SMU's Strategic Pivot to Human-Centered AI Under Provost Alan Chan
Singapore Management University (SMU) is redefining its role in higher education through a deliberate human-centered Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy. Led by Provost Professor Alan Chan, who assumed the position in April 2025, this approach balances technological advancement with the irreplaceable value of human insight. Chan, a seasoned academic with prior leadership roles at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and National University of Singapore (NUS), emphasizes deploying AI where it enhances human judgment rather than supplants it. This inward focus on pedagogy and outward application to societal challenges positions SMU as a leader among Singapore universities.
The strategy emerges amid Singapore's National AI Strategy 2.0, which aims to cultivate 15,000 AI practitioners by 2030 and integrate AI across sectors. SMU's initiatives align seamlessly, fostering AI fluency while prioritizing ethical, interpretable AI that supports human decision-making. As Chan notes, 'We deploy AI where it sharpens human judgment, strengthens resilience, and addresses real problems.' This philosophy guides everything from curriculum redesign to real-world collaborations.
Transforming Assessments: The AID Framework in Action
At the core of SMU's inward strategy is the AID framework—Adapt, Incorporate, Detect—designed to integrate AI responsibly into learning. Adapt involves redesigning assessments to measure reasoning over rote memorization, such as through oral defenses, live coding builds, and simulations that demand critical thinking. Incorporate encourages guided AI use, teaching students to leverage tools like generative AI for ideation while honing human value-adds like ethical judgment. Detect focuses on tools to flag misuse, responding to a surge in AI plagiarism cases across Singapore universities in 2025.
This framework addresses a key challenge: maintaining academic integrity in an AI era. SMU mandates small classes and in-class assessments without internet access for finals, ensuring evaluations capture genuine student capabilities. Early results show improved student engagement, with faculty reporting deeper discussions on AI's limitations, such as hallucinations in large language models.
- Adapt: Shift from essays to project-based evaluations requiring original synthesis.
- Incorporate: Embed AI tools in coursework with reflection prompts on outputs.
- Detect: Use advanced proctoring and AI detectors calibrated for accuracy.
Mandatory AI Fluency Courses and Faculty Upskilling
SMU is rolling out a mandatory AI fluency course for all undergraduates, covering fundamentals like machine learning algorithms, ethical deployment, and prompt engineering. Defined fully as the ability to understand, apply, and critique AI systems (Artificial Intelligence systems), this curriculum ensures graduates 'learn about AI, use AI, and learn beyond AI,' per Chan. Year 1 foundations build disciplinary mindsets before AI integration, preventing over-reliance.
Faculty development is equally robust. The Centre for Teaching Excellence hosts webinars, the AI Learning Lab offers hands-on workshops with tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney, and peer mentoring bridges expertise gaps. Over 200 faculty participated in 2025 sessions, leading to innovative pedagogies like AI-augmented case studies in business analytics.
Outward Applications: Eldercare Innovation with Sengkang General Hospital
SMU's outward thrust tackles Singapore's ageing population, projected to see one in four residents aged 65+ by 2030. A flagship project, 'Sensors In-home for Elder Wellbeing,' partners with Sengkang General Hospital. Nine ambient sensors—including wearables—monitor routines, sleep, medication adherence, and vitals without invasive cameras or microphones. Interpretable AI models flag early cognitive impairment, enabling timely clinician interventions for independent living.
This human-centered design prioritizes transparency: clinicians review AI reasoning step-by-step, from data patterns to predictions. Piloted in 2025, it demonstrates AI's role in augmenting healthcare professionals, reducing cognitive load while preserving patient dignity. Similar initiatives at NUS and NTU focus on AI diagnostics, but SMU's emphasis on explainability sets it apart.
Supply Chain Resilience: Partnering with IBM Research
In collaboration with IBM Research, SMU develops AI models for supply chain risk mitigation amid geopolitical volatility. These models simulate trade-offs in sourcing, logistics, and inventory, aiding executives in data-driven decisions. Unlike black-box systems, outputs are interpretable, allowing human oversight on nuanced factors like sustainability.
Real-world testing during 2025 disruptions showed 20% faster recovery times for simulated firms. This project exemplifies Chan's vision: AI as a co-pilot, not autopilot, aligning with Singapore's trade-dependent economy.
Photo by VacationTravelInsider .com on Unsplash
Resilient Workforces Institute: Future-Proofing Singapore's Talent
Launched January 20, 2026, the SMU Resilient Workforces Institute (ResWORK) invests S$5 million over five years, targeting S$8 million more externally. Directed by Vice Provost Archan Misra, it spans human-machine collaboration, organizational redesign, and societal capital maximization. Key project: Professor Li Jia's AI Occupational Exposure Index, quantifying profession-AI interplay for reskilling.
Partnerships with SkillsFuture Singapore (two-year MoU) and Equinix (S$450,000) translate research into policy. President Lily Kong states, 'ResWORK shapes public policy and strengthens workforce resilience.' Focus areas include lifelong learning pathways, with over 20 faculty from six schools contributing. This institute embodies human-centered AI by optimizing complementary human-AI strengths.
MSc in Business AI: Cultivating Ethical Leaders
Debuting August 2026, SMU's Master of Science (MSc) in Business AI targets mid-career professionals. Spanning strategy, decision intelligence, and ethics, courses like Human-AI Collaboration and AI-Augmented Influencing use seminar-style learning. Academic Director Professor Sungjong Roh highlights its business-first lens, bridging technical AI with leadership.
Graduates gain skills for AI governance, aligning with Singapore's need for 10,000 AI-savvy managers by 2028. Applications emphasize interdisciplinary cohorts for diverse perspectives.
Craft your academic CV for AI programsST Education Forum 2026: Hype or Hope?
On April 1, 2026, SMU hosts the Straits Times Education Forum titled 'AI in Higher Education: Hype or Hope?' Featuring Minister Desmond Lee, Provost Chan, and OpenAI's Raghav Gupta, it debates AI's transformative potential in teaching, assessments, and reskilling. Moderated by Professor Lim Sun Sun, discussions cover graduate readiness amid rapid tech shifts.
This event underscores SMU's thought leadership, drawing global experts to Singapore's higher ed ecosystem.
Singapore's Broader AI Landscape in Universities
SMU complements peers: NUS's Centre for AI Technology for Humankind promotes ethical AI; NTU's Global AI Nexus of Schools fosters international collaboration. Yet SMU's business-oriented, human-centric focus differentiates it, supporting SkillsFuture's AI literacy push with S$556 million in social sciences funding.
- NUS: AI in biomedicine and urban planning.
- NTU: Human-centric AI degrees emphasizing ethics.
- SMU: Workforce and business AI integration.
Challenges, Ethical Considerations, and Future Outlook
Challenges include faculty upskilling equity and AI biases. SMU counters with diverse training and interpretable models. Future plans: Expand ResWORK research, scale MSc cohorts, and influence national policy. By 2030, SMU aims for 100% AI-fluent graduates, equipped for an AI-augmented economy.
Stakeholders—from students to policymakers—gain actionable insights: Prioritize human skills like discernment. As Chan warns, 'The distinction will be between those who use AI with critical discernment and those who don’t.'
Photo by Scribbling Geek on Unsplash
Career Implications and Pathways in AI Higher Education
For aspiring academics and professionals, SMU's model highlights demand for AI ethicists and strategists. Singapore's job market projects 20,000 AI roles by 2028. Explore opportunities at AcademicJobs.com higher ed jobs, rate professors via Rate My Professor, or seek advice on higher ed career advice. Internal links to university jobs and Singapore positions aid transitions.
Engage with SMU's vision to thrive in human-centered AI.