The University of Birmingham’s role in shaping immersive futures
At the University of Birmingham, research on virtual worlds and extended realities is grounded in a simple premise: technology must serve people. Our interdisciplinary work spans cultural geography, transformative technologies, AI ethics, and digital public infrastructure. Whether we are exploring spatial storytelling, public trust in virtual governance, or the design of civic experiences in XR, we treat virtual worlds as complex social systems—not just technical ones. We are not only studying how these environments work—we are actively shaping how they evolve.
More than 100 of our researchers have collectively published over 5,000 studies on virtual reality, reflecting the depth, diversity, and influence of Birmingham research in this field. This body of work spans disciplines—from computer science, engineering, and psychology to education, healthcare, the arts, and social sciences—highlighting the University’s role as a leading centre for immersive technology research. The scale and scope of this output demonstrate not only academic excellence but also the real-world relevance of XR in addressing societal challenges, enhancing human experiences, and shaping the future of digital interaction.
Our significant investments in a growing ecosystem of facilities support cutting-edge research in extended reality and virtual worlds. The VR Lab at the School of Psychology, by led by Dr. Massimiliano Di Luca, allows development and testing of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality applications, supporting both experimental prototypes and user-focused studies. The Collaborative Teaching Laboratory (CTL) maintains a suite of VR headsets and immersive technologies to support teaching, experimentation, and hands-on learning. The new Birmingham Transformative Humanities Lab offers flexible workstations equipped with motion-capture, VR, and eye-tracking technology, alongside editing suites and behavioural research facilities. Together, these spaces empower the University’s researchers and collaborators to explore, create, and evaluate next-generation immersive experiences across a wide range of disciplines.
We are also proud to have an XR–Virtual Worlds Network that brings our scholars from various colleges together, as well as an active VR Student Society that fosters community, experimentation, and knowledge exchange among emerging creators and researchers in immersive technology. These initiatives ensure that innovation is not only top-down from institutional research, but also bottom-up from the enthusiasm and creativity of our research and student community.
Contributing to the UN Citiverse Challenge and Virtual Worlds Day
That commitment to responsible technological change was reflected in our contribution to the Second UN Virtual Worlds Day—a recent global gathering of thought leaders, technologists, and policymakers, anchored in-person at the UN Campus in Turin.
The University of Birmingham served as a co-organizing partner of the first UN Citiverse Challenge, a global hackathon-style initiative launched in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UNICC, the World Bank, UNICEF, Digital Dubai, and other institutions. The challenge invited students and early-stage innovators to build solutions at the intersection of AI, immersive technologies, and digital public services.
Three themes guided the challenge:
- Access to public services,
- Urban resilience and sustainability, and
- Tourism and digital culture.
From Birmingham, Professor Phil Jones and Dr Martin Wählisch served as mentors to participating teams, offering guidance on immersive design, user engagement, and social impact. Matt Beveridge, Head of Innovation and Partnerships (Estates), joined the international jury to help evaluate projects not only for technical merit but for inclusiveness and relevance to real-world challenges.
Bringing academic insight into global dialogue
Beyond the innovation track, we also contributed to the global policy conversation. In the panel discussion “Virtual Worlds Economy: Jobs, Growth, and Innovation,” Dr. Martin Wählisch joined representatives from Roblox, the World Bank, Spatial Networks, and the Decentralized AI Society to explore how AI-powered virtual environments are reshaping labour, marketplaces, and digital entrepreneurship.
The conversation highlighted both promise and pressure. Virtual economies are expanding—but without thoughtful governance, they risk deepening existing inequalities or creating new ones. Discussions emphasized the need for ethical standards, inclusion by design, and stronger links between technical innovation and public institutions.
Looking ahead: Research, responsibility, and global partnership
The launch of the UN Call to Action on Harnessing AI-Powered Virtual Worlds for Social Development—supported by 18 UN entities—signals a global commitment to making immersive technologies a force for equity and progress. But it also makes clear that this vision is still under construction.
Virtual worlds are increasingly where people socialise, learn, and access services. But we still lack the research to understand their full societal impact. That makes our interdisciplinary work on virtual worlds and extended reality both urgent and essential to shaping their development in ways that benefit society at large.
The University of Birmingham is proud to be a key academic partner of the United Nations in advancing research and practice around virtual worlds. We are committed to asking difficult questions, mentoring the next generation of ethical technologists, and helping shape a digital future that reflects the diversity and dignity of those who will live in it.
