Assumption University of Thailand (AU) , through the Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics and its Design and Digital Innovation Division, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Squid Esports Co., Ltd. to bring structured esports education into the university classroom and prepare students for one of the fastest-growing sectors in the digital economy.
The collaboration marked an exciting step forward for AU’s commitment to innovation-driven education, applied learning, and industry-connected academic programs. Signed on May 6, 2026, the agreement brought together AU’s strength in business education with Squid Esports Thailand’s expertise in esports curriculum, learning platforms, tournament systems, and local implementation support.
At the center of the partnership is Business of Esports, a 45-hour, credit-bearing elective developed by Squid Academy and delivered in Thailand by Squid Esports. The course was designed for real campuses and real industry outcomes, making it especially relevant for students in business, media, sport management, event management, communication, marketing, and digital innovation.
Unlike a student club or casual gaming activity, Business of Esports treats esports as a serious business, media, and live-events industry. Students will explore the professional ecosystem behind competitive gaming, including industry structure, revenue models, sponsorship strategy, tournament design, budgeting, marketing, media production, broadcast planning, governance, contracts, risk management, and event operations.
The course is built around execution. Students will not simply study esports from a distance. They will plan, manage, and deliver a real collegiate esports event within a structured academic setting. Each stage of the semester will produce practical outputs that build toward a final capstone event, giving students both academic knowledge and a professional portfolio.
By the end of the course, students are expected to produce a complete tournament playbook, a financial outline and sponsorship framework, a marketing and communications plan, operational documentation, governance materials, and a post-event evaluation report. In short, they will leave the course with evidence of what they can do, not only what they know.
The program will be academically structured and faculty-led, while students retain responsibility for planning, decision-making, and execution. Faculty members will serve as academic mentors, guiding workshops, reviewing deliverables, supporting committee coordination, and ensuring alignment with academic requirements. This model gives students ownership while maintaining academic rigor.
The elective will also be supported by Squid Academy’s Learning Management System, which provides structured lecture content, teaching materials, session outlines, and supporting resources for students and faculty. Where appropriate, the Squid Academy tournament platform may also be used for simulations, bracket management, or live capstone activities.
For AU students, the opportunity goes far beyond gaming. Esports today sits at the intersection of entertainment, technology, business strategy, live events, digital media, community engagement, and entrepreneurship. The industry requires professionals who understand how to build audiences, manage teams, activate sponsors, produce content, run events, protect participants, and evaluate commercial outcomes.
The partnership also opens the door to future collaboration in esports education, digital innovation workshops, tournament development, guest lectures, and internship opportunities. It reflects AU’s broader mission to connect students with emerging industries and equip them with future-ready skills that can transfer across multiple professional fields.
For the Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics, the collaboration strengthens its role as a forward-looking business school preparing students for a changing world of work. The program connects business theory with real operational practice and gives students a chance to engage with an industry that is global, digital, youth-driven, and commercially significant.
For Squid Esports Thailand, the partnership represents an opportunity to support structured esports education within Thai higher education. As the local partner delivering Squid Academy programs in Thailand, Squid Esports provides onboarding, implementation guidance, capstone event coordination, and operational support while allowing universities to retain academic ownership of the course.
The MoU reinforced AU’s position as an institution committed to academic innovation, experiential learning, and meaningful industry engagement. It also signaled a bold step into an area of education where business, media, technology, and student creativity converge.
Students interested in business, marketing, media, event management, sport management, communication, entrepreneurship, and digital innovation are encouraged to learn more about the Business of Esports elective and future activities under this partnership.
Interested students, faculty members, schools, and industry partners may contact the Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics, Assumption University of Thailand, or follow official AU and MSME Business School communication channels for course updates, enrollment information, and upcoming esports education activities.
WRITER: MARTIN DE TOURS SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS
More Information about the Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics, please visit:
Website: https://www.msme.au.edu/
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Tel: Huamak Campus: (+66)-2783-2222 Ext. 1155, 1177
Suvarnabhumi Campus: (+66)-2783-2222 Ext. 2236-2237
