“The future is what we create. The future of a university must be created collectively by its faculty, staff, and students.” Citing this well-known remark by Tamkang University founder Dr. Clement C.P. Chang, President Hui-Huang Hsu offered recommendations for university sustainable development in his invited talk at the 12th International Conference on Platform Technology and Service (PlatCon-26), attended by more than 100 experts and scholars.
The conference was held from August 24 to 26 on Jeju Island, South Korea. It is one of the leading international academic forums in the fields of Platform Technology (PT) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), covering a broad spectrum of computer science and ICT topics, with particular emphasis on innovation and integrated applications of PT. This year’s conference was jointly organized by the Institution of Creative Research Professionals (ICRP) and the National Program of Excellence in Software at Shinhan University, with technical sponsorship from the Busan Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Experts and scholars from around the world gathered to exchange views on the latest technological breakthroughs and interdisciplinary applications.
In his talk, titled “Transformation of Higher Education in the AI Era,” President Hsu presented forward-looking perspectives on the future development of global higher education amid the explosive growth of Generative AI. He noted that AI is reshaping the ways people work, learn, and create at an unprecedented pace. As AI becomes embedded in nearly every aspect of daily life, “AI fluency” is no longer a specialized skill reserved for a small group of professionals, but an essential core competency in higher education. Future students, he said, must not only learn how to use AI tools effectively, but also develop the ability to interact with AI ethically, critically, and productively.
President Hsu emphasized that this technological wave is forcing a fundamental rethinking of traditional educational models. Teaching approaches centered on rote memorization can no longer meet today's needs. Instead, higher-order thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and lifelong learning must become central educational priorities. He also noted that universities’ assessment systems must evolve alongside the transformation brought about by AI, shifting away from conventional paper-and-pencil examinations toward more authentic, diverse, and AI-aware forms of assessment.
In education practice, President Hsu said AI-driven learning analytics can enable continuous monitoring of student progress while providing immediate feedback and more precisely tailored instruction. Automating routine administrative and instructional processes can also give faculty more time and capacity to focus on student mentoring, cutting-edge research, and fostering innovation. He further highlighted the rise of “Agentic AI,” which is transforming AI from a passive support tool into an active “collaborative partner,” creating new possibilities for cooperation in teaching, learning, and academic operations.
