ISAGA-Newsletter March 2023

Dear ISAGA Members and Friends,

In this newsletter, you will find information on the following ISAGA events and activities:

News on the ISAGA conference 2023 in La Rochelle, France
The announcement of ISAGA’s Summer School in Warsaw, Poland
Great webinars organized by the SVVV University in Indore
An update on the activities of the 3 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) of ISAGA
A request for local hosts for the ISAGA competition 2023
An inspirational calendar with interesting events

and more… Enjoy reading!

Update on the ISAGA conference 2023:
4-7th July La Rochelle, France

We are all looking forward to the conference in La Rochelle!
Please find here the March update for ISAGA conference, which will take place, in-person from 4th to 7th July 2023 in La Rochelle, and on 28th June for online-only presentations.
This year's conference emphasizes the theme of “Simulation and Gaming for social and environmental transitions”.

The provisional program is now available and includes paper presentations, workshops, a game exhibition and meeting with the general public, a social program including a gala evening and talks by keynote speakers who will address the social, theoretical, political and design issues surrounding the use of gaming/simulation for social and environmental transitions.
Registration to the conference is now open. Register before 1st of June, to benefit from the early registration fee.

More information in the attached file and on the conference website: isaga2023.com. Choose the way you want to contribute to ISAGA 2023!

ISAGA Summer School (ISS)

We are very happy to being able to announce the 2023 ISAGA Summer School with following information:
Dates: 26th-30th June 2023
Location: Kozminski University, Warsaw, Poland
ISS Chair: Dr Marcin Wardaszko and Prof. Ryoju "Roy" Hamada, Ph.D.
Theme: Simulation game design and research for complexity dissemination
ISAGA Summer School’s mission is bringing the knowledge and practice of the simulation gaming to the community. Over 25 years, ISS were visited by many scholars and practitioners looking for high quality knowledge on game design and game-based research. During the five days program you will be able to learn about design, facilitation and evaluation of simulation games or about designing game-based research, methodologies, analyzing results, implementing outcomes. In both cases, you will be able to work on your own ideas with the coaching and help of our very experienced teachers coming from the simulation gaming community.
The ISS program this year will feature two tracks. The first track is simulation games track and is dedicated to game and course design. The second track concerns game-based research and is dedicated to design of the research with and around simulation games.
Participation fee is 200 EUR per participant. The fee includes:
·   Participation in the lectures and workshops
·   Materials from the ISS
·   Lunches and Thursday Social program
·   Certification of participation
Combo ticket - 400 EUR for ISAGA Summer School + ISAGA 2023 Annual Conference
Ticket includes participation in ISS 2023 and full in-person conference in La Rochelle including a special session during which ISS 2023 participants can present their outcomes.

Please reach out to Marcin Wardsko, marcin@isaga.net, with questions and for registration, or use the form here:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=jQ5CRVKFA0qbkqkx74OdP9QBEl3JkZtLvybMERQ-iyRUNlZZWFBIRjhXQlBTRDNYOUZURTIxN0MxQi4u

ISAGA Simulation Gaming Competition –
Call for Local Hosts

The ISAGA SGC will take place from the 2^nd to the 9^th of September, 2023.
Main Host: Asahikawa National Institute of Technology, Asahikawa
Chair: Prof. Ryoju "Roy" Hamada, Ph.D.
Theme: Simulation gaming design for a Sustainable Society
Enormous numbers of Games are made every day, but most of those works are individual efforts. Useful game is also useful for a similar purpose, but there was no opportunity to introduce, appeal to, and be authorized by Professionals. ISAGA Simulation Gaming Competition (ISGC) is a great chance to compare your game with other works, share know-how to develop further own games, and obtain constructive advice from ISAGA's Professionals on the international stage.
ISGC connects the player and reviewer by Zoom. Players are dignified game designers who are famous in ISAGA Community. Your students will form a team and let reviewers try their game within two hours.
Reviewers stay in the physically same location. They play the new game through online facilitation by the authors. They discuss the games, grade, and if there is a nice game, it is awarded under the name of ISAGA.
We are currently looking for local competition organisers. We would like you to host one to two teams in your country and connect via zoom twice. It is up to you to also offer tutorial sessions. You can conduct the competition in your local time, offer tutorial session, and hand out your award as well. In the last two years, five teams attended, and all teams are obligated to take a four-days workshop to develop a game in English. But from 2023, local tutorials are not obligatory. If you know a game developer who wish to participate, you can simply encourage them to attend the competition.
If you are interested in hosting the ISGC in your country, please contact Roy by March 31.
hamada@edu.asahikawa-nct.ac.jp

Webinar series – Indore

The last Webinar of the series was held on February 27, 2023 (Monday), with the topic: “Local Knowledge Extraction Games for Resilience”. There is no Registration Fee to attend the webinars. An E- Certificate will be provided to all the active registered participants.
Register here: https://forms.gle/fCoriWQ9SwpBQ4JX8
Email: coesag@svvv.edu.in
Website: http://coesag.svvv.edu.in
The previous webinar by Marijne Vos, Maarten Versteegh and Herman van der Bij from the Netherlands on Game Design and Facilitation: The Mutual Connection can be watched here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/A21f9bF-L8k?feature=share
For new webinars in the planning see the ISAGA calendar below, new interesting ones are coming up!

