(With a special emphasis on 3D Game Technology)

CS 495     3 Credit hours     Helsinki, Finland 

March 22-27, 2010        Haaga-Helia University

Contact: Jeffrey Horn   (jhorn @nmu.edu)   

QUALIFIED STUDENTS:   We are seeking upper division majors in CS, CIS, Art & Design, and other computer technology related disciplines.  Well-prepared sophomores are also invited to participate.

We are pleased to be able to offer, for a fifth year, this once-in-a-lifetime experience, this year with a unique and exciting focus on 3D computer game technologies.   In addition to sharing and discussing Information Technology  on an international level, this year we will be bringing NMU's own innovations in 3D game technology to this gathering of students and faculty from North America and European universities.  Our group of NMU students will spend a few class meetings learning these technologies (e.g., particle swarms, artificial evolution, virtual reality immersion, NPC computer vision).  We will then travel to the seminar in Finland, one day of which will be led by us.  On that day we will explore, with our international colleagues, ways of incorporating these new algorithms and techniques, into challenging 3D games. 

OVERALL PROGRAM:
Each university offers a day of morning presentations followed by an afternoon workshop. Up to ten NMU students will be placed into multinational teams during the four days of the seminar to share and discuss the similarities and differences in technologies, careers, and university life. Our hosts are planning on having a day off in the middle of the trip, and each full day there will be evening social activities with the group as a whole. We may depart up to two days before the start of the seminar to ensure that we are all well rested. We will probably meet four times on Sundays prior to the trip to prepare. After the trip students are required to write a paper, due in May. You may be required to pay for airfare (TBD) and lodging (most likely $40-50 per night). Partial funding may be available because you are making a presentation. Lunches are included. There is no fee for the seminar. Please remember that if you do not have a valid passport you will need to request one three months or more in advance!

(Left: photo taken from  http://www.visithelsinki.fi/In_English/Visitor/Helsinki/Welcome_to_Helsinki!.iw3)  

(Right: photo taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Helsinkimerelta--GFDL--.jpg)