The University of Birmingham acted as a founding and leading partner for the Second UN Virtual Worlds Day. This inaugural global summit convened prominent thought leaders, technologists, and visionaries with policymakers to kickstart an exploration of thrilling virtual landscape possibilities. Anchored in-person at the UN Campus in Turin, the event fostered dialogue on the economic, social, and innovative potential of virtual worlds. Dr. Martin Wählisch, representing the University of Birmingham, contributed to the panel discussion "Virtual Worlds Economy: Jobs, Growth, and Innovation," while other university representatives contributed as mentors and jury members. The university is a national leader in virtual reality research. With over 100 affiliate researchers and over 5,000 published studies under its belt, it has thoroughly established itself as one of the field’s premier voices.
Dr. Martin Wählisch actively participated in the panel discussion, alongside representatives from Roblox, the World Bank, Spatial Networks, and the Decentralized AI Society. The panel, titled "Virtual Worlds Economy: Jobs, Growth, and Innovation," examined the opportunities and challenges presented by the rapidly evolving virtual economy. Conversations went from the creation of thousands of new job opportunities and economic development potential to the ethics and societal impact of these immersive environments. Dr. Wählisch praised the University of Birmingham’s long research and practical history in virtual reality. Here are some of his most powerful insights, as we learned about the potential and the potential pitfalls of this truly transformative technology.
The University of Birmingham’s role went further than serving on the panel. Professor Phil Jones and Dr. Martin Wählisch served as mentors for the competing teams. They led their teams through a challenge designed to explore how virtual world can be used to solve real world problems. Their mentorship focused on three key themes: access to public services, urban resilience and sustainability, and tourism and digital culture. The mentors offered guidance on immersive design, user engagement, and social impact, helping teams craft innovative and impactful virtual world solutions.
Matt Beveridge, Head of Innovation and Partnerships (Estates), University of Birmingham, joined the international jury. His charge was to judge the best projects that each of the participating teams put forward. The jury judged submitted projects on technical merit, level of inclusiveness, and applicability to the real-world challenge. Beveridge joins us with considerable experience in innovation and public-private partnerships. His observations underscore the potential for virtual world solutions to provide tangible outcomes for communities and citizens. His presence on the jury further solidified the University of Birmingham's commitment to fostering innovation and addressing global challenges through virtual reality.
With a record turnout, the Second UN Virtual Worlds Day highlighted the amazing transformative potential of virtual worlds. It amplified their influence outside of the innovation space. The event highlighted how virtual reality is improving access to public services. It advances urban resilience and sustainability, and fosters creative digital tourism and digital culture advancement. Participants explored how virtual environments can provide immersive learning experiences, facilitate remote collaboration, and create new opportunities for economic growth and social inclusion. The discussions underscored the importance of responsible development and deployment of virtual world technologies to ensure equitable access and mitigate potential risks.
The University of Birmingham's contributions to the Second UN Virtual Worlds Day reflect its deep commitment to research and innovation in virtual reality. The school is a veritable VR industry incubator, counting more than 100 researchers of the developing technology among its ranks. They’ve released over 5000 research studies, demonstrating their deep mastery over every facet and use of the profession. The University of Birmingham uses its global research strength for the benefit of society to ensure these virtual worlds develop in a responsible way. It doesn’t just react to the challenges and opportunities these worlds offer.
The university’s research shows great breadth, depth, diversity and impact in the area of virtual reality. University of Birmingham researchers are working on all sorts of fantastic research areas. They look at the psychological and social effects of virtual reality, while they develop cutting-edge VR technologies, and they explore VR applications in education, healthcare, and urban planning. The University of Birmingham has a rich research portfolio. This tremendous depth of expertise and experience makes it an epicenter of innovation and an invaluable resource for policymakers, industry leaders, and other stakeholders seeking to understand and leverage the promise of virtual worlds.
From left to right—Dr. Martin Wählisch, Professor Phil Jones and Matt Beveridge engaging in the Second UN Virtual Worlds Day. Their participation is a clear indication of the University of Birmingham’s commitment to addressing global challenges and participating in international conversations about emerging technologies. The university publishes some of its research, intellectual property, governance ideas and community standards cracking code with the intent to help create positive and democratic virtual worlds. This protects against technologies being developed and deployed irresponsibly or in ways that are harmful.
University of Birmingham also plays an active role in the UN Virtual Worlds Day. It’s this sort of involvement that highlights the increasing importance of virtual reality to address some of the world’s greatest challenges and advance innovation. Virtual worlds are changing at a phenomenal rate and increasingly intermingling with the fabric of everyday life, Getter said. Our legislators should be having informed conversations about their potential and unintended implications. The University of Birmingham is playing a leading role in hosting and facilitating these discussions. It marshals its deep research expertise and its commitment to social impact.
