The upcoming Straits Times Education Forum 2026, held in partnership with SMU, will examine the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education and its implications for learning, assessment, and graduate readiness. Titled “AI in Higher Education: Hype or Hope?”, the forum will take place on 1 April 2026, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm, at SMU’s Yong Pung How School of Law.
SMU President Professor Lily Kong said, “This forum brings together educators, policymakers and industry leaders to reflect, with care and responsibility, on how AI may strengthen human capital development, as well as what it will require of universities to prepare future-ready graduates, support mid-career transitions and steward this transformation responsibly.” Prof Kong noted that as economic resilience and workforce adaptability become global priorities, universities must ask not only how AI can transform teaching, but how it reshapes the way students think, learn and reskill, and how they will work.
Minister for Education Desmond Lee will deliver the opening remarks, followed by a quiz on AI and a panel discussion. The session will be moderated by SMU Vice President (Partnerships and Engagement) and Lee Kong Chian Professor of Communication & Technology Lim Sun Sun. Panellists include Mr Lee, SMU Provost Alan Chan, and Raghav Gupta, Head of Education for Asia-Pacific at OpenAI.