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Three student-designed installations will be featured within Destination Stratford’s Welcome Centre.

46 students from the course “GBDA 412 – Special Topics in Digital Culture” were challenged to create large-scale interactive media art pieces for the Lights On festival, inspired by the Thirteen Grandmother Moons stories, an Indigenous knowledge tradition. Students drew inspiration from this tradition to create installations that explore light as a symbol of knowledge, community, and continuity.

Dr. Ville Mäkelä and colleagues at ��ݮ��Ƶ’s Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business are redefining education through Canada’s first large-scale VR-based 3D design course. Using tools like Gravity Sketch and immersive headsets, their innovative approach blends creativity and technology, preparing students for the future of digital design. This initiative sets new standards for interactive learning and showcases ��ݮ��Ƶ’s leadership in VR education.

Naimah Venezia (GBDA’25), named one of ��ݮ��Ƶ’s Top 10 Entrepreneurs to Watch during Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025, is redefining financial education with CoinWa—a gamified app that teaches teens essential money skills like budgeting, saving, and investing. Combining tech innovation with design thinking, Venezia is challenging norms in financial literacy and empowering the next generation through entrepreneurship.

100 years after The Great Gatsby, GBDA alum Kristen Fajardo releases a speculative, queer cyberpunk reimagining of the American classic. Her background in UX and the tech industry shaped both the novel’s content and the entrepreneurial strategies behind its launch.

Stratford community leaders and donors have come together to support the next generation of creative talent through a $10,000 contribution to the Global Business and Digital Arts (GBDA) Entrance Scholarship at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ. Spearheaded by former Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson and former MPP John Wilkinson, the initiative provides $5,000 annually for two years to a deserving student facing financial barriers. The scholarship reflects ��ݮ��Ƶ’s commitment to experiential education, creativity, and access, and highlights the power of local philanthropy to shape global futures.

Henriëtta van Niekerk and her startup Skrimp.ai secured the E-Launch Award of $5,000 from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ's Enterprise Co-op program.

Naimah Venezia (BGBDA ’25) began her entrepreneurial journey at age seven, inspired by her brother and the book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” She founded CoinWa, a gamified financial literacy app for teens, to make financial education fun and accessible. The Global Business and Digital Arts (GBDA) program at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ equipped her with essential skills in business, technology, and design. Through the E-Co-op program, Naimah developed CoinWa with support from mentors and employed fellow students. As she graduates, Naimah aims to enhance financial literacy among young people, preparing them for future financial success.

Three student projects from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business will be showcased at the Lights On Stratford festival, running until January 19, 2025. These projects, part of the GBDA 412 – Special Topics in Media Architecture course, highlight the students' ability to merge technology and the arts.

Under the guidance of David Han, students created interactive installations reflecting on local, non-human activity. The top three projects selected are:

1. A Living Entity: Animates the Avon River, emphasizing its future significance.
2. Nocturnal Visions: Highlights the roles and behaviors of nocturnal animals.
3. Fungi: Beyond the Eye: Explores the hidden world of local fungi roots (mycelium).

The course emphasizes thorough research and iterative feedback, culminating in a final presentation to a panel of community representatives.

The University of ��ݮ��Ƶ will host local high school students from Huron-Perth at their inaugural MVP Challenge – a one-day design and business challenge – to provide high school students with a free opportunity to experience the post-secondary education available to them locally.

The study published by ��ݮ��Ƶ researcher Kim de Laat and team outlines cultural and structural barriers, representation in leadership positions, income and the work environment, and an investment in equity as opportunities for progress.