We are proud to share that on 14 May, we welcomed our cohort of 216 participants from 39 countries across Asia and Europe into the 6th ASEF Higher Education Innovation Laboratory (ASEFInnoLab6)!
With the theme “Universities’ Role in Developing Skills for an AI-Powered Future,” the ASEFInnoLab6 Online Phase will be an 11-week learning and networking journey where participants will acquire knowledge, expand their prospects for partnerships, and team up in interdisciplinary groups to create an output, either an academic paper or a micro-credential programme.
In its inaugural session, we introduced the cohort to ASEFInnoLab’s overarching mission: to serve as a platform for higher education stakeholders from Asia and Europe to connect, exchange expertise, and co-develop solutions for shared global challenges.
Mr ZHANG Lei, ASEF’s Deputy Executive Director, and Mr JIANG Duan, ASEF’s Governor for China, reinforced the importance of dialogue and collaboration in shaping the future and steering AI towards common good. Ms Reka TOZSA, Director of ASEF’s Education Department, provided an overview of ASEFInnoLab’s history, objectives, and the current edition’s thematic direction. This segment aimed to level expectations and give participants a glimpse of the full virtual programme, including its outputs and outcomes.
Participants also had the opportunity to hear from ASEF’s esteemed implementing partners, including long-standing collaborators and active ASEFInnoLab alumni: Prof SHEN Yi (Fudan University in Shanghai, China), Dr Robert Kerwin BILLONES (De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines), and Dr Renata BACAROVA (Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Slovakia). The opening session concluded with a dynamic facilitator-led discussion moderated by Dr Claudio Rivera of RTU Riga Business School in Latvia. This facilitated discussion allowed participants to meet in small breakout groups, where they shared their initial reflections and expectations, and got to know fellow members of the cohort.
In the three sessions that followed, our cohort heard from six experts who shared their insights on various topics relevant to the theme:
On 21 May, participants heard from speakers representing prominent international organisations Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development on their respective studies and insights on skill trends and demands in the emerging AI-driven job market.
The cohort reflected on how universities contribute to the talent pipeline, and what strategies can align future curricula with evolving workforce needs.
This session, held on 28 May, presented an overview of national and regional frameworks guiding skills development in Asia and Europe, focusing on how AI and digital transformation impact such frameworks.
With the expert guidance of our speakers from the European Training Foundation and the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical Education and Training (VOCTECH), our participants explored commonalities, differences, and opportunities for higher education to contribute to these agendas through curriculum, policy, and partnership.
Our session on 04 June explored the dual challenge of universities in preparing their students for an AI-driven future: staying ahead of rapid technological change in AI while strengthening the human dimension of education.
Speakers from Microsoft Singapore and the Council of Europe shared their insights on how AI technology is changing the world as well as why and how can academic institutions balance technological and human skills development.
During these Self-Learning Phase sessions, participants were able ask speakers questions and reflect on their learnings in breakout discussions. These served as opportunities to not only exchange their insights but also get to know fellow members of the cohort.
We are grateful for our speakers, participants, implementing partners, and of course, our supporting partners the ASEM Education Secretariat, German Academic Exchange Service, European Training Foundation, European Students’ Union, AE4AI Network, and Netmission.Asia for all coming together to make ASEFInnoLab6 possible.
This strong start to ASEFInnoLab6 sets the tone for a collaborative and impact-driven learning experience! We look forward to the outputs that will be created in the coming Team Learning Phase, set to begin this 11 June 2025.
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