As the approaches its final stages, the University of Malta’s Institute of Digital Games (IDG) was delighted to welcome a delegation from the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in China for a four-day visit from 1–4 April 2025.
The visit, organised under the Sino-Malta OPtiMaL project, funded by Xjenza Malta, marked a key moment in the project’s timeline. It offered a valuable opportunity for both teams to reflect on their joint achievements, dive into ongoing research developments, and chart a clear path for the final months ahead. More than just a series of meetings, the visit highlighted the depth of collaboration and the shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of AI-driven content generation in games.
- Days 1–3: Collaborative Meetings and Research Alignment
The first three days of the visit were dedicated to focused working sessions between the University of Malta and SUSTech teams. These meetings offered a valuable opportunity to assess the progress of the Sino-Malta OPtiMaL project, share recent research developments, and coordinate the work that remains.
Professor Georgios N. Yannakakis and Dr Jialin Liu, the project’s principal investigators, led the discussions, reflecting on what has been achieved so far and outlining what still needs to be delivered in the final stages of the project. Their dialogue helped ensure alignment between both partners as the project moves toward fulfilling its commitments.
The sessions moved smoothly between presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and open discussions - ranging from synthetic scenario generation for autonomous driving to large language models for procedural game content generation. Alongside formal discussions, informal moments over coffee and lab tours helped build a stronger collaborative bond between the teams.
- Day 4: Visit to Xjenza Malta and Esplora
The final day of the visit offered a broader perspective on science and innovation in Malta. The OptiMal team visited Xjenza Malta at Villa Bighi, where they were warmly welcomed by Nathan Aquilina, executive of the Internationalisation team of Xjenza Malta. The meeting offered an opportunity to explore Malta’s national efforts in science communication, research outreach, and innovation-driven education.
Jialin Liu said “The Sino-Malta OPtiMaL offers a unique opportunity to strengthen the collaboration and communication between two universities through research collaboration, seminars and student visits. We look forward to long-term and fruitful partnership with UM”.
Discussions touched on the role that institutions like Xjenza Malta play in connecting research with society, and how international projects such as OPtiMaL contribute to that mission by translating advanced AI research into meaningful real-world applications.
After the meeting, the group took a short tour of the nearby Esplora Science Centre, where they had the chance to explore a few of the interactive exhibits designed to make science accessible and engaging for all ages.
“I notice that, in Xjenza, games are used as interactive content for physics education. I enjoyed playing those games and believe that game-based learning enhances kids’ interest.” said by a student from SUSTech.
The experience added a touch of curiosity and creativity to an otherwise focused week of research and collaboration.
