Professor Lily Kong, SMU President, delivered a keynote at the "Initiating General Education Renaissance" (iGER) Initiative held in NCCU, Taiwan, on March 2026
At the invitation of National Chengchi University (NCCU) President Tsai-Yen Li, Professor Lily Kong, SMU President, delivered a keynote for Taiwan’s Ministry of Education "Initiating General Education Renaissance" (iGER) Initiative, addressing how universities must advance whole-person education in response to AI, longevity, and shifting career pathways.
As universities navigate a future shaped by artificial intelligence and longer life spans, the question is no longer simply what we teach, but how we equip individuals to thrive across a lifetime of change. In the keynote at NCCU, SMU President Professor Lily Kong joined fellow academic leaders in a timely dialogue on how higher education must evolve — from nurturing enduring human qualities that remain relevant beyond technological disruption, to strengthening interdisciplinary thinking and embracing lifelong learning as a collective, ongoing journey. These reflections point to a broader reimagining of the roles of universities, as institutions respond to shifting student aspirations, evolving labour market demands, and the need to prepare graduates for non-linear pathways in an increasingly complex world.
As universities navigate a future shaped by artificial intelligence and longer life spans, the question is no longer simply what we teach, but how we equip individuals to thrive across a lifetime of change. In the keynote at NCCU, SMU President Professor Lily Kong joined fellow academic leaders in a timely dialogue on how higher education must evolve — from nurturing enduring human qualities that remain relevant beyond technological disruption, to strengthening interdisciplinary thinking and embracing lifelong learning as a collective, ongoing journey. These reflections point to a broader reimagining of the roles of universities, as institutions respond to shifting student aspirations, evolving labour market demands, and the need to prepare graduates for non-linear pathways in an increasingly complex world.