIT Croatia student

Our faculty members dr. sc. Ana Havelka Meštrović and izv. prof. dr. sc. Martin Žagar participated in panel discussions at Game Changer, the first gaming and metaverse business conference held at Z center in Zagreb on December 1st, 2022. The conference gathered 80 different speakers and 750 accredited participants, including IT professionals, start-up founders, students, and gaming lovers, in 25 panels on topics like gaming, web 3, e-commerce, cyber security, and more.

Dr. sc. Havelka Meštrović participated in the panel How to Stop Online Predators – Children's Security in Online Game World. She pointed out that mental scars (consequences of any bullying) that people get online are equally painful as those people may get from someone in real life. That is why parents should set an example for their children on how to behave on the internet. Today it is paramount to teach kids how to act on the internet and in real life. Children tend to imitate what is happening in their environment, and parents should know what content their children are consuming online. However, that does not mean that parents should introduce a lot of banning, but work on an open relationship with their kids so that the kids feel secure to speak up about issues they may encounter.

Izv. prof. dr. sc. Martin Žagar participated in the panel Educational Factory – The Main Challenges for the Next Decades. He said introducing new technology opens up new market opportunities, especially for new jobs. But to achieve that, it is paramount that people slowly start to change their mindset regarding new technologies. The crucial part is to be open and ready for change. He also mentioned how important it is for students to gain experience working on different projects during their studies. RIT Croatia also recognized the importance of work experience. That is why it incorporated co-op programs. A co-op is a cooperative educational job, typically a paid, full-time position for a certain period in the industry that the student chooses. It is a great way to gain experience and make professional connections.

The panels were well-attended and engaging. We are thankful to professors Havelka Meštrović and Žagar for representing us at the first conference of this type, and we are looking forward to the second edition next year!