EVE University Moving To Placid

Yesterday Eve University CEO Azmodeus Valar announced that the corporation will soon move from Aldrat, Metropolis to Slays, Placid:

"Since 2009, EVE University has listed Aldrat as its official headquarters in New Eden. This was the latest in a history of different locations, ranging from 0.0 to Korsiki. It too will soon be part of our history.

"On August 1st, 2015 EVE University will change its official headquarters to the Slays system, located near the market hub of Stacmon. This will involve moving of all University Services based at Aldrat, including, but not limited to services such as hangars, BYOM, and PYOS.

"This will not be our forever home, but is merely another step to keep the University focused on what helps us meet the needs of our students. It is our hope that the new location will best serve the University moving forward, much as Aldrat was selected in 2009 as the best option at that time."

Looking at Dotlan shows that Slays offers many advantages to Eve University. First, moving to Slays means Eve University does not need to maintain different campuses spread across New Eden in order to teach new players about content across the different security bands of the game. The system is conveniently located to NPC null, with two entrances to Syndicate located 4 jumps (MHC-R3) and 9 jumps (TXW-EI) away. Slays is also in the middle of a lot of low sec space and even serves as a high sec gate to the entirely low sec constellation of Mallugier.

I don't know how much activity occurs in Mallugier, but new players might receive a lot of practice trying to tackle battleships owned by those with low security status attempting to transit the system. I mention the possibility because the Eve University leadership might want to use Mallugier as an area to get new players used to the idea of operating in low sec. The low sec constellation, while not having great asteroid belts, contains three systems with ice anomalies. Also, could we see the Uni put up a low sec POS in order to take advantage of some of the refining and manufacturing capabilities low sec POS have over high sec POS?

Finally, Slays location offers one final benefit to the University: the distance to the major trade hubs. The nearest major trade hub is Dodixie, 10 jumps away. The major high sec wardec corps and alliances (and many of the minor ones) tend to stay near the high sec trade hubs, especially Jita and Amarr. With Stacmon next door, the Unista leadership is hoping that their membership won't even wander as far away as Dodixie, much less an additional 20 jumps to Amarr or Jita. Out of sight, out of mind. What the wardeccers don't see, they don't typically war dec. I know when I was in the Uni war decs were an annoyance and got in the way of some training. Then again, if the Uni starts teaching that a career as a low sec carebear is a viable playstyle, then maybe high sec war decs won't matter as much in the future.