Desmond Lee says universities and polytechnics need a system-wide AI strategy

Singapore is moving to coordinate how artificial intelligence is used across its higher-education sector, signaling a broader push to shape AI adoption with more structure, evidence, and long-term ambition.

New Committee to Lead the Next Stage
Singapore has formed the Committee for Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education to provide strategic direction and oversight for AI use across all institutes of higher learning, Education Minister Desmond Lee said on April 1 at The Straits Times Education Forum held with Singapore Management University. Chaired by Lee, the committee includes Senior Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary, along with the presidents, principals, and chief executives of Singapore’s universities, polytechnics, and the Institute of Technical Education. Lee said a more coordinated, system-level approach is now needed as AI develops rapidly and institutions face shared opportunities and risks.

Focus on Collaboration, Research, and Good Practice
The committee is meant to deepen collaboration across institutions and improve the sharing of good practices and developments in AI. Lee also said the Ministry of Education will strengthen research into how AI can improve tertiary teaching by supporting inter-IHL projects through its Tertiary Education Research Fund. The aim is to bring educators and researchers together to test new learning approaches, build evidence on what works, and translate those findings into classroom practice across campuses.

Students Must Go Beyond Basic AI Use
Lee stressed that Singapore does not want students to rely on AI as a shortcut. He said AI is strong in horizontal capabilities such as summarizing and handling general tasks, but students must also build vertical strengths such as domain expertise, judgment, and real-world application. According to him, education should equip learners not only to use AI tools, but to apply them responsibly and meaningfully inside their disciplines, while also strengthening uniquely human abilities such as critical thinking and cross-cultural understanding.

AI Is Already Changing Campuses
Lee pointed to examples already being tested across Singapore’s campuses. At the National University of Singapore, an AI tool used to grade English competency tests for around 3,000 students a year has reportedly saved more than 100 man-days while maintaining 95 percent accuracy. At ITE, staff are using AI to generate first drafts of teaching materials, while the five polytechnics have launched a joint analytics project to identify at-risk students earlier. Other institutions, including the Singapore University of Social Sciences and the Singapore University of Technology and Design, are also experimenting with adaptive learning systems and custom AI tools in academic work.

Part of a Bigger National AI Strategy
This higher-education push is tied to Singapore’s wider national AI agenda. Lee said the sector’s work will support broader efforts led by the new National AI Council chaired by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. He also announced that from the second half of 2026, all institutes of higher learning will offer selected AI-related courses to alumni at significant discounts for one year, reinforcing the idea that AI capability building should continue beyond graduation and throughout working life.

Singapore’s new AI committee shows that the country wants to shape the future of higher education deliberately rather than react to disruption after the fact. For Singaporeans, the move could help campuses adopt AI more consistently while protecting the deeper purpose of education, which is still grounded in judgment, inquiry, and human capability. For Indonesians, it offers a clear regional example of how governments and universities can move from isolated AI experiments toward a coordinated strategy that links teaching, research, and workforce readiness.

Sources: Straits Times (2026) , MOE SG (2026)

Keywords: Singapore AI Education, Desmond Lee, Higher Education AI, Committee For Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education, MOE, Institutes Of Higher Learning, AI Adoption