The University of Malta’s Institute of Digital Games has been recognised as one of the top five research institutions worldwide in the field of technical games research, placing Malta on the global research map alongside major players like Google and Queen Mary University of London. The University of California Santa Cruz topped the ranking.

The Institute, which focuses on areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), human-computer interaction, and graphics, first appeared in the global rankings in 2018 in ninth place. Since then, it has consistently remained in the top ten, an impressive feat for a relatively small research group.

Dr Daniel Vella, Director of the Institute of Digital Games, said the recognition highlights the hard work of both researchers and students. “This achievement is the result of the dedication and innovation of our team. We’re really proud to be ranked alongside other world-class institutions,” he said.

The ranking system, developed by Professor Mark J. Nelson of American University, measures research activity over the last decade, specifically focusing on conference and journal publications in the field of games and interactive entertainment technology.

While the ranking is based on research output, the Institute’s quality has also been recognised internationally. In 2024, PhD students Nemanja Rasajski and Chintan Trivedi won the NVIDIA Best Paper Award at the European Conference on Computer Vision. In the same year, researchers Dr Konstantinos Makantasis, Kosmas Pinitas and Prof. Georgios N. Yannakakis were awarded Runner-up Best Paper at the prestigious IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing.

Prof. Simon Fabri, Pro-Rector for Research & Knowledge Transfer, added: “This recognition demonstrates that with a strong focus on excellence and innovation, world-class research can thrive in Malta.”

The Institute of Digital Games offers postgraduate programmes including a Master of Science in Digital Games and doctoral degrees in Game AI, Game Design, and Game Studies.