On 13 May 2026, Dr Foo Suan Fong, Executive Director of the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language (SCCL), was invited to deliver a speech titled "School Education in the Age of AI: Opportunities and Challenges" at the 8th Haidian–Singapore Education Roundtable Forum, jointly organised by the Beijing Haidian District Education Commission and the Singapore Ministry of Education.

         On 28 March 2026, SCCL Dean of Academic Affairs Dr Zhang Limei was invited to speak at the 2026 Distinguished Teachers Lecture Series of the "Tao Xingzhi Experimental Class" at the School of Chinese Language and Literature, Nanning Normal University, where she delivered a keynote lecture entitled "The New Role of Chinese Language Teachers in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence".

         On 3 June 2026, SCCL lecturer Dr Cheong Yun Yee was invited to present a talk titled "When Streets Speak: Creative Writing and Local Inspiration through Thong Teck Sian Tong Lian Sin Sia Temple" at the keynote session at the Chinese Language Elective Programme (CLEP) Writing Camp.

         From 13 to 14 June 2026, SCCL lecturer Dr Gong Cheng was invited by the International Council of Internet Chinese Education to serve as a panel speaker at the 2026 International Conference on Internet Chinese Education and to deliver a presentation entitled "When AI Enters the Chinese Language Classroom: Policies, Practices and Reflections from Singapore".

         As a member of the judging panel for the "Young Reporter News Challenge", Master Teacher Mr Tang Chun Chieh was invited to appear on Mediacorp's "Hello Singapore" on 1 June 2026 to share the distinctive features of this year's competition entries and discuss how secondary school students can apply Chinese meaningfully both in the classroom and beyond. On 4 July, Mr Tang was also invited to conduct the post-competition workshop for the "60-Second Creative News" category to provide professional feedback on the shortlisted entries and shared practical strategies, production techniques, and key considerations for creating compelling creative news reports.

1. Dr Foo Suan Fong, Executive Director

         On 13 May 2026, Dr Foo Suan Fong, Executive Director of the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language (SCCL), was invited to deliver a speech at the 8th Haidian–Singapore Education Roundtable Forum, jointly organised by the Beijing Haidian District Education Commission and the Singapore Ministry of Education. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of educational exchanges between Haidian District and Singapore, the roundtable, themed "AI-Empowered Innovation and Synergistic Growth: Excellence in Educational Development and Global Collaboration", brought together experts and scholars from the education sectors of Haidian and Singapore, as well as school representatives, for in-depth discussions on educational transformation in the era of artificial intelligence.

         In his speech titled "School Education in the Age of AI: Opportunities and Challenges", Dr Foo shared Singapore's practical experience in AI ethics education. Drawing on real educational contexts, he also discussed the importance of strengthening students' digital literacy and fostering sound AI values in the intelligent era. His sharing closely aligned with current trends in educational transformation, offering forward-looking perspectives and strong practical relevance, and received wide attention and thoughtful reflection from participants.

Dr Foo Suan Fong, Executive Director of SCCL, delivering a speech
(Photo sourced from the official Wechat account of "Haidian Education")

Group photo of participants
(Photo sourced from the official Wechat account of "Haidian Education")

2. Dr Zhang Limei, Dean of Academic Affairs

         On the morning of 28 March 2026, Dr Zhang Limei, SCCL Dean of Academic Affairs, was invited to speak at the Distinguished Teachers Lecture Series of the "Tao Xingzhi Experimental Class" at the School of Chinese Language and Literature, Nanning Normal University, where she delivered a keynote lecture entitled "The New Role of Chinese Language Teachers in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence" to an audience of more than 200 faculty members and students.

         Dr Zhang pointed out that artificial intelligence (AI) has become deeply integrated into Chinese language education, driving significant changes in traditional teaching approaches and, in particular, creating new possibilities for the teaching of writing. Drawing on practical classroom examples, she introduced various models of Human–AI Collaboration in teaching, demonstrating how technology can enhance instructional efficiency while supporting more personalised learning.

         She emphasised that Chinese language teachers in the new era should possess a broad range of professional competencies. These include the ability to critically evaluate AI-generated feedback using sound subject knowledge, effectively integrate AI tools through well-designed pedagogical strategies, and apply professional assessment skills to address the limitations of AI. She also stressed the importance of strengthening teachers' AI and data literacy, while upholding the principles of data security and academic integrity.

