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During my undergraduate degree, I began using games as a focus for essays and research. My fascination with anthropology and social sciences grew rapidly, and eventually, I decided to explore these areas through a PhD at AbertayJoelle Nieuwenhuis | 麻豆原创 | PhD in Games and Arts
After completing her master鈥檚 degree, Joelle鈥檚 passion for social sciences and anthropology deepened. What began as a plan to pursue a second master鈥檚 took an unexpected turn鈥攍eading her to a PhD at Abertay.
She said:
滨鈥檝别 loved games since childhood, starting with my Game Boy Colour and Pok茅mon, then battling my siblings in Mario Kart on the DS and finally getting my own laptop to play PC games with strangers on the internet.
Abertay came highly recommended by a lecturer she met at a games event, and after researching the 耻苍颈惫别谤蝉颈迟测鈥檚 courses and community, she knew it was the right fit.
Her thesis examined how competitive team-based video games create spaces for social connection and community building. Joelle explored not only the games themselves but also surrounding activities such as esports, fan events, gaming caf茅s, and streaming. Through interviews with players, professional gamers, and industry experts, she uncovered how these environments foster belonging鈥攐ften in smaller, close-knit groups鈥攁nd how they shape the wider gaming ecosystem.
While the research was rewarding, Joelle says the most valuable part of her PhD was the people she met along the way.
She said:
My PhD was messy, full of uncertainty and hurdles, but the peers I connected with made my days brighter. Sitting down for intense, enriching conversations and exchanging ideas often helped me push my own research forward.
She also found Abertay鈥檚 games-focused culture inspiring. Seeing so many people passionate about games in different ways in one place was incredible. Whether working on her PhD or taking part in extra-curricular activities, there were always people willing to support her and share their enthusiasm.
Her PhD journey 飞补蝉苍鈥檛 without challenges. The pandemic disrupted her research, and later, a medical diagnosis added another layer of complexity. She said:
It explained a lot but left me floundering for a while. I often wondered how things might have been different if 滨鈥檇 known earlier. But I kept moving forward because I enjoy becoming a better person than I was yesterday.
Support from Abertay staff proved invaluable. She credits her supervisors, Dr Lynn Love and Professor Stefano De Paoli, for their guidance and encouragement, saying that without them, she wouldn鈥檛 have finished my PhD.
Looking ahead, 蝉丑别鈥檚 currently working as a postdoctoral research associate and hopes to continue in academia, combining research and teaching.
Offering advice to new students, she said:
Be reflective and introspective鈥攖ake time to look inward and ask 飞丑补迟鈥檚 working and what isn鈥檛. And if you see a problem, speak up. Finally, be kind to your lecturers; 迟丑别测鈥檙别 under immense pressure to give their best.
