President S. Joe Qin delivers keynote address at the Beijing Forum 2025

From 7 to 9 November 2025, Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, was invited to attend several key sessions of the 22nd Beijing Forum, including the Opening Ceremony at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, the Presidents’ Roundtable on Digital and Intelligent Education, where he shared his insights, and the Closing Ceremony, where he delivered a keynote address. During the visit, President Qin and his delegation also held an in-depth discussion with Prof He Guangcai, Chair of Peking University (PKU) Council.

Keynote speech: Four dimensions of AI’s impact on higher education

At the Closing Ceremony on 9 November, held at Peking University, President Qin delivered a keynote speech entitled “The Four Dimensions of Artificial Intelligence’s Impact on Higher Education”. He systematically outlined four major areas in which AI is reshaping universities: Transformation of Learning Methods — from teaching agents to teacher-assisted learning; Innovation in Curriculum Content — replacing outdated materials with emerging AI skills and frontier topics; Restructuring of Academic Disciplines and Programmes — educating talents for roles that AI cannot replace and developing higher-order critical thinking; Formation of Value Systems — recognising that AI itself carries embedded values, and universities bear the responsibility to nurture students’ sound moral and cultural foundations, particularly those rooted in Chinese values, rather than values shaped by AI systems. President Qin emphasised that educators must advise students on building and upholding their own independent moral positions.

On the question of what universities should teach in the post-AI era, President Qin stressed that universities must impart future-oriented skills and knowledge, rather than outdated or easily automated ones. At the same time, traditional learning remains indispensable, as human civilisation is built upon the continuous study and reinterpretation of the classic philosophies.

To tackle the most urgent tasks for universities in the age of AI, President Qin pointed out that institutions must focus on abilities that are difficult for AI to replicate, especially higher-order thinking skills, which will become a defining competency for future graduates. Humans should learn to coexist, collaborate, and live alongside AI and work effectively with it in the professional world.

Discussing the impact of AI on the job market, President Qin noted that the current wave of transformation is driven by corporations shifting their strategic priorities towards AI and automation. Many companies are cutting costs and streamlining positions, while simultaneously deploying trillions of dollars to build AI infrastructure and advanced related research, which has created new professions such as AI engineers, data scientists, and machine learning specialists, while placing repetitive traditional roles at risk of automation.

President Qin also highlighted Lingnan University’s digital transformation initiatives, including the university-led IDEAL-Gen.AI Platform, which supports the digitalisation of teaching activities and has already facilitated the development of over 12,000 learning activities.

His speech, which predicted AI's profound influence on higher education, sparked considerable interest and an enthusiastic response from the audience.

Distinguished guests at the Closing Ceremony included Park Jin, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea; Li Yi, Deputy Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Education Working Committee and Director of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission; Kim Yoo-seok, President of Chey Institute for Advanced Studies; Pascal Lamy, Vice President of the Paris Peace Forum; Prof Tiziana Lippiello, Rector of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice; Prof Tan Tai Yong, President of the Singapore University of Social Sciences; Xu Yongji, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Confucian Association; Prof Ian Rivers, Associate Principal of the University of Strathclyde; Winston Ong, Vice President (Corporate) of Singapore University of Social Science; Prof Reed Dasenbrock, former Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at the University of Hawai‘i; and Prof Chen Baoquan, Boya Distinguished Professor at Peking University.

High-level Dialogue: Practice and observations in the era of digital intelligence

During the Digital Education sub-forum, President Qin joined four higher education leaders in a dialogue. He shared employment data from the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, noting that between October 2022 and July 2025, the number of software development positions held by 22–25-year-olds in the US fell by nearly 20 per cent, according to ADP, the largest US payroll software provider. This decline coincided with the emergence of ChatGPT and the trend of replacing entry-level programming jobs. President Qin said that university leaders must closely monitor AI’s impact on academic programmes and graduate employability, and make timely adjustments to relevant curricula.

To face the pedagogical challenges posed by the integration of AI in learning, President Qin pointed out the distinction between teaching and education. “Teaching is primarily the role of instructors, whereas education is a collective responsibility involving all university units, including faculty,” he said, tt Lingnan University, where whole-person education is a key principle, AI is being harnessed to enhance learning responsibly while encouraging students’ capacities for critical and independent thought—a uniquely human trait that AI cannot replace.

Lingnan University is one of the first universities in Hong Kong to fully embrace AI. As early as 2023, all Lingnan students and staff were granted free access to ChatGPT. The University also launched several AI-related courses, making Generative AI a core course for all undergraduate freshmen. President Qin confirmed that this strategic decision, after more than two years of implementation, has proven to be highly forward-looking.

Inter-university collaboration: Strengthening ties with Peking University

During the forum, Chair of the PKU Council He Guangcai warmly welcomed President Qin and his delegation. Both sides engaged in an in-depth exchange on topics including the Northern Metropolis Development, talent cultivation, digital and intelligent education, and student and faculty exchange programmes. Participants included Prof Fang Fang, a Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President of PKU; Li Yun, Director of the Office for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Affairs of Peking University; and Ivy Shen Tingting, Head of the Office of National Engagement at Lingnan University.

Lingnan University and Peking University signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Institutional Collaboration in September 2024, and have since co-hosted two summer academies with Yuanpei College. Lingnan has also joined the Digital Intelligence International Development Education Alliance (DI-IDEA), initiated by Peking University, and participated in a number of international events, including the Future Talent: Digital Intelligence Reshaping Higher Education Summit at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions (Summer Davos) in Dalian, and the Global Approaches to Generative AI in Higher Education at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).