ABOUT UWA in SL

UWA in the 3D Virtual World

Since 2009, parts of UWA's beautiful campus have been recreated in 3D in the virtual world of Second Life, allowing anyone in the world to teleport directly to UWA's immersive 3D environment filled with the wonderful flora and fauna that make UWA what she is. The virtual campus includes such familiar features as the giant Moreton Bay Fig, ducks, peacocks, rainbow lorikeets, Sommerville Theatre, Sunken Gardens, and of course the iconic Winthrop Hall and Reflection Pond.

The UWA virtual presence has grown since its inception to become recognized as among the world leaders in 3D virtual art and film, annually hosting the largest 3d art & animated film challenges in the world, alongside a host of academic, teaching, research, architectural and social activities.

This short film, created by the only Australian winner of one of the six UWA international film challenges, gives a glimpse into the diverse activities an educational institution can be involved in within virtual worlds.

The most recent UWA film challenge carried the theme 'Reflections,' in conjunction with UWA's centenary in 2013. Hailing from Jyvaskylla, Finland, the winner created the surreal Past | Beyond.

UWA academic teaching activities have taken place in Second Life across Business, Law, the Arts, Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, and Education.

One can 'teleport' to various parts of the UWA campus by logging onto Second Life, with the specific UWA locations described and linked on this page highlighting the various 'UWA Treasures' that have been recreated in Second Life. FreeWee Ling, the American-based curator of virtual art at UWA, worked to bring the inside of Winthrop Hall to life, and the results can be seen here.

Winthrop Hall Interior - Facsimile in Second Life

Getting an avatar and logging in to Second Life is free, and follows a similar process as getting a hotmail or gmail account, with the additional step of choosing your avatar, and you can indeed choose from a vast array of avatars that range from human to alien to dragon to almost anything you can imagine. (Once you learn to create in Second Life, you can modify or create new avatars.) You can get one by going to http://www.secondlife.com/ and signing up.

Anyone interested in exploring UWA in Second Life can contact UWA Virtual Worlds founder Jay Jay Jegathesan,  on +64 417180564 or jay.jay@uwa.edu.au OR FreeWee Ling, Honorary Research Fellow, at freeweel@gmail.com or by instant message in Second Life.
.