UNC Greensboro’s Professor and Head of the Department of Religious Studies, Dr. Gregory Grieve, made a significant contribution to the global discourse on the intersection of Asian religions and popular culture at the 7th World Humanities Forum held in Busan, Korea.
Reflecting Humanities in Video Games
During his session “Building a Better World Through Videogaming,” Dr. Grieve presented pioneering research regarding the fusion of digital religion and the realm of video games. His expertise in this emerging field explores the concept of evil in contemporary life using video games as a platform for analysis.
“I was honored to present at the 7th World Humanities Forum this year,” says Grieve. “I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to envisioning solutions to our current global challenges through the lens of humanities. Understanding and exploration of cultural reflections in popular media like videogames can help us build a better world.”
Seeking Solutions to Global Crises
The forum’s purpose is to bring together experts to envision solutions for the turbulent issues that society is facing. This year’s theme was “The Humanities of Relationships: Toward Communications, Co-existence and Empathy.”
In a greeting to scholars, Chang-Ku Byun, chair of the organizing committee for the 7th World Humanities Forum said, “Indeed, we believe that the collective wisdom and insight of the scholars of Humanities are urgently called for as we face the humanity’s future.”
The 7th World Humanities Forum was the perfect setting to share Grieve’s insightful research. His presentation was thought-provoking as it aimed to offer innovative perspectives, fostering a deeper understanding of the possibilities in resolving global crises through the lens of the humanities.
UNCG Esports in a Global Spotlight
At UNCG, Greive serves as the director of the Network for the Cultural Study of Videogaming (NCSV). This initiative supports academic research on the cultural impact of video games and endeavors to bring scholarly findings on the growing videogaming industry to light.
The response from Greive’s presentation at this academic forum is just another example of how UNCG’s leadership in esports research is gaining recognition not only within our state and country, but in global scholarly settings like this conference in Korea.
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications.
