CONFERENCE Higher education leaders call on universities to nurture human strengths in AI era
Mei Mei Lim, Asia-Pacific region president of Times Higher Education (THE), delivers a speech during the 2026 Korea Times Global Conference at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Korea Times Global Conference highlights changing role of universities
The Ministry of Education on Tuesday laid out a vision for universities to nurture students who can harness artificial intelligence (AI) while developing the distinctly human qualities needed to lead a rapidly changing society.
The vision took center stage at the 2026 Korea Times Global Conference, titled “Beyond AI: Building human-centered leadership for next era,” highlighting the role of universities in nurturing a workforce capable of leading the AI era.
“As AI advances, human capabilities — such as asking questions, thinking independently, making sound judgments and working with others — will become increasingly important,” Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said in remarks delivered on his behalf by ministry spokesperson Jeong Byoung-ik.
Ministry of Education spokesperson Jeong Byoung-ik delivers congratulatory remarks on behalf of Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin during the 2026 Korea Times Global Conference at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
He said universities must play a central role in the AI era by generating new knowledge, bridging disciplines and technologies and preparing the next generation of workers to lead change.
The ministry vowed to support universities in their efforts to adapt and innovate, stressing that investment in higher education is an investment in the country’s future.
“Our goal is to help students retain their humanity, take the initiative in using AI and grow into people capable of leading a changing future,” Jeong said, reading Choi’s remarks.
Rep. Kim Hee-jung, chairperson of the National Assembly’s Education Committee, gives congratulatory remarks during the 2026 Korea Times Global Conference at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
The annual conference, held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul, brought together university leaders, policymakers and global higher education experts to discuss the evolving role of universities in the AI era.
Discussions ranged from rethinking teaching and research to cultivating future-ready graduates, strengthening global competitiveness and adapting university evaluations for a changing higher education landscape.
Rep. Kim Hee-jung of the People Power Party, chairperson of the National Assembly’s Education Committee, stressed that education in the AI era should remain centered on people rather than technology.
"Creativity to ask and find answers, cooperation to understand others' thinking and find solutions together, and responsibility to determine how and for what to use technologies — these are areas in which any state-of-the-art technology cannot replace humans," Kim said.
Korea Times Vice Chairman Seung Ji-soo said in his opening remarks that this year’s theme reflects a fundamental challenge facing universities as AI rapidly transforms society.
“It is no longer enough to simply adopt AI technologies. The real challenge is to educate people who can lead society in the age of AI,” he said. “Universities must prepare graduates who are not only AI-literate, but also creative, ethical and capable of leading meaningful change.”
Choi Jae-boong, a professor of interdisciplinary artificial intelligence service design at Sungkyunkwan University, gives a keynote speech during the 2026 Korea Times Global Conference at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Two keynote speeches explored the leadership and educational approaches universities will need to navigate the AI era.
Choi Jae-boong, a professor of interdisciplinary AI service design at Sungkyunkwan University, described the rapid flow of global investment into AI as evidence of an irreversible shift, arguing that universities must respond by transforming education rather than focusing primarily on controlling students’ use of the technology.
“To develop leadership, we first have to embrace what is changing,” Choi said. “We should not be afraid of collaboration across departments or industries, but look for new directions in this era of revolution.”
Shitij Kapur, vice-chancellor and president of King’s College London, outlined responsibilities for universities in the AI era. He called for a shift from traditional lectures and essays toward experiential learning, while warning that unguided AI use could undermine learning.
“The purpose of AI is to enhance our humanity, not just increase our economic productivity,” Kapur said during an online speech presented live. “Universities must bring us back to what will matter in the world.”
Shitij Kapur, vice-chancellor and president of King’s College London, delivers a keynote speech via Zoom during the 2026 Korea Times Global Conference at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
The event also featured senior representatives from global higher education rankings organizations to discuss how university evaluation is evolving.
Leigh Kamolins, vice president for evaluation and insights at QS, said university rankings must evolve as AI reshapes the skills employers seek and how institutions prepare students for work.
“Employability is central to student decision-making. They want to learn new skills,” Kamolins said, adding that ranking metrics need to evolve to reflect the changing nature of employment.
Meanwhile, Mei Mei Lim, Asia-Pacific region president of Times Higher Education (THE), said universities need to rethink their purpose as AI, demographic decline and changing expectations from society and industry reshape higher education.
“The future university must become indispensable to society by focusing not simply on what it is good at, but what it is good for,” Lim said. “AI should not become another arms race. Universities must ask what they can do with AI that others cannot.”
Leigh Kamolins, vice president for evaluation and insights at QS, delivers a speech during the 2026 Korea Times Global Conference at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
The first panel session explored how universities can transform education, develop future-ready graduates and strengthen global competitiveness.
Moderated by Choi, the discussion brought together Lee Ji-hyun, director of the AI integrated talent development division at the education ministry; Lee Jae-wook, director of the AI Institute and professor of computer science at Seoul National University; Son Henny, head of AI Education at Upstage; and Gregory Hill, chief administrative officer at the University of Utah Asia Campus.
Panelists called for a shift from knowledge delivery to problem-solving and hands-on learning, while strengthening AI literacy, human skills and university-industry collaboration.
The second panel discussion, moderated by Lee Hi-kyoung, dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Korea University, brought together Kamolins and Ashley Mok, vice president for APAC consultancy at THE, to explore what universities need to remain globally competitive in the AI era.
The conference was followed by an invitation-only afternoon session, where QS and THE representatives met with Korean university officials to discuss changes in global ranking indicators and strategies to strengthen international competitiveness. The roundtable also allowed universities to exchange views directly with the ranking organizations on the future of higher education evaluation.
As part of its broader efforts to promote the internationalization of Korean higher education, The Korea Times will release its University Rankings 2027 on Friday, evaluating 60 universities on their globalization efforts and capacity to educate and support international students. The rankings will also examine how universities are building sustainable models of internationalization amid demographic decline, financial pressures and intensifying competition for skilled workers globally.