Building Game Worlds Together: DKIT at the Erasmus+ Animation BIP in Zagreb

DKIT was represented by 4 Year 1 students from the Games Development degree programme, accompanied by lecturer Niall McGuinness. The BIP brought together approximately 15 students from partner institutions in Croatia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Ireland, and Spain, creating a highly international and collaborative learning environment centred on practical 3D animation and real-time game development workflows.

The programme focused on foundational animation techniques for games using Blender, including the 12 Principles of Animation and the creation of gameplay-ready animation cycles such as idle, walk, run, and jump sequences. Alongside the host teaching activities, DKIT delivered approximately five hours of workshops focused on bringing Blender animation workflows into Unity. These sessions introduced students to practical real-time engine concepts including importing animated assets, configuring rigs and clips, using animator controllers and state machines, and integrating animation systems into gameplay environments. The workshops were delivered in an open lab format that encouraged peer learning, collaborative troubleshooting, and the sharing of development approaches across institutions and disciplines.

The mobility delivered clear benefits for both students and staff. For students, it provided hands-on experience with industry-relevant tools and pipelines while also developing confidence in communication, teamwork, and intercultural collaboration through working with peers from multiple European countries. The blended format made Erasmus participation more accessible for early-stage undergraduate students and demonstrated a manageable pathway into international mobility. Students also gained valuable portfolio-focused experience by producing practical animation and engine-integration work during the intensive week.

From a staff and institutional perspective, the BIP strengthened academic links between DKIT and Algebra Bernays University while contributing to the internationalisation goals of both institutions. The experience enabled the exchange of teaching practices and technical workflows in games education, particularly in animation and real-time development. It also provided opportunities to explore future collaboration in Games Development and XR-related teaching activities. Participation in the programme reinforced the value of intensive, practice-led, portfolio-oriented learning and highlighted the positive impact of short-term Erasmus mobilities on student engagement and international cooperation.