The panel also considered how universities can respond to changing expectations around education, work and lifelong learning. Rather than simply replacing established models with new ones, Associate Professor Fawns said higher education could expand the range of pathways available to learners while retaining approaches that continue to provide value. “It's not switching A for B but building out a richer tapestry of things,” he said.
Professor Young said the changing education landscape also provided an opportunity to rethink traditional pathways from school to university and postgraduate study.
“What the current environment is almost forcing us to do is to rethink our assumptions about everything,” he said, questioning whether the traditional model of K-12 education followed by undergraduate and postgraduate study would remain the right model for the future.
“There are now far more options and the world of work and the world and life after education is far more complicated.”
From an EdTech perspective, Ms Hanh noted that universities could increasingly serve as lifelong learning institutions, with learners returning for reskilling, upskilling and micro-credential programs as their needs evolve.
The discussion returned to the role of human judgement as AI becomes increasingly capable. When asked what individuals should keep in mind as they return to work, Associate Professor Fawns offered a concise principle: “Let's not automate human judgement, because I think that might be a death spiral.”
Professor Young said people also need to maintain a broader perspective as AI evolves rapidly. “We have to be able to step up and get a bigger picture,” he said. “This is different, but it's not a pattern that hasn't happened before and we should learn from history whilst applying that historical lens to the specifics of where we are now.”
Professor Young said collaboration across the sector would be essential as institutions navigate the opportunities and challenges created by AI. “No one institution will resolve the questions surrounding AI and education alone,” he said. “This symposium is a space to learn from one another, test our assumptions and build collaborations across institutions, disciplines and sectors.”
The conference also provided a platform for RMIT Vietnam to announce a new Centre of Excellence, designed to strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange across three strategic streams: learning and teaching, digital futures, and English language education.
Professor Seng Kok, Dean of Students at RMIT Vietnam, said: “As part of our vision for the next 25 years, we're launching a Centre of Excellence encompassing three streams that are strongly aligned with our mission in Vietnam, as well as Vietnam's ambitions for the future.”
The Centre aims to bring together educators, researchers, industry partners and communities to explore emerging opportunities, develop new capabilities and create meaningful impact through collaboration.
Story: June Pham