Update on the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) of ISAGA

SIG sustainability
We have had a fantastic gameplay session with an online version of Hex, a game originally developed by Richard Duke, one of the founders of games as we know them today. We have worked on our website and have advanced our discussions on the “how to” of sustainability games. Collaboratively, we have worked on a conference proposal for both a Hex Session and a game design sustainability workshop for the ISAGA conference. The workshop will highlight how already existing games can be transformed into games with a more sustainable orientation. In February, we played a new sustainability game format and tested a game designed by Jaap de Goede, with a perspective on a sustainable future from a very positive leaving point instead of pure negative scenarios. In March, we will have a meeting together with Saganet from the Netherlands and we will have a mini online symposium with lecturers, gameplay sessions and workshops on varying sustainability themes. Thank you for this great cooperation, Saganet!

SIG game science
This SIG is currently working on a publication with the title `Identifying Game Science: taking stock of the epistemic, ontological and theoretical state of the art & science`. Game Science, though founded in the 60`s, is a fairly young science leaning on many different research traditions, but also has its unique being. We take on the effort to describe the current status of game science as academic discipline and how to advance from here.

SIG facilitation
In spring we will have an exchange on current developments and our work as practitioners and researchers on the theme of facilitation in the different fields we are active in. All interested are invited to join and contribute your ideas and concepts. The date is set for April 14 from 11 to 13hrs Amsterdam time (EST). You can join the meeting via https://radbouduniversity.zoom.us/j/86292440605?pwd=UUtBSFpBZ1kvSlFwL3VmTXUrY2Z0dz09 .

ISAGA Simulation Gaming Competition 2023

ISAGA is the academic organization to spread the magical power of Simulation Gaming on education from the perspective of the scientific method. Recent styles of lectures are increasing their variety, and Game-Based Learning is also common.

ISAGA Simulation Gaming Competition (ISGC) is the opportunity to receive evaluations of participants’ games by worldwide professional game designers. All games will be really played by the reviewers, throughout discussions in debriefing and the Q&A session, and developers may get precious comments.
If the game is highly appreciated, the participants may acquire the award from ISAGA.

This competition is organized by Dr. Ryoyu Hamada, EB member of ISAGA. More information on the call for this competition will follow asap.

Presentation of Birgit as a new ISAGA EB member

My name is Birgit Zuern and I am very happy to present myself as a new member of the ISAGA EB. I am a business economist and have been a lecturer for many years, using simulation games in teaching for 35 years. For 15 years now, I have been heading the Centre for Management Simulation at University of Cooperative Education DHBW Stuttgart with about 200 simulation game lectures p.a.. Also, I am an EB member of SAGSAGA, the German speaking S&G Association. I am an enthusiastic fan of the simulation game method and have a lot of passion for interactive learning, facilitation and debriefing of simulation games. I am the main person in charge of the organization of the European Simulation And Gaming Forum with the alignment of the German Simulation And Gaming Award (DPP) since 2010. Also, I’ve been actively participating in a lot of ISAGA Conferences and Summer Schools and I am in exchange with a large national and international network of gaming experts. So, my contributions to the EB will be support in organizing conferences and summer schools or other events, public relations work, networking and of course moving ISAGA forward to embrace future trends.

I am a mother of already 30-year-old twins, have a soft spot for zoos and animal parks and am passionate about playing the oboe in various orchestras and ensembles. I would be delighted to meet you all in person soon.

Prof. Ryoyu Hamada is also a new EB member. He will present himself in the next newsletter.

