From July 5 to 9, 2025, the SEAMEO Regional Center for Lifelong Learning (SEAMEO CELLL) in collaboration with COGNOTIV (Singapore) organized an international workshop with the theme “Application of Artificial Intelligence in School and Organizational Management to Promote Lifelong Learning“. This is one of the workshops in a series of workshops that SEAMEO CELLL and COGNOTIV have jointly organized since 2024. The workshop took place at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), aiming to create a forum for exchanging models of AI application in education, contributing to improving management capacity, building a flexible learning ecosystem, adapting to digital transformation and developing Lifelong Learning.

The Vietnamese delegation attending the workshop was led by Dr. Le Thi My Ha – Director of SEAMEO CELLL, including 23 members from SEAMEO CELLL Center, Ministry of Education and Training, Hong Duc University and high schools. Among them were Dr. Le Thi My Ha – Director of SEAMEO CELLL; Mr. Bui Van Linh – Deputy Chief of Office of Ministry of Education and Training; Mr. Le Thang Loi – Director of Southern Center for Education and Training Development; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Van Dung – Principal of Hong Duc University; and education experts, lecturers and high school teachers.

On the Singapore side, the workshop was attended by Mr. Mai Tze Woei – General Director of COGNOTIV Company – and his colleagues. Delegates from Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) included: Associate Professor Allan Chia – Vice Principal; Dr. Victor Kwan – Deputy Director of SUSS Academy; Associate Professor Jennifer Yeo – Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Teaching and Learning; Ms Yeo Lay – Head of Student Affairs. From the Institute of Adult Education (IAL), there was the presence of Dr Tommie Chen – Head of Partnerships and Market Development.

Morning session: Sharing Lifelong Learning models and educational innovation in the digital age

At the working session on the morning of July 7, Mr. Mai Tze Woei – General Director of COGNOTIV Company – gave the opening speech, welcomed the Vietnamese delegates and expressed his hope that the workshop would be a platform to promote cooperation between educational units in applying technology, especially artificial intelligence, to education and training in the region. He emphasized the importance of connecting human intelligence and artificial intelligence to create a flexible and sustainable learning future.

Immediately after, Associate Professor Allan Chia – Vice-Chancellor of the Singapore University of Social Sciences – gave an overview of SUSS, one of six autonomous universities in Singapore, and shared the vision of education for the benefit of the community that the school pursues. He also presented adult education initiatives, flexible training systems, and AI application programs in teaching, thereby emphasizing the pioneering role of SUSS in building a Lifelong Learning model in Singapore.

Continuing the Workshop program, Dr. Victor Kwan – Deputy Director of SUSS Academy – shared about the strategic orientations and flexible training models of the Academy, emphasizing three pillars: focusing on social sciences, applied learning and lifelong education. SUSS Academy’s programs are designed to be diverse, from short courses, on-demand corporate training to modular accumulation programs leading to degrees, to meet the continuous learning needs of adults in the digital age.

Associate Professor Jennifer Yeo – Senior Lecturer, Centre for Teaching and Learning – presented on activities supporting teaching, learning and educational innovation at SUSS. She introduced teacher training programs applying technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), microlearning and hybrid learning; and highlighted the AdLeS system – a personalized learning platform developed to support students comprehensively in their learning journey.

The next presentation was from Ms. Yeo Lay – Head of Student Affairs – introducing the Student Support Center, which provides academic and life support and counselling services for students. She emphasized the role of a comprehensive, safe and supportive learning environment in building a foundation for lifelong learning.

At the end of the morning session, Dr. Tommie Chen – Head of Partnerships and Market Development, Institute for Adult Education (IAL) – shared about the role of IAL in developing the capacity of adult teachers and promoting innovation in workplace learning. He emphasized the importance of designing flexible training programs, integrating AI technology and considering financial factors to ensure sustainability and effectiveness in implementation.

In her closing speech, Dr. Le Thi My Ha – Director of SEAMEO CELLL – expressed her appreciation for the practical and directional sharing from the partners, and affirmed that this is a valuable foundation for building a Lifelong Learning model suitable for the conditions and context of Vietnam.

Some pictures of the morning session:

Afternoon Session: Demonstration of Technology Solutions and In-depth Sharing on Artificial Intelligence

The afternoon session on July 7 focused on practical applications of artificial intelligence in education and organizational transformation in the digital age. The presented contents ranged from live demonstrations of AI platforms in supporting learners and school management, to in-depth analyses of machine learning, big language models, learning data, and responsible AI policy design. The sharing session also included perspectives on flexible learning organizations, digital skills development, and technology-based educational institutional transformation strategies. Through specific examples and live dialogue, attendees had the opportunity to access advanced technology tools and discuss their applicability in the Vietnamese educational context.

The program opened with a technology demonstration presentation by the COGNOTIV team, introducing a number of artificial intelligence tools and platforms that are being developed and applied in education, including smart learning assistants, automatic grading platforms, lesson plan design, document retrieval chatbots, and programming support applications.

This was followed by a sharing by Dr. Sun Chang – Senior Advisor of COGNOTIV, with the topic “Artificial Intelligence as a Lens: Understanding Machine Learning, Large Language Models, and the Future of Technology”. The presentation focused on innovations in Generative AI and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technology, with specific examples such as ChatGPT, Socratic, Gradescope, and MagicSchool.ai. Dr. Sun emphasized that AI is a powerful support tool for teachers, not a replacement for the role of humans in education.

Next, Dr. Leong Mun Kew – Director of the Graduate Programme at the Institute of Information Systems, National University of Singapore (NUS-ISS) – shared on the topic of responsible AI in education. He highlighted the opportunities and risks of implementing GenAI, including the risk of dependency, data leakage, plagiarism and information “illusion”. Dr. Leong also made specific recommendations on building AI policies in educational institutions, including data control, internal training and supplier evaluation based on transparency and ethics.

Following the program, Dr. Tommy Tan – Senior Advisor at COGNOTIV – presented on organizational transformation in the digital age, focusing on 5 pillars: human resource transformation, digital technology, agile leadership, data-driven and sustainable development. He also introduced the 5-stage roadmap in COGNOTIV’s organizational transformation consulting, from current status assessment to implementation and effectiveness measurement, emphasizing the human factor as the center of every transformation process.

The program ended with a discussion session moderated by Mr. Edmund Tan, with the participation of key speakers. The discussion focused on discussing technology solutions suitable for the regional educational context, experiences in implementing AI in educational institutions and innovative approaches from a policy and institutional perspective.

In her closing speech, Dr. Le Thi My Ha – Director of SEAMEO CELLL expressed her thanks to the co-organizers, speakers and delegates, and emphasized the practical value and long-term orientation that the sharing sessions brought to the Vietnamese delegation in building a Lifelong Learning model applying technology in Vietnam.

At the end of the working day, representatives of SEAMEO CELLL, Cognotiv Company and Hong Duc University exchanged souvenirs, expressed their thanks and took photos. This activity also ended the working day successfully and effectively, and demonstrated the recognition and goodwill of cooperation between the participating parties.

In addition to the workshop program, the Vietnamese delegation participated in a number of field trips to Singapore, including the National Museum of Singapore, Chinatown and Marina Bay. These activities helped the delegation learn more about the connection between education, culture, technology and urban development in Singapore’s national strategy, thereby broadening the perspective in policy making and implementing innovative education models in Vietnam.