It goes without saying that UWCSEA Dover’s student-led societies are full of potential to foster creativity and collaboration whilst providing plenty of opportunities for students to explore technology and engage with innovations within a field. There are many societies that embody these qualities and just one of these is the Game Theory Society.
The Game Theory Society explores the field of strategic decision-making, akin in tactics to a game of chess but is applied to economics, politics, psychology, and more. The society explores the intricacies of analyzing complex situations and understanding the interpersonal, intercorporal, or even intercontinental dynamics within them.
Some popular events that the Game Theory Society has organized in the past include ‘The Prisoner’s Dilemma and Cooperation’ - a classic simulation that explores the conflict between individual and collective rationality. It is effective in understanding issues such as trust, cooperation, and competition. This event aimed to discuss real-world situations like negotiations, and environmental agreements. By using specific mathematical models, technology can be a great aid to these dilemmas and can support tough decision-making.
Another great activity that the Game Theory Society has hosted is the Zero-Sum vs Non-Zero-Sum Games, where one player’s gain is another’s loss. This understanding is crucial for applying competitive and corporate strategies. It is also important to examine international relations and trade agreements to enable participants to understand how dynamics can lead to better negotiation outcomes. In the near future, the Game Theory Society is planning and looking forward to presenting more innovative games aimed at supporting and enhancing participants’ range of analytical skills.
The Game Theory Society incorporates platforms like Python in their weekly sessions to create these simulations, applications, and educational software. Their use of Artificial Intelligence has also been rewarding, with introductions to strategic decision-making simulations and strategy-based entertainment. Artificial Intelligence has enabled more immersive and interactive simulative environments such as AI-driven storytelling. Though Virtual Reality has not yet been applied to the Game Theory Society’s events, plans for developing immersive environments are in the works. This unlocks the possibilities for participants to directly engage in strategic dilemmas, enabling abstract concepts more tangible and engaging.
Some advice the Game Theory Society has for those passionate about critical thinking and/or Game Theory is to start with simple concepts (e.g. the Prisoner’s Dilemma or the Nash Equilibrium) in order to build foundational understanding. It is also recommended to actively participate in discussions and events to apply these concepts in order to supplement understanding. Finally, they highlight the importance of exploring interdisciplinary concepts related to psychology, economics, and computer science to deepen understanding.
A great thank you to the leaders of the Game Theory Society (Belle Zhou, Phoebe Xing, and Ethan Cukierman) for helping us with this interview!