Calendar

Lots of inspiration for you in 2023
Calendar February 2023

Event	Description	Links and extra info
Special Interest Group Sustainability March 24, 2023 14.00-13.00 pm Amsterdam time zone	Mini Symposium Games and Sustainability cooperation With Saganet. The symposium will in English and international partners are invited for lectures, workshops and game demonstration. More info email jennifer@saganet.nl	For attendance-link mail marieke@isaga.net You are free to participate and invite people *Also, non ISAGA members are welcome to attend the SIG sessions* More info on the work and goals of the sig sustainability https://www.isagagamesforsustainability.com/
ABSEL Conference 2023 University of Pittsburgh March 22 - 24, 2023	Theme: “Forging the Future of Experiential Learning: 50 Years Later”	The call is already closed, but submission is possible: ABSEL 2023 Submission – ABSEL
Pratiti-Webinar of ISAGA21 in Indore India March 24, 2023 3 pm – 4 pm (IST)	Webinar: “Why is change difficult and how can serious gaming help” Dr. Ivo Wenzler, Professor of Serious Gaming at the NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands	No Registration Fee. E- Certificate will be provided to all the active registered participants. Register here: https://forms.gle/2aea2yL9UjWxjx4NA Email: coesag@svvv.edu.in Website: http://coesag.svvv.edu.in
Special Interest Group Facilitation April 14, 2023 10am-13pm Amsterdam time	Half yearly meeting on funding and research update and thematic exchange on facilitation Themes intervention on learning effect research Grants for facilitation research	Join Zoom Meeting: https://radbouduniversity.zoom.us/j/86292440605?pwd=UUtBSFpBZ1kvSlFwL3VmTXUrY2Z0dz09
NASAGA one day Conference Series April 17, 2023	This virtual conference will focus on how individuals can use active learning in schools (primarily K-12), libraries, and museums. Each NASAGA session is a fully interactive session where attendees are participants in active learning.	More information: NASAGA One-Day Conference Series, Part 1 - NASAGA
Special Interest Group Sustainability April 28, 2023 Usual time (may differ) 14.00 pm Amsterdam time zone	Financial Excel-based sustainability game revisited	For attendance-link mail marieke@isaga.net Session leader: Ing. Nettie Wester (Gamecase) *Also, non ISAGA members are welcome to attend the SIG sessions* More info on the work and goals of the sig sustainability https://www.isagagamesforsustainability.com/
Pratiti-Webinar of ISAGA21 in Indore India May 24, 2023 3 pm – 4 pm (IST)	Webinar: Jagoda Gandziarowska Ziolecka, Chief Learning Designer, LABORATORY OF TRAINING GAMES, Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland	No Registration Fee. E- Certificate will be provided to all the active registered participants. Register here: https://forms.gle/DBraiu1VsdnnFyB47 Email: coesag@svvv.edu.in Website: http://coesag.svvv.edu.in
June 22, 2023	On June, 22, 2023, the German Simulation And Gaming Award will be awarded in Heilbronn. About 150 international researchers and ISAGA members were awarded this price for their excellent work.	More information: https://zms.dhbw-stuttgart.de/en/research/the-german-simulation-and-gaming-award/
34th European Simulation And Gaming Forum 2023 June 22-23, 2023	The Forum will take place on 22-23 June 2023 in Heilbronn at the Bildungscampus. The European Simulation And Gaming Forum is the largest simulation game conference in Europe.	The Forum will be held exclusively in German language. For more info: https://zms.dhbw-stuttgart.de/en/events-and-conferences/european-simulation-and-gaming-forum/
Online presentation day ISAGA 2023 conference June 28, 2023	This is an additional day to the conference specially meant for people who cannot attend the physical conference.	More information and requirements for online presenting can be found at www.isaga2023.com
ISAGA Summer School Kozminski-University, Warsaw June 26-30, 2023	The ISAGA Summer School has a game design and a research track and is suitable for novice game designers and researchers and also advanced PhD’s and post docs. A customized plan is offered to the participants.	Registration info follows soon, for more info contact marcin@isaga.net
Summer School Course at Radbound University (NL) June 26-30, 2023	Gaming approaches for Analyzing and Supporting Complex Decision-Making: This course has the ambition to stimulate participants to explore the potential of gaming approaches for facilitating and analyzing decision-making and make students capable of using gaming to analyze and stimulate decision-making	Marieke de Wijse is one of the leaders of this course. More information: https://www.ru.nl/radboudsummerschool/courses/overview-courses-2023/2023-courses/week-2/rss02-a4-gaming-approaches-analysing-supporting/
The 54^th ISAGA 2023 conference La Rochelle, France July 4-7, 2023	Theme: “Simulation and Gaming for social and environmental transitions”. Along with this theme, we welcome all types of contributions related to simulation and gaming.	The four days of conference will take place in-person only. An additional day is added the week before the conference, for online-only presentations (see above). For more info and call for papers: www.isaga2023.com We highly recommend attendance of this conference! This is where many ISAGA members meet and form long term bonds and connections. Looking forward to meeting you there!
SIMAustralasia congress August 21-24, 2023		More information coming soon on the Simaust website: https://simaust.com/events-new/

If you have any events coming up, please send information and dates to marieke@isaga.net for the next newsletter.

Your newsletter editors of the ISAGA Board,

Marieke de Wijse
Heide Lukosch
Sebastiaan Meijer
Birgit Zuern