Murdoch University to open networking and games facility

Murdoch University Information Technology (IT) has hatched a $2.6 million networking and gaming facility that puts the university at the “forefront of IT”, according to vice chancellor Eeva Leinonen.

Leinonen said the development of the new facility aligned with the university’s master plan to provide cutting-edge learning, teaching and research facilities to its students.

“Our new networking and gaming labs will employ the latest available technology to put Murdoch University at the forefront of IT, networking, and gaming education in the state,” Leinonen said in a statement.

“This facility will contribute to the overall ‘Murdoch experience’, building on the identity of the campus to meet the expectations of our current students and encourage future enrolments in IT-related courses.”

Dean of the School of Engineering and IT, Bogdan Dlugogorski, agreed the opening of the new facility is groundbreaking, saying “this was the most significant development for the discipline of IT at Murdoch University for many years.”

Dlugogorski said IT students will be exposed to the most recent technological developments, and be work-ready from day one after their graduation and get to enjoy their learning journey.

The new facility – which will transform the current Science and Computing building to include the new gaming and networking facility – will occupy the third floor of the building. It will feature networking and game development laboratories, an industry-scale datacentre, and several collaborative teaching and learning spaces that will be accessible to students 24/7.

According to the university, students of computer science, games technology, cybersecurity and forensics, as well as other IT majors and specialties, will have a dedicated space to work collaboratively and gain practical experience on the latest equipment commonly used within the industry.

“The common spaces in the new facility will foster greater interaction among students, and between students and their academics, allowing them to work across the various fields of IT either individually or in groups,” said associate professor and head of the IT discipline, Hamid Laga.