First Professorship for Gamification in Finland to University Consortium of Pori
The new professorship for gamification focuses on the central role of games in society. Professor Juho Hamari is one of the leading researchers in gamification worldwide.
Juho Hamari was appointed as the Professor of Gamification at the University Consortium of Pori starting from the beginning of 2017. The new, joint professorship of the Tampere University of Technology and University of Turku is the first of its kind in Finland.
Gamification entails including game-like elements in different kinds of systems. Today, game dynamics and mechanics are applied, for example, in online services, education as well as in working life.
According to Hamari, studying gamification is very important as games and game-like activities have risen to a central role in different sectors of life and, even more extensively, in society.
– Gamification is not only the application of game mechanics in online services but also a wider phenomenon that permeates society and culture. Furthermore, playing games creates new thinking models in other areas of life, says Hamari.
– In general, gamification aims to influence people's experiences, motivations and behaviour in many different areas of application. Therefore, the impacts of gamifications have to be studied extensively and diversely, says Hamari.
Pioneer in the Field
Hamari is a leading researcher in his field. His research is widely published and cited internationally and he is one of the researchers who have studied gamification most extensively.
His own research approaches the topic from a wide spectrum and he has written empirical, conceptual, theoretical and meta-analytical scientific articles on it.
– Among my most important research are the meta-level studies that combine all the written information on the topic. The first overview of the field was conducted when gamification was only just forming as a field of science. The new version is being currently compiled and in a couple of years the amount of literature has grown more than ten times larger than what it was in the last study.
The joint professorship will increase the collaboration between the two universities. It strengthens the strong expertise of the University Consortium of Pori in digital technology, culture and gamification.
Hamari states that his particular goal for the professorship is that research is conducted in several different areas in collaboration with companies and students.
>> juhohamari.com
>> Hamari's research
Text: Saara Järviö
Translation: Mari Ratia