         In addition, Dr Zhang systematically explained effective approaches to providing teacher feedback and proposed practical strategies for cultivating students' feedback literacy at different stages of schooling, taking into account the developmental characteristics of learners at each level.

         During the interactive Q&A session, students actively raised questions about the practical application of AI in Chinese language teaching. Dr Zhang responded to each question with thoughtful and detailed explanations, effectively addressing participants' concerns and deepening their understanding of how AI can support Chinese language education.

Dr Zhang Limei delivering the speech to the audience

3. Dr Cheong Yun Yee, SCCL Lecturer

         On 3 June 2026, Dr Cheong Yun Yee, SCCL Lecturer, was invited to present at the keynote session at the Chinese Language Elective Programme (CLEP) Writing Camp. Her presentation, titled "When Streets Speak: Creative Writing and Local Inspiration through Thong Teck Sian Tong Lian Sin Sia Temple", was attended by approximately 240 students from Temasek Junior College (Secondary), Nan Chiau High School, Nan Hua High School, Maris Stella High School, Chung Cheng High School (Main), Hwa Chong Institution, Nanyang Girls' High School, Anglican High School and Dunman High School.

         Drawing on her essay "Thong Teck Sian Tong Lian Sin Sia Temple" published in Streets and Places of Singapore 2, Dr Cheong explored how everyday experiences, local heritage and personal memories can inspire creative writing. She also shared practical writing strategies, including observation, sensory description and authentic voice, encouraging students to develop their own unique perspectives while deepening their appreciation of Chinese literature and creative writing.

Dr Cheong Yun Yee delivering the keynote address at the CLEP Writing Camp

Dr Cheong sharing creative writing insights with students at the CLEP Writing Camp

Dr Cheong receiving a token of appreciation from the Organiser

4. Dr Gong Cheng, SCCL Lecturer

         From 13 to 14 June 2026, Dr Gong Cheng, SCCL Lecturer, was invited by the International Council of Internet Chinese Education to serve as a panel speaker at the "2026 International Conference on Internet Chinese Education (ICICE 2026)". She delivered a presentation entitled "When AI Enters the Chinese Language Classroom: Policies, Practices and Reflections from Singapore".

         The conference brought together scholars from the United States, Germany, Canada, Italy, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Dr Gong participated in the panel session "Digital Chinese Learning Development in Asia", where she exchanged views with scholars from Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan on the future of Chinese language education in the digital era.

         In her presentation, Dr Gong introduced Singapore's national AI-in-education policies, as well as the Student Learning Space (SLS) and its Adaptive Learning System (ALS). Drawing on examples from Chinese writing, reading and speaking classrooms, she shared practical applications of AI in Chinese language teaching. She emphasised that the core mission of Chinese language education remains unchanged in the AI era—to develop students' abilities in expression, thinking and cultural understanding. Rather than posing a challenge, AI provides an opportunity for educators to rethink the essence of teaching. As AI takes on more knowledge transmission tasks, teachers can focus more on inspiring thinking, nurturing students' emotional development and guiding their values.

         The presentation was well received by participants. During the discussion session, many attendees actively engaged with Dr Gong and expressed high appreciation for Singapore's experience in integrating AI into Chinese language education.

Dr Gong giving the speech

5. Mr Tang Chun Chieh, Master Teacher

         As a member of the judging panel for the Young Reporter News Challenge, Master Teacher Tang Chun Chieh was invited to appear on Mediacorp's "Hello Singapore" on 1 June 2026. During the programme, he shared the distinctive features of this year's competition entries and discussed how secondary school students can apply Chinese meaningfully both in the classroom and beyond. He highlighted that the submissions demonstrated students' keen observation, creativity, and communication skills, drawing newsworthy stories from school life, community experiences, and current social issues while presenting them in engaging and innovative ways.

         On the morning of 4 July, Mr Tang was also invited to conduct the post-competition workshop for the "60-Second Creative News" category. He provided professional feedback on the shortlisted entries and shared practical strategies, production techniques, and key considerations for creating compelling creative news reports. He encouraged students to observe their surroundings, think critically, and express their ideas confidently in Chinese, enabling them to connect language learning with authentic, real-world communication while developing creativity and effective communication skills.

Master Teacher Tang Chun Chieh (second from left) with the programme host and student representative after the recording of Mediacorp's "Hello Singapore"

Mr Tang conducting the post-competition workshop

 

Contributed by Dr Zhang Limei, Dr Cheong Yun Yee, Dr Gong Cheng, Master Teacher Tang Chun Chieh