GET Lab - Cyprus University of Technology

Highlights from CASAXR 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland 🇨🇭, held from 1–3 June 2026.

CASAXR has a long standing history of almost 40 years and organized annually by the pioneers Prof. Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann and Prof. Daniel Thalmann.

The GET Lab Coordinator, Prof. Despina Michael-Grigoriou, was actively involved in the organization and success of the conference, serving in several key roles:

• Panelist, contributing insights on the future of Computer Animation through Generative AI and Virtual Worlds.
• Awards Committee Member, participating in the evaluation and selection of the Best Paper Awards.
• Program Chair and Session Chair, working alongside wonderful colleagues to coordinate and facilitate the scientific program.

CASAXR 2026 provided an excellent venue for engaging discussions, knowledge exchange, and collaboration at the intersection of computer animation, social agents, artificial intelligence, and extended reality.

Photo credits: CASAXR 2026 Conference Website.

GET Lab people!!! ❤️

📣 🎮 If you are a student aged 14-19 and you want to turn your interest in computer games into a professional career, this is for you!

👩‍🎓 On 29 May, Despina Michael-Grigoriou will present the track we offer in our department in Computer Games and Virtual Worlds, within the Multimedia pathway, at the Department of Multimedia & Graphic Arts - CUT, Cyprus University of Technology / Τεχνολογικό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου, during the event "Teens Content Track: Entering GameDev" organized by CYGMA – Cyprus Game Makers Association as part of GDCy Fest ’26.

🔑 Speakers from the gaming industry will also talk about related topics, highlighting the huge employment prospects in the field.
All talks will be in English.

📍 29 Μay 2026 | 14:00-18:00
GDCy' Fest 26 - St. Raphael Resort, Limassol

🎟️ Registration: https://lnkd.in/dsBAJhWh
Free registration is available for attendees aged 14-19.

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📣 🎮 Αν είσαι μαθητής/ρια ηλικίας 14-19 χρονών και θέλεις να μετατρέψεις το ενδιαφέρον σου στα COMPUTER GAMES σε ΕΠΑΓΓΕΛΜΑΤΙΚΗ ΚΑΡΙΕΡΑ τότε αυτό σίγουρα σε ενδιαφέρει, κάνοντας το πρώτο βήμα με σπουδές στο τμήμα μας!

👩‍🎓Στις 29 Μαϊου η καθηγήτρια του τμήματος μας Despina Michael-Grigoriou θα παρουσιάσει την εξειδίκευση στα Παιχνίδα Υπολογιστων και Εικονικούς Κόσμους, που προσφέρεται από το Department of Multimedia & Graphic Arts - CUT Cyprus University of Technology / Τεχνολογικό Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου στο event "Teens Content Track: Entering GameDev" που διοργανώνεται από το CYGMA - Cyprus Game Makers Association στα πλαισια του GDCy' Fest 26.

🔑 Επαγγελματίες από τη βιομηχανία θα μιλήσουν για τις προοπτικές εργοδότησης στον τομέα.

📍 29 Μαΐου 2026 | 14:00–18:00
GDCy Fest 26 – St. Raphael Resort, Λεμεσός

🎟️ Δωρεάν εγγραφή για άτομα 14–19 χρονών
Εγγραφή: https://cygma.fillout.com/t/4HD6zDpJGcus

Department of Multimedia & Graphic Arts - CUT
CYGMA - Cyprus Game Makers Association

If your teenager plays games and has ever wondered how they’re actually made — this is for them 🔥

On May 29, as part of GDCy Fest 2026, CYGMA is hosting the first dedicated Teens Track at a Cyprus game industry event. Free entry for ages 14-19. 100 spots available, registration required ➡ https://cygma.fillout.com/t/4HD6zDpJGcus

The afternoon brings together working game developers, 3D artists, and industry professionals for a program built around one question: how do you turn genuine interest in games into real skills and a real career?

Anton Gorodetsky from MY.GAMES opens with an honest look at how the games industry is structured and how young people are actually getting in.

Dmitry Kononenko, Art Director at Strikerz, follows with something a lot of young creatives are quietly anxious about: what AI is really doing to the artist’s profession. His take, as a concept artist, sculptor, and lead 3D artist who works with these tools every day, is more useful than most of the noise out there.

A session led by Antonina Americ from Robolab, alongside indie developers and 3D artists who started as teenagers themselves, covers portfolios, freelancing, and what the first real steps actually look like.

Despina Michael-Grigoriou from Cyprus University of Technology presents the local university pathways available to aspiring developers.

And Max Fomichev from Holyday Studios addresses the bigger picture: which roles in game development are changing, and what that means for people who are just starting out.

The track closes with a panel where senior professionals answer the question they probably wish someone had answered for them: What would you do if you were starting today?

Hosted by Yulia Tarasova, Head of Education at CYGMA.

📅 May 29 | 14:00–18:00 | GDCy Fest 2026
🎫 100 free tickets for teenagers | parents attending with their child can also get a discounted ticket at registration
🔗https://cygma.fillout.com/t/4HD6zDpJGcus

If you know a teenager who’s into games — share this with them.

An interesting research topic within "Frontiers in Virtual Reality" + "Frontiers in Psychology" journals, is now open for submissions. Please consider submitting your high-quality, scientifically rigorous and impactful work! :)

Research Topic: Perception in Virtual Worlds: Sensorimotor Contingencies, Perceptual Illusions, and Presence
Topic editors: Panagiotis Kourtesis, Domna Banakou, Despina Michael-Grigoriou, Richard Skarbez, Argiro Vatakis

More info can be found here:
https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77715/perception-in-virtual-worlds-sensorimotor-contingencies-perceptual-illusions-and-presence