FRI MAGE Story

The inspiration for creating this game came to Ing. Lucia Lendelová, PhD., MBA while she was still studying at the University of Pardubice. There, she had the opportunity to take part in the Global Management Challenge. However, after winning the international round, she could no longer register again. She therefore looked for a way to offer students a similar learning experience. Her enthusiasm for the Global Management Challenge continued, and she involved students at her current workplace—the Faculty of Management and Informatics at the University of Žilina. However, the game is subject to licensing, and it is not possible to use it more broadly as a purely educational tool. The Faculty of Management and Informatics is an ideal place for developing a game with a similar purpose. In cooperation with Associate Professor Ing. Patrik Hrkút, PhD., from Applied Informatics, the development of a new game began. Practical experience for students was the foundation of the game’s creation, which is why students were invited to join the development from the very beginning. It is certainly a slower process, but it offers valuable experience already during their studies. The first game model focuses on managing an automobile production plant. A valuable partner of the faculty is the nearby KIA factory, where one of the alumni provided important information and real materials for the game’s development. As a simulation, it is still a simplified version of reality; nevertheless, it is a relevant tool for demonstrating the relationships between decisions made by selected departments.