Swinburne unveils virtual campus, Swintopia

Swinburne University of Technology is re-defining the traditional university Open Day experience by launching a gamified, virtual campus in the form of an interactive “open world” experience called Swintopia – a virtual university world accessible to all prospective students, anytime and anywhere.

Known for being a leader in innovation and technology – and one of a few universities in Australia to offer a range of games courses –  Swinburne is at the forefront of digitally-led experiences, overturning the idea of Open Day being a one-day event by offering would-be students unlimited access to information and experiences they need to help them make an informed decision about their study options.

Inspired by the popularity of video-games, Swinburne’s innovative open world experience, Swintopia,  is a first-of-its-kind for an Australian university and takes its cues from popular games such as Animal Crossing, giving prospective students the opportunity to experience Swinburne’s environment in a fun and engaging way.

Swintopia showcases what Swinburne has to offer by guiding virtual visitors through an interactive tour of Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus – along the way users can build their own itinerary and experience life at Swinburne from courses to clubs, state-of-the-art labs and facilities, student life highlights, neighbourly hangouts and more.

Dr Andrew Smith, Swinburne University of Technology Vice-President, Students and Alumni, said: "Supporting our students to have the best university experience they can is a priority of Swinburne, and this extends to prospective students. With a traditional Open Day not possible in 2020, Swintopia will give virtual visitors a taste of the university life they can expect if they study at Swinburne.”

“From student services to study labs, afterhours hubs and even student residence options, Swintopia gives prospective students the opportunity to experience Swinburne’s campus environment and equips them with tools to help them make an informed decision about their future.

“Whether you are a school leaver looking at tertiary education options or someone who is looking for a career change, we're excited to offer this innovative digital experience and engage with prospective students not only around Australia but around the world" Dr Smith added.

Featuring some familiar faces, Swintopia is filled with Swinburne’s renowned lecturers such as Associate Professor Alan Duffy and Dr Dan Golding, alumni, as well as Richmond AFL super star Jack Riewoldt and Monique Conti and current students like 21-year-old Holly Dalton – all sharing advice and information, allowing potential students to get a sense of what to expect if they choose to study at Swinburne.

Swintopia showcases what Swinburne has to offer by guiding virtual visitors through an interactive tour of Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus. 

Swintopia shines a spotlight on over 200 future-proof courses available across 17 study areas including Gaming and Animation, Aviation, IT, Science, Law, Business, Film and Television, Engineering, Arts and Humanities, Design, Education, Health, Trades and Apprenticeships and more.  

It is also not an Open Day without a free tote bag – Swintopia visitors have access to a virtual tote bag where they can store all the guides and useful information they come across throughout the experience, which is emailed to them for future reference.

And just like at a ‘physical’ Open Day, visitors have the chance to score discounts and vouchers redeemable in real life at stores and venues around Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus - all they have to do is interact with Swintopia characters and complete set quests along the way.

Swinburne’s new virtual campus, Swintopia, is open to the public from Wednesday 12 August.