On 24 June 2026, Prof. Ben Leong, Director of the AI Centre for Educational Technologies (AICET), visited East China Normal University (ECNU) in Shanghai, China. The visit served as a significant opportunity to exchange groundbreaking ideas on AI for Education research and further underscores AICET’s commitment to supporting the broader Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China.
During the visit, discussions between Prof. Ben Leong and the ECNU leaders centered on the rapid integration of AI into school leadership and curriculum development. The exchange also highlighted cutting-edge technological advancements being developed at ECNU’s Shanghai Institute of AI for Education.
ECNU houses the PRC MOE’s National Training Centre for Secondary School Principals (NTCSSP), an institution that provides crucial professional development to secondary school leaders across mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. The NTCSSP operates a comprehensive four-level training system tiered by career stage and seniority. Notably, AI governance has been systematically integrated into all training tiers, preparing principals not only to utilize AI tools but also to spearhead institutional policies around them.
The meeting concluded with a mutual interest in fostering deeper insights and continuous exploration into how cutting-edge AI technologies can safely and effectively transform teaching and learning landscapes in both Singapore and China.
